Under Water

by Tara Menon

BBC Culture ‘Books to Look Out for in 2026’

‘Compelling and heart wrenching, a remarkable debut’ Claire Messud

A stunning and deeply moving literary debut of grief, loss and female friendship, set against the backdrop of two cataclysmic natural events.

When six-year-old Marissa loses her mother, she is taken by her father to live on a small Thai island in the Andaman Sea. There, she forms a deep friendship with Arielle and together they explore the fragile wonders of its forests, reefs, and beaches. Holding their breath for minutes at a time, they learn to dive into the deep, as effortlessly synchronized as the manta rays they come to know by name. Then, on Boxing Day 2004, when the Indian Ocean tsunami makes landfall, they are swept up by the first wave and separated.

Eight years later, Marissa is living in New York. She spends her days wandering through the city and her nights seeking solace in the beds of strangers. As the city prepares for a devastating storm, Marissa reflects on her past and learns how to sustain herself in a precarious world.

Under Water is a story about friendship and grief, but also ecological change and natural disasters. It is a meditation on loss, a tribute to our dying oceans and forests, and a love letter to the disappearing coral reefs.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Grief, Friendship

168 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 12, 2026

Reviews

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

i'm ready to cry

(review to come / thanks to the publisher for the arc)

[lys · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never once read a novel twice before it’s even published, but I love this book so much that I cannot even put it into words. Took my breath away on the first read, and somehow did even more so on the second. Spectacular, wonderful, genius, etc. etc.

[Adrienne L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Riverhead books for the ARC.

Under Water is a short, beautifully written novel about grief and about the ocean. Set in different timelines, the story follows Marissa on the eve of two natural disasters. The first timeline focuses on Marissa's childhood growing up at a scientific research station located on an island in the Andaman sea near Phuket. Her childhood is mostly told like an incredible fairytale in a lush setting, and Marissa thrives in close connection with the sea life and with her best friend Arielle. The second timeline is eight years after the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami that puts an end to the idyll of her young life as we follow young adult Marissa, working and living in New York City as a copywriter for a travel company.

This book is about coming to terms with longstanding grief and trying to build your future around it. The novella also has a strong message of ecological conservation, particularly as relates to animal life. Although at times the storytelling between the two timelines is a bit uneven, and I was left unsatisfied by what read like a rushed ending after a long and eloquent build-up, Under Water is an impressive debut. I look forward to reading more by Tara Menon in the future.

[Debbie H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Underwater
3.5 ⭐️ Beautiful atmospheric novel about grief and loss over time.

Told in alternating timelines, the tsunami in Thailand Dec 2004, and hurricane Sandy NYC 2012 . The focus is on the devastating tsunami in Thailand and the friendship between the main character Marissa and her childhood best friend Arielle. The girls live an idyllic life on the ocean immersed in nature and exploration. The setting is so descriptive from the hotel Arielle’s parents own, the research huts run by Marissa’s dad, the lush landscape, food, and the manta rays the girls love to dive to see.
Everything is ripped apart with one wave and Marissa is left to navigate the world without her closest friend.

I loved the friendship between Marissa and Arielle. Both girls had dysfunctional families, Marissa’s mom killed when she was 6, and Arielle father distant and abusive. The timeline 8 years post tsunami in NYC as hurricane Sandy was approaching illustrates the survivor guilt Marissa carries. She’s haunted by visions of Arielle daily and still talks to her friend. I enjoyed immersive Thai chapters much more with the build up to what was coming.


Thanks to NetGalley and Riverhead books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review

[Tala🦈 (mrs.skywalker.reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

bardzo cicha, ale baaardzo mocna lektura

Menon pisze o stracie tak, jak się o niej myśli – powracająco, nielinearnie, z każdej strony naraz. ale to nie tylko historia straty

to też o tym, jak żyje się dalej, kiedy nic już nie jest takie samo. o żałobie, która nie mija, i o przyjaźni, której nikt nie nauczył nas opłakiwać („wciąż ci źle? To była TYLKO jakaś koleżanka, nie wypada jej opłakiwać tyle czasu”), o tym, że przyjaźń może być TĄ relacją w życiu

o naturze, wobec której autorka ma ogromny respekt – cudownie opisuje jej piękno, ale też nie romantyzuje jej, nie robi z niej metafory — to siła, która rządzi światem i nami, daje życie, ale i odbiera

o tsunami, huraganie, żywiole, martwych, pięknych, złożonych mantach, śmieciach na plaży i Nowym Jorku, który w końcu też tonie, ale też o wdzięczności i ciągłej miłości do tego, co wokół nas, nawet po katastrofie

o tym, jak piękno i przemoc mogą istnieć obok siebie

[Julia - my.endless.library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this book grabbed my attention from the very first page! The prologue is absolutely crazy but amazing at the same time. The story that follows is beautiful and definitely worth the read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

[Sonja Arlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I had to sit with this story for a little while before writing a review to see if it “sticks”

The novel captures the particular ache of grieving a friend, the relationship society often treats as secondary.

The imagery of life on a Thai island and the rich biodiversity its oceans hold was a pleasure to read and makes me look forward to going diving again soon.

My main issue lay with the two timelines. Spanning eight years, the structure made it difficult for me to stay fully invested in Marissa’s ongoing sorrow. I understand that grief is not linear and often comes in waves, yet the intensity of the trauma and grief Marissa feels in the present sometimes felt disproportionate to the time that had passed.

This is a novel I admired while reading it but one whose full emotional weight felt a bit muted. Perhaps that was the point…….

[Angie Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Riverhead for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This book is perfect for two kinds of people: those who wanted to be a marine biologist as a kid, and those who were obsessed with the I Survived books as a kid. (I fit into both of these categories, so it is safe to say i was enraptured from page one.)

Following a dual timeline, this novel is set against the backdrop of two of the most significant natural disasters of the 21st century. The first timeline is set in Thailand during the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004, that killed over 200,000 people across bordering nations on the day after Christmas. The second timeline is set in NYC during the onset of Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, just days before Halloween.

We follow our main character Marissa, who experiences both of these disasters firsthand. In 2004, she is living in Thailand with her father, who is a marine researcher on a secluded island outpost. He researches manta rays in specific, and Marissa is as tenderly and dearly in love with the sea as one can possibly be. She meets her best friend Arielle in Thailand as well, and at this point in time their friendship is as guaranteed as the next breath. I particularly loved how this novel placed such emphasis on the profound impact of a true friendship, and how that kind of bond can be just as strong as a romantic relationship and, oftentimes, even stronger. This timeline persists through the tsunami and into the aftermath, and I have never read an account of a disaster so raw, so utterly devastating. The tears were flowing from that point in the story all the way to its close.

In the later timeline, Marissa is living alone in New York City, and she is a shell of the vibrant soul she used to be. At the start of the story, the reason for this change in her demeanor is not yet understood, but the interwoven narrative evolves steadily until the reader begins to grasp the extend of what she has seen, what she has suffered. With Hurricane Sandy fast approaching, this resurgence of her PTSD from the tsunami causes her memories to surface, and Menon writes the balance between these two timelines with expert precision.

I cannot recall the last time a novel made me feel this much. I truly do not know if I have ever read something this raw, in both its beauty and its horror. The writing is simultaneously glorious and haunting. Those images of the aftermath of the tsunami will stick with me for a long time, and as soon as I finished this book I itched to reread it all from the beginning. In fact, I preordered it straight away. The central themes of grief, PTSD, friendship, and the resilience of nature in the face of a natural disaster were handled with expert care and contemplation.

This was a very unexpected 5 star read, I really did not expect to connect so much with this novel and feel this story as deeply as I did. I will be thinking about its contents for a long time.

[Paula W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so mad. This book has made me so mad! As if my TBR list didn’t already keep me awake at night, the main character in Under Water referenced at least 31 books, poems, and essays for me to add. Sometimes she only alluded to them or mentioned an opening line in passing so I actually had to do research before adding to my list. “Thanks, Tara Menon,” I type with stiff fingers and a forced smile. And also, “dholes” was not at all what I originally thought.

That aside, this book was a top read of the year. There is a dual narrative, both told by the main character named Marissa: the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Thailand and the 2012 Hurricane Sandy in Manhattan. While in New York City on the day the hurricane hits, she remembers her life in Thailand and her best friend that was among the dead on the day of that disaster. The loss of that friend who was such a piece of her has never left, nor has the regret and the grief she has never been able to let go of. It is such a tragically beautiful story; she recalls the life she once lived, the friendship she once had, the feelings of regret and grief and blame, and the horrors she saw. She has always tried to understand life through books, and continues to use them in order to process things. She can compare all of her life events to lessons about Greek gods, botany texts, animal reproduction manuals, Thai travel guides, classic and current novels, essays about ethics, and poetry about grieving. The narrative continues building, building, building to the disasters we know will happen, but we can’t look away. It is so difficult to describe how the author did something amazing with this book. I don’t have the words. I don’t have the correct adjectives, as Marissa would say. Just read it, but be prepared to expand your TBR list a bit. 5 stars

Thanks to Riverhead Books, Tara Menon (author), and Edelweiss for providing an advance digital review copy of Under Water. Their generosity did not influence my review in any way.

[Andreia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I nicked a proof of this book out of a friend's hand at a Five Guys in Germany. I read the first paragraph and I knew. Serendipity. There were so many little things about this book that tied in with my life (past and present). I even remember listening to a song while reading it and one of the lyrics singing in parallel to the words on the page. "When I close my eyes". There is something so special about this novel. It's not just the writing, the kind of writing that makes you taste and feel and hear and see. It's not just the way it feels like you're reaching into someone's most precious and darkest memories. It's the way it sucks you in like riptide. It forces you to hold your breath as if you're under water. Your eyes sting, you can taste the salt on your tongue. It is both a wonder and petrifying. I loved every sentence, every word and only wish there were more of them.

[Ellinor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Im Dezember 2004 ereignete sich im Pazifikraum eines der stärksten jemals gemessenen Erdbeben. Die Folgen waren verheerend: Durch das Beben und die von ihm ausgelösten Tsunamis verloren 230.000 Menschen ihr Leben. In der westlichen Welt wurde hauptsächlich über Thailand berichtet, da dort die meisten Touristen (etwa 2.000) betroffen waren.
Dies ist der Hintergrund für Unter Wasser von Tara Menon. Die Geschichte ist auf zwei Ebenen angesiedelt. Einer kurz vor dem Beben bzw. unmittelbar während und danach. Und einer zwölf Jahre später, als der Wirbelsturm Sandy durch Nordamerika zieht und an die 300 Menschen das Leben kostet. Marissa läuft durch New York, schläft mit unzähligen Männern und versucht auf diese Art mit Schmerz und Trauer umzugehen. Durch den Tsunami verlor sie ihre beste Freundin Arielle. Diese wurde vor ihren Augen ins Wasser gezogen, sie konnte nichts dagegen tun. Arielle war viel mehr als nur eine Freundin für Marissa, mehr wie eine Seelenverwandte. Durch ihren Tod ging etwas in ihr verloren. Ihr Leben scheint keinen Sinn mehr zu haben. Denn sie gibt sich die Schuld an Arielles Tod.
Tara Menon beschreibt die beiden Naturereignisse so spannend, dass es einen förmlich in die Geschichte hineinzieht. Besonders das Verhalten der Tiere steht dabei im Fokus. Die beiden Freundinnen halfen Marissas Vater bei dessen Forschungen an Mantarochen. Auch über diese wird ausgiebig berichtet. Die Autorin ist dabei äußerst einfühlsam. Die Welt und die Charaktere werden sofort lebendig. Trotz der Kürze des Buches und der häufigen Perspektivwechsel schafft sie es, ungeheuere Emotionen zu erzeugen. Die Parallele durch das Beben bzw den Sturm entwickelt eine zusätzliche Spannung.
Tara Menons Roman ging mir sehr nahe und hat mich unheimlich aufgewühlt. Ein ganz besonderes Highlight!

[Emily Spangler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book was stunning but so sad in its exploration of grief. The scenes set in Thailand are so captivatingly written, and I wanted to read a longer book about their ocean adventures and life on the island.

[Novel Visits · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥 by Tara Menon [#gifted from @riverheaedbooks]⁣
⁣
I know many readers of this review might first notice the book’s stunning cover and with good reason. It IS spectacular, and so is the world contained within its pages. 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 is a story of deep friendship and profound grief, both of which readers will know and understand from the beginning. Marissa, a broken woman after the loss of her best friend at 16, tells us about the many joys of that friendship and the heartbreak of its tragic end. ⁣
⁣
“I hate when people say we were like sisters. She was not my sister. You don’t get to choose your sister. We chose each other.”⁣
⁣
Menon centered her book around two catastrophic natural disasters: the 2004 Thailand tsunami and 2012’s Hurricane Sandy. Chapters alternate between these two locations, but the focus of both is really Marissa’s life in Thailand. From the age of 5, she lived there with her scientist father in an almost dreamlike existence. She and her best friend spent every spare moment kayaking, swimming, diving in gorgeous waters not far from Phuket. From the opening pages readers understand that Marissa’s idyllic life will be profoundly changed. We find just how much so in the 2012 timeline.⁣
⁣
I loved this story. It was beautiful on every level. Menon took me under the sea off the coast of Thailand and deftly brought so much of it to life. Her pages made me feel like I was seeing all its wonder with my own eyes. She did the same with Marissa and her broken heart. The pain of her loss felt acute to me, allowing me to understand her path through grief. Two of the most amazing things about 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 are the fact that Menon accomplished so much in only 224 pages and that it’s her debut. I have a strong feeling you’ll be hearing much more from me about this book as the year goes by. Clearly, I highly recommend picking it up! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟⁣

[Holsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a nauseating depiction of grief. It covers friendships and a love for nature, while displaying harsh realities in the tourism sector, touching on societal issues which feed the destruction of the environment and the objectification of local people. I felt sick at the descriptions of the disasters and the display of loving a friend so deeply that their loss changes you forever.
Under Water is simply an incredible novel.

[Oskars Kaulēns · Rating 3 out of 5]

milzīgs sižeta attīstības potenciāls, ko autore, manuprāt, neizmanto. atsevišķi pilnīgas literārās baudas mirkļi, kas mijas ar faktu uzskaitījumu bez tēlainās izteiksmes līdzekļiem un refleksijas. nebūt nav slikta literatūra, nemaz. bet es paliku neziņā, ko man ar šiem norišu fragmentiem autore vēlas pateikt.

[Lisa Cook · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to get something out of this, but honestly, it was a slog.

The twist, while mildly interesting, just didn’t compensate for the utter drudgery of getting through the book. I was bored for most of it.

The narrative felt scattered and unfocused, constantly drifting without building any real momentum. There’s a heavy emphasis on the wildlife and nature elements, which at first seems atmospheric, but quickly becomes overdone and repetitive to the point of distraction. Instead of adding depth, it just padded out an already slow story.

On top of that, there’s very little in the way of character development, making it hard to connect or care about what’s happening. By the end, the reveal didn’t justify the journey.

This is not for me.

[Jeanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

The timeline in this book was not linear. Maybe it was hard to keep track of because I was listening to the audiobook, but I found it took me out of the story each time I had to figure out where they were and when it happened.

[Karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow - genau deshalb liebe ich das Lesen. Ich habe mich sehr auf dieses Buch gefreut und es hat mich völlig mitgerissen und erst wieder losgelassen, als ich die letzte Seite beendet hatte.

Wir befinden uns im Jahr 2012: Marissa streift durch ein New York, das sich auf einen drohenden Hurrikan vorbereitet. Überall Warnungen - doch sie ist wie so oft in Gedanken versunken. Gedanken, die sie zurückführen zu ihrer Freundschaft mit Arielle, die am 26. Dezember 2004 in Phuket ihr tragisches Ende findet. Die meisten wissen, welches verheerende Ereignis sich hinter diesem Datum verbirgt. Der fürchterliche Tsunami, der so vielen Menschen das Leben nahm.

So schwer dieses Thema auch ist - es dominiert den Roman nicht. Im Gegenteil: Ein Großteil der Geschichte ist von einer beinahe greifbaren Leichtigkeit getragen. Man spürt die Sonne Thailands auf der Haut, taucht mit Arielle und Marissa ins Meer ein und erlebt ihre Freundschaft in all ihren Facetten - intensiv,  lebendig und zutiefst berührend.

Mit 'Unter Wasser' ist Tara Menon ein vielschichtiger Roman  gelungen, der große Emotionen einfängt, ohne je überladen zu wirken. Die Balance zwischen Schönheit und Schmerz ist fein abgestimmt und wirkt lange nach.
Wer Geschichte über Freundschaft, das Meer und die Tiefe menschlicher Verbindungen liebt - und auch vor melancholischen Momenten nicht zurückschreckt -  sollte dieses Buch unbedingt lesen. Absolute Empfehlung.

[Rendezvouswithbooks]

"I realized after a few years that there are people it is acceptable to mourn. The list of who you can grieve endlessly: a parent (if they die young), a spouse (if you are young), a sibling (if you both are young), a child (always). It is not acceptable to endlessly grieve someone who was just a friend. You must get over it after a period of time... There is no place in our language for grief about friends, or love for them. Our language is tainted by the love and loss of lovers."

..& how perfectly Tara Menon puts the truth out

Amidst the never ending sounds of bombs & firearms, the voices that are largely left muffled are the sobs of grief & loss.
The chorus of heartbreak remains unheard as noone chooses to showcase the aftermath

Thankfully Tara Menon chose to

After losing her mother at five, Marissa is taken by her marine biologist father to a small Thai island in the Andaman Sea. Here she forms an intense friendship with local girl Arielle. The two girls spend their days exploring coral reefs, forests, learning to dive, effortlessly synchronizing with each other, with the nature around them & the manta rays

While Menon's story doesn't stem out from war but the intensity of grief & loss faced by Marissa is no less

The story shines in its depiction of the range of emotions & maturity the character arc of Marissa traverses. Moving from one natural calamity to another Marissa learns how to confront & survive with her grief

The subtle ending is such a fine tribute to human essentials & how we should "..stay with them for as long as we can hold breath."But then it also makes you realise how we are on verge of losing it all

Menon's writing is highly cinematic, sensory, laden with sparse prose

Though this one has all the ingredients of being that perfect one, but the inconsistent pacing & certain unexplored character dynamics made it miss the mark. There were many places where I was unable to feel that deeper connection b/w the character & her grief. But I appreciate it for all that it is trying to achieve

Thank you @simonandschusterin for the advance review copy

Out Today!
Read it for its fine description of beauty of nature & ofcourse Manta Rays

[Alina - berlinerin.liest · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75 ⭐️
Traurig schönes und brutales Buch über Verlust, Freundschaft, Natur und Umwelt im Kontext der Tsunami Katastrophe in Thailand 2004.

[Катерина Казакова · Rating 4 out of 5]

«Why are hurricanes named after women? Because when they arrive, they’re wet and wild, but when they go, they take your house and car.»

На початку книги мені було важко втягнутися, вже навіть думала кинути, але я ж читання не кидаю, а відкладаю🤫😅, тому щоб не повертатись до книги знов, продовжувала її слухати.

Відчувалось, що це дебютна книга, в яку авторка намагалась впихнути невпихуєме і поєднати реальні події в Таїланді 2004 року на прикладі дружби між двома дівчатами і їх дорослішання, з відомостями з Вікіпедії про культуру, мову, фауну і флору самого Таїланду.

Але з середини книги історія стає більш цілісною, не розділеною окремо на наукові факти та fiction drama і тому зачіпає💔

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful meditation on friendship, grief, and connection to place. The descriptions of the main locations in this story and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and aftermath were so vivid, I felt like I was experiencing everything Marissa experienced. This is an impressive debut and I look forward to reading more from Tara Menon.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Under Water is a five-star read for me.

Under Water is framed by two cataclysmic events: the December 26, 2007 tsunami in Phuket and the surrounding region, and Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, which struck New York City and the Eastern Seaboard.

At its heart, Under Water is a story about friendship and grief, and it is beautifully written.
The story is told from the perspective of Marissa, whose mother died when she was six. Marissa and her father, a marine biologist, move to Thailand, where he dedicates himself to completing the work of his late wife, who was also a marine biologist. There, Marissa becomes fast friends with Arielle, whose parents own a hotel. We watch their friendship blossom through a series of scenes, as the narrative moves back and forth through time.

I especially loved the role mythology plays in how the characters understand their world.
Throughout the novel, certain animals—turtles and manta rays in particular—appear across generations. That sense of continuity and care becomes a quiet legacy in the story, and I found it really moving.

There was one element that initially confused me, but once I understood what was happening, I found it very effective in showing the depth of grief and love in the book. At first it felt like the story was jumping between timelines even when the chapter suggested we were firmly in one of them. Eventually I realized these moments were Arielle “visiting” Marissa, and that realization deepened the emotional impact for me.

This is a book I will recommend again and again—and in fact, I already have.

I’m grateful to have received an advanced reader copy of Under Water from NetGalley and Riverhead Books.

To see my initial response to this book, check out my post on BookTok. I'm @katemcreader
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZThK1q4V5/

[Buchdoktor]

Marissas Vater Jisaaiah verarbeitet die Trauer um seine verstorbene Frau, indem er ihr Forschungsprojekt an Mantarochen auf einer Insel in der Andamanensee fortsetzt und seine kleine Tochter mitnimmt. Später wird Marissa herausfinden, dass die Projektleiterin Rosie fern der Zivilisation mit Jisaaiah und dem Naturfotografen Matthew zwei verwitweten Männern Unterschlupf geboten hat. Marissa selbst freundet sich mit Arielle an, mit der gemeinsam sie in Phuket zur Schule gehen wird. Die Mädchen schwimmen und schnorcheln mit Mantas und an Korallenriffen, und lernen von Matthew, Jisaaiah und dem Fischer Anurak alles, was die Männer über die Natur und das Meer wissen. Im Hotel von Arielles Eltern müssen die Mädchen darüber hinaus mit der konfliktreichen Situation umgehen, dass Arielles englischer Vater die Landessprache und damit die Feinheiten der Kommunikation nicht beherrscht. Die Mädchen wachsen praktisch am und im Meer wie Meereswesen zu Seelengefährtinnen heran.

Als der Tsunami von 2004 die Küste vor der Andamanensee trifft, können sich der Vater und Anurak im Boot aufs Meer retten, Marissa wird von der Flut bis weit ins Land hinein gespült, nur Arielle konnte sich trotz ihrer Erfahrung im Meer nicht retten. Ein Treffen in New York mit Sofia, die in Thailand 2004 auch eine Schwester verloren hat, verdeutlicht den jungen Frauen, dass sie Trost nur bei Menschen finden können, die in exakt der identischen Konstellation Angehörige verloren haben wie sie selbst.

Die Handlung wird zwischen den Zeitebenen von 2004 und 2012 wechselnd in schlichtem Präsens erzählt. Wir lesen über die Zeit in Thailand vor dem Tsunami und über das Erleben der heute erwachsenen Marissa während des nahenden Hurrikans im New York von 2012. Marissa arbeitet heute als Texterin in der Tourismusbranche und sieht sich damit konfrontiert, dass sie nicht beschreiben soll, was man sieht, sondern was die Kunden erwarten. Das passiert ausgerechnet einer Frau, die am Meer aufgewachsen ist – und sehen kann. Während New York die Schaufester verbarrikadiert, erscheint Arielle ihrer Seelengefährtin und spricht sie an. Dieser Kontakt aktiviert Marissas Trauma und lässt ihre ganze Wut darüber aufbrechen, dass ausgerechnet Arielle sich nicht aus den Fluten retten konnte.

Fazit
„Unter Wasser“ ist ein feinfühlig erzählter Roman über den schrittweisen Trauerprozess einer jungen Frau, von der sich vermuten lässt, dass sie um ihre Mutter nicht trauern konnte. Mit dem traumatischen Ereignis verknüpft Tara Menon zahlreiche zarte Unterthemen, die sie jeweils sorgfältig recherchiert hat: das Ökosystem Andamanensee, Auswirkungen des Tourismus auf Korallenriffe, Eskapismus zu Forschung und Naturschutz, bi-nationale Ehen, die ungewöhnliche Wahlfamilie aus Jisaaiahs Kollegen und der Hotelbesitzerfamilie, das Aufwachsen mit Eltern, die arbeiten, wenn andere Leute Ferien haben, und schließlich die besondere Freundschaft der Mädchen.
Was für ein Roman!

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me, grief is a personal experience. It’s something that walks alongside me and breathes with me even on a normal day. It still surprises me, every morning, that the world keeps functioning so normally while I’m still grappling with a loss from a year and a half ago. Perhaps this is why I could connect so well with Under Water’s protagonist. I saw parts of myself in her, as she continues to grieve a childhood friend even after nearly a decade. The story shifts between two timelines. The world before the loss, and the altered one that comes after.

Under Water is an all consuming novel by Tara Menon, one that demands your attention as it makes you witness the lives of two girls who grew up on an island. Descriptions of the flora and fauna were so vivid that I could almost feel the salt on my tongue. When Marissa loses Arielle, she feels a shift within herself so strong that she leaves the island behind and moves back to New York, her birth place. Yet, amidst her busy life, thoughts and images of Arielle continues to haunt her. Told in prose that is both lyrical and melancholic, Under Water holds the reader captive till the very end. This is a book about loss and the anger it leaves behind, and about how healing, even when it comes late, arrives exactly when you’re ready for it.

[Adii (adiiturnsapage) · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Under Water', is what I felt while reading this book, and in the best way possible. In this extremely beautifully written, atmospheric novel Tara Menon takes us through the marine life and the beautiful beaches of Thailand. Through her lyrical prose Menon makes the reader see, feel, taste and smell the sea!

The story is narrated by Marissa, who loses her mother at the age of 6. She meets her best friend for life, Arielle, who quickly says to her, "we can share my mother!" Arielle makes Marissa her family. They're both inseparable, and spend most of their days swimming in the pristine waters in Thailand, where Marissa's father works as a researcher.

During the week, the girls live at the resort owned by Arielle’s parents; on the weekends they join the tight-knit community of researchers on a nearby island. Together the girls discover the fragile wonders of its reefs, forests, and beaches. Together they learn to dive into the deep, holding their breath for minutes at a time, as effortlessly synchronized as the manta rays they come to know by name. Together they learn to swim their way out of danger. But their skills don't help Arielle when a wave swallows her during the 2004 tsunami.

Years later, Marissa lives and works in New York, still grappling with the grief of losing the only person she's loved the most. Everyday things seem like Herculean tasks to her. But there's more coming her way. Another natural disaster. Another cataclysm, as she slowly learns how to handle her grief and face the world.

Under Water reads more like a soothing poetry than a novel. While reading, try closing your eyes, and you will feel the calm of lounging by the beach! Menon makes even the grief seem bearable with her calming writing. It is all simply breathtaking and wonderful.

This little book, with its surprisingly sparse prose will blow your mind. I'm sure I will reread it at some point in life, just to relax and unwind.

[Sara Krantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really can’t explain all the reasons I really loved this book. It’s about friendship and nature and grief. The way the author was able to capture the essence of friendship between these two young women was beautiful! Her descriptions of scenery and sea life was perfect! I felt like I could picture everything like I was actually there. Pure excellence!

[Kristīne Gronska · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tas, kas notika, protams ir šausmīgi.
Bet ar šo grāmatu nesadraudzējos jo likās, ka lasu haosu. Nevarēju saprat- kas, ko. Ātrāk gribējās pabeigt un nolikt. Nespēju iedziļināties.

[miller]

ich hab das gefühl die englische originalfassung hätte mir sprachlich besser gefallen, war manchmal etwas holprig und irgendwie zu gestochen, aber die geschichte hat mich sehr berührt und ich bin großer fan davon trauer verlust etc in freundschaftsdynamiken zu erörtern

[Elena L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marissa and her father move to Thailand from NYC after she lost her mother. Then she meets Arielle, who seems to offer some kind of comfort.

Alternating between past and present, Thailand and NYC, this is a tale of friendship, loss and natural disaster. I wouldn't have imagined myself to be utterly immersed in the lush nature descriptions, rendered in a hypnotizing way. Menon transports us to the Thailand's flora and fauna, seamlessly blending the process of grief and womanhood with the unpredictability of water.

With a touch of poignancy, reading this book is about the journey, not the destination. It's serene and tender in contrast to the intense scale of emotions. UNDER WATER is a plotless literary fiction that can feel devastating, powerful in its subtleness.

[ I received an ARC from the publisher - Riverhead books . All opinions are my own ]