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Night Swimming
From the author of Spontaneous comes a '90s mixtape of a young adult novel that delivers a summer romance with an unearthly twist.
It was just one swim… How could they know it would never end?
It's the summer of 1994 and Trevor can barely wrap his mind around the fact that he and his friends have graduated high school. The future is a murky thing, filled with a college experience he feels neutral about at best, endless mixtape relistens, and the growing realization that his crush on the enigmatic Sarah isn't going anywhere.
That is, until Sarah approaches him with a mission: they're going to swim in all the pools in the neighborhood. Soon, their quest leads to them sneaking into backyard pools every night and continuing to get closer. But not close enough for Trevor, who yearns for Sarah despite her college boyfriend, despite her "not yet"s, despite the way she keeps pulling away the moment things feel real.
So when they learn about a natural pool hidden deep in the woods, it starts off as just another spot to check off their summer bucket list. But once they get there, they soon realize the natural pool has a curious hold on them, and something very strange is happening…
It was just one swim… How could they know it would never end?
It's the summer of 1994 and Trevor can barely wrap his mind around the fact that he and his friends have graduated high school. The future is a murky thing, filled with a college experience he feels neutral about at best, endless mixtape relistens, and the growing realization that his crush on the enigmatic Sarah isn't going anywhere.
That is, until Sarah approaches him with a mission: they're going to swim in all the pools in the neighborhood. Soon, their quest leads to them sneaking into backyard pools every night and continuing to get closer. But not close enough for Trevor, who yearns for Sarah despite her college boyfriend, despite her "not yet"s, despite the way she keeps pulling away the moment things feel real.
So when they learn about a natural pool hidden deep in the woods, it starts off as just another spot to check off their summer bucket list. But once they get there, they soon realize the natural pool has a curious hold on them, and something very strange is happening…
240 pages, Hardcover
First published April 29, 2025
16 people are currently reading
11152 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
November 12, 2024
This book took me on a special trip down memory lane – mixed tapes, watching "Speed" on the big screen, indulging my crush on the future John Wick, fears about the future ahead, love, disappointment, dreams, high expectations, tears, cheers, fun, sadness, friendship, and the unbearable pain of being a teenager afraid of becoming an adult unsure of their path.
Aaron Starmer created an amazing atmosphere, transporting us to the summer of 1994, capturing the vulnerability and burden of being young, reckless, and aimless – lost all over again.
It's a melancholic, thought-provoking, fresh, honest, unique, and inspiring story with magical elements and beautiful, heart-wrenching, poetic chapter endings that lead to a bittersweet, embracing conclusion.
The story takes place in the summer of 1994 and revolves around Trevor and the enigmatic, free-spirited Sarah. Inspired by a book, Sarah drags Trevor to swim in all the pools in town, celebrating their upcoming graduation and the beginning of their adult lives. Of course, Trevor doesn't hesitate to follow Sarah anywhere, as he's had a long-time crush on her, even though she has a boyfriend. She even gives him a glimmer of hope for a future kiss. Each night, they find themselves breaking rules, jumping fences, and splashing into strangers' pools, keeping their secret tradition until Trevor shares their escapades with their inner circle, and their friends join the adventure, much to Sarah's reluctance.
Then, one night, they choose to explore a pool in the woods, and everything changes for the entire group, blurring the line between reality and dreams.
Overall, if you want to read something well-written, poetic, creative, sentimental, and take a trip down your own youthful memory lane, this unique, heartfelt ride is the perfect fit for you.
Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Penguin Workshop for sharing this sentimental read's digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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Aaron Starmer created an amazing atmosphere, transporting us to the summer of 1994, capturing the vulnerability and burden of being young, reckless, and aimless – lost all over again.
It's a melancholic, thought-provoking, fresh, honest, unique, and inspiring story with magical elements and beautiful, heart-wrenching, poetic chapter endings that lead to a bittersweet, embracing conclusion.
The story takes place in the summer of 1994 and revolves around Trevor and the enigmatic, free-spirited Sarah. Inspired by a book, Sarah drags Trevor to swim in all the pools in town, celebrating their upcoming graduation and the beginning of their adult lives. Of course, Trevor doesn't hesitate to follow Sarah anywhere, as he's had a long-time crush on her, even though she has a boyfriend. She even gives him a glimmer of hope for a future kiss. Each night, they find themselves breaking rules, jumping fences, and splashing into strangers' pools, keeping their secret tradition until Trevor shares their escapades with their inner circle, and their friends join the adventure, much to Sarah's reluctance.
Then, one night, they choose to explore a pool in the woods, and everything changes for the entire group, blurring the line between reality and dreams.
Overall, if you want to read something well-written, poetic, creative, sentimental, and take a trip down your own youthful memory lane, this unique, heartfelt ride is the perfect fit for you.
Many thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Penguin Workshop for sharing this sentimental read's digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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February 21, 2025
A fascinating cover, an atmospheric blurb, and an eerie story about graduating teens that seems to stand still while the tension in the background almost feels unbearable.
Do you know that feeling? When you’re longing to move forward, but at the same time don't want to leave the familiar things behind? Starting a new job, or literally moving houses, or in this case, teens on the cusp of adulthood who just graduated and have that last long summer ahead of them before they leave for college. Some of them can’t wait to leave everything behind, while others would prefer to freeze time.
Night Swimming is a coming-of-age speculative YA novel set in 1994, written in short, blunt sentences without any frills, about mix tapes and parties and pool visits in which nothing seems to happen. The pacing is intriguingly slow and fits the story so well. Sometimes, when you seem to have all the time in the world, you stop thinking and just enjoy yourself. After all, you have plenty of time. Or you start to worry about all the changes that will be coming, and you freeze in the moment. Those worries, those changes, the time that literally seems to be fixed but at the same time flies by at lightning speed, that is what this story is about.
The teens in this story all experience this last summer together differently. Trevor views everything almost from a helicopter position and only wants one thing: to kiss Sarah. Sarah is a free-spirited mind who wants nothing more than to leave everything (and everyone) behind her. Jared doesn't really want to think about who he actually is. Bev’s mother is seriously ill. Lori seems to be lost and literally gets lost. Buck loses himself to alcohol and weed. Heather and Schulz can be found at every party. And that one person whose first-person POV fills the space between the chapters and let goosebumps run down my arms from the very first chapter.
Night Swimming is different from any story I’ve ever read and, therefore, unique. It reminded me a little of the TV series Lost. I actually loved this short getaway from my own life and am curious about Aaron Starmer’s other books.
Thank you, Penguin Random House International, for this beautiful ARC!
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Do you know that feeling? When you’re longing to move forward, but at the same time don't want to leave the familiar things behind? Starting a new job, or literally moving houses, or in this case, teens on the cusp of adulthood who just graduated and have that last long summer ahead of them before they leave for college. Some of them can’t wait to leave everything behind, while others would prefer to freeze time.
Night Swimming is a coming-of-age speculative YA novel set in 1994, written in short, blunt sentences without any frills, about mix tapes and parties and pool visits in which nothing seems to happen. The pacing is intriguingly slow and fits the story so well. Sometimes, when you seem to have all the time in the world, you stop thinking and just enjoy yourself. After all, you have plenty of time. Or you start to worry about all the changes that will be coming, and you freeze in the moment. Those worries, those changes, the time that literally seems to be fixed but at the same time flies by at lightning speed, that is what this story is about.
The teens in this story all experience this last summer together differently. Trevor views everything almost from a helicopter position and only wants one thing: to kiss Sarah. Sarah is a free-spirited mind who wants nothing more than to leave everything (and everyone) behind her. Jared doesn't really want to think about who he actually is. Bev’s mother is seriously ill. Lori seems to be lost and literally gets lost. Buck loses himself to alcohol and weed. Heather and Schulz can be found at every party. And that one person whose first-person POV fills the space between the chapters and let goosebumps run down my arms from the very first chapter.
Night Swimming is different from any story I’ve ever read and, therefore, unique. It reminded me a little of the TV series Lost. I actually loved this short getaway from my own life and am curious about Aaron Starmer’s other books.
Thank you, Penguin Random House International, for this beautiful ARC!
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September 8, 2025
This was a weird one...
I'm not exactly sure what to make of Night Swimming. It's one of those books that will stay on your mind days after finishing the last page. Though there are elements of this book that I still don't understand, there were some great themes that are applicable to the high school experience. The idea of letting go and moving forward is daunting. As a high school senior this experience is filled with love, loss, fear, happiness, and most importantly confusion. Thinking about this book through that lens allowed me to be comfortable in my own confusion and enjoy the story as a whole. The 1990s setting made the story even more enjoyable. If you're interested in hearing more about my full thoughts, be sure to check out this video: https://youtu.be/2fxl_ekjHKQ?si=7YQdO...
I'm not exactly sure what to make of Night Swimming. It's one of those books that will stay on your mind days after finishing the last page. Though there are elements of this book that I still don't understand, there were some great themes that are applicable to the high school experience. The idea of letting go and moving forward is daunting. As a high school senior this experience is filled with love, loss, fear, happiness, and most importantly confusion. Thinking about this book through that lens allowed me to be comfortable in my own confusion and enjoy the story as a whole. The 1990s setting made the story even more enjoyable. If you're interested in hearing more about my full thoughts, be sure to check out this video: https://youtu.be/2fxl_ekjHKQ?si=7YQdO...
March 2, 2025
The start of this story could be mistaken for a summer contemporary romance, but stick with it, because it gets weird. Set in 1994, Trevor and Sarah decide on a challenge - to visit every private pool in their town at night.
Told of a hidden pool in the woods, they decide to visit - and are gatecrashed by their friends. But this pool is different, and time starts to warp, hours seeming like moments and none of them feel the desire to leave.
I love books like this, where I'm guessing what will happen, if they'll ever get out of the situation they're in, and what waits for them on the other side. The ending got even weirder, and I'm still not sure what the outcome was, but I had a great time.
Told of a hidden pool in the woods, they decide to visit - and are gatecrashed by their friends. But this pool is different, and time starts to warp, hours seeming like moments and none of them feel the desire to leave.
I love books like this, where I'm guessing what will happen, if they'll ever get out of the situation they're in, and what waits for them on the other side. The ending got even weirder, and I'm still not sure what the outcome was, but I had a great time.
July 18, 2025
This book hit me like a bullet.
If you are wanting to read- all the chapter titles are song names and the lyrics matter. 100% recommend.
Take the message that suits you. There is one, I promise
If you are wanting to read- all the chapter titles are song names and the lyrics matter. 100% recommend.
Take the message that suits you. There is one, I promise
April 21, 2025
~ 3.5 stars ~
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Workshop for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Expected Publication: April 29th, 2025
Night Swimming is a nostalgic coming of age YA book with nostalgic vibes and a relatable theme. Taking place in the summer of 1994, Trevor and his friends have graduated high school and decide to swim in every pool in their hometown for their final summer together.
Aaron Starmer’s take on the transition between high school and college and teenage to young adult is timeless; whether in 1994 or 2025, the sentiment is the same.
I found Starmer’s writing style to be creative but ultimately not my cup of tea. Sentences were blunt and choppy, paragraphs were long-winded, and characters and romances were under-developed.
The vibes were there but the execution was not.
In short, a nice read but not my kind of book ♡
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Workshop for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Expected Publication: April 29th, 2025
Night Swimming is a nostalgic coming of age YA book with nostalgic vibes and a relatable theme. Taking place in the summer of 1994, Trevor and his friends have graduated high school and decide to swim in every pool in their hometown for their final summer together.
Aaron Starmer’s take on the transition between high school and college and teenage to young adult is timeless; whether in 1994 or 2025, the sentiment is the same.
I found Starmer’s writing style to be creative but ultimately not my cup of tea. Sentences were blunt and choppy, paragraphs were long-winded, and characters and romances were under-developed.
The vibes were there but the execution was not.
In short, a nice read but not my kind of book ♡
November 8, 2024
I got my first book from NetGalley to read early and review, so I started Night Swimming with an open mind. I was expecting a typical YA/NA storyline of growing up and finding love, which it starts out as. But as you get further in, between some chapters a secondary storyline is going, that you’re trying to piece who is narrating the whole time. As more unfolds otherworldly things start happening and I felt like I was pushed onto the island from Lost or another show/movie about time moving differently in different locations. When movies, books or tv shows get too into time travel/ other timelines etc. I check out. My brain doesn’t compute. But I kept on because I enjoyed the characters and their progress in their conundrums. The writing was good. The pacing wasn’t so slow I’m skipping paragraphs. Shout out to the author for the Boones Farm Strawberry Hill. Ahh memories 😃
December 1, 2024
*thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC for review*
This one was I think a little too weird for me. I really enjoy the 90s vibes and feel, but the story itself never really captivated me and I finished simply to know what the interludes were referencing. The ending wasn’t really satisfying and I felt like the characters just didn’t do much. Onto the next!
This one was I think a little too weird for me. I really enjoy the 90s vibes and feel, but the story itself never really captivated me and I finished simply to know what the interludes were referencing. The ending wasn’t really satisfying and I felt like the characters just didn’t do much. Onto the next!
May 10, 2025
As usual, Starmer delivers an imaginative concept, rich with metaphor and characters that feel real. I love the eerie atmosphere of this book, especially at the natural pool, when the story dips a toe into almost-horror. But, while I understand what Starmer was going for with the ending, it feels like it backs away from something more interesting and consequential -- something harder.
May 18, 2025
This is such a unique twist on the "summer after high school" trope! These guys are a little older than me, but it still made me feel very nostalgic for my own summer after high school. Honestly, if you told me I could spend forever swimming with my friends (and crush!) I'd have jumped at the chance back then, as I shared so many of those same worries about what comes next. So to say, no matter when your final year of "childhood" was or will be, you will be able to relate to these emotions and feelings. (Though please don't break into strangers' pools, especially in today's very litigious society!)
So beyond having all the emotions, I was also very eager to find out what would happen to this group of friends. I definitely related the most to Trevor, and would likely be the Trevor in this situation. But I also understood the motives for everyone else, and they felt well fleshed out.
I will say, I don't think I fully "got" the ending? And while I think it probably fit tonally, I wanted a little more because that is how my brain works.
As a whole, I really enjoyed this fresh spin, loved the speculative parts, and especially loved all the relationship dynamics at play among the characters, as well as the journeys of self discovery.
So beyond having all the emotions, I was also very eager to find out what would happen to this group of friends. I definitely related the most to Trevor, and would likely be the Trevor in this situation. But I also understood the motives for everyone else, and they felt well fleshed out.
I will say, I don't think I fully "got" the ending? And while I think it probably fit tonally, I wanted a little more because that is how my brain works.
As a whole, I really enjoyed this fresh spin, loved the speculative parts, and especially loved all the relationship dynamics at play among the characters, as well as the journeys of self discovery.
April 3, 2025
Is this actually a review? Honestly, probably not, but here goes...
Trevor and his friends have just graduated high school, and the rest of their lives is at their fingertips if they just reach out and grasp it.
Trevor has had a crush on Sarah for almost the entire last school year, so, when she suggests they swim every pool in their town, he's obviously in. When they find out about a natural pool they hadn't heard about, Trevor, Sarah, and their friends head straight there.
Once there, they find a beautiful space, and they have it all to themselves. They decide to stay until the sun comes up...
I...
I'm not sure what I just read.
I'm not sure how I feel.
For much of this book, I was annoyed and anxious. I felt stuck, much like the characters felt stuck.
And then it was over, and I was... sad, maybe?
All I know is that I want someone to read it, so I can talk to them about it.
Trevor and his friends have just graduated high school, and the rest of their lives is at their fingertips if they just reach out and grasp it.
Trevor has had a crush on Sarah for almost the entire last school year, so, when she suggests they swim every pool in their town, he's obviously in. When they find out about a natural pool they hadn't heard about, Trevor, Sarah, and their friends head straight there.
Once there, they find a beautiful space, and they have it all to themselves. They decide to stay until the sun comes up...
I...
I'm not sure what I just read.
I'm not sure how I feel.
For much of this book, I was annoyed and anxious. I felt stuck, much like the characters felt stuck.
And then it was over, and I was... sad, maybe?
All I know is that I want someone to read it, so I can talk to them about it.
May 5, 2025
What a book! It certainly is one every Senior in high school should pick up in June. So nostalgic and so sad, but as the book tells you: it’s okay to feel those things, as it is to move forward.
March 11, 2025
⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖
review
⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
2.5 Stars
Night Swimming by Aaron Starmer is an atmospheric read about friendship and love. It's summer, 1994. When Sarah and Trevor stumble upon a hidden pool in the forest, they find themselves hesitant to leave the magical place. As time begins to slip away, Trevor learns more about Sarah during their night swims and midnight conversations.
The magical stillness of the hidden pool juxtaposed with Trevor's busy and loud reality strengthens the overall narrative. Moreover, this represents a pivotal moment in Trevor's life, as he spends the last summer with his friends before they go their separate ways. The pool represents an escape from the unpredictability of life. As the cast of characters grapple with their futures, friendships are made. I was intrigued by the way Starmer incorporated magical realism into this story. Furthermore, I appreciated the more experimental storyline, which I don't typically see in YA.
Unfortunately, while Night Swimming had its positive aspects, it was not a book I enjoyed reading. As someone who adores complex characters, this story did not meet that expectation. Trevor's voice felt very indistinct. Furthermore, I thought that Trevor and Sarah's relationship felt very underdeveloped. In addition, the friend group dynamic added an interesting aspect to the story but could have been explored more. Despite this, I could still see certain readers loving this novel. Starmer's writing style is beautiful and creative. If you're looking for an atmospheric and experimental YA novel set during summer, pick this up!
2.5 Stars
Night Swimming by Aaron Starmer is an atmospheric read about friendship and love. It's summer, 1994. When Sarah and Trevor stumble upon a hidden pool in the forest, they find themselves hesitant to leave the magical place. As time begins to slip away, Trevor learns more about Sarah during their night swims and midnight conversations.
The magical stillness of the hidden pool juxtaposed with Trevor's busy and loud reality strengthens the overall narrative. Moreover, this represents a pivotal moment in Trevor's life, as he spends the last summer with his friends before they go their separate ways. The pool represents an escape from the unpredictability of life. As the cast of characters grapple with their futures, friendships are made. I was intrigued by the way Starmer incorporated magical realism into this story. Furthermore, I appreciated the more experimental storyline, which I don't typically see in YA.
Unfortunately, while Night Swimming had its positive aspects, it was not a book I enjoyed reading. As someone who adores complex characters, this story did not meet that expectation. Trevor's voice felt very indistinct. Furthermore, I thought that Trevor and Sarah's relationship felt very underdeveloped. In addition, the friend group dynamic added an interesting aspect to the story but could have been explored more. Despite this, I could still see certain readers loving this novel. Starmer's writing style is beautiful and creative. If you're looking for an atmospheric and experimental YA novel set during summer, pick this up!
November 10, 2024
I was initially drawn to this book because I thought that it had a pretty cool cover and a fun synopsis. Upon reading it, I think the story had so much potential in terms of plot and setting and nostalgia, etc. However, I wish the writing was more emotion driven than action driven because not much happens in the story in terms of action. I almost wish the author would have switched Trevor’s pov to first person instead to give us more insight on who he is as a character beyond his infatuation with Sarah, which seems to be the only defining characteristic about him. Anyway, to focus on more positive aspects of the book, I think the friend group’s dynamic was really fun and I liked the way they each had to work through something in order to move on. Again, I wish there was a bit more focus on the friends’ struggles and emotions, but overall I thought it was fun and I liked the message, even if I’m not entirely sure I understood it!
June 10, 2025
Ok. I was drawn to the cover. But ... well. Have you ever read a book and thought either someone was under the influence of something to make this up or I need to be under the influence to understand the meaning behind this book? Hmm, not sure if I am a atmospheric girly. Not a magical realism girly at all.
It was an OK read for me. Not bad. Not good. Next sure bout the mixtape reference. Just a whole Lotta NOTHING & Everything. But I finished it! 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽 which deserves applause.
It was an OK read for me. Not bad. Not good. Next sure bout the mixtape reference. Just a whole Lotta NOTHING & Everything. But I finished it! 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽 which deserves applause.
November 27, 2024
Imagine the exhilaration you feel, when finally coming to the end of something that has been your total existence since being a young child all the way through to the end of your teenage years. Then imagine that exhilaration mixed with the fear and anxiety of new unknowns and what comes next in your life. Night Swimming takes a look at the in between of those two pivotal milestones and shows what it would be like to freeze a perfect moment in time.
Trevor and Sarah have just graduated from high school in the early summer of 1994, and Sarah decides it would be a great idea to swim in every pool of their town, by the summer’s end. This gives the two of them a great way to avoid the questions of their future and what it will look like when they both leave for college. Trevor agrees because of his feelings for Sarah, and he is hoping this will give him the opportunity to share those feelings with her, and that she will return them.
I really enjoyed the time period for Night Swimming, because I graduated in 1993, so a lot of what was happening in the story was very nostalgic for me. I could also totally see the neighborhood pool hopping being something that could have easily taken place during this time. I also loved the different personalities that Starmer introduced through Trevor and Sarah’s other friends. They were a perfect reflection of kids that I knew from high school, and Schulz was definitely my favorite.
The magical realism is done really well, and I thought it was a great way to show that even though groups of people might be at the same stage in life, we are not all ready for that stage at the same time. Each of the characters had to come to their own realizations of when they were ready to face that moment.
I found Night Swimming to have a unique storyline that takes a step away from typical YA Fiction, to take a deeper look at what it means to leave young adulthood behind and face the choices of adulthood. If you love stories about coming of age, self discovery, and 90s nostalgia, with a touch of magical realism, then I would highly recommend Night Swimming.
Thank you to Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of Night Swimming, in return for my honest review.
Trevor and Sarah have just graduated from high school in the early summer of 1994, and Sarah decides it would be a great idea to swim in every pool of their town, by the summer’s end. This gives the two of them a great way to avoid the questions of their future and what it will look like when they both leave for college. Trevor agrees because of his feelings for Sarah, and he is hoping this will give him the opportunity to share those feelings with her, and that she will return them.
I really enjoyed the time period for Night Swimming, because I graduated in 1993, so a lot of what was happening in the story was very nostalgic for me. I could also totally see the neighborhood pool hopping being something that could have easily taken place during this time. I also loved the different personalities that Starmer introduced through Trevor and Sarah’s other friends. They were a perfect reflection of kids that I knew from high school, and Schulz was definitely my favorite.
The magical realism is done really well, and I thought it was a great way to show that even though groups of people might be at the same stage in life, we are not all ready for that stage at the same time. Each of the characters had to come to their own realizations of when they were ready to face that moment.
I found Night Swimming to have a unique storyline that takes a step away from typical YA Fiction, to take a deeper look at what it means to leave young adulthood behind and face the choices of adulthood. If you love stories about coming of age, self discovery, and 90s nostalgia, with a touch of magical realism, then I would highly recommend Night Swimming.
Thank you to Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of Night Swimming, in return for my honest review.
June 25, 2025
They were floating. It didn't feel the least bit like real life.
3.5 ⭐
The summer after graduating high school and before college starts is this weird kind of limbo for teens in the transitional period on the brink of the next major stage in their lives. It's a time period where they're nervous to move forward into something entirely different than the lives they've lived so far, but at the same time it's filled with such promise. The narrative does an effective job at filling that uncertainty with just enough teenage recklessness as the summer slips by so quickly. When the end of summer inches closer the magical realism portion of the story becomes the central focus and it really leans into the idea of wanting your last summer as a kid to never end. A summer filled with pool hopping concluding in the ultimate pool is especially interesting when you intertwine it with the idea of water being cleansing. Easing their minds and escaping reality for awhile feels like the dream, until it's not anymore.
While the writing style took me some getting used to, the premise was intriguing enough to push through this book in one sitting, which is unheard of for me. I do wish that the relationships, both platonic and romantic, were developed more so that the emotional beats and stark gravity of their situation would've hit more. The interludes between chapters fascinated me the most, but I did also find them frustrating. It took me about halfway through the book to even understand what was going on in them and I didn't realize whose pov it was until the very end, prompting two rereads of them. The idea and themes of this novel are where it shines brightest, I just wish that the execution was more effective.
Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Penguin Workshop for the arc!
3.5 ⭐
The summer after graduating high school and before college starts is this weird kind of limbo for teens in the transitional period on the brink of the next major stage in their lives. It's a time period where they're nervous to move forward into something entirely different than the lives they've lived so far, but at the same time it's filled with such promise. The narrative does an effective job at filling that uncertainty with just enough teenage recklessness as the summer slips by so quickly. When the end of summer inches closer the magical realism portion of the story becomes the central focus and it really leans into the idea of wanting your last summer as a kid to never end. A summer filled with pool hopping concluding in the ultimate pool is especially interesting when you intertwine it with the idea of water being cleansing. Easing their minds and escaping reality for awhile feels like the dream, until it's not anymore.
While the writing style took me some getting used to, the premise was intriguing enough to push through this book in one sitting, which is unheard of for me. I do wish that the relationships, both platonic and romantic, were developed more so that the emotional beats and stark gravity of their situation would've hit more. The interludes between chapters fascinated me the most, but I did also find them frustrating. It took me about halfway through the book to even understand what was going on in them and I didn't realize whose pov it was until the very end, prompting two rereads of them. The idea and themes of this novel are where it shines brightest, I just wish that the execution was more effective.
Thanks to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/Penguin Workshop for the arc!
July 6, 2025
4.5⭐️
This should be a movie.
I love coming of age movies, they’re always my favorites and while I do normally read about characters in that age range, I wouldn’t say most books I read fall into the coming age category quite like this one. The scene this book sets is so dream-like, I guess that makes sense after a few chapters, but I think that a movie is necessary for this book. It was unlike anything I’ve read and somehow in the best way possible? It felt increasingly more comfortable and unsettling as Trevor and Sarah spend more time in the natural pool, and I feel much like the characters in that I have no way how to describe how this book felt. This book hit all of the same parts of me that most coming of age stories do, but it was somehow done so differently than I’ve ever seen. It was one long walk that felt weirdly short.
This should be a movie.
I love coming of age movies, they’re always my favorites and while I do normally read about characters in that age range, I wouldn’t say most books I read fall into the coming age category quite like this one. The scene this book sets is so dream-like, I guess that makes sense after a few chapters, but I think that a movie is necessary for this book. It was unlike anything I’ve read and somehow in the best way possible? It felt increasingly more comfortable and unsettling as Trevor and Sarah spend more time in the natural pool, and I feel much like the characters in that I have no way how to describe how this book felt. This book hit all of the same parts of me that most coming of age stories do, but it was somehow done so differently than I’ve ever seen. It was one long walk that felt weirdly short.
March 18, 2025
ARC.
A rather interesting read. Beautiful cover. Loved the concept and the time period as it brought me back to a lot of things or experienced I had when growing up. The idea of the book was very unique and interesting. I was not a fan of how they immediately dumped all of the characters in the beginning and just ran through everything and he definitely over explained and talked about things that were relevant. I hate that it felt like there was obsession over the girl instead of a good mix of the plot and the love story. It did enjoy the ending and what came of the situation. The long paragraphs could have been spaced out better and some paragraphs could be taken out to simply make room for more of a plot.
A rather interesting read. Beautiful cover. Loved the concept and the time period as it brought me back to a lot of things or experienced I had when growing up. The idea of the book was very unique and interesting. I was not a fan of how they immediately dumped all of the characters in the beginning and just ran through everything and he definitely over explained and talked about things that were relevant. I hate that it felt like there was obsession over the girl instead of a good mix of the plot and the love story. It did enjoy the ending and what came of the situation. The long paragraphs could have been spaced out better and some paragraphs could be taken out to simply make room for more of a plot.
March 6, 2025
Night Swimming covers that summer before college / adult life, right after graduation. While it seems like it would be a good young adult, it's actually great for adults, too. There's something mysterious but strangely relatable about wanting to stay in certain moments, with certain people for forever that anyone can understand.
I didn't love the ending. I liked the ambiguity of it, but I could see young readers really struggling with it (hence maybe not YA). This book is thoughtful and weird. It's not a fun, easy read. It's quick (or it was for me), but it's contemplative and strange and uneasy and easy all at once.
I didn't love the ending. I liked the ambiguity of it, but I could see young readers really struggling with it (hence maybe not YA). This book is thoughtful and weird. It's not a fun, easy read. It's quick (or it was for me), but it's contemplative and strange and uneasy and easy all at once.
April 30, 2025
This was a creepy YA coming of age/summer story that sees two friends trying to sneak into every pool in their small town but when they learn of a secret one hidden in the woods they find themselves trapped there with weird things happening. This gave me Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore vibes mixed in with Stranger things. It was okay on audio but just wasn't my cup of tea. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review.
May 1, 2025
Beautiful. Really all I can say right now. If this book was available to me the summer after I graduated high school, it would’ve torn me to shreds.
Also, I made a playlist of all the songs that are the chapter titles, in the order they appear.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/35t...
Also, I made a playlist of all the songs that are the chapter titles, in the order they appear.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/35t...
March 29, 2025
Writing a review for this book is difficult. It was an interesting book that definitely made me read the whole thing and be interested the whole time. But it felt very ambiguous. Giving lord of the flies vibes. Great gatsby vibes. Overall it was enjoyable!
Read
December 18, 2024DNF. Put me down as a No.
April 27, 2025
Wow. I absolutely adored this book.
This story is about a friend group of recently graduated high school seni0rs. They are trying to find themselves before they move on to whatever is next. While living their best "final summer," Tevor and Sarah make a plan to swim in every single pool in their town - a little harmless mischief. Until they find a swimming hole, and that's when it starts to really get weird...
There were several things I loved about this book. First, it took place in the northeast and there were so many references to cities and stores (shout out wegmans) that just left me missing home. Then, this took place only a few years before I graduated high school and can we just say NOSTALGIA! Gosh... the parties, the friend drama, the two day relationships, the weight of the world... it really brought it all back. I even remember very specific swimming spots we used to sneak off to. Before cell phones and Facebook. When there was still stems and seeds in your green. LOL! The characters were just so relatable to my younger self. I know this is a YA book, but if a lot of us geriatric millennial, or whatever we are called now, read this, it will bring us all back.
I found this book to be such a great metaphor for life. The dichotomy of still being a child, yet the only path ahead is adulthood. Tough choices have to be made. We don't always know what we want and even if we did, we don't always get it. We make bad decisions. The world keeps moving regardless of the decisions I am making right now.
The reason for 4 instead of 5 star - i would have liked to see a slightly more flushed out ending. Was a little too abrupt for me. But otherwise, I gobbled this one up!
Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
This story is about a friend group of recently graduated high school seni0rs. They are trying to find themselves before they move on to whatever is next. While living their best "final summer," Tevor and Sarah make a plan to swim in every single pool in their town - a little harmless mischief. Until they find a swimming hole, and that's when it starts to really get weird...
There were several things I loved about this book. First, it took place in the northeast and there were so many references to cities and stores (shout out wegmans) that just left me missing home. Then, this took place only a few years before I graduated high school and can we just say NOSTALGIA! Gosh... the parties, the friend drama, the two day relationships, the weight of the world... it really brought it all back. I even remember very specific swimming spots we used to sneak off to. Before cell phones and Facebook. When there was still stems and seeds in your green. LOL! The characters were just so relatable to my younger self. I know this is a YA book, but if a lot of us geriatric millennial, or whatever we are called now, read this, it will bring us all back.
I found this book to be such a great metaphor for life. The dichotomy of still being a child, yet the only path ahead is adulthood. Tough choices have to be made. We don't always know what we want and even if we did, we don't always get it. We make bad decisions. The world keeps moving regardless of the decisions I am making right now.
The reason for 4 instead of 5 star - i would have liked to see a slightly more flushed out ending. Was a little too abrupt for me. But otherwise, I gobbled this one up!
Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
May 13, 2025
I loved this. A meditation on graduation and growing up. On what it means to look forward at who we are meant to be and and also to look back who we might have been. Time and memory. Stasis. Floating. In pools. In space. Exploring inner spaces. Love and regret. Small towns and expectations and getting out and moving on and not getting out and not moving on. It’s a strange dream of a novel. Not unlike something David Lynch or Stephen King might make in their most thoughtful and human moments of creating.
November 7, 2024
When I saw the MC names were the same and me and my husbands, Trevor and Sarah, I knew I had to read this book. Even though I'm in the middle of reading another book, I couldn't put this one down. I was definitely invested in the story. And while they may not have had the same ending as my own, it was worth the reminder of how things may not always turn out the way that's expected. Night Swimming took me back to being in high school and the decisions and uncertainty that comes with being on the edge of adulthood. Although it was set in the nineties (the best decade if you ask me), it's a timeless story as relatable then as it is now!
Thank you Netgalley for an advance read!
Thank you Netgalley for an advance read!
February 19, 2025
Night Swimming captures that quintessential feeling of ending high school and entering adulthood, through a 90’s time lens. In other words, it took me right back to that very hazy, spectacularly exciting and terrifying, time in my own life; the summer before I started college. We all desperately wanted to get on to the next thing but also wanted to freeze time for the last bit of freedom with our friends before responsibility and life took the reins. This was atmospheric, poetic, creative, magical, sentimental, and heartfelt. Where it lost me was the middle and the lack of complexity in our characters. It meanders and repeats, and our characters were all one note. I wanted more of Trevor’s insecurity and fear of the future. I wanted more of Sarah’s uncertainty and complexity. They were all mentioned, but we never got into the reeds. Overall, I enjoyed it for its originality and creativity. But I wanted more.
3 stars
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eArc in exchange for an honest review.
3 stars
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eArc in exchange for an honest review.
May 9, 2025
This felt like a more grownup version of The Riverman books, and I enjoyed the strangeness of the story. Starmer does a solid job of capturing the personality of high schoolers who think they know too much about the world. I wish several aspects of this story (the relationship between the two main characters, some of the interpersonal dramas between the group, and the ending) had been more expanded upon.
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