The Weight of Water

by Penelope Evans

After her husband faces a traumatic event on the underground, Sara Ravenscroft finds herself moving to Devon to start a life away from the city. But it is here in the country that the haunting dream which has plagued her since childhood starts to creep into the everyday.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2009

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down and read it very quickly just to find out what was going to happen to Sara and her selfish husband Tom. Both orphans, they cling to each other and make a pact never to have children bacause "we are all the family we need." All through her life Sara has been haunted by a dream of a young girl in a white dress and red shoes poised on the edge of a river. It is when she and Tom move from London after the tube bombings, to a cottage on the edge of a river in a secluded valley that Sara's dream starts to take over her life. This is a well written psychological thriller.

[The Book Whisperer (aka Boof) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts with Sara having another one of her recurring dreams;the same dream she has been plagued with sine childhood: standing perilously close to a rivers edge is a little girl wearing a little white dress and little red shoes. Just as it looks like she will fall into the water, the dream ends.

Sara and Tom live in London and met ten years ago when the both discovered that they had something huge and binding in common – they were both orphaned as babies (survivors of accidents in which both sets of parents died).

During a weekend break in the south west of England, the couple come across an advert in an estate agent window for a house in its own nine acre valley in Cornwall. They drive to see the house as Tom (who only a few weeks ago got caught up in the London bombings) is desperate to leave London and live in Cornwall and grow vegetables. While visiting the propery, Sara looks out of the bedroom window and sees a little girl standing at the edge of the river that runs through the valley. She is wearing a little white dress and little red shoes.

I don’t want to say too much more about the plot as it’s always nice to find things out for yourself when reading a book rather than knowing what’s coming.

For the first half of this book I was enraptured; I loved the pace, the style the delivery, everything. I was all set for giving it full marks but I have to confess that from about the half-way point I began to lose interest. I can’t put my finger on at what point or why necessarily but I did find myself racing to get to the end rather than just enjoying going with the flow. This is my first Evans book and while I did really enjoy it as a good summer read (I read it on holiday) I’m not sure I could rave about it.

[Angela Foster-Swailes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - it got annoying in the middle with Sara thinking she didn’t have a choice in whether to have the baby or not. Also all of the little girl and water references just got too much.

[Marta W · Rating 4 out of 5]

dobra książka
wzbudza wiele emocji
dałabym 5 ale coś mi brakowało, może jest zbyt wolna (?), ale też w tym jest jej urok, więc ciężko powiedzieć

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping story of Sara and Tom. Both damaged by having become orphans as children, albeit under different circumstances. The story of their bond, their lives, their dreams and a child. Good psychological thriller. I enjoyed this book, great holiday read. A 3.5 star.

[Piewacket · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book I have read but Penelope Evans and if it possible I would probably rate it 3.5 stars. At times it was a very good, creepy tale and at other times I found it exasperating. The weakness of Sara, the main character and her unlikeable husband, Tom made it a bit difficult to enjoy in parts but ultimately Sara finds her strength and there are some interesting twists in the end.

[Zoe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't connect with this at all. I'm not a fan of choppy incomplete sentences and I found the whole "spooky girl by the river" imagery quite corny. I didn't persevere with this - in fact, I did that thing I hate doing - I gave up halfway through. I couldnt get into it. I didn't like anyone featured and I found it all a bit dull.

[Liz Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book sucked me in then held me there until the end. I found it both fascinating and annoying but in the end I can say I enjoyed it

[Kiera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn’t know much about this before I read it so the supernatural element was a surprise, not scary though. HATED Tom so so much. Was glad she got her happy little ending.