Baignade surveillée

by Laura Kasischke, Unknown Author

Laura Kasischke dives back into novels with this thrilling small town mystery, THE LIFEGUARD

This is a novel about grief and ambition, innocence and blame—a tale that spools out of and around a Midwestern swimming pool one summer afternoon, 1969, and into the future of an America yet to be imagined.

In the town of Mission Hills, Michigan, an elementary school child drowns in the Olympic-sized pool at a summer swim club. By most, but not all, the lifeguard on duty that afternoon—a teenage girl who becomes the town's scapegoat, bearing the weight of their grief and fears—is seen as responsible for the tragedy.

Kasischke weaves together overlapping narratives and shifting perspectives, gradually peeling back the layers of what really happened that day. Through poetic, sensory-rich prose, she explores the liminal spaces between memory and reality, innocence and culpability, childhood and adulthood. The story probes the arbitrary, inexorable nature of fate—how a single moment can alter lives forever, and how the search for answers can reveal unsettling truths about ourselves and those around us.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 27, 2026

About the author

Laura Kasischke is an American fiction writer and American poet with poetry awards and multiple well reviewed works of fiction. Her work has received the Juniper Prize, the Alice Fay di Castagnola Award from the Poetry Society of America, the Pushcart Prize, the Elmer Holmes Bobst Award for Emerging Writers, and the Beatrice Hawley Award. She is the recipient of two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as several Pushcart Prizes.

Her novel The Life Before Her Eyes is the basis for the film of the same name, directed by Vadim Perelman, and starring Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood. Kasischke's work is particularly well-received in France, where she is widely read in translation. Her novel A moi pour toujours (Be Mine) was published by Christian Bourgois, and was a national best seller.

Kasischke attended the University of Michigan and Columbia University. She is also currently a Professor of English Language and of the Residential College at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She lives in Chelsea, Michigan, with her husband and son.

Reviews

[vicki honeyman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sad book is full of exquisite sentences and beautiful imagery. In the summer of 1969, on the day three astronauts were rocket-launched to the moon, a 5-year old boy's thoughts are only on the thrilling moment he can jump into the swim club pool his parents belong to. We meet the lifeguard, we see the pool, we are in the little boy's head . . . but, in a snap, we're taken into somebody else's story, inside someone else's head. We come to understand who that head belongs to, and why, as one heartbreaking moment is repeated and relived throughout the story. As the circumstances of what happened that one day at the pool get peeled back and revealed, we come to recognize how one single moment, one regrettable blink of an eye, can transform the lives of many, for the rest of their lives.

[Meline Marcos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Une grosse claque littéraire !!

[Betaknot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC, unfortunately my reading slump kept me from reading it before it was published. But let me tell you something right now.

I decided to read the ARC anyway. I am 42% into the ARC and it is a five star read.

This novel is brilliant. Please go buy it. Today. Now. You won't regret it.

Review to be written when I'm finished. But wow, this is incredible.

[Jennifer *Nottoomanybooks*]

💭: I requested this one from netgalley because I love historical fiction and the synopsis sounded good! It takes place in 1969, at the beginning of summer when astronauts are taking off for the moon. It is about a little boy who drowned in a public pool. I wanted to love it. I really did, but I couldn’t get into the writing style, and the back and forth of perspectives were hard to follow. I found myself bored, even though this is a heartbreaking story. I DNF at 25%.

[Ari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow… this was a tense, emotional, difficult book to get through, but one that I did not want to put down. I devoured it in one day, as challenging as some parts were to get through. I found the writing and formatting to be very unique, giving it a mysterious and almost suspenseful quality. I would encourage parents to read this book with caution and to consider your triggers first.

[Lupita_333 · Rating 1 out of 5]

The idea of the book sounded so interesting but the actual book wasn’t my cup of tea. I didn’t like the writing style. Too much unnecessary information and scenes thrown in. The characters pov would change constantly at an uneven pace.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Mara Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It was haunting and human, intriguing and left me wanting to keep reading to find out what happened! There are loose ends and inferences that you have to make with the conclusion but I’m not that mad about it. It held my attention.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★☆☆

I found myself in a really tricky position when it came to rating this book, mostly because I think it has been categorised completely wrong. It is being marketed as a thrilling mystery, which is doing the story a massive disservice because anyone picking it up expecting a high-tension whodunit is going to feel let down. I would consider it much more of a literary historical fiction piece. While Laura Kasischke’s prose is beautifully written and there were parts that really moved me, the unorganised layout and jumpy structural choices ultimately stopped me from fully connecting with the novel.

The story takes place in the late 1960s at a community swimming pool in Mission Hills, Michigan. Richie is a kindergarten student who is incredibly excited about swimming, but tragedy hits when he drowns on a summer afternoon in 1969. The narrative explores the heavy aftermath of loss, grief, blame, and guilt as the townspeople turn the never-named teenage lifeguard on duty into their scapegoat, forcing her to bear the weight of their fears. The plot essentially spools out from this single event, examining how one tragic moment alters lives forever.

I did feel the character development was a major strength, particularly regarding the inner lives of Richie and his father, Richard, which slowly unravel as the story progresses. Kasischke captures a wonderful contrast between the quiet reality of the children playing and the monumental victory of the astronauts landing on the moon. The kids don't really care about what is going on in space; they are much more interested in their playtime in the pool, and I think using the moon launch was a clever way to ground the setting in history.

However, the way the story was laid out was just confusing. The author tends to go off on tangents with multiple storylines, and the character points of view change constantly at an uneven pace. It uses a very jumpy structure where one minute you are with a character in the past and the next you are with someone different in the future. I actually found myself re-reading sections just to figure out who was narrating, because it frequently felt like I was reading the same scenes over and over again but in a slightly different way. Some random characters got a point of view but were not even linked to the overall story or given any resolution, which made the plot difficult to follow. I lost interest in almost all the characters by the end, except for poor Richie, and I think I wanted more about the immediate aftermath of the drowning, especially from the lifeguard's perspective.

It is at the end that the author loses control of her story. After building up tension to suggest something untoward was happening, it turns out to just be a tragic accident, which felt anti-climactic. Out of the blue, the text mentions a rape and a murder that, frankly, make no sense to the plot and only add to the confusion, leading to a highly unsatisfying conclusion. It is a beautifully written book, but the messy structure meant I kept waiting for a resolution that never came.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Faye (fayescapes) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved The Lifeguard by Laura Kasischke. It’s somber and heavy (very much my kind of book). There’s this constant sense of dread hanging over the story because from the very beginning, we already know that a five-year-old boy drowned in a community pool. That’s established right away and everything in the novel circles back to that tragedy. What follows is basically the unraveling of a community after what happened. We get multiple perspectives from the people surrounding the event. Not just the parents of the boy, but the lifeguard, other members of the community and people whose lives become tied to the tragedy in different ways. What I found fascinating was seeing how this one tragedy slowly changes the atmosphere of an entire town. Relationships start breaking down. People begin questioning each other and themselves. The novel feels very interested in memory, grief, guilt and perception, which are themes I’m quite interested in.

The structure of this novel really worked for me because it moves between past, present, and future timelines. Lately I’ve realised I’m really drawn to books that play around with structure like this. It sort of has a Rashomon effect where one central event is filtered through different perspectives, except this novel pushes that even further because the timelines are constantly shifting too. I loved slowly piecing everything together.

Laura Kasischke’s writing also completely pulled me in. I devoured this in two days because I was so compelled by it. I needed to know how everything connected even while dreading where it was all heading.

And I really loved the ending. Even though we technically already know what happened, there are still details that may not be exactly what they seem. The ending felt resolved enough for me, but there was still enough ambiguity that it made me want to go back and reread certain parts of the book. Those are truly some of my favourite reading experiences - when a book makes me feel like there’s something underneath the surface that I didn’t fully catch the first time.

This definitely won’t be for everyone because it deals with heavy themes and it’s more reflective than plot-driven. But if you love multiple timelines and multiple perspectives or if you are into literary fiction that leans into character and atmosphere, I’d absolutely recommend this.

[Jessica Bernau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved The Lifeguard by Laura Kasischke. It’s somber, unsettling, and kind of quietly wrecking (in a good way). Right from the start, there’s a knot of dread in your stomach because you already know a five-year-old boy has drowned in the community pool. Somehow that does not kill the suspense, it makes it worse. Everything that happens after just circles that loss, and you can feel the shockwaves spreading until the whole town seems to have changed.
What got me was how the book shows tragedy like a slow leak that gets into everything. You bounce between a bunch of perspectives, not just the boy’s parents, but the lifeguard, neighbors, and other people in town who get pulled into the aftermath. Grief and guilt start warping everyday moments. People get defensive, suspicious, and weirdly careful. Relationships crack. Memories get edited. Everyone wants a simple, tidy explanation for what happened, and the book keeps pushing back on the idea that you’ll ever really get one.
I also really liked the way the story is put together. It jumps around between past, present, and future, and it has this Rashomon-ish vibe where the same event looks different depending on who’s telling it (and when). I had fun piecing things together and noticing how much perception shifts from person to person. It’s the kind of setup that makes you go, Wait! did I miss something? and then you find yourself rereading a sentence because there’s more going on than it seems.
Kasischke’s writing totally pulled me in. I tore through this in just a few sittings because the prose is so captivating. People do some ugly stuff when they’re trying to dodge blame, and the book doesn’t look away. I just kept turning pages because I needed to see how it all connected, even though I was dreading where it was headed.
While I enjoyed the ending, my one criticism it that it could have used a little more detail about a few of the characters that you meet, however, I still very much enjoyed this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Red Hen Press for the ARC.

[Nicole.B]

The Lifeguard by Laura Kasischke is a haunting and emotionally layered literary mystery that explores grief, blame, memory, and the irreversible consequences of a single tragic moment. Set against the backdrop of a Midwestern swim club in 1969, the novel combines psychological depth with atmospheric storytelling to create a quietly unsettling portrait of a community fractured by loss.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its emotional complexity. What begins as the drowning of a child gradually unfolds into a broader examination of guilt, perception, and the human need to assign blame in the aftermath of tragedy. The teenage lifeguard at the center of the story becomes both a character and a symbol, carrying the emotional projections and fears of an entire town.

Kasischke’s prose appears especially effective in capturing the fragile space between memory and reality. The shifting perspectives and layered narratives create an atmosphere of uncertainty that mirrors the emotional instability of those trying to reconstruct what truly happened. This approach gives the novel both literary depth and psychological tension.

The 1969 setting also adds an important layer of cultural resonance. The story feels positioned not only as a personal tragedy, but as a reflection of a changing America standing on the edge of social and emotional transformation. Themes of innocence, ambition, gender expectations, and communal judgment subtly shape the narrative beneath the surface mystery.

What makes the novel especially compelling is its focus on emotional aftermath rather than simple resolution. The story seems less concerned with solving a mystery than with examining how grief reshapes memory, identity, and relationships over time.

Readers who appreciate literary mysteries, emotionally atmospheric fiction, psychologically rich narratives, and stories centered on memory, culpability, and small town tensions will likely find The Lifeguard deeply absorbing.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot stop thinking about this book. Laura Kasischke’s The Lifeguard is a quietly devastating novel about grief, culpability, and the fragile mechanics of memory. Set in Mission Hills, Michigan, during the summer of 1969, the story unfolds around the drowning of a young boy at a crowded swim club pool, which is a tragedy that ripples outward through time and through the lives of those who witnessed it. Kasischke structures the novel through shifting perspectives and layered recollections, revealing how a single moment can fracture a community and transform an ordinary afternoon into something mythic.

The brilliance of the novel lies in its juxtaposition of national triumph and private catastrophe. As Kasischke writes, “three American astronauts had been launched into space in the direction of the moon,” while chaos quietly builds around the pool where the child disappears beneath the water. The teenage lifeguard—sunburned, adorned with “tiny silver doves in her pierced ears”—becomes the town’s scapegoat, her ordinary gestures rendered tragic in retrospect. “His whole body would be like it felt to be made out of water, free, swimming away and leaving yourself and all the walking and sitting and standing behind you, always stuck on the ground without ever having the wind pick you up and pull you over” is a perfect metaphor not only for the astronauts in space, but of dying, of death, of the hereafter. It’s gorgeous, sad, and thought-provoking.

Kasischke’s prose is superb: sensory, lyrical, and precise. Through a harrowing confluence of small decisions, distractions, and chance, The Lifeguard reveals how history and accident intersect, leaving behind questions that no amount of hindsight can fully answer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Red Hen Press for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

[Andria Lambert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me feel something, it was so sad and tragic. Basically the story revolves around one day in the life of a community where a child drowns. There are different points of views from the characters that mainly revolve around the narrative of what happens on that day. The sad part of the story is how the tragic accidental loss of a child brought about the blame game, in that everyone had to blame someone for something that was an accident. Mainly they blamed the lifeguard, but the husband also blamed his wife for their son's death. I thought the story was very realistic because I often see that with human nature, that we have to blame someone or something when something happens. There are characters that carry guilt for what happened and affected them for the rest of their lives. The story also shows how such events are like a pebble in a pond where the waves continue outward, these things affect the futures of the people involved. I did find a little of the story repetitive but I can see why that may have been done, it makes us the reader focus on things such as the what if's, the could of's, should's of's, would of's. Makes us question how one little thing may have been the factor that kept something tragic from happening. One small thing can completely change destiny. Life is so random but yet we try to make sense of it. I also liked the fact that it had some historic event tied up in the storyline. Any book that makes me feel something like this is going to get all the stars! I thought the writing was beautiful! Thank you Netgalley and Red Hen Press for a complimentary copy of the story.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in a small Midwestern town in 1969, the story centers around a tragedy at a local swim club, where a young child drowns in an Olympic-sized pool. An event that sends shockwaves through the entire community.

From the very beginning, you know what happened, but the story isn’t about what...it’s about how and why. Through shifting perspectives and overlapping timelines, we get a deeper look at that day and the lives it forever changed. I really liked how it explored the gray areas between innocence and blame, especially through the teenage lifeguard who becomes the town’s scapegoat. You can feel the weight of grief and quiet judgment pressing in from all sides.

The writing is beautiful almost dreamlike at times. It leans heavily into memory, emotion, and that idea of how one single moment can alter everything. It’s not fast-paced, but it never felt slow either.

There’s this constant underlying tension, and around the halfway point, it really settles into something heavier and more unsettling.

The shifting perspectives were a little confusing at first, but once everything started to come together, it added a lot of depth. If anything, I just wish the ending packed a slightly stronger emotional punch but it still left me with that lingering, reflective feeling.

Overall this was quietly devastating and deeply human.

Thank you NetGalley, Red Hen Press, and Laura Kasischke for the #gifted earc.
All opinions are my own 🖤

[Eric Lustbader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange, unsettling, often surreal book that juxtaposes the takeoff of the moonlanding astronauts with the entangled lives of families and neighbors in a small American town that centers around the pool of a dinky pool club for working-class families - as opposed to the longed-for real swanky country club where the rich spend their leisure time come summer. The book envisions time as completely elastic, jumping from the book's present, to the past and the future in an increasingly dizzying spiral. I liked how the inner lives of the main characters, especially Richie and his father Richard slowly unravel, and the depiction of small town life and how its residents, especially the children, experience their own reality as opposed to the monumental vitory of the astronauts. The kids don't relly care about what's going on in space. They're much more interested in their playtime in the pool. As for the lifeguard, she's more interested in the color of her lip gloss than she is in looking out for possible trouble in the pool.
It's at the end, that the author loses control of her story. Who's done what to whom becomes clouded and, out of the blue, there's mentioned a rape and a murder that, frankly, make no sense and only add to the confusion and the unsatisying conclusion. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

[Dea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't let the cover fool you; this is dark and heavy, far from a light summer read.

The plot starts off simple enough; it's summer 1969, and the residents of a small, middle-class American town are enjoying the season by the pool. A young child drowns, a town mourns, and then places all blame on a teenage lifeguard. Naturally, she cannot be held solely responsible for this tragedy, and the book goes on to detail the various sources of neglect that occurred before, during, and after the tragedy.

The writing is solemn but beautiful. It's an extremely quick read, even given the content's heavy nature. I was left constantly wanting to know more. Unfortunately, I walked away still feeling like that. This might work for some readers, but I found the non-linear timeline and constant POV switching disorienting, particularly in a short book. I still enjoyed it, and do plan to reread it a second time in the future to see if I can grasp more answers to my questions upon second read.

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick yet multidimensional snapshot of a tragedy and its aftermath.

Thank you, NetGalley and Red Hen Press, for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest opinions.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. The Lifeguard is the first book by Laura Kasischke that I've read. The Lifeguard herself is everything a teenage boy in 1969 would want her to be - blonde, long tan legs and strawberry lip gloss. Hiding behind her pilot's sunglasses, its hard to know who she is watching, until she blows her whistle at the offending youngster who is disobeying the community pool rules. On the summer day in 1969 that the astronauts were launched in their quest to reach the moon, a smaller but more devastating event takes place at the pool club. Five year old Richie doesn't really care about the launch much to the dismay of his father but he cares about getting to the pool just in time after adult swim to maximize his time in the sun and chlorine. Unfortunately, there is a tragedy that day at the pool, intricately written and described painfully by the author. The lifeguard is blamed for the tragedy and is shamed by the town - her school mates, her church and its difficult for her single mother to cope with the town's reaction. This was a 5-star read for me - very sad, very beautiful and I'm eager to read more by Laura Kasischke.

[Debi Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lifeguard by Laura Kasischke is the book to read this summer (or anytime)! It is a nuanced tale woven around a tragedy and threaded through the lens of American life. It does not move in a straight line, but delightfully zigs to lead the reader in one direction, and when you are sure you know what happens, it suddenly zags, and you are not sure at all. At the center of the story is a five-year-old boy, whom you know from page one is destined to die. The tale does not dwell too heavily on this tragedy, but shows the reader all the steps leading up to the event, and then traces what happens to the others in the story in the years to come. It is a bit of a mystery, a bit of a family drama. Definitely, it provides insights into the nation, the community, and a family at a specific time in history, which adds to the atmospheric quality of Kasischke's writing. You can smell the suntan oil, feel the sun beating down, and some of us can remember exactly where we were that fateful day in 1969.

I had not read this author's work before, but I have added her to my people to read list.
Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for my honest review.

[Drea Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to @Netgalley for the arc.

Lately, I’ve noticed a renewed interest in books from the 1960s and 1970s. Normally, that isn’t a time period I’m drawn to, but this novel, set in 1969, never felt like a barrier to my enjoyment. Instead, the setting blended naturally into the story and quickly faded into the background.

I’m drawn to dark, emotional stories, and this book did not disappoint. It is deeply sad and heavy, the kind of story that stays with you. The novel is very character driven, which I appreciated, as we move from person to person throughout the book. I especially liked how the perspective even shifts to the boy who drowns, allowing the reader to experience the tragedy from multiple angles.

As a mother myself, I strongly connected with the portrayal of a mother grieving the loss of her son. That grief felt raw, honest, and painfully real, adding a powerful emotional layer to the story. Overall, I found this to be a moving and well-written novel. I gave it 3.5 stars, and I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

[Scarlet Haze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received:

This was a 3.75⭐ read for me. I loved all the character and their development. Each one felt so real, like neighbours in a small town where everyone quietly knows everyone.
I wouldn’t call this book slow- or fast-paced; the story is woven in a way that keeps you locked in. You know from the very beginning what will happen, yet you keep turning the pages, asking yourself: How exactly did it happen? What led to it? Is there more beneath the surface than we’re being told?
I cannot say anything about the ending without spoiling it, but you will start to get a sort of sinking feeling, right around 50-60% of the book.

Overall, I would recommend this book. To me, it carried an eerie undercurrent, yet it’s deeply relatable in that existential, human way. We’re all tiny beings living our tiny lives on this giant spinning rock. What might be the best or worst day of my life could be, to someone else, just a random Thursday during which they went to the pool.

[Josephine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for another read. The synopsis drew me in and I find The Lifeguard is a captivating story. Although, I feel like the story is a bit rushed toward the end. At the end, we learn who it is that was responsible but never got an explanation as to why they never told anyone what was happening and what was happening to them as well. It is mentioned that there was a witness to what was happening but never spoke up about it. It is still a compelling read driven by the need to know what truly happened that day at the pool. However, I feel like I find the story a bit confusing due to the change in timelines and also plotlines that feel unnecessary toward finding out the truth of what really happened.

ETA: I hope I did not spoil it too much but I just found the ending to be dissatisfying and some parts were hard to follow. I also hope people are not offended by my review as it is just my honest opinion. Thank you.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a poignant story about what happens after a fateful decision is made. Told by “overlapping, time-jumping narratives,” the novel focuses on the residents of a Michigan town as their lives intertwine when a small boy drowns.

The historical novel is set against the background of the Apollo missions in 1969. The lifeguard, Richie, the drowned boy, Richie’s father and mother, Marie, and Becca form the cast that grapples with the event of the day of the drowning. Each has moments of guilt and apprehension. Their lives are never complete or fulfilled because of that one moment - but history gives them and the pool a finality: the oblivion of the pool and the drowning the stuff of urban legends.

The book explores grief, innocence and ambition within the inner lives of flawed humans. Written in a hauntingly but beautiful grim tone, the exploration of these themes remains with you even at the book’s end. It’s almost cathartic in a sense when the book ends: life can change at the snap of a finger! While you’ve known this, it’s reinforcement in the book gives you a reminder to cherish each moment you are given.

My thanks to NetGalley and Red Hen Press for allowing me access to this ARC.

[Becky Whitney Manuzzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the chance to read this book as an ARC. This review is honest and voluntary.

3.75/5 rounded up. This was a beautiful, but haunting book that took readers through a tale of grief and healing. While the story was heartbreaking, readers will know the tragedy that occurs from the start and this allows grief to take center stage, even as we are taken along the fateful day.

This story was beautifully written and the characters had depth to them. I liked getting to jump around at times, even though it was a bit confusing for the first 10% or so.

While a sad read, I found it profound and reflective. A beautiful piece of fiction that unfortunately centers a tragedy.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found The Lifeguard to be beautifully written, with a strong sense of atmosphere and thoughtful prose that made it easy to stay engaged. At times, however, the repetition of certain paragraphs and ideas pulled me out of the story, and I wasn’t always sure what purpose the repetition was meant to serve.

The ending tied everything together neatly, which was satisfying, though it leaned a bit saccharine after the tense drama on the preceding pages.. Overall, I appreciated the author’s writing style and the emotional tone of the book, even if some narrative choices didn’t fully land for me.

Thank you to Red Hen Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lifeguard takes us back to the summer of 1969, a young boy watches the Apollo launch, impatient to get to the local pool. From the start, we know by the end of the day he will have drowned.

The story is told though the main characters at different points in their lives - the lifeguard, Richie, the drowned boy, Richie’s father and mother, Marie, and Becca.

The Lifeguard is an emotional story that explores the ripple effects of one tragic event. Although there were times when I thought it was a bit repetitive with different characters describing the same event several times, this was easy enough to read (not including the subject matter!)

I haven't read anything by this author before, but will explore some of her other works!

[Amber Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Lifeguard more than I thought I would. First, the writing was phenomenal. The descriptive world building of this sad story was truly special. The author was able to balance the sadness of this story with multiple perspectives in a way that touches on the sadness without overwhelming the reader with grief. It was just the right amount of everything and I think that type of storytelling is an art.

Overall, I enjoyed the multiple perspectives especially from little Richie who was the subject of the tragedy. There is so much more that happens underneath the surface both literally and figuratively in this story. I couldn’t put this story down, even though I knew the ending from the start. Thank you to NetGallery for the eARC.

[Jesaka Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something about the writing style author Laura Kasischke uses in the beginning of THE LIFEGUARD makes the death--that we know is coming--hit even harder. I have been haunted by this book since I first picked it up. Kasischke captures the time period so clearly and simply that it feels effortless. She also illustrates how the time period of this tragic event further complicated things, including the perspectives people used to view the drowning, the lifeguard, the child who dies and his parents. Occasionally I had to double check to see whose perspective I was reading, but that's a small thing here. Overall, THE LIFEGUARD is a tragic story, told with an unforgettable look through the lens of the fictional people of Mission Hills, Michigan, in the 1960s.

[Jenn Norris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the eARC of this book! 😊🖤

This book was written in so many different perspectives it was honestly kind of difficult to follow. You are constantly jumping back and forth in time as well as between perspectives that it starts to blend and it’s hard to keep everyone’s timeline straight. It was an interesting read but, a bit challenging to get through. I’m sure that there are people who would absolutely love this book but, unfortunately, it wasn’t for me however, I did finish it and it was well written.

2.5 🌟 (Rounded up to 3 because you can’t do half stars.)

[Jamison · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was so excited for this one. I thought the premise sounded so interesting, especially as a former lifeguard, but sadly I really disliked this book and if it weren't for the fact that it were so short, I would've DNF'd it.

I found the writing style not something I enjoyed and the way the story was laid out was just confusing, it was all over the place. One minute you're with one character in the past and the next with a different one in the future. It felt very jumpy. I also think I wanted more about the immediate aftermath of the drowning, especially from the never named lifeguard's perspective. I wanted to read about how that impacted the rest of this 15-year-old's life, but we never got there and that was disappointing.

This was just a complete miss for me.

[Geneen Kudler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Red Hen Press for the ARC of The Lifeguard by Laura Kasischke. First off, I really liked the setting of this story. It takes place in the late 1960’s at a community swimming pool. The main character Richie is a kindergarten student who is so excited about swimming in the pool, but tragedy hits. The story explores loss, grief, blame and guilt. The setting reminds me of the years my sisters and brother spent time at the community pool and I could really relate to it. While the setting is expressed by the author perfectly, she tends to go off on tangents, and has multiple storylines and characters. It was a little confusing at times.
3.5 stars