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Let Me Be Like Water
A beautifully poignant and poetic debut about love, loss, friendship, and ultimately, starting over.
Twenty-something Holly has moved to Brighton to escape. But now she’s here, sitting on a bench, listening to the sea sway… How is she supposed to fill the void her boyfriend left when he died, leaving her behind?
She had thought she’d want to be on her own, but when she meets Frank, a retired magician who has experienced his own loss, the tide begins to shift. A moving and powerful debut, Let Me Be Like Water is a book about the humdrum and extraordinariness of everyday life; of lost and new connections; of loneliness and friendship.
Twenty-something Holly has moved to Brighton to escape. But now she’s here, sitting on a bench, listening to the sea sway… How is she supposed to fill the void her boyfriend left when he died, leaving her behind?
She had thought she’d want to be on her own, but when she meets Frank, a retired magician who has experienced his own loss, the tide begins to shift. A moving and powerful debut, Let Me Be Like Water is a book about the humdrum and extraordinariness of everyday life; of lost and new connections; of loneliness and friendship.
215 pages, ebook
First published August 14, 2018
70 people are currently reading
945 people want to read
About the author
S.K. Perry
2 books13 followersS. K. PERRY was longlisted for London’s Young Poet Laureate in 2013 and is the author of the poetry collection Curious Hands: 24 Hours in Soho. She lives in London and Let Me Be Like Water is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
May 25, 2018
This is a short book (just over 200 pages) and with very short chapters as well, so somehow it becomes impossible not to get swept along in the tide of words that flow through the pages. Before you know it, Holly’s journey is over and you are left a little bereft yourself as you leave her, her story ending but really only just beginning.
Holly has moved to Brighton in an attempt to escape London after her boyfriend Sam dies. She meets magician Frank, who then introduces her to a group of people who become her friends. This isn’t a fast paced read, full of action or secrets, it’s just the beautifully expressed, everyday world of a grieving young woman trying to make sense of life and death. Everyone is touched by the loss of loved ones at some point in our lives but we all deal with our pain in very different ways. No-one can judge whether the way we cope with death is right or wrong but we are able to become part of Holly’s life and watch her deal with her loss in her own way. Frank is the catalyst for her life to change and their chance meeting seems preordained especially the circumstances of that very first communication between them. As new friends start to gather around her, she uses their own tales of loss to start on her personal recovery. She makes good decisions and she makes some rather questionable ones but they are all leading the way forward.
S.K. Perry is a hugely talented writer who draws on every emotion you have before you realise what she’s planning. A year goes by in the flash of an eye and all those dates, when your grief hit’s you the hardest, are there to be “got through”. Holly knows it won’t happen overnight and that sometimes you just have to go with the flow and take each day at a time. I didn’t always like her but tried to read without judging her personal response to her bereavement.
This is such a beautifully worded book about trying to come to terms with loss and how we need others around us to help deal with our survivors guilt. Friends are the families we choose for ourselves but when we find them, sometimes it’s hard to let go and to trust ourselves to feel again.
Let Me Be Like Water is an emotionally cathartic read with a poetic symmetry to the narrative that I found very soothing. A very different read for me but one I would certainly recommend.
Holly has moved to Brighton in an attempt to escape London after her boyfriend Sam dies. She meets magician Frank, who then introduces her to a group of people who become her friends. This isn’t a fast paced read, full of action or secrets, it’s just the beautifully expressed, everyday world of a grieving young woman trying to make sense of life and death. Everyone is touched by the loss of loved ones at some point in our lives but we all deal with our pain in very different ways. No-one can judge whether the way we cope with death is right or wrong but we are able to become part of Holly’s life and watch her deal with her loss in her own way. Frank is the catalyst for her life to change and their chance meeting seems preordained especially the circumstances of that very first communication between them. As new friends start to gather around her, she uses their own tales of loss to start on her personal recovery. She makes good decisions and she makes some rather questionable ones but they are all leading the way forward.
S.K. Perry is a hugely talented writer who draws on every emotion you have before you realise what she’s planning. A year goes by in the flash of an eye and all those dates, when your grief hit’s you the hardest, are there to be “got through”. Holly knows it won’t happen overnight and that sometimes you just have to go with the flow and take each day at a time. I didn’t always like her but tried to read without judging her personal response to her bereavement.
This is such a beautifully worded book about trying to come to terms with loss and how we need others around us to help deal with our survivors guilt. Friends are the families we choose for ourselves but when we find them, sometimes it’s hard to let go and to trust ourselves to feel again.
Let Me Be Like Water is an emotionally cathartic read with a poetic symmetry to the narrative that I found very soothing. A very different read for me but one I would certainly recommend.
April 7, 2019
“Sometimes you clog my daytimes. Sometimes you are the only way I can breathe. Sometimes I think it might be getting better, but night always rolls round again, or daytime, or night again.”
There are so many exquisite passages in this book and although I do not usually read poetry I will be seeking out S.K. Perry’s writing. This is her first novel and I hope it’s not her last. The emotional sensitivity she brings to the page left me in awe. If only we could all have friends like this and a little magic in our lives when we face grief. The world would be a kinder place.
If you liked ‘Sight’ by Jessie Greengrass, ‘Swimming Lessons’ by Claire Fuller or ‘Our Souls at Night’ by Kent Haruf this novel will probably squeeze your heart.
There are so many exquisite passages in this book and although I do not usually read poetry I will be seeking out S.K. Perry’s writing. This is her first novel and I hope it’s not her last. The emotional sensitivity she brings to the page left me in awe. If only we could all have friends like this and a little magic in our lives when we face grief. The world would be a kinder place.
If you liked ‘Sight’ by Jessie Greengrass, ‘Swimming Lessons’ by Claire Fuller or ‘Our Souls at Night’ by Kent Haruf this novel will probably squeeze your heart.
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February 10, 2019I don't know where i found the title for this book, but i'm so glad! (it was probably on here, duh)
I loved it. I'm so glad i didn't read the reviews before i read it. (note to self: read reviews after!)
The more i read the more i sank into my seat on the couch. I wanted to be on their picnics and in their pubs and in their homes. I wanted to be in their group. I don't usually want to transport myself into a novel (sorry, not even you, Jane) but this novel stuck me with a knife. I absorbed the pain and i wanted more. What is wrong with me? It's how i imagine i would be perhaps if i lost another loved one? What she expressed sounded like something i would say or think or feel.
a gut punching novel. do read!!
I loved it. I'm so glad i didn't read the reviews before i read it. (note to self: read reviews after!)
The more i read the more i sank into my seat on the couch. I wanted to be on their picnics and in their pubs and in their homes. I wanted to be in their group. I don't usually want to transport myself into a novel (sorry, not even you, Jane) but this novel stuck me with a knife. I absorbed the pain and i wanted more. What is wrong with me? It's how i imagine i would be perhaps if i lost another loved one? What she expressed sounded like something i would say or think or feel.
a gut punching novel. do read!!
October 14, 2018
I HATED this book.
'Let Me Be Like Water' is the story of a 20-something grieving the death of her boyfriend of 5 years. It is also the story of a selfish and emotionally immature girl who keenly takes form others without ever giving back. My anger over this book makes it hard form me to articulate how bad it was so I am just going to make a list:
1) Frank (the old man who is a magician, runs a bookclub, and bakes cakes for a living) is a affectively manic pixie dream girl. I realize this makes it sound like I do not like the idea of an old man who does magic, likes books, and eats cake but I do, it is 60% why I bought the books. My problem with Frank is twofold. The first being that he is a flat character he doesn't actually have a personality beyond being whimsical. His function is to basically show Holly how great life is and to have an inexhaustible reserve of time and sage life advice to spend on her. My other qualm with Frank is that he only exists to motivate our 'protagonist' to do things. Frank is the one who makes Holly join his bookclub and then it is a medley of him and his friends who basically get her to do anything that could be considered 'character growth moments' I literally cannot remember a moment in the book that Holly did something that would be healthy that she wasn't told or guilt tripped into.
2) Holly is a crappy protagonist. Good stories have characters who actively make decisions and take actions that contribute to the narrative. Holly doesn't do this. She basically just waits for someone to decide for her what she should do or she does the first suggestion she is told. *SPOILERS AHEAD* Holly joins bookclub because she is told to. She learns to cook with Gabriella because Gabriella invites her. Holly learns to drive because of Frank. She move into a rooted home because of Elle*END OF SPOILERS* Holly never because she wants to she never ponders something for a long time and builds up to doing it.
3) Holly doesn't have a personality. Frank also somewhat suffered from this but he isn't the protagonist and thus is more easily forgiven. Perry seems to think that peoples hobbies count as there personality. We know that Holly is a musician, has vague anxiety that is neither generalized or specific to certain things, and is painfully dependent on others. We do not know how her thought processes work, or her sense of humour, or anything else that would endear us or cause us to understand why others would be endeared to her. Holly is like a bad teen romance protagonist, she is a blank slate for the reader to project onto. But unlike a young adult protagonist who is empty but slightly brave, moral, tenacious, what-have-you thus reflecting a desirable version of yourself Holly is a funhouse mirror that you regret looking into. Holly takes the reader and reflects them as a needy wasteman who is rewarded for emotional immaturity and being an emotional and social vampire.
4) Holly is a shitty friend. Holly is super invasive with her friends spaces gallivanting into their homes, beds, and private moments with loved ones willy-nilly. Please do not crawl into bed with me and my boyfriend because you are hungover. You are not a poorly child. Go to your own room.
5) The writer acts as though loosing a boyfriend can hold a candle to loosing a child. Granted Perry never directly expresses that but considering how she relates Gabriella's grief to Holly's you can see the illusions she was going for. Worse yet she makes it come off like it is okay for Holly to go on a year long bender of self pity because a mother still misses (but in very healthy and functional ways) her child who died of chronic illness several years in. Loosing anyone is tragic but loosing a University boyfriend is nothing compared to loosing a child.
6) Holly doesn't know who Trayvon Martin is. She is kind of called out for this but it comes off as more of a teasing semi-scolding. It is offensive how this tragic event is brought up and brushed off for no real reason in the story and only furthers ones dislike of Holly.
7a) I wanted to like Perry's writing. When I started reading there were passages that had some really good illusions or that I found relatable but upon further thought it fails on a very basic level, it isn't useful in telling the story. For the first 50+ pages of the book it isn't actually established that Holly's boyfriend is dead. The reader knows this because they read the synopsis. But if it were not for the faithful descriptions on the back of the book the reader my think that Holly simply broke up with same and took it quite poorly, either reacting over dramatically and moving or perhaps suffering form a mental breakdown.
7b) The relationships are underdeveloped. I don't know why anyone is friends with anyone. Frank is friends with everyone because he is a social butterfly and a fixer, every character is 'broken' and he wants to fix them. But everyone else doesn't really make sense. This harkens back to the lack of character thing. No body really has a personality so it is hard to tell why they are actually friends beyond proximity. To further accentuate this issue is all the romantic scenes are hecka uncomfortable. You know when things are supposed to feel romantic or when characters like each other because they hit narrative beats but you don't actually feel it. You see the characters do things that /could/ make sense for a couple to do but just feel uncomfortable and weird when reading them.
On this note I actually had a hard time believing that Holly could mourn the death of Sam as their relationship seemed really unhealthy, toxic, and largely dependent on grand gestures and not on two people being mutually supportive and caring of one another.
In essence don't bother with this book. It spreads a message of supporting and celebrating toxic behaviour as brave. The main character is altogether yucky feeling and the whole story is flat. If you want to read a good book with an unlikeable protagonist go read 'The Catcher in the Wry,' 'Cathy's Book,' or 'Nice Recovery' (that last one is nonfiction about a recovering alcoholic). Sorry for all the negativity but this book was just an altogether unpleasant experience.
'Let Me Be Like Water' is the story of a 20-something grieving the death of her boyfriend of 5 years. It is also the story of a selfish and emotionally immature girl who keenly takes form others without ever giving back. My anger over this book makes it hard form me to articulate how bad it was so I am just going to make a list:
1) Frank (the old man who is a magician, runs a bookclub, and bakes cakes for a living) is a affectively manic pixie dream girl. I realize this makes it sound like I do not like the idea of an old man who does magic, likes books, and eats cake but I do, it is 60% why I bought the books. My problem with Frank is twofold. The first being that he is a flat character he doesn't actually have a personality beyond being whimsical. His function is to basically show Holly how great life is and to have an inexhaustible reserve of time and sage life advice to spend on her. My other qualm with Frank is that he only exists to motivate our 'protagonist' to do things. Frank is the one who makes Holly join his bookclub and then it is a medley of him and his friends who basically get her to do anything that could be considered 'character growth moments' I literally cannot remember a moment in the book that Holly did something that would be healthy that she wasn't told or guilt tripped into.
2) Holly is a crappy protagonist. Good stories have characters who actively make decisions and take actions that contribute to the narrative. Holly doesn't do this. She basically just waits for someone to decide for her what she should do or she does the first suggestion she is told. *SPOILERS AHEAD* Holly joins bookclub because she is told to. She learns to cook with Gabriella because Gabriella invites her. Holly learns to drive because of Frank. She move into a rooted home because of Elle*END OF SPOILERS* Holly never because she wants to she never ponders something for a long time and builds up to doing it.
3) Holly doesn't have a personality. Frank also somewhat suffered from this but he isn't the protagonist and thus is more easily forgiven. Perry seems to think that peoples hobbies count as there personality. We know that Holly is a musician, has vague anxiety that is neither generalized or specific to certain things, and is painfully dependent on others. We do not know how her thought processes work, or her sense of humour, or anything else that would endear us or cause us to understand why others would be endeared to her. Holly is like a bad teen romance protagonist, she is a blank slate for the reader to project onto. But unlike a young adult protagonist who is empty but slightly brave, moral, tenacious, what-have-you thus reflecting a desirable version of yourself Holly is a funhouse mirror that you regret looking into. Holly takes the reader and reflects them as a needy wasteman who is rewarded for emotional immaturity and being an emotional and social vampire.
4) Holly is a shitty friend. Holly is super invasive with her friends spaces gallivanting into their homes, beds, and private moments with loved ones willy-nilly. Please do not crawl into bed with me and my boyfriend because you are hungover. You are not a poorly child. Go to your own room.
5) The writer acts as though loosing a boyfriend can hold a candle to loosing a child. Granted Perry never directly expresses that but considering how she relates Gabriella's grief to Holly's you can see the illusions she was going for. Worse yet she makes it come off like it is okay for Holly to go on a year long bender of self pity because a mother still misses (but in very healthy and functional ways) her child who died of chronic illness several years in. Loosing anyone is tragic but loosing a University boyfriend is nothing compared to loosing a child.
6) Holly doesn't know who Trayvon Martin is. She is kind of called out for this but it comes off as more of a teasing semi-scolding. It is offensive how this tragic event is brought up and brushed off for no real reason in the story and only furthers ones dislike of Holly.
7a) I wanted to like Perry's writing. When I started reading there were passages that had some really good illusions or that I found relatable but upon further thought it fails on a very basic level, it isn't useful in telling the story. For the first 50+ pages of the book it isn't actually established that Holly's boyfriend is dead. The reader knows this because they read the synopsis. But if it were not for the faithful descriptions on the back of the book the reader my think that Holly simply broke up with same and took it quite poorly, either reacting over dramatically and moving or perhaps suffering form a mental breakdown.
7b) The relationships are underdeveloped. I don't know why anyone is friends with anyone. Frank is friends with everyone because he is a social butterfly and a fixer, every character is 'broken' and he wants to fix them. But everyone else doesn't really make sense. This harkens back to the lack of character thing. No body really has a personality so it is hard to tell why they are actually friends beyond proximity. To further accentuate this issue is all the romantic scenes are hecka uncomfortable. You know when things are supposed to feel romantic or when characters like each other because they hit narrative beats but you don't actually feel it. You see the characters do things that /could/ make sense for a couple to do but just feel uncomfortable and weird when reading them.
On this note I actually had a hard time believing that Holly could mourn the death of Sam as their relationship seemed really unhealthy, toxic, and largely dependent on grand gestures and not on two people being mutually supportive and caring of one another.
In essence don't bother with this book. It spreads a message of supporting and celebrating toxic behaviour as brave. The main character is altogether yucky feeling and the whole story is flat. If you want to read a good book with an unlikeable protagonist go read 'The Catcher in the Wry,' 'Cathy's Book,' or 'Nice Recovery' (that last one is nonfiction about a recovering alcoholic). Sorry for all the negativity but this book was just an altogether unpleasant experience.
August 19, 2018
I swam this sea for weeks.
I could not let go of it.
The first read was purely for the beautiful prose
my love of the sea reflected to me.
The second read for the plot
a plot that helps you locate and speak your own.
I’m grateful.
For this beautiful read
and for how easy my christmas shopping will be this year ;-) !
I could not let go of it.
The first read was purely for the beautiful prose
my love of the sea reflected to me.
The second read for the plot
a plot that helps you locate and speak your own.
I’m grateful.
For this beautiful read
and for how easy my christmas shopping will be this year ;-) !
December 11, 2018
A beautiful, heartrending book about love, loss, and trying to move on, as well as all the points in-between: the moments of surprising levity, unbearable pain, and that middle part of grief that feels like it will never go away. Between the exquisite language and the MC's conversational tone (vacillating between both the reader and the deceased), this is a quiet book that absorbs and draws you in as you experience the MC's struggle to simply feel again and how titanic that struggle is. A really solid debut.
May 18, 2019
After the death of her boyfriend Sam in a car accident, 23 year old Holly moves from London to Brighton in at attempt to escape from her grief. She thought she wanted solitude but she finds this isn't helping as she thought it would. Finding herself sitting on a bench overlooking the sea, wondering what to do next, she meets Frank a retired gay magician. Frank has a eclectic circle of friends, all of whom have experienced grief and sadness, and as Holly joins this group, she begins to learn to live again.
This was an unusual and very sad book as it is essentially just a year of Holly's life and how she learns to live with her loss. It is unusual to read about the grief of someone so young - grief of loosing a partner generally comes to us much older than 23. Holly rents a room in Kemptown and works as a cleaner and piano teacher and through the friends she makes through Frank, she is able to grieve. Frank himself is a talented magician and does some great tricks which I loved (I secretly like to believe magic is real). He has lost his partner Ian, 6 years previously. Through the book club he runs, she also meets Gabriella who lost her young son to Leukaemia and Holly spends her Sunday's with her learning to cook. Ellie and Danny (who are around Holly's age) take her under their wings and take her to pub quiz's, parties and nights out.
Told in the first person, the novel details Holly's life in the present but also looks back to her life with Sam so we get to know the person he was too and the life they had together, how he died and how it affected their other family and friends.
The writing in this is beautiful, the chapters are short and it has a lyrical quality about it - the fact the whole book is about Holly's grief means it is able to linger on the pain she feels. But ultimately, Let Me Be Like Water is about the redemptive power of friendship.
This was an unusual and very sad book as it is essentially just a year of Holly's life and how she learns to live with her loss. It is unusual to read about the grief of someone so young - grief of loosing a partner generally comes to us much older than 23. Holly rents a room in Kemptown and works as a cleaner and piano teacher and through the friends she makes through Frank, she is able to grieve. Frank himself is a talented magician and does some great tricks which I loved (I secretly like to believe magic is real). He has lost his partner Ian, 6 years previously. Through the book club he runs, she also meets Gabriella who lost her young son to Leukaemia and Holly spends her Sunday's with her learning to cook. Ellie and Danny (who are around Holly's age) take her under their wings and take her to pub quiz's, parties and nights out.
Told in the first person, the novel details Holly's life in the present but also looks back to her life with Sam so we get to know the person he was too and the life they had together, how he died and how it affected their other family and friends.
The writing in this is beautiful, the chapters are short and it has a lyrical quality about it - the fact the whole book is about Holly's grief means it is able to linger on the pain she feels. But ultimately, Let Me Be Like Water is about the redemptive power of friendship.
May 20, 2018
My Rating 3.5*
‘Under the cathartic spell of the sea, and with a little help from a retired magician, a young woman learns how to rebuild her life’
A moving debut Let Me Be Like Water by S.K. Perry has just been published with Melville House UK. It is described as being ‘simultaneously about nothing and everything, of loneliness and friendship’
It a book that will affect people in many different ways, as it deals with grief and the loss associated with the passing of a loved one.
Let Me Be Like Water is a book that follows the grieving of a young girl, Holly. After a tragic accident took the life of her boyfriend Sam, Holly is unable to cope with all that is familiar in London. Everywhere she turns she sees Sam. On every paving stone, in every passing scene, for Holly, Sam will always be present.
In a brave move, Holly moves to Brighton, to be near the sea and to seek isolation and seclusion from all that she knows. Her family, her friends, Sam’s family, are all too difficult for Holly to be around. Each stir up memories that she is just unable to cope with, as Holly feels like life has given up on her. She moves into shared rental accommodation and roams the streets of Brighton by night and by day, searching for something that will take the pain away, something that will make life worth living again.
As Holly sits and watches the push and pull of the sea, she is joined by an elderly man, Frank, a retired magician with his own tale to tell. His mannerisms and general demeanor exude warmth and comfort and it’s not long before Holly finds herself less distracted by her thoughts and almost enjoying being in his company. Frank invites Holly to a book club he’s involved with, no pressure attached. Her decision. Her choice. Initially Holly is unsure and skeptical about meeting new people, but she takes the plunge and joins the company of this whole new bunch of folk for one evening. Holly soon discovers that she is not the only one with a story to tell, as each of the members of the book club all seem to carry some personal trauma close to their hearts.
Let Me Be Like Water is a book divided into four sections, defined by the four seasons. As time passes we witness very subtle transformations in Holly’s demeanor. We walk beside her on her journey, as she passes through, the very beautifully written, steps of grieving. Sam was her soulmate, the man she had intended spending her life with. Being robbed of his love and his touch is unbearable for Holly, but with the help and support of this new bunch of friends, Holly begins to live a little again. Over the year, her behaviour becomes quite self-destructive and almost wanton, as she craves something, someone, anyone to take away the pain that accompanies her grief. She drinks way too much, she goes off on regrettable one-night stands, all in an attempt to erase the pain of Sam’s death.
Watching Holly, at such a young age, trying to cope with these feelings is heartrending. She is a young girl in her prime with her whole life ahead, and yet here she is, lost in Brighton, with a few cleaning jobs and a few piano-teaching lessons, to sustain her through the long days and even longer nights.
Holly has a very strong connection with the water, as she compares many parts of her life to the ebb and flow of the sea. The pull is very strong for Holly, but with the support and enlightening words from Frank and her new friends, Holly learns how to survive.
Over the years I have read Paulo Coelho and Mitch Albom books and S.K. Perry’s writing reminds a little of those. Let Me Be Like Water is a tale of grief, but it is also a tale of hope. Unfortunately, we will all experience grief in our lives for someone we have loved and lost to illness or accident or old age. We all will travel on our own personal journey, have our own very personal experience. If we are lucky enough, like Holly, we will meet our own Frank, someone who will help us to understand and come to terms with our grief.
Let Me Be Like Water is a snapshot in time, over one year, as we journey beside Holly as she learns to cope with loss and learns how to begin to love herself again. It is at times heartbreaking, at times quite raw, but also packed with warmth, humour and friendship.
A really lovely debut from a new author.
‘Under the cathartic spell of the sea, and with a little help from a retired magician, a young woman learns how to rebuild her life’
A moving debut Let Me Be Like Water by S.K. Perry has just been published with Melville House UK. It is described as being ‘simultaneously about nothing and everything, of loneliness and friendship’
It a book that will affect people in many different ways, as it deals with grief and the loss associated with the passing of a loved one.
Let Me Be Like Water is a book that follows the grieving of a young girl, Holly. After a tragic accident took the life of her boyfriend Sam, Holly is unable to cope with all that is familiar in London. Everywhere she turns she sees Sam. On every paving stone, in every passing scene, for Holly, Sam will always be present.
In a brave move, Holly moves to Brighton, to be near the sea and to seek isolation and seclusion from all that she knows. Her family, her friends, Sam’s family, are all too difficult for Holly to be around. Each stir up memories that she is just unable to cope with, as Holly feels like life has given up on her. She moves into shared rental accommodation and roams the streets of Brighton by night and by day, searching for something that will take the pain away, something that will make life worth living again.
As Holly sits and watches the push and pull of the sea, she is joined by an elderly man, Frank, a retired magician with his own tale to tell. His mannerisms and general demeanor exude warmth and comfort and it’s not long before Holly finds herself less distracted by her thoughts and almost enjoying being in his company. Frank invites Holly to a book club he’s involved with, no pressure attached. Her decision. Her choice. Initially Holly is unsure and skeptical about meeting new people, but she takes the plunge and joins the company of this whole new bunch of folk for one evening. Holly soon discovers that she is not the only one with a story to tell, as each of the members of the book club all seem to carry some personal trauma close to their hearts.
Let Me Be Like Water is a book divided into four sections, defined by the four seasons. As time passes we witness very subtle transformations in Holly’s demeanor. We walk beside her on her journey, as she passes through, the very beautifully written, steps of grieving. Sam was her soulmate, the man she had intended spending her life with. Being robbed of his love and his touch is unbearable for Holly, but with the help and support of this new bunch of friends, Holly begins to live a little again. Over the year, her behaviour becomes quite self-destructive and almost wanton, as she craves something, someone, anyone to take away the pain that accompanies her grief. She drinks way too much, she goes off on regrettable one-night stands, all in an attempt to erase the pain of Sam’s death.
Watching Holly, at such a young age, trying to cope with these feelings is heartrending. She is a young girl in her prime with her whole life ahead, and yet here she is, lost in Brighton, with a few cleaning jobs and a few piano-teaching lessons, to sustain her through the long days and even longer nights.
Holly has a very strong connection with the water, as she compares many parts of her life to the ebb and flow of the sea. The pull is very strong for Holly, but with the support and enlightening words from Frank and her new friends, Holly learns how to survive.
Over the years I have read Paulo Coelho and Mitch Albom books and S.K. Perry’s writing reminds a little of those. Let Me Be Like Water is a tale of grief, but it is also a tale of hope. Unfortunately, we will all experience grief in our lives for someone we have loved and lost to illness or accident or old age. We all will travel on our own personal journey, have our own very personal experience. If we are lucky enough, like Holly, we will meet our own Frank, someone who will help us to understand and come to terms with our grief.
Let Me Be Like Water is a snapshot in time, over one year, as we journey beside Holly as she learns to cope with loss and learns how to begin to love herself again. It is at times heartbreaking, at times quite raw, but also packed with warmth, humour and friendship.
A really lovely debut from a new author.
December 3, 2018
I’m so glad I finally finished. The font is widely spaced and the chapters are short so you flip past the pages quite quickly. By the time I felt like aborting this book I was near the middle so I stuck it out.
This book is annoyingly maudlin, self-indulgent, and the protagonist entitled and proudly immature. I also can’t reconcile how she survives with minimally working at some cleaning job and a couple of private teaching gigs (they don’t pay well, I know) while indulging in getting wasted, staring into space at the beach, and travelling here and there. I got more and more fed up with her and while her relationship with Frank held my interest at an earlier part of the book, Frank gradually fades out and becomes a contrived backdrop to what is now supposed to be the spotlight, the relationship between her and Danny, and of course her indulgent self.
Unbelievable. Irritating.
This book is annoyingly maudlin, self-indulgent, and the protagonist entitled and proudly immature. I also can’t reconcile how she survives with minimally working at some cleaning job and a couple of private teaching gigs (they don’t pay well, I know) while indulging in getting wasted, staring into space at the beach, and travelling here and there. I got more and more fed up with her and while her relationship with Frank held my interest at an earlier part of the book, Frank gradually fades out and becomes a contrived backdrop to what is now supposed to be the spotlight, the relationship between her and Danny, and of course her indulgent self.
Unbelievable. Irritating.
February 6, 2023
I liked this book right from the start. It made me smile and then almost cry a minute later. Frank, a retired old magician is only one of the lovely friends Holly, the main character of the book, meets after moving from London to Brighton. The story starts as a tender travel through Holly’s grief over the death of her boyfriend Sam. I liked the writing style. I would see it as a flow of consciousness.
From that point on, for me it showed, Holly only cares for herself. That’s when I started disliking her and I got aware how selfish her grief actually is. This was after the first half of the book and it made it a bit hard to finish reading. Most of the time all that Holly can think about is herself and there is no empathy or understanding for others. Even when she talks to Sam, the world seems to spin only around her all the time. What disturbs me is how often she and her friends get drunk and how often alcohol is mentioned as a way to feel or not to feel or to relax or to forget. I think the character gets more mature over time but still Holly seems selfish and childish to me. The book was worth reading, yes. But at the same time, it gave only a short glance into the life of a woman processing loss and grief. There is still a long way for Holly grow up and to not only care for herself but see the people around her with empathy.
From that point on, for me it showed, Holly only cares for herself. That’s when I started disliking her and I got aware how selfish her grief actually is. This was after the first half of the book and it made it a bit hard to finish reading. Most of the time all that Holly can think about is herself and there is no empathy or understanding for others. Even when she talks to Sam, the world seems to spin only around her all the time. What disturbs me is how often she and her friends get drunk and how often alcohol is mentioned as a way to feel or not to feel or to relax or to forget. I think the character gets more mature over time but still Holly seems selfish and childish to me. The book was worth reading, yes. But at the same time, it gave only a short glance into the life of a woman processing loss and grief. There is still a long way for Holly grow up and to not only care for herself but see the people around her with empathy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2018
This book explores the deep grief of a young woman who lost her boyfriend of five years. Bits and pieces of their life together and about their relationship are shared as she moves forward in life – albeit somewhat reluctantly. She has moved out of London to get away from the memories and to Brighton where she spends her days staring at the sea. It is there she is befriended by an older gentleman who starts her re-entry into the land of the living.
Her new friend is a magician and he manages to produce the perfect bit of fantasia just when needed the most. I was never quite sure if he was a bit of magical realism or not – sometimes when I wander outside of my normal reading I find the books a bit over my head. That was the case here. Nonetheless this man becomes our young lady’s new center. He invites her to join the local book club which introduces her to a group of people he has brought together. They all were “found” just like she and all were just a little bit lost.
I am not completely sure how I feel about this book. I can’t say I identified with the young woman. She behaved in ways that I found decidedly stupid. I am of a wildly different generation and I know that this often affects how I react to novels. I try to balance that reaction with how the writing, plot, etc. come together.
This book was written in exceptionally short chapters if they could even be called chapters. Each series of paragraphs moves around in time slowly giving peaks into the life of our young lady before and after the death of her great love. She is also trying to understand some basics about their relationship as she mourns his loss. The overwhelming feeling as you read the book is a heavy sadness that really never lifts. This makes it hard to say, “oh wow I really enjoyed this book.” There are limited moments where the sadness breaks and light enters and it’s like you can breathe again.
Was I happy I read it? I’m not sure. I am honestly not sure.
3.5
Her new friend is a magician and he manages to produce the perfect bit of fantasia just when needed the most. I was never quite sure if he was a bit of magical realism or not – sometimes when I wander outside of my normal reading I find the books a bit over my head. That was the case here. Nonetheless this man becomes our young lady’s new center. He invites her to join the local book club which introduces her to a group of people he has brought together. They all were “found” just like she and all were just a little bit lost.
I am not completely sure how I feel about this book. I can’t say I identified with the young woman. She behaved in ways that I found decidedly stupid. I am of a wildly different generation and I know that this often affects how I react to novels. I try to balance that reaction with how the writing, plot, etc. come together.
This book was written in exceptionally short chapters if they could even be called chapters. Each series of paragraphs moves around in time slowly giving peaks into the life of our young lady before and after the death of her great love. She is also trying to understand some basics about their relationship as she mourns his loss. The overwhelming feeling as you read the book is a heavy sadness that really never lifts. This makes it hard to say, “oh wow I really enjoyed this book.” There are limited moments where the sadness breaks and light enters and it’s like you can breathe again.
Was I happy I read it? I’m not sure. I am honestly not sure.
3.5
February 23, 2025
I loved this. It is sad and heartbreaking and poetic. I see some reviewers hated the protagonist, but I thought she showed so really, what it’s like to process grief. I loved her story and her voice. This is set mostly in Brighton, but she goes back and forth to London sometimes and remembers being in London with her BF before he died.
I’m not saying the protagonist was perfect, because she wasn’t and she was grieving. She treated Danny not-well. And I always felt like she took Frank for granted in the first 2/3 of the book. I also think she was oblivious to how unusual it can be to meet a whole new friend group immediately after you move to a new city—that was unusual and I think it went over her head. But again, she was deeply grieving.
(I do agree that it was bizarre she didn’t know Trayvon Martin’s name, when he’s mentioned at the very end. I think the author was trying to point out how disconnected from the world the protagonist had become, but it came off oddly, because it was the only precise modern day reference in the book.)
I’m not saying the protagonist was perfect, because she wasn’t and she was grieving. She treated Danny not-well. And I always felt like she took Frank for granted in the first 2/3 of the book. I also think she was oblivious to how unusual it can be to meet a whole new friend group immediately after you move to a new city—that was unusual and I think it went over her head. But again, she was deeply grieving.
(I do agree that it was bizarre she didn’t know Trayvon Martin’s name, when he’s mentioned at the very end. I think the author was trying to point out how disconnected from the world the protagonist had become, but it came off oddly, because it was the only precise modern day reference in the book.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2019
I don’t normally write reviews but I LOVED this book. I loved how Perry built the main character/Holly’s inner world and the way Holly’s thoughts flowed through the plot. I loved the stillness and quietness of it, and the way Holly’s friendships were portrayed. I agree with some of the other reviews that Holly doesn’t always deal with her issues in the best way, but I liked this about the book - people are allowed to be ‘flawed’, especially when grieving, so I don’t see this as a negative at all. If anything, it created a portrait of how our friends - and sometimes even strangers - can help us in times of need. I also think this is a great book for anyone who knows Brighton - highly recommended!
March 6, 2019
This book is lovely, and sad, and ultimately uplifting.
March 22, 2019
Bizarre read to say the least!
January 4, 2019
My third 4* review of the year! I must be going soft.
September 4, 2018
Utterly sad, but hopeful. The journey one takes in recovering from the loss of a loved one is unimaginable, but Perry writes this story in a beautiful rhythm that reads more like a poem than a novel. The characters are so lovable, you'll wish they were just a real-life phone call away...
May 1, 2025
Thanks for the tear jerker 😢
May 25, 2018
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This is a really well written book that touches you deep inside and stays with you long after you have finished it. The writing style is beautiful and it works so well with a book of this genre.
The pace is spot on and the characters are great and they work so well together. It is a book that completely captivates the imagination and makes you think. I devoured the book in a few hours, it was a delight to read.
4.5 stars from me, rounded up to 5 stars on Goodreads and Amazon!
This is a really well written book that touches you deep inside and stays with you long after you have finished it. The writing style is beautiful and it works so well with a book of this genre.
The pace is spot on and the characters are great and they work so well together. It is a book that completely captivates the imagination and makes you think. I devoured the book in a few hours, it was a delight to read.
4.5 stars from me, rounded up to 5 stars on Goodreads and Amazon!
February 27, 2019
This is a beautiful and haunting story about grief, love and friendship. Perry’s narrator, Holly, is a woman in her early twenties, newly arrived in Brighton, still reeling from the recent death of her boyfriend, Sam. Over the course of a year, we see Holly make new friends, begin to process the trauma of Sam’s death, learn to experience joy again, and start remaking her life. This is a story about loss, but also about recovery and renewal. Nothing lasts forever, Perry tells us, but this is also true of sadness and fear.
Based purely on its plot, and its length of just 200-odd pages, this novel – almost a novella – might appear fairly slight. But it is deceptively moving and profound. The events of Holly’s life are secondary to her emotional journey, which is told partly in cutaways to her life with Sam back in London. Perry handles the overwhelming experiences of falling in love and bereavement with equal skill. When she juxtaposes the two, as when a sudden memory of Sam intrudes on Holly’s consciousness, it makes Holly’s despair and joy and guilt all the more tangible.
With Holly in Brighton are a handful of new friends who welcome her into their lives and provide her with the affection and care she needs. Perry treats the love that exists between friends with the seriousness it deserves, and their presence is an essential factor in Holly learning to enjoy life again.
While Holly is a perceptive and compassionate observer, she is also consumed with her own suffering, at times seemingly ignorant of her friends’ pain, at times actively resentful of it. The story is told in the first person, so we see these characters only through Holly’s eyes. But Perry hints at their lives beyond the glimpses they share with Holly, revealing just enough to suggest that these are real people with their own stories and struggles. This showcases both Perry’s skill with character and the essential humanity at the heart of her novel. The story doesn’t celebrate Holly for her self-centredness, but nor does it condemn her for being volatile and adrift.
Another remarkable achievement is the novel’s treatment of sex. Sex that is bad, or at least awkward, has generally proved easier to describe than sex that is good, which continues to defeat more established authors. Perry excels at writing both, including within the same encounter. Holly misses not just Sam’s love but his physicality, and once again the juxtaposition between grief and the memory of desire makes both appear starker and more real.
Throughout this tender and lyrical novel, her debut, Perry captures how it feels to be young and overwhelmed without being preachy or trite. With spare and lyrical language, she gives us heartbreak and rebirth without making either seem easy or simple, and she shows us the things that, despite everything, make life worth living, for Holly and for us all: the joy of friendship, laughter, raw emotion, of being alive, of being in love.
Based purely on its plot, and its length of just 200-odd pages, this novel – almost a novella – might appear fairly slight. But it is deceptively moving and profound. The events of Holly’s life are secondary to her emotional journey, which is told partly in cutaways to her life with Sam back in London. Perry handles the overwhelming experiences of falling in love and bereavement with equal skill. When she juxtaposes the two, as when a sudden memory of Sam intrudes on Holly’s consciousness, it makes Holly’s despair and joy and guilt all the more tangible.
With Holly in Brighton are a handful of new friends who welcome her into their lives and provide her with the affection and care she needs. Perry treats the love that exists between friends with the seriousness it deserves, and their presence is an essential factor in Holly learning to enjoy life again.
While Holly is a perceptive and compassionate observer, she is also consumed with her own suffering, at times seemingly ignorant of her friends’ pain, at times actively resentful of it. The story is told in the first person, so we see these characters only through Holly’s eyes. But Perry hints at their lives beyond the glimpses they share with Holly, revealing just enough to suggest that these are real people with their own stories and struggles. This showcases both Perry’s skill with character and the essential humanity at the heart of her novel. The story doesn’t celebrate Holly for her self-centredness, but nor does it condemn her for being volatile and adrift.
Another remarkable achievement is the novel’s treatment of sex. Sex that is bad, or at least awkward, has generally proved easier to describe than sex that is good, which continues to defeat more established authors. Perry excels at writing both, including within the same encounter. Holly misses not just Sam’s love but his physicality, and once again the juxtaposition between grief and the memory of desire makes both appear starker and more real.
Throughout this tender and lyrical novel, her debut, Perry captures how it feels to be young and overwhelmed without being preachy or trite. With spare and lyrical language, she gives us heartbreak and rebirth without making either seem easy or simple, and she shows us the things that, despite everything, make life worth living, for Holly and for us all: the joy of friendship, laughter, raw emotion, of being alive, of being in love.
September 2, 2018
I was surprised that I didn’t like the well-written Let Me Be Like Water by S. K. Perry more. This is the story of the main character Holly’s journey through grief. Her boyfriend has tragically been killed in a car accident and she is shattered. I liked the very short chapters alternating between the present and the past narrated by Holly. They felt almost like excerpts from a diary, and that worked well, but for this reader they didn’t go far enough. I found it difficult to connect with Holly. Perhaps that was purposeful because Holly no longer knows who she is anymore, but then I needed more from her glimpses of the past. I loved her new friend Frank, a retired magician, who patiently helps her out of her depths of despair and provides her with the support and strength needed to build a new normal. She meets a group of quirky friends, flawed individually, but together a beautiful group of individuals helping each other to navigate life’s challenges. Frank’s magic is very endearing. I would have liked to know more about each of the friends and their backstories. Maybe that is why Frank’s character touched me because the author was the most forthcoming about him. There is much to like in this short novel, but for this reader it was more depressing than hopeful. Reviews of this book are amazing. In fact, the reviews are the reason I read this novel. I think this is the case of me not the book.
October 14, 2018
This beautiful book evoked so much emotion in me. I read it in a dream-like state, savoring the poetic sentences only reading at times of complete silence so i could be alone with it. (Sappy, I know) The author transports you directly in to Holly's shoes and let you feel what she was feeling - of being in love, knowing loss and being rescued by the compassion of friends. Her words are so touching and thoughtful, they made made my heart ache, and cry and smile. I highly recommend this one!
December 9, 2023
The pivotal subject of "Let Me Be Like Water" is grief, the grief for a love lost and a life tragically cut short at a young age, and by using the first person perspective, the reader is taken deep into the mind of Holly, a woman in her 20s struggling with a tragic change in her life's trajectory. The book is structured around a one-way conversation with Sam, her deceased partner, which covers reminisences about their past life together, her present life having moved to Brighton to escape the city where they lived together, as well as other ruminations on her circumstances.
There is often a lyrical quality to the prose, as Holly uses metaphor and stories to try to make sense of her feelings. She moves through different stages as she processes her trauma, beginning as very numb, moving to a more pained and self-destructive place, and towards moving on. However, she frequently moves back and forward between all of these, as feelings rise and fall, and she tends to be self-aware about these movements. On the way, she narrates many quotidien moments, and how they feel to her in her new, unwanted role of bereaved partner. I am personally a sucker for well-observed mundanity in fiction, and this book does a great job of using them to convey Holly's connection between her inner life and outer world. She also develops a deep connection to her new home city of Brighton: well-drawn, sometimes appealing, sometimes a little repellent, like all places, but with plenty of details so that you know the story could not have taken place anywhere else.
Early on, Holly meets Frank, a kindly older gentleman who introduces her to a motley group with a wide age-range with whom she will form new connections. This put me in mind a little of Richard Osman's "Thursday Murder Club", but only insofar as it creates a band of well-drawn, sympathetic, but flawed characters, with complex interpersonal relationships. Despite the difficulties that arise, I was left with a strong feeling that everyone was being treated fairly by each other, calling each other out, apologising, properly supporting each other, both in moments of crisis and in their day-to-day. I think this is a relative rarity to be effectively conveyed in fiction.
I'd absolutely recommend that you read the beautifully writtwn "Let Me Be Like Water". "Norwegian Wood" covers some similar ground around everyday life coexisting with grief in a young protagonist, and while that is, of course a classic, I appreciated the additional depth and breadth of the experience that was portrayed here.
There is often a lyrical quality to the prose, as Holly uses metaphor and stories to try to make sense of her feelings. She moves through different stages as she processes her trauma, beginning as very numb, moving to a more pained and self-destructive place, and towards moving on. However, she frequently moves back and forward between all of these, as feelings rise and fall, and she tends to be self-aware about these movements. On the way, she narrates many quotidien moments, and how they feel to her in her new, unwanted role of bereaved partner. I am personally a sucker for well-observed mundanity in fiction, and this book does a great job of using them to convey Holly's connection between her inner life and outer world. She also develops a deep connection to her new home city of Brighton: well-drawn, sometimes appealing, sometimes a little repellent, like all places, but with plenty of details so that you know the story could not have taken place anywhere else.
Early on, Holly meets Frank, a kindly older gentleman who introduces her to a motley group with a wide age-range with whom she will form new connections. This put me in mind a little of Richard Osman's "Thursday Murder Club", but only insofar as it creates a band of well-drawn, sympathetic, but flawed characters, with complex interpersonal relationships. Despite the difficulties that arise, I was left with a strong feeling that everyone was being treated fairly by each other, calling each other out, apologising, properly supporting each other, both in moments of crisis and in their day-to-day. I think this is a relative rarity to be effectively conveyed in fiction.
I'd absolutely recommend that you read the beautifully writtwn "Let Me Be Like Water". "Norwegian Wood" covers some similar ground around everyday life coexisting with grief in a young protagonist, and while that is, of course a classic, I appreciated the additional depth and breadth of the experience that was portrayed here.
October 7, 2018
Twenty-something Holly has just lost her boyfriend in a tragic accident and has moved from London to the beach town of Brighton in order to escape and try to figure out how to move on without Sam. She is befriended by Frank, an older gentleman (and magician), who in turn introduces her to a quirky group of individuals who come to mean a lot to Holly. She continues to struggle with her loss but with the help of Frank and the others, she slowly starts to learn how to cope with her new life.
This is a story about hope, loss, loneliness and friendship. As much as this sounds really sad, it is written in such as way as to make Holly’s sadness bearable. S.K. Perry’s writing is rather poetic, which makes sense seeing that she is a published poet. Her writing and the use of very short chapters (if you’d even call them that) to go back and forth between the present and the past draws the reader in and makes this short book a quick read.
I can see why some readers really loved this book, but I had a couple of personal issues with it that prevented me from rating it higher. I realize Holly was in the grips of grief and who knows how we would react in the same situation, but I still found some of Holly’s actions questionable. This is also one of those books that I felt would have appealed to a much wider audience if the language had been less coarse. Yes, I get that people, particularly the younger generation, use this type of language all the time, but it really isn’t necessary to use it to this degree in a story such as this. A little goes a long way, IMO.
I really liked Frank BUT is it only me who thinks the magic was a bit much to believe? Let me be clear: I absolutely love magic shows and magicians, and when Frank turned up I thought his tricks were very cool. But the further along I read, the more unbelievable his tricks became. Is he always ready to pull a trick? I find it hard to believe that even the best magician can, say, change milk into custard, spontaneously and without prior warning, as it’s being poured out of a pitcher. Maybe I’m being too literal? Was the story supposed to have elements of mystical realism? Perhaps, but if that’s the case Frank would have been just as charming if he’d been a more believable magician.
That aside, this is still a decent story that manages to capture a young woman’s sadness through the course of her first year of grief very well.
This is a story about hope, loss, loneliness and friendship. As much as this sounds really sad, it is written in such as way as to make Holly’s sadness bearable. S.K. Perry’s writing is rather poetic, which makes sense seeing that she is a published poet. Her writing and the use of very short chapters (if you’d even call them that) to go back and forth between the present and the past draws the reader in and makes this short book a quick read.
I can see why some readers really loved this book, but I had a couple of personal issues with it that prevented me from rating it higher. I realize Holly was in the grips of grief and who knows how we would react in the same situation, but I still found some of Holly’s actions questionable. This is also one of those books that I felt would have appealed to a much wider audience if the language had been less coarse. Yes, I get that people, particularly the younger generation, use this type of language all the time, but it really isn’t necessary to use it to this degree in a story such as this. A little goes a long way, IMO.
I really liked Frank BUT is it only me who thinks the magic was a bit much to believe? Let me be clear: I absolutely love magic shows and magicians, and when Frank turned up I thought his tricks were very cool. But the further along I read, the more unbelievable his tricks became. Is he always ready to pull a trick? I find it hard to believe that even the best magician can, say, change milk into custard, spontaneously and without prior warning, as it’s being poured out of a pitcher. Maybe I’m being too literal? Was the story supposed to have elements of mystical realism? Perhaps, but if that’s the case Frank would have been just as charming if he’d been a more believable magician.
That aside, this is still a decent story that manages to capture a young woman’s sadness through the course of her first year of grief very well.
August 22, 2018
A very personal account of coping with personal loss.
After Holly’s boyfriend passed away, she couldn’t stand being in London as every thought reminded her of him. So, she moved away to Brighton to escape. But even here sitting on a bench listening to the sounds of the sea, she can’t help but think about him. There she meets Frank, a retired magician that has also experience personal loss. She begins to meet others as well that have also experienced this. Holly slowly begins to form a support group without even realizing that it is happening. Over the next year, she begins to move on and deal with the emptiness that has been left inside her.
This way this book was written made it easy to step into Holly’s shoes and experience the same emotions that she was going through, especially if you have been through it yourself. It feels like a very personal account and almost an invasion of privacy that it is so raw. Even the guilt that she began to feel as she began to move on was expressed throughout.
The book is told from Holly’s point of view and toggles from her past with her boyfriend to present. It is like going back through Holly’s memory of the good (and bad) times that they had together and how it came to shape who she was. The remainder of the time was Holly figuring out how to deal with life now that he was gone, both on her own and with her group of friends.
There is quite a bit of strong language in this book and some intimate scenes as well. I would caution readers that have experience personal loss in the past that it may stir up some feelings that may have been put to bed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
After Holly’s boyfriend passed away, she couldn’t stand being in London as every thought reminded her of him. So, she moved away to Brighton to escape. But even here sitting on a bench listening to the sounds of the sea, she can’t help but think about him. There she meets Frank, a retired magician that has also experience personal loss. She begins to meet others as well that have also experienced this. Holly slowly begins to form a support group without even realizing that it is happening. Over the next year, she begins to move on and deal with the emptiness that has been left inside her.
This way this book was written made it easy to step into Holly’s shoes and experience the same emotions that she was going through, especially if you have been through it yourself. It feels like a very personal account and almost an invasion of privacy that it is so raw. Even the guilt that she began to feel as she began to move on was expressed throughout.
The book is told from Holly’s point of view and toggles from her past with her boyfriend to present. It is like going back through Holly’s memory of the good (and bad) times that they had together and how it came to shape who she was. The remainder of the time was Holly figuring out how to deal with life now that he was gone, both on her own and with her group of friends.
There is quite a bit of strong language in this book and some intimate scenes as well. I would caution readers that have experience personal loss in the past that it may stir up some feelings that may have been put to bed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
January 16, 2019
I have found myself drawn to books that deal with grief and that is why I picked this up off a library display.
I liked the writing enough. This is all first person with the short chapters alternating between the present and filling in the recent past. That worked well. Holly's grief is deep and dark and she doesn't know how to work through it. The new friends that gather round her to support and ease her through the pain are great. Some, if not all of them are broken and recovering from different things, too. We watch the slow progress that Holly makes and know that she will be okay. I thought the author captured the devastation of grief and grief related depression.
There is magic realism here. That is the only thing that explains and allows for all the things Frank can do.
So why only 2 stars? Too much sexual content for me. Completely unnecessary. And the constant drinking and getting hungover was tiresome. And drug use. And casual sex with complete strangers a couple of times. It all made me feel really sad for these people that this was how they lived and tried to deal with pain. I don't only read books that promote the same values as mine and I don't expect characters to live with the same sense of morality as me. This was just too much. Also a fair amount of the f-word. So maybe a 3 star read knocked down a star for content.
I liked the writing enough. This is all first person with the short chapters alternating between the present and filling in the recent past. That worked well. Holly's grief is deep and dark and she doesn't know how to work through it. The new friends that gather round her to support and ease her through the pain are great. Some, if not all of them are broken and recovering from different things, too. We watch the slow progress that Holly makes and know that she will be okay. I thought the author captured the devastation of grief and grief related depression.
There is magic realism here. That is the only thing that explains and allows for all the things Frank can do.
So why only 2 stars? Too much sexual content for me. Completely unnecessary. And the constant drinking and getting hungover was tiresome. And drug use. And casual sex with complete strangers a couple of times. It all made me feel really sad for these people that this was how they lived and tried to deal with pain. I don't only read books that promote the same values as mine and I don't expect characters to live with the same sense of morality as me. This was just too much. Also a fair amount of the f-word. So maybe a 3 star read knocked down a star for content.
June 11, 2020
reading everyone's reviews is kind of funny as they are so polar ends of the thing. either you love it or hate it. i'm honestly not so sure how i feel about it. it was an incredibly well made effort at an honest look at grief and loss. grief, which is unlike many of the reviews here that are trying to say that grieving is logical or thought out. that somehow holly was a bad person because of how she acted. portraying those thoughts and feelings and the chaos of it all is the thing that Perry has done really well here as opposed to so many other books that try to sugarcoat it. the intriguing part of it all is it being in first person, there is much that is unknown and unclear. which does end up leaving the reader rather mystified, not a great feeling. but intriguing considering the content. and the part that i didn't like - for all that we are given her (hollys) inner thoughts, it felt like there was still so much that we weren't let in on, so much that would explain how she made it from step to step. which for me, i think, is the part that is really important to talk about and express. not just what the steps were but how they got to happening. so... mixed feelings on this one. i do think that people need to be more forgiving of where holly is in her life and how she goes about it. and remember - first person narrative is the most unreliable form there is.
May 13, 2018
LET ME BE LIKE WATER by S.K. Perry is a haunting and moving tale of love, loss, and grief but it also holds a very important message of hope.
Holly is lost ever since the death of her boyfriend, the man she loved with her whole heart. Not being able to remain in London where all of her memories of him surround her she moves to Brighton where she finds some comfort in the waves lapping to the shore. But it isn't long before she is lost again. Until she meets Frank, an elderly man who seems to know more about her than is possible. As Frank draws Holly into his circle of friends, she meets people young and old who have their own stories to share, and slowly Holly begins to piece herself back together even though her love for him will never leave her.
There is a captivating magic about LET ME BE LIKE WATER by S.K. Perry that is difficult to put into words but it is truly soul-stirring. The characters are fascinating, likeable, and engaging which is so important in a story like this that deals with such sensitive topics of grief and loss. Like the sea, there is a melodious quality to S.K. Perry's writing that allows this story to ebb and flows effortlessly and I highly recommend this story!
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher
Holly is lost ever since the death of her boyfriend, the man she loved with her whole heart. Not being able to remain in London where all of her memories of him surround her she moves to Brighton where she finds some comfort in the waves lapping to the shore. But it isn't long before she is lost again. Until she meets Frank, an elderly man who seems to know more about her than is possible. As Frank draws Holly into his circle of friends, she meets people young and old who have their own stories to share, and slowly Holly begins to piece herself back together even though her love for him will never leave her.
There is a captivating magic about LET ME BE LIKE WATER by S.K. Perry that is difficult to put into words but it is truly soul-stirring. The characters are fascinating, likeable, and engaging which is so important in a story like this that deals with such sensitive topics of grief and loss. Like the sea, there is a melodious quality to S.K. Perry's writing that allows this story to ebb and flows effortlessly and I highly recommend this story!
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher
February 16, 2018
Let Me Feel Like Water is a contemporary novel that celebrates friendship found after a young woman reaches great depths of despair.
Holly escapes her life in London to live in Brighton. She is surviving hour by hour, wracked by grief over the death of her boyfriend.
Seventy year old Frank is an ex-magician and a collector of broken people. He befriends Holly, gives her something else to think about, offers an easy friendship and invites her to his book club. Here she meets the other members, each with their own story to tell.
This is Holly’s journey; some days she’s lonely, other days she prefers solitude. Sometimes she can’t stay still, running to the point of exhaustion. Another day she swims in the cold sea where she considers ending it all. Life in Brighton offers escape, anonymity and time to heal. The narrative is raw and, at times, haunting and sad.
This is a captivating story. The author does a good job drip-feeding information in the beginning, reeling in her audience. As the story continues, we’re given just enough information to form our own pictures, but it kept me guessing and wanting to turn the pages; the technique is clever and works well. When I think back I have loads of questions about the secondary characters, but this is Holly’s story. She has experienced much tragedy; for her there is no happy-ever-after but perhaps a distant glow of hope.
A book about the gritty side of real life, this book may leave you with questions, but it gave me a lot to think about.
More reviews at https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/
Twitter @rosieamber1
Holly escapes her life in London to live in Brighton. She is surviving hour by hour, wracked by grief over the death of her boyfriend.
Seventy year old Frank is an ex-magician and a collector of broken people. He befriends Holly, gives her something else to think about, offers an easy friendship and invites her to his book club. Here she meets the other members, each with their own story to tell.
This is Holly’s journey; some days she’s lonely, other days she prefers solitude. Sometimes she can’t stay still, running to the point of exhaustion. Another day she swims in the cold sea where she considers ending it all. Life in Brighton offers escape, anonymity and time to heal. The narrative is raw and, at times, haunting and sad.
This is a captivating story. The author does a good job drip-feeding information in the beginning, reeling in her audience. As the story continues, we’re given just enough information to form our own pictures, but it kept me guessing and wanting to turn the pages; the technique is clever and works well. When I think back I have loads of questions about the secondary characters, but this is Holly’s story. She has experienced much tragedy; for her there is no happy-ever-after but perhaps a distant glow of hope.
A book about the gritty side of real life, this book may leave you with questions, but it gave me a lot to think about.
More reviews at https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/
Twitter @rosieamber1
November 30, 2018
Of love and grief, of missing and longing, this is a wonderfully told and beautifully written debut novel. We meet Holly who, as she discovers friendships we, as the reader, do too; introduced us to a cast of characters each with their own unique personality and hints of history and back-story.
There is some humour. Not laugh out loud hilarious but more as we read something that reminds us of our own ourselves and our own story or, "oh, wow, yeah, I know someone just like that".
The author has given Holly a unique voice as she narrates her story but it's not one that's difficult to read but actually one that many will be able to relate. Chapters are short - sometimes very short - so it is easy to pick up and put down if you need to but, it's a novel that, once you are absorbed in it, you may find very difficult to stop reading.
A very impressive debut, I loved this book and it will be one that I will pick up and read again and again and recommend to others too.
There is some humour. Not laugh out loud hilarious but more as we read something that reminds us of our own ourselves and our own story or, "oh, wow, yeah, I know someone just like that".
The author has given Holly a unique voice as she narrates her story but it's not one that's difficult to read but actually one that many will be able to relate. Chapters are short - sometimes very short - so it is easy to pick up and put down if you need to but, it's a novel that, once you are absorbed in it, you may find very difficult to stop reading.
A very impressive debut, I loved this book and it will be one that I will pick up and read again and again and recommend to others too.
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