I think I thought this would be more gripping than it was, following the actual crime that had occurred rather than the events after all the sentencing had been done.
It follows one woman’s journey to create a new life and identity in a remote part of Ireland after her husband has been arrested for crimes which you will find out about. Water explores whether she was complicit in his crimes and how you can start fresh after major family trauma.
It is a short story and is written from a refreshing angle, one you don’t always think about once everything is said and done. But I’m not sure I could warm to the main character, some of her behaviours when she was reflecting back to the time during the crimes and in the current moments were odd. It wasn’t very pacy and focused more on the isolation she felt in the cottage. Not the most memorable read ultimately.

‘Water’ is a beautifully composed exploration of one middle aged woman’s seriously incapacitating moral predicament. To what extent is she responsible for her daughter’s death and the suffering of other young girls? What has she done that means that her other daughter will not even respond to her WhatsApp messages? Pondering these questions, Vanessa Carvin turns her back on her comfortable life in Dublin, cuts off her hair, changes her name, and swaps her luxurious home for a basic cottage on an island of 400 inhabitants. Anonymous and alone, will she find the answers she needs to allow her to lead a better life?
Images of water run throughout this novella. Sometimes they are trickles, sometimes stormy waves. However, John Boyne’s writing is so masterful that they are never awkwardly or inauthentically introduced. The narrator recognises that, ‘We are composed of it. We drink it. We are drawn to it throughout our lives, more than mountains, deserts or canyons. But it is terrible. It kills.’ Having changed her name to Willow – a tree associated with water, Vanessa recognises that she is both protected and imprisoned by the water that surrounds her island life. It forces her to come face to face with her past actions and inactions, to spend time alone in thought, and to make new connections with the islanders.
This is a superb read. Boyne captures Vanessa turned Willow’s anguish perfectly whilst also showing that it is not impossible to renounce a previously conventional existence in a patriarchal, conservative community.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

This is a warming story. It is atmospheric and descriptive and creates a lovely world to scape into. I found myself fully immersed in this gorgeous story. A great book for a book-club review!

The talented John Boyne continue his powerful exploration of the themes of guilt and complicity with this beautifully written novella, concise, with sharp, authentically drawn characters, whilst casting an unsparing, incisive eye on the parts played by key aspects of Irish society, the politics, power, women, the Catholic church, love, marriage, misogyny, family, judgementalism, and sport. Water runs through the narrative, we are it, it gives life, we are surrounded by it, affected by the tides, but rippling below are the undercurrents, the darkness, the inescapable dangers, its ability to wreck, destroy and take lives. The middle aged Vanessa Carvin has lived a life of privilege, but she has changed her name to Willow Hale, hacked off her hair, in the hope of not being recognised.

Willow has moved from Dublin to a remote island in the wake of a scandal and media frenzy in which her husband, Brendan, is put on trial and convicted of heinous crimes that have seen him imprisoned. However, there is always a woman to be torn apart for the crimes committed by a man, and she is found guilty by many in the court of public opinion and social media, vicious in tone, laying claim to their questionable moral superiority. Willow rents a small spartan cottage, with no TV or wifi, offering the opportunity to be alone, to seek the solace of the sea and the wildness of nature, whilst contemplating and reflecting on the ruins of her existence. She is hoping her daughter, Rebecca, will begin to talk to her again. Willow mixes with the curious locals, Bananas, the larger than life Mrs Duggan who invades her space, whilst simultaneously making every effort to keep her distance, but she is recognised.

The precise details of what Brendan did eventually become clear, along with the shock of his arrest, Vanessa's relationship with him, their marriage, and the grief and loss of her eldest daughter, Emma. The self imposed exile sees Vanessa sift through her past life and love for Brendan, to face the challenges of her guilt and complicity, to be able to gain some clarity and truth to re-evaluate, to rebuild her relationship with Rebecca, gaining sufficient inner strength to leave the island to begin again. This is a stellar read, it may be short, but it packs a hard hitting punch with its depth of emotional understanding of men, women, family, and what it is to be human. Boyne is an exceptional writer, this is a must read, and it is with great anticipation that I look forward to his next book! Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Really loved this novella from John Boyne - and to those thinking novella seems a bit short - it didn't feel like that, I still felt like I read read a fuller novel. The length may be shorter, but the depth in the words was there to make it feel very rich.
Vanessa is a middle aged woman who escapes to an island off the Irish mainland - rents a remote cottage, with a longing to escape from her past life. Her past life was marriage to a high level sports coach, and she had two daughters. We learn early on that one daughter has died - but the story behind it has yet to be uncovered. The peace, tranquillity and anonymity in her new home give her the chance to process the events that have led her to here, and start to recover.
This is apparently the first of 4 interlinked by separate novellas by John Boyne. And it has immediately made me want to read the rest. Style wise I think John Boyne brings something new to every novel - I think he is a brilliantly diverse author, but if I were to compare Water to any of his previous work I would say it most reminded me of A History of :Loneliness which I think was the first of his I read.

An unusually short novel from John Boyne but written with the same emotional intensity and thought provoking honesty as his longer works.
After a scandal Vanessa relocates to an isolated Irish island and reinvents herself as Willow (her middle name). She lives in this remote location for a year as she comes to terms with what has happened and trying to understand is she is guilty by ignorance, as much as anyone else.
It is beautifully written and emotionally charged despite being so short. I loved the character of Mrs Duggan and the cat, Bananas, both of whom inject a little humour into a story with some intense subject matter.
Having just read other reviews of Water, I am delighted to find this book is actually the fist of a series of four novellas and I very much look forward to reading the others in the series.
With thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

Post tragedy, post scandal we meet Vanessa/Willow on a wind-swept island off the west coast of Ireland. Over the course of this short story the details are filled in and we begin to get to know the Vanessa of old and the Willow of new. It’s a time of reflection, of soul-searching, a time for renewal and new beginnings. And a time for women - Willow - to find their voice and shrug off centuries of patriarchy and the enabling of men.

I am not a fan of short stories and had I known that this was such a quick read, would probably not have chosen to read it but, that having been said, it is well written and manages to give us the full account of what Willow is escaping in relatively few pages. As for Willow herself, whilst empathetic to her situation I did not warm to her but then do I need to?

Not my favourite novel by this author.

I've read a number of John Boyne's offerings and this most recent one didn't disappoint. Beautifully descriptive, strong character formation and engaging story. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC.

Another outstanding book by John Boyne. Loved it from the first paragraph and would have loved it to have been longer. Superbly written as always by this author and the characters come alive on the page. A definite 5 stars from me! Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Another John Boyne book and another five stars! I absolutely love Boyne’s books and this is no exception. Despite being quite short the book packs a mighty punch around the issue of whether we are guilty by fact of ignorance. I have since found out that this is the first in a series of four novellas and I look forward to the rest.

Vanessa, a woman in her fifties, arrives on a small island of the coast of Ireland and immediately cuts off all her hair and changes her name. This short novel tells us more about Vanessa/Willow and her motivations for escaping from her previous life. She is surrounded by water which plays its own part in the narrative and the central theme of escape by 'crossing the water'.

It is thought provoking and both heart breaking and comic at times. I enjoyed it very much and would recommend it.

Thanks the the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.

Water by John Boyne is the first in a set of four novellas, with the next being Earth, Fire and Air.
I've been reading more novellas and this one ticked a lot of boxes for me. I was gripped instantly by Vanessa, or should I say Willow, and what she was trying to escape. Having moved to the remote island to get away from her past and reflect on what had happened, she works on discovering her own emotions and deciding, did she do enough?
It raises the question of whether you did the crime yourself or you knew and ignored it, are you just as bad?
There was also a theme here of men who make excuses for their past behaviour and not accepting they did something becuase they are a shitty person. Instead they make excuses and it's the women who have to deal with the consequences. A nice recognition coming from a male author!
There was one thing that bugged me in the book, and it's very minor. But it's clearly described that Vanessa is using Whatsapp, the grey/blue ticks, seeing when last online. But she's on an island with no Wi-Fi. I know it was described as a 'messaging app' but I think we all know what it was.
But, I have to say, i cannot wait to read the next three installments John Boyne has to offer. 4/5 stars from me.

This novel is a beautifully crafted story about heartbreak and new beginnings. Without giving anything away it covers a very sensitive subject but John Boyne covers it with his normal sensitivity and grace. I've loved all his novels but this one definitely hots the spot

I’ve read a large number of John Boyne books over the past year (a new author to me) and they never disappoint-this one included. Though shorter than some, the story is a beautiful one of a woman escaping the hurt of her past and learning to rediscover who she is after the harrowing events that have happened in her life, some of which she feels responsible for. She escapes civilisation on a small island just off the coast of Ireland and embarks on a journey of healing of her soul.

I really enjoyed Water by John Boyne, as I have often wondered about the families of people who have fallen from grace because of despicable acts. This book covered it really well.

The book was very short which I didn't realise as I read on my kindle but after reading other reviews and hearing that it is connected to future books, I can see why. I'm looking forward to reading those too.

This book was picked up on a whim, so to speak. I saw it on NetGalley and the short description caught my interest. Within 5 pages I was completely and utterly hooked, unable to put it down. While the story slowly unfolds, we as the reader learn more about the narrator. Her life before the island, her sins and regrets and her relationship with the water. Boyne has such an aching way with words, when I finished this novel I felt heavy and light at the same time. Such a beautiful, powerful read. I’m struggling to write a review to accurately reflect my emotions upon finishing this book, but if you’re able to, please pick it up. It’s heartbreaking and life affirming at the same time.

I'm a big fan of John Boyne's books and was delighted to receive an advance copy of Water. I thought it was a wonderful novel. I enjoyed reading the story of the main character, and how she deals with losing her family and her reflections on what part she did or did not have to play in that. I also liked the other characters and how John Boyne made them feel so real with their mannerisms and dialogue. I got a real sense of what life on the island was like. Water deals with difficult and traumatic issues, but for me the novel is also full of spirit and hope. Water is part of a quartet of novels and I look forward to reading Earth, Fire and Air.

Wow. This book is tiny in size, just 176 pages, and unobtrusive in cover and title, but it is a deeply emotive and political book, containing commentary on many different subjects— women and men, religion, abuse, politicians, insular communities, and complicity.

It is rare to find a book that so concisely delivers so much, though it is not really surprising. John Boyne's The Heart's Invisible Furies and A Ladder to the Sky are among my all time favourite novels and here he returns to a similar style.

Vanessa Carvin is a well-drawn, complex character who intrigued me from the get-go. Boyne is very skilled at creating memorable characters and imbuing their stories with equal parts sadness and humour. As always, his dialogue is fantastic.

The themes are dark, but the book is never dreary. Boyne very effectively explores what it feels like to be a woman dealing with shitty men who refuse to stop being overgrown children (so much so that I would have sworn a woman wrote this if I didn't know better), as well as looking at a family torn apart by tragedy and scandal, yet a sense of humour shines through the narrative.

Keyboard warriors, virtue-signalling politicians, and powerful men who take advantage of others all come under fire over the course of this short book and neither Vanessa nor Boyne holds back their feelings. It says so much in so few pages, which, I think, makes it all the more powerful.

This was a little gem of a book, with all of Boyne's characteristic sense of warmth and empathy. Quietly compelling and beautifully atmospheric: I very much forward to reading the others in the set.

What a lovely book. The woman's grief for her lost daughters, husband and life is beautifully described, as is her gradual recovery and hunger for life. The final scenes with her surviving daughter are heart rending. Having finished the book I felt that I had read something and was happy to sit with my thoughts for a while before starting my next book, quite unusual for me as I get a bit panicky if I don't have a book on the go!