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Dryland
It’s 1992, and the world is caught up in the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the Balkan Wars, but for fifteen-year-old Julie Winter, the news is noise. In Portland, Oregon, Julie moves through her days in a series of negatives: the skaters she doesn’t think are cute, the trinkets she doesn’t buy at the craft fair, the umbrella she refuses to carry despite the incessant rain. Her family life is routine and restrained, and no one talks about Julie’s older brother, a one-time Olympic-hopeful swimmer who now lives in self-imposed exile in Berlin. Julie has never considered swimming herself, until Alexis, the girls’ swim team captain, tries to recruit her. It’s a dare, and a flirtation—and a chance for Julie to find her brother, or to finally let him go. Anything could happen when her body hits water.
218 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
July 20, 2015
i read this in two sittings and was riveted all the way through-- julie! ben! alexis! erika! mysterious brother jordan! i love them all.
beyond the sheer pleasure i took in the writing and the characters (esp their gay parts), i appreciate the ways in which this novel defies expectations of coming of age narratives, esp high school narratives -- there's a lot of failure and doubt, and the triumphs are relatively small. all of julie's uncertainties, her refusals, her imagined responses to hypothetical questions that don't come: oh, adolescence! i felt wholly immersed in its gauzy paranoia. also appreciated the novel's 90s-historical dimensions -- ft appearances from REM, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, skaters with big pants.
beyond the sheer pleasure i took in the writing and the characters (esp their gay parts), i appreciate the ways in which this novel defies expectations of coming of age narratives, esp high school narratives -- there's a lot of failure and doubt, and the triumphs are relatively small. all of julie's uncertainties, her refusals, her imagined responses to hypothetical questions that don't come: oh, adolescence! i felt wholly immersed in its gauzy paranoia. also appreciated the novel's 90s-historical dimensions -- ft appearances from REM, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, skaters with big pants.
December 20, 2015
Ah, adolescence. Our adult lives may be difficult from time to time, but nothing beats the anguish and turmoil—real or imagined—of the teenage years.
Fifteen-year-old Julie Winter, growing up in 1992, is trying not to make any waves. She's following her best friend Erika, listening to her obsess over crushes and trying to be popular. Since her older brother, who nearly qualified for the Olympics as a swimmer, fled to Berlin without much explanation, she's trying to figure out what made him go, and who he really was.
When Alexis, the swim team captain, recruits Julie to join the swim team, it gives way to a lot of different feelings. She's anxious about swimming again but although she doesn't want to be compared to her brother she wants to make everyone proud. But more than that, she's confused by her feelings for Alexis, who has more than her own share of confusion where that is concerned. Julie doesn't know whether what she's feeling is right, or true, or if she should act on it, and if she does, what it all means. She finds herself turning to Ben, an old friend of her brother's, to help her understand both her own issues and her brother.
This was a very quick read—I read the entire book in a day—and Sara Jaffe really captured the voice and the angst of adolescence. I found the book moving and really well written, but I found it frustrating as well, because there's so much that remains unsaid for so long, in so many different areas. Julie herself is an interesting and sympathetic yet somewhat irritating character, because she's just so passive. I really liked Ben, though, and almost wish he was more of a factor in the story.
I wouldn't want to repeat most of my teenage years, but Jaffe gave those memories more than a good jolt with this book. It's an effective mix of the weighty and the frivolous issues we faced back then, with a good dose of nostalgia and emotion.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Fifteen-year-old Julie Winter, growing up in 1992, is trying not to make any waves. She's following her best friend Erika, listening to her obsess over crushes and trying to be popular. Since her older brother, who nearly qualified for the Olympics as a swimmer, fled to Berlin without much explanation, she's trying to figure out what made him go, and who he really was.
When Alexis, the swim team captain, recruits Julie to join the swim team, it gives way to a lot of different feelings. She's anxious about swimming again but although she doesn't want to be compared to her brother she wants to make everyone proud. But more than that, she's confused by her feelings for Alexis, who has more than her own share of confusion where that is concerned. Julie doesn't know whether what she's feeling is right, or true, or if she should act on it, and if she does, what it all means. She finds herself turning to Ben, an old friend of her brother's, to help her understand both her own issues and her brother.
This was a very quick read—I read the entire book in a day—and Sara Jaffe really captured the voice and the angst of adolescence. I found the book moving and really well written, but I found it frustrating as well, because there's so much that remains unsaid for so long, in so many different areas. Julie herself is an interesting and sympathetic yet somewhat irritating character, because she's just so passive. I really liked Ben, though, and almost wish he was more of a factor in the story.
I wouldn't want to repeat most of my teenage years, but Jaffe gave those memories more than a good jolt with this book. It's an effective mix of the weighty and the frivolous issues we faced back then, with a good dose of nostalgia and emotion.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
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August 29, 2021This came with such great credentials I was really looking forward to sinking into it but I could only make it through a third of the book before giving up. It's set in Portland, Oregon during the 90s, the heyday of grunge and shoegazing bands like My Bloody Valentine but despite that there's no real sense of time or place in Sara Jaffe's story - although there are a few references to skater culture and everyone has a plaid shirt. It's centred on a teenage girl Julie whose older brother has simply disappeared, something her parents refuse to talk about. She's vaguely engaged in trying to solve the mystery of her brother's absence, having an identity crisis at school that involves moving away from her old friends and pursuits to try out new ways of being and, from the reviews, part of that will result in her coming out. The set-up for Sara Jaffe's novel sounded very promising but the writing and the pacing just didn't work for me at all. There's a tendency to overstate the mundane aspects of Julie's life, what her family ate for dinner - seemed to be chicken every time - what was featured in the latest episode of LA Law, all related so blandly that the details felt like pointless filler, as did many of the characters: the awkward best friend Julie's outgrowing; the polite, distant parents; the 'go-for-it' swim coach; and the glamorous, popular girl who may or may not end up being a love interest. This was apparently written for adults but initially published in the U.S. for a YA market. It's just been released in the U.K. as literary fiction, I'm really not sure why, particularly as it's hard not to wonder if editorial decisions about its initial positioning related to perceptions about deficiencies in the text. Although that's probably unfair to the many excellent YA narratives I've come across lately, a fair number accomplished and impressive in their handling of overlapping material.
December 29, 2021
I'm not going to write out a long review to this like I often do, especially as I don't particularly enjoy writing harsh reviews but this book left a pretty bad taste in my mouth.
I think that bad taste primarily comes from this book completely seeming to lack a conclusion. I was rather into this book and enjoying it, then it literally just ends. I'm not saying that I need all the characters to live happily ever after- I'm pretty sure that's exactly what the author was going against. It's just to make that point land of not having the book end happy, instead of writing an explicit negative ending, it just fucking ends.
I listened to the audiobook for free as it was included in my subscription, and kept seeing this recommended by audible's algorithm I gave it a chance. and was enjoying it until the end.
I get the messaging of this book and don't even disagree with it necessarily, I really do. Also I think it captured a lot of the feel of the 90s well. Just the ending to me was completely unsatisfying and left a bad taste in my mouth. Fortunately, this book is pretty short so it wasn't a long time investment. 2/5
I think that bad taste primarily comes from this book completely seeming to lack a conclusion. I was rather into this book and enjoying it, then it literally just ends. I'm not saying that I need all the characters to live happily ever after- I'm pretty sure that's exactly what the author was going against. It's just to make that point land of not having the book end happy, instead of writing an explicit negative ending, it just fucking ends.
I listened to the audiobook for free as it was included in my subscription, and kept seeing this recommended by audible's algorithm I gave it a chance. and was enjoying it until the end.
I get the messaging of this book and don't even disagree with it necessarily, I really do. Also I think it captured a lot of the feel of the 90s well. Just the ending to me was completely unsatisfying and left a bad taste in my mouth. Fortunately, this book is pretty short so it wasn't a long time investment. 2/5
February 8, 2016
I’m going to chalk this one up to the fact that I am probably not the right audience to best enjoy it.
Dryland is an early 90s coming-of-age tale that centers on Julie Winter. A high-school sophomore in Portland, OR, Julie’s still trying to figure out where she belongs. She’s invited by Alexis, a popularish girl that she knows from the yearbook committee, to join the swim team. She’s simultaneously interested and hesitant: her brother Jordan had been a superstar swimmer headed for the Olympics before an unexplained exile to Berlin. As she decides whether or not swimming is right for her, Julie begins to learn more about her brother, herself, and her sexuality.
Jaffe does an excellent job capturing very normal adolescent emotions: confusion, insecurity, etc. The narration is very stream of consciousnessy, which feels authentic for a fifteen-year-old narrator but it also felt a little too hipstery for my tastes. The book doesn’t really delve into things with the kind of depth or emotional weight that I want from my coming-of-age books. It’s all very detached – a lot of things remain kind of vaguely unaddressed and I never really felt any emotional connection to Julie or her situation. I was especially frustrated that Jordan never really left the book’s periphery, when it seemed like he might play a more pivotal role in Julie’s growth. You might like this more if you don’t necessarily need that warmth from your books (or maybe if you identify a little more with Julie’s struggles with her sexual identity), but this book stayed decidedly middle-of-the-road for me.
Dryland is an early 90s coming-of-age tale that centers on Julie Winter. A high-school sophomore in Portland, OR, Julie’s still trying to figure out where she belongs. She’s invited by Alexis, a popularish girl that she knows from the yearbook committee, to join the swim team. She’s simultaneously interested and hesitant: her brother Jordan had been a superstar swimmer headed for the Olympics before an unexplained exile to Berlin. As she decides whether or not swimming is right for her, Julie begins to learn more about her brother, herself, and her sexuality.
Jaffe does an excellent job capturing very normal adolescent emotions: confusion, insecurity, etc. The narration is very stream of consciousnessy, which feels authentic for a fifteen-year-old narrator but it also felt a little too hipstery for my tastes. The book doesn’t really delve into things with the kind of depth or emotional weight that I want from my coming-of-age books. It’s all very detached – a lot of things remain kind of vaguely unaddressed and I never really felt any emotional connection to Julie or her situation. I was especially frustrated that Jordan never really left the book’s periphery, when it seemed like he might play a more pivotal role in Julie’s growth. You might like this more if you don’t necessarily need that warmth from your books (or maybe if you identify a little more with Julie’s struggles with her sexual identity), but this book stayed decidedly middle-of-the-road for me.
January 6, 2016
meh!
i'm not sure what to say about this book because i'm not really sure what this book is. too much of this book is trite, the material well-trod. at its best, it captures 90s teenagedom eerily well. at its worst it is frustrating and cloying (hey, just like a real teenager). everything here is so obvious, its moves telegraphed. the problem with gay YA is that readers know what's up even if (and when) the characters don't. the problem with gay YA is kind of the same as the problem with being a gay young adult: you're not sure until you're sure. the plot of this book is basically: she isn't sure until she's sure. but WE know. cause like, why else are we reading? along the way we get the usual cast of stock characters: oblivious straight girl best friend, flirty straight girl (w/ boyfriend) who wants to do secret queer things.
the book does succeed in reducing the syrupy sentimentality that, for me, hampers YA books. sex is treated very matter of factly, which is refreshing.
this is one of those books that i found very mediocre but am still very glad for its existence. i hope a young girl who's questioning her sexuality picks this book up and is like YES BOOM. but i also think it's time for more queer books that aren't simply "girl isn't sure until she's sure."
i'm not sure what to say about this book because i'm not really sure what this book is. too much of this book is trite, the material well-trod. at its best, it captures 90s teenagedom eerily well. at its worst it is frustrating and cloying (hey, just like a real teenager). everything here is so obvious, its moves telegraphed. the problem with gay YA is that readers know what's up even if (and when) the characters don't. the problem with gay YA is kind of the same as the problem with being a gay young adult: you're not sure until you're sure. the plot of this book is basically: she isn't sure until she's sure. but WE know. cause like, why else are we reading? along the way we get the usual cast of stock characters: oblivious straight girl best friend, flirty straight girl (w/ boyfriend) who wants to do secret queer things.
the book does succeed in reducing the syrupy sentimentality that, for me, hampers YA books. sex is treated very matter of factly, which is refreshing.
this is one of those books that i found very mediocre but am still very glad for its existence. i hope a young girl who's questioning her sexuality picks this book up and is like YES BOOM. but i also think it's time for more queer books that aren't simply "girl isn't sure until she's sure."
February 17, 2016
Julie a sophomore in high school, living in Portland Oregon during the early 90’s struggles with her identity in this young adult novel. Her brother, a swimming star in high school and once an Olympic hopeful, has moved to Germany, cut off most contact with the family leaving a vast void that isn’t discussed. Julie’s quest to find herself and learn more about her brother leads her to joining the swim team and befriending a former friend of her brother. Although Julie eventually learns the truth about her brother, the novel leaves many unanswered questions. It is well written, introspective and compassionate, capturing the angst of a teenager struggling with identity, sexuality, family and acceptance.
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September 2, 2015A fresh coming-of-age novel set in the early 1990s, about a fifteen-year-old named Julie who is dealing with family issues. Julie's brother was once destined to be an Olympic swimmer, but now lives in self-imposed exile in Germany. Julie herself is being wooed by the swim team captain to try out for the team, but is worried what her parents will think. A charming and moving debut.
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Tune in to our weekly podcast dedicated to all things new books, All The Books: http://bookriot.com/category/all-the-...
June 9, 2015
Do you remember being that kid who over analyzed everything? The one who replayed conversations over and over inside their head, laboring over things they could have, should have, and would have said. Perhaps you are still that kid, slowly maneuvering around life’s curiosities, questioning every thought you have ever had. Sara Jaffe captures these idiosyncrasies of young adulthood in her debut novel, Dryland. Julie Winter is just your average teen trying to blend in with the rolling tide of high school. Her almost-famous brother is living in Germany, presumably getting over his near-qualification at the Olympic Swimming Trials. When Julie’s chance to join the swim team suddenly presents itself, and the girl’s team captain seems to take an interest in her, Julie is forced to grapple with expectations and identity. With 90s Portland, Oregon as the backdrop, Jaffe creates the ideal bubble of time and space for Julie to explore her hopes, inhibitions, and ultimately, her conceptions of sexuality.
Jaffe’s style is crisp and dry. The language reflects the mundane aspects of day-to-day life, which starkly contrasts with the rich detail given in Julie’s thoughts. The psychology of the character is where the charm and allure of the novel unfolds. While Julie’s constant inner monologue is fully developed, not much description is given of her appearance or of her parents. This clever construction of character allows Julie to be a narrator that you see within yourself. Rather than simply sympathizing with her, you have the opportunity to step into Julie’s life and be her. Julie’s experiences with Alexis, the swim team captain, are sweet and mirror her gradual understandings of her body and the various kinds of love. Jaffe does not place excess weight on this relationship, making their sparing moments together refreshingly authentic. Julie’s artfully crafted consciousness gives the novel a realism that is flawlessly tied together with Jaffe’s seamless reconstruction of Portland.
Julie’s experiences echo a familiar period of life in us all. Dryland gives us the option of either reliving our own journeys alongside Julie���s, or perhaps for the first time, discovering that we are not alone in our experiences and taking Julie’s gains to heart.
Jaffe’s style is crisp and dry. The language reflects the mundane aspects of day-to-day life, which starkly contrasts with the rich detail given in Julie’s thoughts. The psychology of the character is where the charm and allure of the novel unfolds. While Julie’s constant inner monologue is fully developed, not much description is given of her appearance or of her parents. This clever construction of character allows Julie to be a narrator that you see within yourself. Rather than simply sympathizing with her, you have the opportunity to step into Julie’s life and be her. Julie’s experiences with Alexis, the swim team captain, are sweet and mirror her gradual understandings of her body and the various kinds of love. Jaffe does not place excess weight on this relationship, making their sparing moments together refreshingly authentic. Julie’s artfully crafted consciousness gives the novel a realism that is flawlessly tied together with Jaffe’s seamless reconstruction of Portland.
Julie’s experiences echo a familiar period of life in us all. Dryland gives us the option of either reliving our own journeys alongside Julie���s, or perhaps for the first time, discovering that we are not alone in our experiences and taking Julie’s gains to heart.
December 21, 2015
Dryland is an atmospheric coming-of-age novel with an interesting narrator and tone. This review by Megan Milks on Goodreads points out the way that the novel "defies expectations of coming of age narratives," and I think that's right on, and is one of the satisfying things about the story. The narrator, Julie Winter (who's a high school sophomore) doesn't figure everything out by the end of the book, though she figures some things out. Her first semester on the swim team (which she joins without ever having really considered it before, just because the team captain, Alexis, asks her to) doesn't culminate in some triumphant victory; her first experience with sex isn't presented as part of a story about true love; there isn't some moment where her family comes together and addresses the silence around her older brother, Jordan, who was almost an Olympic swimmer but wasn't, and who now lives in Berlin. Over the course of the book, Julie realizes she's queer, but this isn't a coming-out story. It's more everyday than that. If there's a shift, it's in the direction of openness, but just a little—in how the silences and lies and omissions in Julie's relationship with her best friend, Erika, are counteracted by the honesty (eventually) of Julie's friendship with Ben (who's older, and who knows Julie's brother).
I liked the style of this book a whole lot: it's first-person narration that's done really well, intimate and conversational and full of great descriptive sentences, these little bits that feel so right, like:
Or this, when Erika's asking Julie if she thinks a boy on swim team is hot: "Looking at Kyle and trying to gauge his hotness, I felt as if I had never had a feeling in my body in my life" (91).
Or this, which is Julie talking about being at a party that Alexis is also at:
I first heard about Dryland from this post on Jenna Freedman's blog, and then my friend Erin enthusiastically recommended it to me, and I'm very glad I picked it up. Also, I agree with Jenna: Sara Marcus's blurb for this book (which Jenna quotes in her post) is so right on.
I liked the style of this book a whole lot: it's first-person narration that's done really well, intimate and conversational and full of great descriptive sentences, these little bits that feel so right, like:
In my gray-blue raincoat I was the same color as the rain and the buildings and the sidewalk. The smoking men stared out at the street. Some people's parents might not have let them walk around downtown in the dark by themselves. With my hood up, I felt invisible. Meaning safe. (13)
Or this, when Erika's asking Julie if she thinks a boy on swim team is hot: "Looking at Kyle and trying to gauge his hotness, I felt as if I had never had a feeling in my body in my life" (91).
Or this, which is Julie talking about being at a party that Alexis is also at:
It wasn't even that I wanted to talk to her agin, or for longer, or for her to be sitting on the couch next to me. I wanted to keep being in the same room with her and sensing her like heat. (105)
I first heard about Dryland from this post on Jenna Freedman's blog, and then my friend Erin enthusiastically recommended it to me, and I'm very glad I picked it up. Also, I agree with Jenna: Sara Marcus's blurb for this book (which Jenna quotes in her post) is so right on.
December 19, 2015
A high school sophomore who seems reluctantly lost in the shadow of her brother's swimming fame tries to figure herself out as well as those around her in this sweet, introspective novel. Jaffe's narrator, Julie, tells her story in that great awkward/serious/modest way that only the most generous writers can capture about young life. You want to be her friend and tell her it'll all be okay, as she subtly tries to figure out her role on the yearbook staff and then the swimming team. I loved the Portland references, the music in the background, and the painful longing of the characters as they tried to connect. Some of the rainy tone of the novel reminded me (quite sweetly) of another great Portland novel, Glaciers by Alexis Smith.
August 22, 2015
My heart was clenched the entire time I read this. It is about a girl living in Portland in the early 90s, she's fifteen, she's growing up. I felt everything. I can feel the rain, smell it--it's all there. REM is there. I AM THERE. I'm not leaving.
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August 24, 2016Abandoned on audio the same day I started because of the narrator's annoying voice. And I'm not sure at the age of 50 that I'm cut out for high school novels, or at least not this one. I may pick it up again someday.
February 9, 2022
The writing is really good, soft, slow and gentle. I'm going to admit that it was a *little* bit slow for me and there is a LOT of swimming, but I thought the ending was lovely and overall I ended up being into it. Also feel like this could be a book that really clicks with you even tho at times it didn't 100% click with me.
November 23, 2023
This book gave me butterflies! Such a beautiful flowing novel. My heart aches, wishing my own beginnings had been as gentle.
July 4, 2016
Dryland
I could never fully immerse myself in this story. The author chose to not use quotes to mark speech, but unlike Veronica's Grave, where I first complained about this writing technique, I had no trouble following who was speaking and it wasn't due to any great skill by the author. At some point in this authors history, she must have been told when using dialogue tags, to stick to 'said'. I wish whoever gave her that piece of advice had followed that up with the usual, 'use dialogue tags sparingly' advice as well, because I wouldn't have spent the majority of the novel counting the uses of 'said'.
Being at Rich's was like being nowhere. I said, I'm not.
He said, You look like you could be.
I didn't look like anything--my jeans and my raincoat and my flannel and my henley. I said, I'm not.
He said, Right on.
I said, Are you?
Despite this giant flaw in storytelling, the story was interesting, and I wish the editor had done a better job in handling this book. I can see people picking this book up and then immediately putting it down again after reading the above exchange on the first page.
I could never fully immerse myself in this story. The author chose to not use quotes to mark speech, but unlike Veronica's Grave, where I first complained about this writing technique, I had no trouble following who was speaking and it wasn't due to any great skill by the author. At some point in this authors history, she must have been told when using dialogue tags, to stick to 'said'. I wish whoever gave her that piece of advice had followed that up with the usual, 'use dialogue tags sparingly' advice as well, because I wouldn't have spent the majority of the novel counting the uses of 'said'.
Being at Rich's was like being nowhere. I said, I'm not.
He said, You look like you could be.
I didn't look like anything--my jeans and my raincoat and my flannel and my henley. I said, I'm not.
He said, Right on.
I said, Are you?
Despite this giant flaw in storytelling, the story was interesting, and I wish the editor had done a better job in handling this book. I can see people picking this book up and then immediately putting it down again after reading the above exchange on the first page.
February 11, 2016
I enjoyed meeting Julie, the narrator of this book. Sara Jaffe has a beautiful writing style, easy to read but very expressive and descriptive. I'm far beyond teenage years, but many of the feelings described were still present in my memory. This is a book depicting the awful yearnings of teen years, the loneliness, confusion, feelings of being overwhelmed and not knowing what to do. The book was just the right length though, as there isn't a lot of action. And of course nothing really gets resolved just as teenage years don't get resolved until we grow up a little. So story wise ... all right. However, I give very high marks to Sara Jaffe as a writer. I will keep an eye out for more of her work.
December 18, 2015
I kind of felt panicky when reading this book. It's that panic of remembering what it felt like to be incredibly trapped, like drowning. Obvious metaphor, but I remember not being able to see a way out of anything, and in the time before the internet not knowing if there was anything else out there that was different. Also, using locker rooms and feeling sort of like a criminal, and not understanding why. I always felt like I was holding my breath, waiting to be found out. I wouldn't have been able to articulate what I was afraid of, and that resonated here.
Also I have an inexplicable fondness and nostalgia for the days before cell phones. . .sigh.
Also I have an inexplicable fondness and nostalgia for the days before cell phones. . .sigh.
August 14, 2016
Beyond a queer coming of age narrative, or a swimming story, this novel captures so vividly the angst of adolescence without being angsty. The prose is lovely, sparse and understated, and the convergence of sexuality, sports, and a general sort of unwrapping of one's identity, perfectly timed and intertwined. There was an important strand of the narrative that didn't quite work for me (having to do with Julie's brother Jordan) but it was not implausible. I know this one will stay with me.
October 3, 2023
Richtig schönes coming of age buch, spielt in den 90ern und hat so einen dreamy, herbstlichen vibe. Ich finde es kommt sehr gut rüber, wie es ist ein queerer teenager zu sein. Ein bisschen traurig aber auch hoffnungsvoll, kann man gut in ein paar tagen lesen
April 20, 2017
That was a weird ending.
January 5, 2016
I thought this was good for a first novel. I wasn't extremely impressed with the writing but I did really like certain aspects of the story. Bonus points for the Joni Mitchell reference.
April 26, 2017
I wasn't into it at first but by the end I was an open wound
June 29, 2021
Beautiful, understated writing that perfectly captures the longing and heartache of queer adolescence.
It made me want to go for a swim, press my thigh into a bossy femme’s crotch and listen to Country Feedback by R.E.M on repeat (the number of times this song is mentioned is, quite frankly, iconic)
It made me want to go for a swim, press my thigh into a bossy femme’s crotch and listen to Country Feedback by R.E.M on repeat (the number of times this song is mentioned is, quite frankly, iconic)
December 10, 2023
I love a good coming-of-age novel! This book was well-paced and really captured the mindset of a teen trying to find her place. This book also made me want to try competitive swimming even though I know I'd be terrible at it, but the main character makes it sound so cathartic! It's a great quick read!
August 30, 2018
Extremely relatable, believable young adult characters. I loved Jeffe's writing style, would go out of my way to read more by her if she crosses into adult fiction.
July 18, 2023
this book captures exactly a feeling I felt a lot during middle school and high school in the 1990s, that everyone around you is gay and no one is talking about it.
not-finished
January 5, 2021I got 16 pages and couldn't go farther. Too much YA teen angst for my taste
October 13, 2024
Such a good read! Finished in two sittings and really enjoyed it. The ending got a tear from me! Very beautiful and touching given the main characters circumstance.
August 30, 2015
In "Dryland," Julie is a teenage girl who decides to take up swimming. It's something that she has never really shown an interest in before even though her brother was an absolutely amazing swimmer and in a way she uses swimming to try to get closer to her brothers memory. Her brother has disappeared and Julie can't really put together what happened to him. Within this book, she'll figure out not only what happened to him but how it affects the way that she thinks about her family and about her own life. This is a powerful book with a unique voice.
This book is set in 1992 in Portland, Oregon. The time of the book is very important to keep in mind as you're reading as the way that people thought about AIDS at the time was vastly different than how they think about it now. I lived through the 90s but I was a young kid at the time and didn't always understand everything that was going on so it was interesting to see the time period in a book.
Julie is a very interesting character. Not only is she dealing with the disappearance of her brother and trying to take on swimming; she is also dealing with her first real crush on Alexis, one of the girls who gets her to join swimming in the first place. Julie doesn't really know how to deal with her feelings because she is unsure what it'll mean if she admits that she has feelings for another girl. I thought the author did a really good job of capturing what it would be like to go through a crush like that where the object of Julie's affection is in many ways messing with Julie's mind. It was hard to read but it was very realistic. This is truly a coming of age story where the character evolves from where she was at the beginning.
I also must mention that I really liked that the book included swimming. I swam in high school and some of my fondest memories from high school involve swim team. It's where I made some really good friends and had some really fun memories. My specialty event was even the 500m like Julie does in the book (luckily, I am a better swimmer than Julie was!!!).
Overall, I really enjoyed this book is they gave me a glimpse back to a time that I don't often read much about. The writing is incredibly vivid and allowed me to see what Julie was going through end to see her true feelings. I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for a YA book that is a little bit off the beaten path.
This book is set in 1992 in Portland, Oregon. The time of the book is very important to keep in mind as you're reading as the way that people thought about AIDS at the time was vastly different than how they think about it now. I lived through the 90s but I was a young kid at the time and didn't always understand everything that was going on so it was interesting to see the time period in a book.
Julie is a very interesting character. Not only is she dealing with the disappearance of her brother and trying to take on swimming; she is also dealing with her first real crush on Alexis, one of the girls who gets her to join swimming in the first place. Julie doesn't really know how to deal with her feelings because she is unsure what it'll mean if she admits that she has feelings for another girl. I thought the author did a really good job of capturing what it would be like to go through a crush like that where the object of Julie's affection is in many ways messing with Julie's mind. It was hard to read but it was very realistic. This is truly a coming of age story where the character evolves from where she was at the beginning.
I also must mention that I really liked that the book included swimming. I swam in high school and some of my fondest memories from high school involve swim team. It's where I made some really good friends and had some really fun memories. My specialty event was even the 500m like Julie does in the book (luckily, I am a better swimmer than Julie was!!!).
Overall, I really enjoyed this book is they gave me a glimpse back to a time that I don't often read much about. The writing is incredibly vivid and allowed me to see what Julie was going through end to see her true feelings. I would recommend this book to someone who is looking for a YA book that is a little bit off the beaten path.
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