Wow! This book is claustrophobic, stunning and full of distorted truths. It is beautifully written and even though it is based ‘somewhere else’ the imagery Mackintosh creates paints the most wonderful pictures and brings the whole place alive in your mind.
What is even more crucial to this story is the relationships between the characters. Between siblings, between parents, between lovers, between friends, they are all complicated, raw and full of sharp observations from Mackintosh.
The language in this story is incredible and moving. Every word was placed with consideration, builds into the narrative as a whole and creates a feeling of unease. Even when falling in love a character says ‘My heart swells like a broken hand to twice its size, the same sort of tenderness.’ Even love in this world has an undercurrent of potential danger. This unease also swells throughout the story through the clever use of language.
Although Mackintosh is writing about an unknown dystopia; our own world, our treatment of each other, the taught behaviour and performative gender are all reflected back at us, offering a fascinating commentary on our own world and our own actions within it.
I can see why some people are not sure about this book, it is impossible to place and throws you straight into its dystopia with no explanation, but personally, I think it works brilliantly as it builds into the confusion that the three sisters feel.
This book will certainly be added to my favourite reads of 2018.
Read more about The Water Cure here…
What have you been reading recently? Let me know and let’s have a chat about it in the comments. I’m always on the lookout for new great reads!
Happy Reading!
Nicola x
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for sending me a Kindle edition of The Water Cure in exchange for an honest review.
