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Clearwater
"Edited by Kathryn Cole"--Title page verso.
- GenresCanada
ebook
First published October 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 26, 2013
Don't pick this up unless you have time to read it straight through -- you won't want to set it down. McCullough doesn't shy away from the tough stuff and spins the tale with strands of crisp, clean prose.
October 15, 2013
I loved this book! A great read and looking forward to more from this author.
October 30, 2013
Won this book in a give away!
Oh wow this was such a good book, lovely read. I planned on spreading it out and wound up reading it in one day! Good book!
Oh wow this was such a good book, lovely read. I planned on spreading it out and wound up reading it in one day! Good book!
June 26, 2021
I won this book from a goodreads giveaway. The story seemed a little disjointed-not easy to follow. There was no definite ending-leaves you hanging on several points.
October 21, 2013
Kim McCullough is a writer to watch. It’s not often that a book succeeds in creating both a deep emotional bond between readers and characters, as in the best literary novels, as well as the high-tension, plot-based suspense of commercial fiction, but Clearwater, McCullough’s first book, does both. Clearwater is a novel told from the point of view of two teenagers, Claire and Jeff, who live on opposite ends of a duplex in the community surrounding Clearwater Lake in northern Manitoba. The two quickly develop a deep friendship that turns to romance. On each side of the duplex, however, both families hide secrets that destroy the fragile innocence of the teens’ remaining childhoods and send Jeff and Claire off on separate paths, each trying to make sense of personal tragedy and find the way into adulthood. As adults, however, both characters are drawn back to this community where life as they knew it ended, to try to regain something of what they’d lost.
I finished this book in two days: I was so immersed in the plot, I couldn’t put it down. At the same time, the characters were incredibly vivid: Clearwater did what the best books do; countless times I had flashes of recognition and moments of insight that what the characters were doing, saying, and feeling was just so true – so right – I knew at that moment that this person was exactly like myself or someone I knew, that the emotions of the characters were real, human emotions.
Robert McKee, in his book Story, writes that there is no separation between character and plot: Aristotle got it wrong. Character is plot. Plot is character. Each is inseparable from the other because character is revealed through the events of the story. And that’s exactly what is going on here. Character and plot are so deeply intertwined that they become indistinguishable. And when I write about character in this book, I mean to include setting as a character. The lake community in Clearwater is so richly imagined and detailed that I feel as if I have been there. The setting is integral to everything that happens in the novel, as important as the characters themselves. It’s not just a backdrop for the events; it is necessary to the events.
The characters are unique and complex, and we’re left feeling in the end that they could not be anything but what they are. I recognize parts of people I know in all of them: they are my sister, my brother, my friends and neighbors. Many of the characters have serious problems or are people readers would normally feel contempt for – the abused woman who stays, perhaps – and yet the level of detail McCullough uses creates deep empathy for all of them. Empathy not only for the abused woman, but for her son, who reacts to her in the same way most of the world would: with anger and contempt mixed with his sympathy and love. We can empathize with both her reasons for staying and with her son’s anger and rejection of those reasons. The two are not mutually exclusive. Rather, they are both very human reactions that let us look inside ourselves and examine the deep psychological reasons beneath human behavior, as the best literature does.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves good story. Readers will be drawn in by the exciting plot and high-stakes suspense, but the characters will stick with them for a long time after the book is finished.
I finished this book in two days: I was so immersed in the plot, I couldn’t put it down. At the same time, the characters were incredibly vivid: Clearwater did what the best books do; countless times I had flashes of recognition and moments of insight that what the characters were doing, saying, and feeling was just so true – so right – I knew at that moment that this person was exactly like myself or someone I knew, that the emotions of the characters were real, human emotions.
Robert McKee, in his book Story, writes that there is no separation between character and plot: Aristotle got it wrong. Character is plot. Plot is character. Each is inseparable from the other because character is revealed through the events of the story. And that’s exactly what is going on here. Character and plot are so deeply intertwined that they become indistinguishable. And when I write about character in this book, I mean to include setting as a character. The lake community in Clearwater is so richly imagined and detailed that I feel as if I have been there. The setting is integral to everything that happens in the novel, as important as the characters themselves. It’s not just a backdrop for the events; it is necessary to the events.
The characters are unique and complex, and we’re left feeling in the end that they could not be anything but what they are. I recognize parts of people I know in all of them: they are my sister, my brother, my friends and neighbors. Many of the characters have serious problems or are people readers would normally feel contempt for – the abused woman who stays, perhaps – and yet the level of detail McCullough uses creates deep empathy for all of them. Empathy not only for the abused woman, but for her son, who reacts to her in the same way most of the world would: with anger and contempt mixed with his sympathy and love. We can empathize with both her reasons for staying and with her son’s anger and rejection of those reasons. The two are not mutually exclusive. Rather, they are both very human reactions that let us look inside ourselves and examine the deep psychological reasons beneath human behavior, as the best literature does.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves good story. Readers will be drawn in by the exciting plot and high-stakes suspense, but the characters will stick with them for a long time after the book is finished.
January 7, 2015
Clearwater, a riveting literary novel, is set in northern Manitoba and starts with high school students—who behave better than their parents in the most dire of circumstances—and ends with the survivors as young adults. Racism, physical and mental abuse, and a single instance of date rape wrack the lives of Jeff and Jake, Claire and her older, twin siblings; empathy is their saving grace. Kim McCullough writes expertly of the western landscape, offering subtle descriptions—never distractions—that sneak up on a reader, with the “silent and silty” Saskatchewan River, the way “a red-winged blackbird flashes a bright swatch of colour as it flies by,” and the look of the sun below the horizon, leaving behind “all the cool colours, the blues and greys and purples of the June dawn . . . fired with warmer hues of yellow and orange [touching] the grass and spruce, still wet from last night’s rain, and they glow as if they are brand new.” McCullough’s scenes are the perfect backdrop for characters who deal with life’s challenges, sometimes adeptly, sometimes with deadly consequence.
October 4, 2013
(Caveat: I know this author. We met during a writing conference and have been friends ever since.)
I read Clearwater quickly during a couple of days of travelling on buses - not because it was a quick or even an easy read, but because I had time to spend with the characters, time to live in this setting of northern Manitoba, and time to really enjoy McCullough's writing. I was drawn in immediately by this story of a group of teenagers and the consequences in all their lives after one commits suicide. I did read parts of this novel some time ago, but was very pleased to finally be able to read the final version and tell you now that I believe McCullough has done an excellent job of writing this novel. I highly recommend it.
I would also like to suggest that this book would fit well into the new "New Adult" genre (20+ year-old readers) as most of the story involves characters in their 20s.
I read Clearwater quickly during a couple of days of travelling on buses - not because it was a quick or even an easy read, but because I had time to spend with the characters, time to live in this setting of northern Manitoba, and time to really enjoy McCullough's writing. I was drawn in immediately by this story of a group of teenagers and the consequences in all their lives after one commits suicide. I did read parts of this novel some time ago, but was very pleased to finally be able to read the final version and tell you now that I believe McCullough has done an excellent job of writing this novel. I highly recommend it.
I would also like to suggest that this book would fit well into the new "New Adult" genre (20+ year-old readers) as most of the story involves characters in their 20s.
November 16, 2013
Disclaimer - I know Kim and have read earlier versions of some chapters of this novel. I thought I knew what it was going to be like, how much I was going to like it. I knew it was going to be good of course, but McCullough surpassed every expectation I had about the novel from reading earlier chapters. It is tightly written, with no extra words or scenes than necessary - it moves us along tautly in the story. At the same time, she does not shortchange us when it comes to exploring the lushness of the landscape or the minute fragments of pivotal moments. Every part of the setting comes to life with fresh vivid prose and the moments when Jeff touches Claire are captured with exquisite detail and intimacy. The characters are complex and frustrating at times because they are all too human, and every interaction is heavy with a very clear-eyed understanding of the multi-layered and contradictory aspects of our relationships with ourselves and others. Amazing.
October 16, 2013
By the time friends Jeff and Clair are in high school, they've both seen too much of the dark side of life. And they both suffer for it. Kim McCullough's, Clearwater, is a beautifully written exploration of relationships, uncovering the complexities of the bonds among family, friends, lovers, and enemies. The characters are whole and imperfect, and perfect all at the same time. McCullough writes with tenderness and yet has a hard eye for the details that make her characters, their trials, and their hard-earned triumphs, real and engaging. The tension in the plot and her ability to shed light on the dark side of life make this a book that is always moving forward.A really great read!
September 3, 2016
Here's what happens: Kobo will have some type of thing where you get a discount on books but only certain ones from certain publishers. There's a list or whatever and usually there's nothing much that I've found appealing. I don't care if it's 40% off, I ain't reading no romance novel. But the last time this happened, I saw Clearwater on the list and thought, "Alright, I'm Canadian and prairie dweller so this could be alright." And. It. Was. Amazing. Beautifully written, vivid, moving, and definitely one of my favourites so far this year.
If you liked this, I had a very similar experience with the book The Shore Girl by Fran Kimmel. GO CANADA!
If you liked this, I had a very similar experience with the book The Shore Girl by Fran Kimmel. GO CANADA!
December 19, 2014
What a compelling novel! I couldn't put this book down. McCullough does a fabulous job of exploring the depths of family, friendship, love and loss in the richly remote setting of Clearwater. "It's surprising what a heart can take," the main character Claire says at one point, and in this novel McCullough shows us how true that is. She does not shy away from the difficult moments of adolescence and adulthood, but portrays it all with deep compassion. Highly recommended for both young adults and adult readers.
January 28, 2014
One of my 2014 New Year's resolutions was to read more, and Clearwater has given me a terrific start. The story is best described as captivating; the writing is confident, clever, and imaginative; and the realism of the characters had me mistaking it for non-fiction. McCullough aptly assembled these (plot, style, and character) into a novel with genuine personality. Make no mistake: Clearwater will have even the most accomplished authors in its genre turning their heads.
December 3, 2013
Excellent debut. Lots of tension and wonderfully captures issues facing youth in Northern Canada. Much sadness between the pages but also the strong pull on your heart that love and family have. A very good read and one that I kept wanting to get back to every time I had to put it down. More and better thoughts to come.
February 16, 2014
I won this book through a Goodreads first reads giveaway. I really enjoyed reading this book! McCullough has written a book that is a perfect combination of romance and loss. The friendship shared between Claire and Jeff was absolutely fascinating to read about. Like other reviewers have stated, it was a quick read because it is hard to put down!
April 15, 2014
Simply just wow. Couldn't put it down. Finished in one day. Hoping to see many more novels from this new author. It made it even more special that the book was written by a local author in a Canadian setting.
September 17, 2014
I thought the book started very well, but kind of crumbled towards the end. I'm not sure which genre it fell in either. It was a bit much for a young adult, but not enough for adult. It's very visually beautiful in it's description. It's also a very easy read.
July 10, 2016
Wow! Halfway through, I just couldn't put it down. The characters felt so familiar as though I might pass them on the street. And who knows, maybe I do.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews