Page 5 of 5
There are currently 35 member reviews
for The Swimming Pool
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Tracy T. (Wakefield, RI)
The Swimming Pool
I am not a fan of the book. The characters were flat and one dimensional. I read much longer than I wanted to in hopes of finding a way to connect with them. Enough of the plot is revealed on the back of the novel to know that if I didn't care about these characters I didn't really want to read about what I knew was in store. The plot line wasn't gripping, the characters weren't engaging and therefore the subject matter was not one I cared enough about. Some may find this a good "summer read" but I think there are better.
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Denice B. (Fort Bragg, CA)
The Swimming Pool
This Pool is shallow. The story seemed contrived and implausible, the love affairs trite and also unlikely. The author doesn't much heed the writerly axiom "show, don't tell." Her language and style are pretty ordinary in the first half or so of the book, but she goes on to turn some pretty good phrases in the second half. Here too her characters have a few insightful things to say.
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Beth T. (Savannah, GA)
Ultimately Unsatisfying
While this book contains some lovely images and stirring language, in parts, I found it uneven and ultimately unsatisfying. The characters seemed to go around and around in circles - I kept waiting for at least partial resolution to all the angst, but it never came, and at the end I felt cheated. Unfortunately, this is not a book I'd highly recommend.
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Vicky R. (Cumming, GA)
Nothing new at the "Pool"
I didn't dislike this book...I just thought it was a lot of the same old thing. Affairs, murder, revenge, despair...the usual suspects. I kept hoping that the plot would pick up since a couple of the characters did have some strength to them, alas, I felt I stayed with the story in search of the answer to the murder mystery (and I will give the author credit for keeping me hanging on to the end); but much to my dismay, I closed the book continuing to wonder what happened. I don't think I would recommend this book to anyone simply because the story just didn't offer any real intrigue and the plot was just mediocre. It doesn't mean I wouldn't pick up another book by this same author though and give her another "spin".
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Jill S. (Chicago, IL)
Diving Into 'The Swimming Pool'
Each of the characters in The Swimming Pool are constantly treading water in their search to uncover elusive family secrets. One of the biggest mysteries: what happened years ago when Cecil McClatchey, suspected in his wife's murder, dies in a car accident. Fast forward: Cecil's grown son Jed, returns to the Cape with his sister for the first time in years, and decides to confront Marcella, Cecil's one-time lover. The result: Jed and Marcella dive headfirst into an affair that ends up rocking their world with unexpected revelations.
The book is haunting and well-plotted, yet the shifts are often too abrupt and improbable; I wanted to be carried away more than I was. Readers of Jodi Picoult and Anita Shreve may find this book to their tastes. I wanted it to make some deeper waves.
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Kathy S. (Danbury, CT)
The Swimming Pool
This book started out slowly, and I kept waiting for the plot to kick in. The characters were flat and did not draw me into their world. Expanding Callie's story may have improved the story line. Definitely not a page turner; I had to force myself to finish it.
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Teresa C. (Pickerington, OH)
The Swimming Pool
I did not really care for this book. The premise sounded good and when I sat down to read it I was hoping it would be a real page turner. Sadly, that was not the case. I really did not like any of the characters...felt they were all very flawed and didn't have a lot of redeeming qualities. I also felt that it was very slow moving and that what promised to be a dramatic ending was rather a let down.
