Some aspects of Jessica Andrews’ debut ‘Saltwater’ reminded me a lot of ‘Sight’ by Jessie Greengrass, particularly in its visceral imagery concerning changing bodies and an emerging sense of self. Based on Andrews’ life so far, it also appears that there is a strong element of autofiction in this coming-of-age story in which Lucy is finding her way in the world from growing up in Sunderland to her student years in London to inheriting a cottage in Donegal from her grandfather after she graduates from university.

Lucy’s relationship with her mother and alcoholic father and the effects of their separation lies at the heart of her journey. As a chronicle of adolescent life in the mid Noughties, Andrews can’t be faulted for accuracy, atmosphere and tone. It’s a very specific era in which MSN and MySpace briefly dominated the Internet and pre-dates smartphones and the ubiquity of the current social media giants. This resonated with me a lot but that’s probably because I’m only a couple of years older than Andrews and her main protagonist so I can strongly relate to the context which few authors can recount with so much authentic detail. I’m also very conscious that I’m the prime target market for the new wave of female millennial authors – the generation destined to be labelled as “the new Sally Rooney” over the next few years – and I’m not sure how readers who don’t fall into this age range will respond to it.

It is inevitable that London ultimately proves to be a disappointing experience for Lucy. The indie scene she was obsessed with as a teenager has fallen out of fashion by the time she arrives in the early 2010s. She struggles to connect with her peers at university and the observations about class differences in this context are very astute.

Overall, the fragmented style of prose in ‘Saltwater’ means that narrative drive is somewhat lacking, but the vignettes themselves are very affecting with an evocative sense of place. I look forward to seeing what Andrews writes next.

A different way of storytelling – short bursts of detail.
I found this method irritating by the end, and found it difficult to remember the details as the story unfolded.

We're all feeling a post-Fleabag hangover. If you're looking for a new millennial to connect with, Saltwater is the ideal read. It's a coming-of-age story that meanders and explores the feelings of loneliness, feeling lost and struggling to fit in, that any 20-something will relate to. It's certainly a poetic read, with chunks of text often reading like interspersed poems, however it all flows together nicely and never jogs the reader out of the mood.

It's got a low-fi, gritty and edgy vibe to it, like the forementioned Fleabag but for me, it also had a sense of vagueness which lacked the punchy, raw feeling of Fleabag. The lead character Lucy was hard to emphasise with as she never really expressed any strong emotion or opinion that could lead the reader to form an attachment to her.

It adds a fresh viewpoint on the age-old story of a girl growing up and finding her place in the world, but for me lacked the emotional depth and personality I crave in this genre.

The prose is often very beautiful, but I was frustrated by the thin narrative and reliance on tangible cultural reference points to evoke the period and setting. I think Andrews is capable of great things, but Saltwater was too slight for me,

Beautiful, intensely relateable writing. I am still thinking about it days later, and highlighted so many quotes that I've been going back to re-read and mull over. Can't wait to read more from Jess Andrews!

"I was too full. I was brimming with the possibility of everything. Other people's lives were carefully curated whereas I was a tangled knot of all of the people and places I had ever wanted to be. I was distracted by every bright thing and enamoured with every person I met who promised a more solid version of myself."

Saltwater is a novel about Lucy, who is living in her grandfather's house in Ireland after he passes away. She reminisces about her working-class upbringing in Sunderland and her family dynamics as well as her time at university in London and how it wasn't the key to a new life as she'd expected.

I loved the storytelling in this book, particularly the stories of her family history and how they're passed on - reminds me very much of my own working-class upbringing and the kind of mythology these tales take on.

Saltwater is a novel firmly rooted in people and places - looking at mothers, daughters, bodies and working-class regional life. I was blown away by how original and fresh this book was, and so beautifully written - it's hard to believe this is a debut novel!

Big thanks to Hodder for this netgalley copy. I read it a few weeks ago and I loved it so much I had to go out and buy a finished copy on publication day.

Beautifully written, this felt very personal to me - both as written by the author and as the reader. It’s a book about growing up, the relationship between a mother and daughter, fragmented families and trying to fit in.
The chapters jump between the present day as Lucy lives in her deceased grandfather’s (almost derelict) cottage in Donegal, her life in Sunderland as she is growing up, and her time as a student at University in London. Lucy’s life in Sunderland and London seem to be concerned with her striving to fit in to other people’s expectations of her - or what she perceives to be their expectations. Ireland gives her thinking space, where she can learn about herself and put her life in to perspective.
I can’t adequately express how much I loved this. It’s beautifully, poetically written, and it is so emotional. It made me think of my own relationship with my mother, how close we were when I was a child, and how I grew away. The resilience of women is so well described in this book.
I will most definitely look out for more from Jessica Andrews, and I’ll be recommending this book to everyone!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this wonderful book.

It's a very interesting an d well written coming of age story that I enjoyed a lot.
The writing style is poetic and unsual. Certainly a talented writer that I'll be seeking in the upcoming years for her next books.
It's about Lucy's life starting from childhood. We go through her family problems, parents' divorce, move to a big city like London, finding her place in the world, etc. I loved the London part as it's the city I live in. I founf the observations so good, well written, and it had an impact on me.

In the narrative, past memories and current turn of events sort of collide to form an interesting structure. I found this very well done to complete Lucy as a woman in the reader's eye. Why has she become who she became.
It was a very transparent, raw portrait of a woman, that's why I loved it and found it so real.
I'd highly recommend it to literary fiction lovers, to people who enjoy coming of age stories as well.

Thanks a lot NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What drew me to the novel originally was the plot; our narrator Lucy Bailey has gone to live in her grandfather’s house in Co. Donegal after graduating with a Literature Degree from Queen Mary University in London. Not only do we see her life in Ireland and the reasons why she left London, but we also witness her childhood in Sunderland and her relationship with her mother.
Andrews has written the story in vignettes, often hopping between different periods of time. There might be a couple of pages on Lucy’s life in Donegal, then followed by her childhood in Sunderland, then even looking at her grandmother’s life. At first, I found this technique quite confusing and disjointed; often getting characters a bit muddled up. But the more I read, the more I really enjoyed it. By reading about people like the grandmother, it gives you a better picture, not just of Lucy but her whole family. You can empathise with them and how they behave, knowing what has happened in their past. The fragmentary nature of the novel reminded me of another debut: Daisy Johnson’s Everything Under (who, funnily enough, provides a quote praising Saltwater as ‘sublime’). The novels also explore the complex relationship between their narrator and her mother. However, I feel that Is where the similarities end and I enjoyed Saltwater for different reasons than Everything Under.
The main reason was nostalgia. Lucy’s teen years reminded me of my own, especially when she noted clothes or music. The bands she mentions are the ones I listened to and I recognised myself and my friends in her group. And yes, I did cringe when I remembered some of the stuff we thought was cool. This made Lucy’s reflections as a teenager really fun to read and probably the most enjoyable part of the book for me. Lucy is also a really sympathetic and relatable character, especially after leaving school and going to University. The insecurities and worries, the trying hard to fit but never quite feeling you’ve succeeded, the attempts to define yourself away from your parents… all of that makes her empathetic as she navigates her way to becoming an adult. Andrews conveys those feelings of insecurity wonderfully. I also found Lucy's relationship with her mother very relatable.
Andrews’ writing is also wonderful. There are many beautiful, lyrical passages throughout the novel, perfectly capturing either a landscape or a mood. You are instantly catapulted to the natural world in Donegal or the hustle and bustle of London. Her imagery is very evocative and original, never relying on clichés to describe. She creates such a rich tapestry that the places become characters in their own right. This ties in nicely with the idea of places where you lived previously somehow still shape or define you in some way.
Despite my confusion at the beginning, I liked Saltwater. This is partly due to the nostalgic factor for me (and I’ll admit, not everyone will relate to those specific bands) but mainly down to Andrews’ amazing writing and sympathetic narrator. Heart-breaking, tender but still beautiful, Saltwater is an excellent debut and pegs Andrews as a writer to watch.

Saltwater is a coming-of-age story about Lucy, who grows up in a dysfunctional family in Sunderland, before moving to London for university. Following the death of her grandfather, she moves to his house in Ireland to figure out who she is.

The book has a fragmented, poetic writing style, which personally, made it harder for me to read. Although the narrative was interesting (and perhaps more authentic) as a collection of assorted, non-linear memories, I was often confused as to the timeline and who she was addressing or referring to.

That said, I found the central themes of class, family and relationships interesting and I could really relate to Lucy, her longing for 'something else' and her struggle to find her identity.

I have to say I really struggled with this one. To some, this style may have been poetic. But personally, it just made it hard to understand. Some lines just didn’t make sense to me in their attempt to sound lyrical. And the intentional vagueness made it so difficult to follow, although it was a story we’ve heard a lot - young girl desperate to find herself in the busy streets of London.

HOWEVER, the book made some reflective points about what it’s like growing up as a young woman and that deep urge to go out and find yourself. The relationship between mother and daughter is thoroughly explored here with nuance from Jessica Andrews that cannot be ignored.

I really do think this one just wasn’t for me, and another ready may truly love this one.

This is a beautifully written book, told from the point of view of Lucy as she grows up in Sunderland, leads a student life in London and becomes comfortable with who she is in Donegal. Jessica Andrews claims this is a work of fiction but it does seem likely that there are some elements of autobiography in the tale. The book is dedicated to the author's mother and to me the main theme of the book is the resilience of women, Lucy's mother Susie in particular. Although the book is contemporary and the teenage and student years described occur some 40+ years after my own I found the issues raised as Lucy grapples with asserting her identity to be very familiar. Gender and class are prominent markers and makers of who she is. I did find the breaking up of the text into very short numbered chapters was something of an irritant as I read, especially as these chapter breaks did not seem to have any particular logic. Overall the characters, relationships and locations are well described and believable and I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a well written story of realistic people.

The vague first person narrative is quite enchanting, feeling like you’re overhearing a stranger’s hazy stream of consciousness, almost dreamlike.

The descriptions reminded me a lot of Elmet by Fiona Mosley - very rooted in nature and wilderness, feeling at times quite bleak and cold.

At its core this is a story about family - familial bonds, memories and who we are. It beautifully builds an image of main character, Lucy, through her memories and the relationship she has with those around, all in her own vague, poetic first person narrative, albeit without us ever fully knowing who she is.

I hugely enjoyed this book, it was an easy and gentle read.

I received an advance copy of Saltwater from the publisher via Netgalley.

Saltwater has an interesting circular narrative structure. Lucy comes from a not very happy family in Sunderland. Her father is an alcoholic, and she is in danger of following him. She leaves home for independence in London but she cannot escape her problems.
At the same time is another story. Lucy has given up on London to live in her grandfather's cottage in rural Ireland. This part of the story is really atmospheric and interesting. You long for Lucy to get her life together. This is a good debut novel, albeit a bit depressing. Three stars.

I really wanted to like this but something fell a little short for me. I was looking forward to reading a “coming of age” novel with a slightly different slant, the removal of the affluent angst ridden teen element but the writing style really threw me. The choppy style timeline seems to be rising in popularity of late and many people seem to like the approach but I am not a fan, I prefer a more linear or flashback style – I found it hard to relate/connect with this style.

I do think that if this is a stylistic choice that you like then this book does bring an interesting perspective on an old trope and is worth a read. I wouldn’t be surprised to see it on many people’s favourite books of the year list but sadly it will not be on mine.

I was intrigued by the description as one of my main frustrations with contemporary coming-of-age novels is that the protagonists often seem to have magical sources of money that solve a lot of the problems they would likely face in real life. Therefore, I was interested in seeing what this sort of story would look like from the perspective of someone from a poor background and was looking forward to a fresh take. Sadly the style was not for me - I found the fragmented paragraphs and non-linear timeline prevented me from feeling any emotional connection with the protagonist. I do appreciate the innovative approach though and I still think this book will be very popular with readers, the low rating reflects my personal opinion rather than my assessment of its overall potential.

A poetic, luminous coming-of-age tale that is a joy to read. It's a common story - a family broken apart, feelings of non-belonging, disconnection - but it is told in such a way that makes it completely new. I cannot wait to read what's next from her. Stunning.

A rather moving story of a young girl from a working class family in the north east achieving a place at university and, despite the financial cost, taking up a place in London. She had spent her teenage years dreaming and aspiring to live the cool city life but finds she has arrived just that bit too late and the scene is on the wane. London is hard, the other students more affluent, and she finds it hard to fit in. The ‘millennial’ experience of London interested me and I thought this aspect of the story rang true. A visit home shows her she no longer belongs there either, not that she wants to. A crisis at her graduation brings things to a head and she retreats to her late grandfather’s cottage in Ireland to consider her future. So far, so familiar.

The strengths of this book for me are the family dynamics. An alcoholic father, a fragile younger brother and a caring, capable mother who has held it all together so well and now needs to look out for herself - Lucy comes to understand what it is to be a grown up. The book serves as a celebration of her mother and is dedicated to her.

My niggles are with the writing. Some of the imagery is impenetrable and interrupts the flow. I’d have welcomed a lighter touch. I also became increasingly aware of her use of ‘inside of’ instead of ‘inside’, or even just ‘in’, sometimes several times on the same page. Maybe I am out of step with popular usage, but I found it jarring and very annoying.

I got on much better than I expected with the short bursts of prose, which jump from the narrator's childhood, recent past and current situation. It was abrupt and to the point, and kept my interest.

I enjoyed the description of her teenage years, the heady mix of bravado, embarrassment and confusion made my toes curl in recognition. Moving beyond the more usual 'Coming of Age' tale the final third reflects on the father's alcoholism and the impact this has on everyone around him. This section made the book for me, I felt that mother and child's desperation to help, but at the same time they recognised the hopelessness of the situation.

Good luck to Jessica Andrews, I hope she goes on to write some great books.

This may be another coming of age novel in a sub-genre that is quite over-saturated but I really enjoyed Saltwater - Jessica Andrews' debut novel is a nuanced and well observed portrayal of growing up as a young woman in the UK 00s/10s. We follow Lucy from her childhood into young adulthood as she moves from her hometown of Sunderland to London and later rural Ireland. The novel focuses on Lucy's internal self, her family (her close relationship with her mother, her alcoholic father and her temperamental younger brother). At times poetic, which doesn't always work for me but I liked the style a lot here. Recommended, and an author to watch for sure.