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The Shore
8 hours, 4 minutes
Set over the course of one summer, this perfect beach read follows a mother and her two daughters as they grapple with heartbreak, young love, and the weight of family secrets.
Brian and Margot Dunne live year-round in Seaside, just steps away from the bustling boardwalk, with their daughters Liz and Evy. The Dunnes run a real estate company, making their living by quickly turning over rental houses for tourists. But the family’s future becomes even more precarious when Brian develops a brain tumor, transforming into a bizarre, erratic version of himself. Amidst the chaos and new caretaking responsibilities, Liz still seeks out summer adventure and flirting with a guy she should know better than to pursue. Her younger sister Evy works in a candy shop, falls in love with her friend Olivia, and secretly adopts the persona of a middle-aged mom in an online support group, where she discovers her own mother’s most vulnerable confessions. Meanwhile, Margot faces an impossible choice driven by grief, impulse, and the ways that small-town life in Seaside has shaped her. Falling apart is not an option, but she can always pack up and leave the beach behind.
The Shore is a powerful, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting novel infused with humor about young women finding sisterhood, friendship, and love in a time of crisis. This big-hearted family saga examines the grit and hustle of running a small business in a tourist town, the ways we connect with strangers when our families can’t give us everything we need, and the comfort to be found in embracing the pleasures of youth while coping with unimaginable loss.
Set over the course of one summer, this perfect beach read follows a mother and her two daughters as they grapple with heartbreak, young love, and the weight of family secrets.
Brian and Margot Dunne live year-round in Seaside, just steps away from the bustling boardwalk, with their daughters Liz and Evy. The Dunnes run a real estate company, making their living by quickly turning over rental houses for tourists. But the family’s future becomes even more precarious when Brian develops a brain tumor, transforming into a bizarre, erratic version of himself. Amidst the chaos and new caretaking responsibilities, Liz still seeks out summer adventure and flirting with a guy she should know better than to pursue. Her younger sister Evy works in a candy shop, falls in love with her friend Olivia, and secretly adopts the persona of a middle-aged mom in an online support group, where she discovers her own mother’s most vulnerable confessions. Meanwhile, Margot faces an impossible choice driven by grief, impulse, and the ways that small-town life in Seaside has shaped her. Falling apart is not an option, but she can always pack up and leave the beach behind.
The Shore is a powerful, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting novel infused with humor about young women finding sisterhood, friendship, and love in a time of crisis. This big-hearted family saga examines the grit and hustle of running a small business in a tourist town, the ways we connect with strangers when our families can’t give us everything we need, and the comfort to be found in embracing the pleasures of youth while coping with unimaginable loss.
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First published May 10, 2022
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May 27, 2022
**Many thanks to Shelf Awareness, NetGalley, Scribner, and Katie Runde for an ARC of this book! Now available as of 5.24!**
Can you remember the wistful feeling of your first kiss? The buzz of the cicadas in the air during those last final days of summer, where the start of school felt so close and yet so far away? The steady din of the carnival rides fading slowly as the moon rose above you? Perhaps even the gentle crashing of waves beneath the boardwalk as your sandals smacked against the weather-beaten wood?
And have you ever had to lose someone. you loved...slowly, and with no way to stop it?
If you answered yes to ANY (or all!) of these questions and are in the mood for an emotional, tragic, funny, and memorable summer read...the Shore is absolutely the book for you!
Brian and Margot are TRULY living the dream. Close to the idyllic Jersey Shore, the two rent out nearby properties through their real estate company, and of course have easy access to the nearby boardwalk and the beachy shore themselves. Daughters Evy and Liz have always been content to call Seaside home, and also share the sort of special bond that only sisters can understand. However, their reality shifts dramatically when Brian is diagnosed with GBF, a rare brain tumor, that puts a ticking clock on the rest of his life. As the tumor progresses, all three women grapple with the struggles Brian faces on a daily basis as he becomes a completely different person, and each try to help him find his way back to himself again.
Evy and Liz are balancing these struggles with the everyday ups and downs of teenage life and young love, and with a future ahead of her that will not include Brian, Margot questions whether life will be possible in Seaside without him...or if it's time to move on from everything she knows. When fate inevitably takes its toll, what will happen to these three women without Brian? Is there more to his story (and Margot's) than Evy and Liz ever realized...and can they connect with Margot on an even deeper level, or will Brian's death send these women away from Seaside-and each other-for good?
It seems strange to consider a book centered on trauma and family drama (at least in part) a summer beach read, but The Shore manages to tick so many of those boxes. I was simply BURIED in nostalgia...and I've never even been to the Jersey Shore! This novel encapsulates all of the hallmarks of summer, from the summer fling, to the carefree days spent wandering the boardwalk, and even the casual feel of your first summer job like setting up beach chairs or working at a diner. All the while, Runde dives deep into family dynamics and how we deal with trauma differently, and I absolutely loved all three women. Margot, Evy, AND Liz are all narrators, and each of them brings something different to the table. I loved the exploration of the sister relationship between Evy and Liz, how they each interacted differently with Margot, and of course, how they all came to interact with Brian. Other than feeling a bit old at the 'Dad Rock' I apparently enjoy (Pearl Jam and Fleetwood Mac..and a special shout out to Ben Folds, my son's namesake! 🎹) it was interesting to see how the relationships evolved as time wore on.
Runde's attention to every last detail was spot-on, and I was so sad to leave these characters and say goodbye to this family. This is the sort of book that sneaks up you, where you don't even realize quite how invested you are until it ends. Like those last fading days of summer, the nostalgia, heartbreak, and longing you'll feel while reading The Shore, much like that first kiss, first heartbreak, and first loss, are destined to become etched in your memory in their own unique and indescribable way.
4 stars
Can you remember the wistful feeling of your first kiss? The buzz of the cicadas in the air during those last final days of summer, where the start of school felt so close and yet so far away? The steady din of the carnival rides fading slowly as the moon rose above you? Perhaps even the gentle crashing of waves beneath the boardwalk as your sandals smacked against the weather-beaten wood?
And have you ever had to lose someone. you loved...slowly, and with no way to stop it?
If you answered yes to ANY (or all!) of these questions and are in the mood for an emotional, tragic, funny, and memorable summer read...the Shore is absolutely the book for you!
Brian and Margot are TRULY living the dream. Close to the idyllic Jersey Shore, the two rent out nearby properties through their real estate company, and of course have easy access to the nearby boardwalk and the beachy shore themselves. Daughters Evy and Liz have always been content to call Seaside home, and also share the sort of special bond that only sisters can understand. However, their reality shifts dramatically when Brian is diagnosed with GBF, a rare brain tumor, that puts a ticking clock on the rest of his life. As the tumor progresses, all three women grapple with the struggles Brian faces on a daily basis as he becomes a completely different person, and each try to help him find his way back to himself again.
Evy and Liz are balancing these struggles with the everyday ups and downs of teenage life and young love, and with a future ahead of her that will not include Brian, Margot questions whether life will be possible in Seaside without him...or if it's time to move on from everything she knows. When fate inevitably takes its toll, what will happen to these three women without Brian? Is there more to his story (and Margot's) than Evy and Liz ever realized...and can they connect with Margot on an even deeper level, or will Brian's death send these women away from Seaside-and each other-for good?
It seems strange to consider a book centered on trauma and family drama (at least in part) a summer beach read, but The Shore manages to tick so many of those boxes. I was simply BURIED in nostalgia...and I've never even been to the Jersey Shore! This novel encapsulates all of the hallmarks of summer, from the summer fling, to the carefree days spent wandering the boardwalk, and even the casual feel of your first summer job like setting up beach chairs or working at a diner. All the while, Runde dives deep into family dynamics and how we deal with trauma differently, and I absolutely loved all three women. Margot, Evy, AND Liz are all narrators, and each of them brings something different to the table. I loved the exploration of the sister relationship between Evy and Liz, how they each interacted differently with Margot, and of course, how they all came to interact with Brian. Other than feeling a bit old at the 'Dad Rock' I apparently enjoy (Pearl Jam and Fleetwood Mac..and a special shout out to Ben Folds, my son's namesake! 🎹) it was interesting to see how the relationships evolved as time wore on.
Runde's attention to every last detail was spot-on, and I was so sad to leave these characters and say goodbye to this family. This is the sort of book that sneaks up you, where you don't even realize quite how invested you are until it ends. Like those last fading days of summer, the nostalgia, heartbreak, and longing you'll feel while reading The Shore, much like that first kiss, first heartbreak, and first loss, are destined to become etched in your memory in their own unique and indescribable way.
4 stars
March 17, 2022
The Shore by Katie Runde. What a very heavy but terrific read. I loved the characters. It was a very real look at one family's struggle dealing with life, illness, and death. This story was beautifully written, very real and heartbreaking. I would recommend. 4.5 stars! Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
March 1, 2022
Loved this book. I felt every emotion when I read it and missed the characters and Seaside when I finished. It's a story of love, nostalgia, family, loss, and hope. Runde is as good as a writer gets!
August 30, 2022
I received this from a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
Drawing from her own experiences the author has created an emotionally powerful novel of love, loss, family and navigating new relationships.
Told over the course of a summer, Margot and her daughters Liz and Evy learn to face the reality of a brain tumor which has drastically changed the personality of their father Brian. Living in a beach town Liz and Evy both have summer jobs that cater to tourists, and each are discovering the perils and joys of first love. Margot is trying to juggle keeping the family rental business afloat while being the primary caretaker of her husband. Each day brings new challenges and opportunities to connect and prepare for Brian's death.
Tender, insightful, and heartfelt, a beautiful story that made me laugh, cry and want to hug each of the characters.
Drawing from her own experiences the author has created an emotionally powerful novel of love, loss, family and navigating new relationships.
Told over the course of a summer, Margot and her daughters Liz and Evy learn to face the reality of a brain tumor which has drastically changed the personality of their father Brian. Living in a beach town Liz and Evy both have summer jobs that cater to tourists, and each are discovering the perils and joys of first love. Margot is trying to juggle keeping the family rental business afloat while being the primary caretaker of her husband. Each day brings new challenges and opportunities to connect and prepare for Brian's death.
Tender, insightful, and heartfelt, a beautiful story that made me laugh, cry and want to hug each of the characters.
July 7, 2022
The Shore was available on the library’s first come/first served “new and notable” shelf when I went to pick up my holds at the end of last week. The title and cover grabbed me and I was positive this was going to be a surefire winner for the 4th of July weekend that had me reminiscent of my old pals back in their heyday . . . .
Imagine my surprise when I discovered this was a family drama! Oops.
The story here is about Margot and Brian who have built a business over the years of investing in and maintaining rental properties in Seaside, NJ. Now Brian has terminal brain cancer with only months to live and Margot is faced with what to do next. Daughters Liv and Evy are simply trying to come of age while dealing with adult responsibilities of a dying father and a business to help run.
As I said above, this was not what I expected from simply taking a gander at the title and cover. It ended up being a pretty decent read for me, though. Really my only complaint is the first third started off so strong with a very much “tragicomedy” sort of feel that unfortunately fizzled out. You know right away Brian is going to die, but the humor and love of the family was nearly palpable and since I was raised in a “we laugh so we don’t cry” type of brood myself this resonated very well. Unfortunately, in parts two and three there wasn’t a whole lot holding things together aside from the “I’m going to sell everything and move somewhere else” that really wasn’t much of a page-turning type of storyline so it ends up as 3.5 Stars.
(And as a sidenote, somehow I have ended up with at least two other family drama/beach books with deceptive titles/covers – this is obviously a running theme with publishing houses this summer!)
Imagine my surprise when I discovered this was a family drama! Oops.
The story here is about Margot and Brian who have built a business over the years of investing in and maintaining rental properties in Seaside, NJ. Now Brian has terminal brain cancer with only months to live and Margot is faced with what to do next. Daughters Liv and Evy are simply trying to come of age while dealing with adult responsibilities of a dying father and a business to help run.
As I said above, this was not what I expected from simply taking a gander at the title and cover. It ended up being a pretty decent read for me, though. Really my only complaint is the first third started off so strong with a very much “tragicomedy” sort of feel that unfortunately fizzled out. You know right away Brian is going to die, but the humor and love of the family was nearly palpable and since I was raised in a “we laugh so we don’t cry” type of brood myself this resonated very well. Unfortunately, in parts two and three there wasn’t a whole lot holding things together aside from the “I’m going to sell everything and move somewhere else” that really wasn’t much of a page-turning type of storyline so it ends up as 3.5 Stars.
(And as a sidenote, somehow I have ended up with at least two other family drama/beach books with deceptive titles/covers – this is obviously a running theme with publishing houses this summer!)
February 12, 2023
A coming of age story of love and loss, Liz and Evie have more than just typical teenage issues. Their dad has a brain tumor that is not only killing him but has turned him into a completely different and dependant person. Their mom has withdrawn having to run the family business and take care of her dying husband, she seeks solace in an online support group. Told over the course of a summer from multiple points of view.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
June 13, 2022
I was really looking forward to reading this but it just didn’t do it for me. It was boring and the characters were very bland. I feel like there wasn’t much of a storyline besides losing the dad/spouse. I wouldn’t recommend AT ALL. I read to escape reality and this just felt like I was reading about this family living their average life. Nothing good happened and it was lacking a plot. It was not satisfying.
May 24, 2022
3.5 ⭐ for this debut
If you're looking for a light beach read, this is not it. Not sure why it's marketed that way, maybe because it takes place on the beach. It deals with some heavy topics.
I love multiple POV's and here we get 3 as we follow the story of Brian and how his family deals with his brain tumor and life after he is gone. We get 2 chapters told by Brian and I wish there were more ~ like how he was dealing with what was happening to him.
Margot is trying to keep the household and their rental business afloat while living with a husband that is slowly, then rather quickly, becoming unrecognizable in mind and body. Luckily she can always count on her two teenage girls, Liz and Evy. They help out with the business and work as many hours as they can on the boardwalk for the summer. I really like the sisterly bond between them as they figure themselves out. They are always there for each other and I don't think they fought at all.
There were a couple big invasions of privacy that I didn't really like. I do wish they felt like they could talk to each other and not have to be sneaky. I suppose that was part of the grieving process as everyone does so in their own way, but I wanted more sadness from all of them.
Overall, some parts were slow going for me, but I would give this author a read again.
⤵ I wrote this before I finished the book ⤵
(I am not very familiar with brain tumors, but I feel like the author did an excellent job of showing what it is like to live with someone suffering from one and in turn the effects it has on the family as a whole.)
I am so glad I read the author's note that told us that she knew exactly what it felt like since her father had the same tumor.
*Thanks to Scribner, Katie Runde and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
More reviews here ➡ Heather Adores Books
If you're looking for a light beach read, this is not it. Not sure why it's marketed that way, maybe because it takes place on the beach. It deals with some heavy topics.
I love multiple POV's and here we get 3 as we follow the story of Brian and how his family deals with his brain tumor and life after he is gone. We get 2 chapters told by Brian and I wish there were more ~ like how he was dealing with what was happening to him.
Margot is trying to keep the household and their rental business afloat while living with a husband that is slowly, then rather quickly, becoming unrecognizable in mind and body. Luckily she can always count on her two teenage girls, Liz and Evy. They help out with the business and work as many hours as they can on the boardwalk for the summer. I really like the sisterly bond between them as they figure themselves out. They are always there for each other and I don't think they fought at all.
There were a couple big invasions of privacy that I didn't really like. I do wish they felt like they could talk to each other and not have to be sneaky. I suppose that was part of the grieving process as everyone does so in their own way, but I wanted more sadness from all of them.
Overall, some parts were slow going for me, but I would give this author a read again.
⤵ I wrote this before I finished the book ⤵
(I am not very familiar with brain tumors, but I feel like the author did an excellent job of showing what it is like to live with someone suffering from one and in turn the effects it has on the family as a whole.)
I am so glad I read the author's note that told us that she knew exactly what it felt like since her father had the same tumor.
*Thanks to Scribner, Katie Runde and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
More reviews here ➡ Heather Adores Books
April 25, 2022
This is one of those books where there isn’t really a clear plot unfolding for the reader. I suppose I would say The Shore is about teen sisters Liz and Evy trying to convince their mother Margot not to move away from Seaside following their father’s losing battle with cancer by messaging her via fake accounts in an online support group. However, this novel is more of a character study between these three women as they navigate grief.
I’m rating this novel 2.5 Stars. I do enjoy “slice of life” type novels, but there still needs to be something interesting happening. I feel like the characters did the same thing every day. They all did change by the end of the novel, but not in a way that appears obvious. For me, it was all just okay.
Within the narrative, sometimes something in the future would be referenced, like “Liz looks back on this moment with a new perspective” or something along those lines. These moments really took me away from the moment happening and made me think what’s the point of all this if it’s all in the past anyway? Clearly, the characters were all able to move on and do something with their lives, so why am I reading about this and not that? It was just weird for me.
Also, the POV switched from third to second. I feel I can understand what the author was going for here stylistically. She was wanting the reader to feel the pain of the day through the characters. For me, it was a jarring transition and I had to go back and read it through a few times till I caught on to what was happening.
Despite what I didn’t particularly enjoy about this book, I’m still really glad I had the chance to read it. I’m lucky to not have had to experience anything even remotely similar to this family, but gaining this insider perspective better prepares me as an outsider. The family would complain about how the help they were being offered wasn’t really helpful at all and would express what they wished their neighbors would really help with. It was nice to learn about how to better help someone going through a hard time.
To wrap up my thoughts, this wasn’t a bad book. I just wasn’t the right audience for it. If you feel this book may resonate with you in a way, I say it’s worth picking up. It’s a bit heavy for a beach read as the cover deceptively advertises, but the story within is impactful and is bound to offer a new perspective to grief.
Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I’m rating this novel 2.5 Stars. I do enjoy “slice of life” type novels, but there still needs to be something interesting happening. I feel like the characters did the same thing every day. They all did change by the end of the novel, but not in a way that appears obvious. For me, it was all just okay.
Within the narrative, sometimes something in the future would be referenced, like “Liz looks back on this moment with a new perspective” or something along those lines. These moments really took me away from the moment happening and made me think what’s the point of all this if it’s all in the past anyway? Clearly, the characters were all able to move on and do something with their lives, so why am I reading about this and not that? It was just weird for me.
Also, the POV switched from third to second. I feel I can understand what the author was going for here stylistically. She was wanting the reader to feel the pain of the day through the characters. For me, it was a jarring transition and I had to go back and read it through a few times till I caught on to what was happening.
Despite what I didn’t particularly enjoy about this book, I’m still really glad I had the chance to read it. I’m lucky to not have had to experience anything even remotely similar to this family, but gaining this insider perspective better prepares me as an outsider. The family would complain about how the help they were being offered wasn’t really helpful at all and would express what they wished their neighbors would really help with. It was nice to learn about how to better help someone going through a hard time.
To wrap up my thoughts, this wasn’t a bad book. I just wasn’t the right audience for it. If you feel this book may resonate with you in a way, I say it’s worth picking up. It’s a bit heavy for a beach read as the cover deceptively advertises, but the story within is impactful and is bound to offer a new perspective to grief.
Thank you NetGalley and Scribner for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 30, 2022
Powerful and bittersweet. Emotional but I really enjoyed. Debating between 4.5-5 stars
May 28, 2022
There was sooo much to love about this family drama set over the course of one summer as a mother and her two daughters grapple with new love and life-changing illness. When Bryan gets diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor his wife and daughters' lives are turned upside down, especially as the tumor suddenly affects his personality causing the man they all loved to quickly disappear.
This book does such a great job showing the difficulties of caring for a loved one suffering from a chronic and debilitating disease. Brain tumors come in all shapes and forms (not all fatal) but unfortunately for wife Margot and daughters Evy and Liz, this tumor turns out to be fatal for Bryan.
Told in alternating POVs between mother and daughters, we learn how the diagnosis affects each person differently. Margot sees it as the opportunity to escape from the couple's vacation rental business that has kept her tied to their seaside town. Whereas the two teenage daughters choose to distract themselves with romantic relationships and uncovering lost letters between their parents.
Written with heart, humor and incredible insights about chronic illness and the often invisible burdens placed on family caretakers. As a survivor of a brain tumor myself, I related to this story deeply and found it completely different from the usual women's fiction summer fare. Highly recommended and great on audio with a full cast of narrators. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!
This book does such a great job showing the difficulties of caring for a loved one suffering from a chronic and debilitating disease. Brain tumors come in all shapes and forms (not all fatal) but unfortunately for wife Margot and daughters Evy and Liz, this tumor turns out to be fatal for Bryan.
Told in alternating POVs between mother and daughters, we learn how the diagnosis affects each person differently. Margot sees it as the opportunity to escape from the couple's vacation rental business that has kept her tied to their seaside town. Whereas the two teenage daughters choose to distract themselves with romantic relationships and uncovering lost letters between their parents.
Written with heart, humor and incredible insights about chronic illness and the often invisible burdens placed on family caretakers. As a survivor of a brain tumor myself, I related to this story deeply and found it completely different from the usual women's fiction summer fare. Highly recommended and great on audio with a full cast of narrators. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!
April 3, 2023
https://www.howdidthatbookend.com/kat...
I was absolutely not prepared for how sad this book was! It hit me right in the emotions and I sobbed over every scene about Brian, past and present. I really felt for all three of the main characters, and the chapter from Brian’s POV at the end completely broke me.
THE SHORE is extremely character-driven, which isn't normally my favorite, but it was very well done in this case. I especially loved the epistolary chapters of emails between Brian and Margot when they first starting dating, and Evy and Liv's reactions to reading those letters.
I wouldn’t call this a beach read (and it’s certainly not lighthearted), but there is so much summertime nostalgia here that it begs to be read on vacation. I used to visit Wildwood, NJ every summer in college for an ultimate frisbee tournament, so I felt like I could perfectly picture the boardwalk and the beaches described in The Shore.
This was a beautiful and extremely emotional debut, and I can’t wait to read more by this author.
I was absolutely not prepared for how sad this book was! It hit me right in the emotions and I sobbed over every scene about Brian, past and present. I really felt for all three of the main characters, and the chapter from Brian’s POV at the end completely broke me.
THE SHORE is extremely character-driven, which isn't normally my favorite, but it was very well done in this case. I especially loved the epistolary chapters of emails between Brian and Margot when they first starting dating, and Evy and Liv's reactions to reading those letters.
I wouldn’t call this a beach read (and it’s certainly not lighthearted), but there is so much summertime nostalgia here that it begs to be read on vacation. I used to visit Wildwood, NJ every summer in college for an ultimate frisbee tournament, so I felt like I could perfectly picture the boardwalk and the beaches described in The Shore.
This was a beautiful and extremely emotional debut, and I can’t wait to read more by this author.
January 8, 2022
My biggest problem with THE SHORE was saying goodbye to the Dunne family. This book is breathtaking in its rendering of a family negotiating love and loss and growth amid summer life on the Jersey Shore. There are plenty of beautiful books in the world, but to me the best ones feel like friendships, and that's exactly what THE SHORE does. Brian, Margot, Liz, and Eve are so present and alive on the page, and it's impossible not to want the best for each of them. I'm still thinking about them, days later--Evy cutting up candy apples to dramatic results and Liz eating greasy pizza on the beach with a cute boy and Margot carrying the world while saying the hardest goodbyes. I'm so happy to have read this book, and I know I'll be returning to it.
Read
November 12, 2022I couldn’t finish this book. Almost half way through and I felt like everything was repetitive and I didn’t feel any connection with the characters. Too many other books to read. Not wasting another day on this one. 😴
June 15, 2022
I think what struck me the most about this novel was the utter believability of the main characters, a mother and two teenage daughters facing the very difficult decline and eventual death of their much loved, vital husband and father to a brain tumour. They live year-round in the vacation community of Seaside, on the Jersey Shore, with Brian and Margot the owners of a vacation rental business—hard work, but they’ve proudly built it up from nothing. Daughters Liz and Evy, 17 and 16 respectively, help out with cleaning the rental properties in addition to having summer jobs in businesses on the boardwalk. The story takes place over the course of one summer. Brian had been diagnosed the previous fall, and by the summer his personality has completely changed, from mellow, kind surfer dad to a loud, aggressive, impulsive embarrassment who needs to be watched every minute to prevent him from harming himself or others. We see how each of the women deals with their loss and grief, even before Brian’s rapid decline and death, the girls involved in first romances and Margot in an online support chat group, drinking wine every night, letting the business run down and dreaming of selling up everything and leaving town—an ambition that she does not share with her daughters. Very well written, humane and insightful, sensitively exploring the many conflicting emotions such a situation would evoke.
April 27, 2022
The Shore by Katie Runde is a tender story about family, marriage, sisterhood, and illness told through the eyes of Margot Dunne and her two teenage daughters, Liz and Evy. The trio are suddenly faced with caregiver rolls to their husband/father, Brian once a brain tumor takes over and transforms him into someone they no longer recognize. The family is having a difficult summer full of confusion, new responsibilities, and so many unknowns. Your heart will absolutely break for this family. If you’re looking for a summer read with a little grit and some substance to bring to the beach in a month or two, The Shore is definitely it. It’s by no means a light and fluffy read at all, but the tourist town it’s set in with the bustling boardwalk, seasonal rental homes, candy shops, and overall laidback vibe just screams summer to me. Yes, there’s loss, grief, chaos, and multiple heartbreaking moments; but also a lot of humorous and uplifting ones to even things out a bit. It’s one of those stories that punches you in the gut, makes you sit back, and take a few moments to sit with for a little while. Overall, this was a very impressive debut. It was just the complex and messy family drama that I needed, and I cannot wait to read more from Katie Runde. She’s a marvelous storyteller. Be sure to pick up a copy on release day - May 24th!
September 6, 2021
For me it’s more like 4.5 stars. Haunting and beautiful and a real tear jerker at the end, this is one literary fiction debut you don’t want to miss. The characters are raw and real and move through pain and loss and love and life with flaws and with grace (well, except for the candy apple scene 😆). What a bittersweet and heartbreaking story of two sisters losing their dad, and a mother trying not to lose herself as well.
Thank you to ABA and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.
Thank you to ABA and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.
March 21, 2022
WOW! Words to not do this lovely book justice. It's sad, it's happy, it's funny, but not in that sardonic bleak and black humor so commonly used in domestic stories. This is a great book and uplifting despite the topics.
Brian and Margot Dunne are property owners and managers and in Seaside, NJ (!!!) with their teenage children Liv and Evy. The family lives a roller coaster life of paycheck to paycheck as they juggle their investments and life's obstacles. When Brian is diagnosed with a brain tumor, life for the family takes a sharp dive. Thus begins a tale of a family trying to keep it together as they are circling the financial drain.
This is a novel that transcends many genres. It iis a coming of age, for sure - for both daughters as they experience their first relationships. It also thoroughly discusses topics of dealing with a dying parent, the fragility of life, of marriage, of change in general.
It's incredibly interesting and touching and I can't say enough about it. If you like a family drama, love the beach and reminisce of your own teenage years then #TheShore is for you! #NetGalley. #NetGalleyReads
#scribner
Brian and Margot Dunne are property owners and managers and in Seaside, NJ (!!!) with their teenage children Liv and Evy. The family lives a roller coaster life of paycheck to paycheck as they juggle their investments and life's obstacles. When Brian is diagnosed with a brain tumor, life for the family takes a sharp dive. Thus begins a tale of a family trying to keep it together as they are circling the financial drain.
This is a novel that transcends many genres. It iis a coming of age, for sure - for both daughters as they experience their first relationships. It also thoroughly discusses topics of dealing with a dying parent, the fragility of life, of marriage, of change in general.
It's incredibly interesting and touching and I can't say enough about it. If you like a family drama, love the beach and reminisce of your own teenage years then #TheShore is for you! #NetGalley. #NetGalleyReads
#scribner
July 27, 2022
Margot Dunne's husband Brian has a brain tumor. First, his personality changes. Soon, he will die. Margot is struggling to deal with their small empire of rentals in the beach town where they live, and to mother their two teenage daughters while attending to her husband's needs. She's not doing great. A couple (or more) nightly glasses of cabernet help.
What also helps: an online support group she's joined. She confides to the support group her plans to sell out of the beach town and move as soon as Brian dies.
What Margot doesn't know: her younger daughter Evy is also on the support group under a fictitious name.
Evy and Liz are embarrassed by their father's behavior changes and feel neglected by their mother. At the same time, they are both going through the usual mixture of self-doubt, agony and ecstacy of first love. The girls are horrified at the idea of leaving the only home town they've ever known.
Margot, Evy and Liz are all very appealing characters. Their distinct personalities, their basic emotional honesty, their senses of humor make them likable and relatable. At first, I found the ending dissatisfying, but, in thinking more about it, I felt like it was realistic and right. Although it book is about a family tragedy, it is a light, entertaining read, perfect for a summer beach vacation.
Like my reviews? Check out my blog at http://www.kathrynbashaar.com/blog/
Author of The Saints Mistress https://camcatbooks.com/Books/T/The-S...
What also helps: an online support group she's joined. She confides to the support group her plans to sell out of the beach town and move as soon as Brian dies.
What Margot doesn't know: her younger daughter Evy is also on the support group under a fictitious name.
Evy and Liz are embarrassed by their father's behavior changes and feel neglected by their mother. At the same time, they are both going through the usual mixture of self-doubt, agony and ecstacy of first love. The girls are horrified at the idea of leaving the only home town they've ever known.
Margot, Evy and Liz are all very appealing characters. Their distinct personalities, their basic emotional honesty, their senses of humor make them likable and relatable. At first, I found the ending dissatisfying, but, in thinking more about it, I felt like it was realistic and right. Although it book is about a family tragedy, it is a light, entertaining read, perfect for a summer beach vacation.
Like my reviews? Check out my blog at http://www.kathrynbashaar.com/blog/
Author of The Saints Mistress https://camcatbooks.com/Books/T/The-S...
May 17, 2022
Oh I really enjoyed this book! It is a powerful, emotional, and beautiful written book. I thought the multiple POV were so well done. I enjoyed learning about the family from different perspetives. I can't wait to see what Katie Runde writes next.
April 23, 2022
More like 3.5.
The bulk of the novel takes place over the course of one summer and explores how a family copes with the father/husband's diagnosis of an incurable brain tumor.
Told primarily from the alternating viewpoints of Margot and her two teenage daughters, Liz and Evy, the book shows how the women cope with Brian's deterioration. They are lost in limbo as they concentrate on going to work and taking turns caring for Brian. The girls have complicated relationships with their friends, trying to have as normal of a summer as they can and wondering how much of their loss and grief to share with others. Margot struggles as the soul manager of the business she and her husband built from scratch, all the while weighing her options for after Brian dies.
The book also shows some of the behind-the-scenes realities of those who live and work full time in a vacation town on the Jersey shore. The locals are the ones who have to wait on and then clean up after the tourists and it's also they who take up the slack for the college kids who don't take their summer jobs seriously.
Runde is successful in showing the dynamics of the family during Brian's illness. However, a couple of the side plots draw our attention away from the central theme and don't seem to have a resolution.
The unabridged audiobook was read by Andi Arndt, Priya Ayyar, Ines del Castillo, and Dan Bittner. The chapters are alternately told by different family members, each performed by a different narrator. The performances as a whole blended well, though the voices of Liz and Evy could have sounded more youthful.
Thanks to the publishers for digital and audio review copies.
The bulk of the novel takes place over the course of one summer and explores how a family copes with the father/husband's diagnosis of an incurable brain tumor.
Told primarily from the alternating viewpoints of Margot and her two teenage daughters, Liz and Evy, the book shows how the women cope with Brian's deterioration. They are lost in limbo as they concentrate on going to work and taking turns caring for Brian. The girls have complicated relationships with their friends, trying to have as normal of a summer as they can and wondering how much of their loss and grief to share with others. Margot struggles as the soul manager of the business she and her husband built from scratch, all the while weighing her options for after Brian dies.
The book also shows some of the behind-the-scenes realities of those who live and work full time in a vacation town on the Jersey shore. The locals are the ones who have to wait on and then clean up after the tourists and it's also they who take up the slack for the college kids who don't take their summer jobs seriously.
Runde is successful in showing the dynamics of the family during Brian's illness. However, a couple of the side plots draw our attention away from the central theme and don't seem to have a resolution.
The unabridged audiobook was read by Andi Arndt, Priya Ayyar, Ines del Castillo, and Dan Bittner. The chapters are alternately told by different family members, each performed by a different narrator. The performances as a whole blended well, though the voices of Liz and Evy could have sounded more youthful.
Thanks to the publishers for digital and audio review copies.
July 24, 2022
I wanted a light hearted story with an incredible summer backdrop. This book is absolutely not that. Not me, crying in the pool. Maybe I could have loved this more if I’d been more prepared so I’m warning you. Anyway, I think I just didn’t like switching between second and third person and despite the emotions it fell a little flat for me.
“But summer’s end is sudden. By late afternoon on Labor Day, there is a consuming quiet, an overwhelming feeling of having stayed a few minutes too long at a party, a certainty that there are more serious things happening elsewhere, like a shift from carnival music to a song in a minor key.”
“But summer’s end is sudden. By late afternoon on Labor Day, there is a consuming quiet, an overwhelming feeling of having stayed a few minutes too long at a party, a certainty that there are more serious things happening elsewhere, like a shift from carnival music to a song in a minor key.”
August 14, 2022
This book is far from perfect, but 4 stars for the descriptions of grieving and learning to grieve, first separately and then together. Negative stars for use of a summer beach town as character to contrast the family’s experience with death and bereavement; maybe like the town itself, it felt like a cheap plot device. 1 star for use of texting and teen romance as plot device; ditto for name dropping musicians and books. Nonetheless, the way in which the three protagonists learn to cope with loss felt honest and true.
June 10, 2022
Sounded so good but in all honesty was boring. Just these 3 women with a huge obstacle to overcome, the dying of their husband/father, and the way they bumble about and trip over each other staying singular when you’d think they’d grieve and grow closer. It seemed like a writing class project: include modern day communication:texting, FB, IG, Twitter; make at least one character gay; set it in a picturesque location, etc etc. I found it boring and predictable.
April 26, 2022
This wondrous, cinematic, deeply moving book is the exact opposite of what I thought it would be. I was expecting Katie Runde’s novel set in Seaside during the summer to be as frothy and ephemeral as cotton candy. Instead, what I discovered was a meditation on family, loss and grieving. This book surprised me and astonished me by its wisdom and humor. A must read.
May 29, 2022
This book is NOT your typical summer Jersey Shore beach story. Its about a family going through something heartbreaking. As someone who grew up at the Jersey Shore, this book perfectly captures all the day in day out work that it takes to keep a tourist town running from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It's also about where you are from...and where you end up. I loved it.
August 6, 2022
2.5 stars. The book lacked real emotion. Brian was dying and the focus was more about whether they would move after his death. I didn’t love the characters. I don’t understand how Margot planned to uproot her daughters without as much of a mention of it to them. And there was no grief. I love the Jersey Shore so I did like references to it. But it fell short for me.
June 13, 2022
This is not the light, frothy summer read the cover might lead you to believe it is.
July 24, 2022
Margot and Brian Dunne, along with their two teenage daughters, Liz and Evy, are full time residents of Seaside, New Jersey. A “shore town”, Seaside gets a lot of visitors in the summer months, but is a forgotten ghost town for many for the rest of the year.
Years ago, Margot and Brian began investing in rental properties for tourists to stay in during the busy season. Then tragedy strikes and Brian is diagnosed with a rare brain tumor. As time goes by, Brian becomes less and less the husband and father his wife and daughters knew, slowly replaced by an erratic and irrational man child.
The story is told through the perspective of the three women in his life as each weighs in on the before, during, and after of Brian’s diagnosis. For Margot, Brian’s sickness has her revisiting and reassessing past decisions, seeing leaving Seaside as the answer to starting over. For teenagers Liz and Evy, however, the emotional loss of their father leaves them longing for comfort and familiarity.
Despite its carefree cover and deceptively vague title, The Shore is a heartbreaking story about love, loss, and moving on. Given its title, I thought New Jersey, the shore specifically, would be a bigger presence in the story itself. Instead I found this novel took place in Seaside rather than embodied Seaside, easily interchangeable with any hometown. As someone from New Jersey, I wanted this to have a bit more relatable nostalgia, however to a different reader, this detail wouldn’t distract from the powerful storytelling.
A heavy read that pulls no punches, The Shore is a story that will stick with you, long after the tide recedes.
Years ago, Margot and Brian began investing in rental properties for tourists to stay in during the busy season. Then tragedy strikes and Brian is diagnosed with a rare brain tumor. As time goes by, Brian becomes less and less the husband and father his wife and daughters knew, slowly replaced by an erratic and irrational man child.
The story is told through the perspective of the three women in his life as each weighs in on the before, during, and after of Brian’s diagnosis. For Margot, Brian’s sickness has her revisiting and reassessing past decisions, seeing leaving Seaside as the answer to starting over. For teenagers Liz and Evy, however, the emotional loss of their father leaves them longing for comfort and familiarity.
Despite its carefree cover and deceptively vague title, The Shore is a heartbreaking story about love, loss, and moving on. Given its title, I thought New Jersey, the shore specifically, would be a bigger presence in the story itself. Instead I found this novel took place in Seaside rather than embodied Seaside, easily interchangeable with any hometown. As someone from New Jersey, I wanted this to have a bit more relatable nostalgia, however to a different reader, this detail wouldn’t distract from the powerful storytelling.
A heavy read that pulls no punches, The Shore is a story that will stick with you, long after the tide recedes.
May 16, 2022
Told from the perspective of a mother and her two daughters during one trying summer on the Jersey Shore, this is a moving story about family, grief, coming-of-age, parenting and loyalty. When Liz and Evy's dad is diagnosed with a brain tumor, they feared the worse, and get that plus some. He's prone to obscene outbursts, embarrassing them and causing their mother to continually apologize for his behavior. The family business, cottage rentals in Seaside NJ, means lots of cleaning up after rowdy parties, but living on the Jersey shore has lots of perks as well. Runde creates believable characters and situations that readers will fall into. 4.5 stars.
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