This book recounts the events of a young girl's death but does so through the perspective of multiple women living in the same insular, small coastal town. I thought it was so brilliantly done! I was equally interested in each woman and thought that the way she tied all of them together and connected them to the main plot was genius. I especially loved when the author told two different versions of the same event from the perspective of two women. Some of the topics covered were incredibly dark but the author expertly placed them in such a vivid and realistic world that it didn't feel forced or shoehorned into the story.

"Women and Children First" by Alina Grabowski is a hauntingly beautiful portrayal of grief and interconnectedness set against the backdrop of Nashquitten, a decaying coastal town with a rich history. In this gripping novel, a tragic event shakes the tight-knit community to its core, unraveling the lives of its residents and exposing the deep-seated secrets they harbor.

The story unfolds after a young woman's death at a house party, shrouded in suspicious circumstances that leave the community in shock and turmoil. Grabowski skillfully weaves together the perspectives of ten local women, each with their unique connection to the deceased. As a mother mourns her daughter, a teacher grieves her student, and a best friend grapples with the loss of her confidante, the reader is drawn into a web of emotions, making it impossible not to empathize with the characters' pain.

One of the novel's greatest strengths is its exploration of womanhood, class, and sexuality. Grabowski delves deep into the lives of her female characters, exposing their vulnerabilities, ambitions, disappointments, and desires. Through their experiences, the author sheds light on the complexities of being a woman in a small, close-knit community where societal expectations and judgments loom large.

The writing in "Women and Children First" is nothing short of exquisite. Grabowski's prose is evocative and lyrical, painting a vivid picture of Nashquitten and its residents. The coastal town comes to life on the pages, and readers can almost feel the salt in the air and hear the crashing waves. This atmospheric quality adds depth to the narrative, making the setting feel like a character in its own right.

At its heart, this novel is a poignant exploration of love and loss. It reminds us that even in our darkest moments, we are not alone, and our lives are intricately connected to those around us. The characters' struggles and journeys are a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of community.

Alina Grabowski's debut novel is a remarkable achievement, showcasing her as a phenomenal new literary talent. "Women and Children First" is a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant work that will stay with readers long after they turn the final page. It serves as a powerful reminder that, in the face of tragedy and heartache, we find strength in our bonds with one another. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking a compelling and beautifully crafted story that explores the profound depths of the human experience. Grabowski has delivered a poignant and unforgettable tale that lingers in the heart and mind.

You know you're in for a treat when you get ten POVs in one story! And what an emotional ride this was. So tightly woven and intricately narrated by the complicated woman of this small town. I also loved the mystery of the suspicious death of one of their own linking all of the POVs. And if I can have a book with just Mona as the MC, that'd be great! An amazing debut by Alina Grabowski.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for sending me an advanced copy.

I very much enjoyed this book. It was beautifully written story. Alina has such a unique and enchanting way of writing, it was hard to put down!
The way that the book flowed between characters was done very well and the plot itself was intriguing, kept me hooked, and wanting to continue reading late into the night.
At the end I definitely found myself hoping for it not to be over, and feeling sad when it ended. I felt myself forming a deep connection to the woman in this story. That surprised me, but I am thankful for it as it made reading it so much more meaningful!

Thank you to the author & publisher for this beautiful arc in exchange for an honest review!

The alternating points-of-view make this an interesting read. So many women will be able to relate to the characters and the lives they are living. Good character and plot development.

In the small New England village of Nashquitten, life is disappointing. If you live there, not if you’re a tourist. But this novel focuses on the people who live there. Built around the event of a local high school girl, Lucy, dying tragically, the book is divided into narratives pre and post her death, and all of the chapters are told by different women who have different connections with Lucy. Some close, some distant.

The writing in this novel was beautiful but it was also very disjointed - I loved the idea of the structure, but it was left wanting. The novel felt like it was missing something: it had a loose plot, but the structure and the characters lent themselves to a plotless book, and so there was friction in how the story was told. And this held it back from being truly excellent, which it had the potential to do!

This is now in my top favorites! It was so beautifully written and I absolutely loved the different POV. I will be recommending this to everyone!! Thank you so much for the opportunity!!!

This was really like 4.25, probably, but I'm rounding up anyway because it was just so beautifully written and so utterly captivating.

Literary fiction (told in discrete chapters, connected but each adopting a different POV) with some elements of mystery, but mostly ruminations on grief and coming-of-age and small-community life in the wake of tragedy. The narrative voices felt distinct (impressive with so many POVs!) and the world was deeply real and compelling; I grew up in a different New England state, but the setting still felt really familiar to me, like a place I recognized.

My single qualm was that each of the chapters felt like it cut off at a moment of major emotional crescendo, which is effective sometimes; but I'd have liked to see a little more variety in structure! Still, very much recommended, and I really look forward to seeing this one out in the world.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Zando Projects/SJP Lit for the e-ARC!

I really enjoyed this intricate novel. At first it read like multiple short stories since each character's chapter was so individual, and it was very satisfying to identify previous foreshadowing as connections among the teens and adults featured came to light.
Alina Grabowski's prose is simply stunning. I was totally drawn into each character's reality and individual vantage point of the tragedy that strikes their small town. An excellent debut!!

This is one of those books that is on the "literary" side of mystery and I'm always intrigued by how they are marketed and sell. I was interested in reading about a coastal town that struggled to get tourists. I live in a city with a bay and it's interesting how there are neighborhoods that are right on the water yet are really struggling and vacant so that seemed very real to me. I think the default is to think of these places as thriving but that's not always true.

I liked the multiple perspectives but I felt like there could have maybe been a couple fewer. I didn't feel like I got to know everyone before moving on the next person and that limited how much I really felt connected to the story.

I am inclined to think that this book just wasn't for me, because while I was genuinely interested all throughout about how the different narratives weave together, I couldn't help but feel that it was way too disjointed for my liking. The narrative moves so fast that we aren't given sufficient time to really sit with and understand a single character before moving on to the next. I finished the book not really understanding what the point of it was.

This was such a good book. It is about a small town in Massachusetts where a young woman dies at a house party. The story is told in 10 sections by 10 different women. The women are young and old, and the author did a wonderful job of having each woman’s story convey how the young woman’s death impacted their individual lives.

The writing was written in a way that I felt like I was there and had heard about all the secrets and rumors that are usually prevalent in a small town when tragedy strikes. I felt engaged and invested in each of their lives.

I gave this a solid 4 stars and highly recommend picking it up. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A gorgeously written, almost hypnotic telling of the impacts that the death of a teenager at a house party has on 10 of the female residents of a small town in Massachusetts.

The story moves back and forward in time, with each chapter voiced by a different female character impacted by the death - schoolmates, teenagers, teachers, confidants, mothers. Blame is directed, secrets hide and emerge, unexpected relationships form.

A stunning read from Alina Grabowski. Thanks to Net Galley and Zando Projects for the ARC.

Grabowski's novel unpacks the events surrounding the sudden death of a teen in a small depressed MA town. The story is told through the voices of 10 women - young and old, who are adjacent to, part of, on the periphery, or deeply impacted by the young girl's death. The storytelling is circular - the individual narratives dip in and out of time, going backwards and forwards, moving the plot along while also retelling certain events from different perspectives. There is nothing rudimentary about the very modern tragic story that Grabowski novel unspools, yet it is also a tale as old as time - young girls on the cusp of womanhood, older women reflecting back on their youth. Throughout, I wanted the girls to listen more to the mothers and the mothers to listen more their daughters! Highly recommend for lovers of women-first literary fiction, Thank you to NetGalley, Zando Projects, and SJP Lit for the e-Arc.

In a small town in Massachusetts, the sudden and somewhat mysterious death of a local teenage girl triggers a sense of urgency among ten women to unpack their roles and responsibilities in relation to the death and their respective communities.

I think authors who write literary fiction have the unique skill of sharing stunning observations about the human experience that at once make me feel seen and like I'm learning something about myself for the first time. Grabowski has some knock-out insights and prose and provides an insightful portrait of what it's like to occupy liminal spaces, especially as women in our society. A really wondrous debut.

Interesting story of the death of a young woman told through multiple points of view. Good writing and compelling storytelling.Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Alina Grabowski's intricate debut novel, “Women and Children First'' is a sophisticated and nuanced treatment of the challenges facing families trying to find their way in the rough passageways of 21st Century America.

Life is not easy in a hardscrabble Massachusetts coastal beach town. Everyone knows everyone’s business, of course, and inter-mingling is not always kept on the social and psychological level. It’s the women and girls who do all the heavy lifting (as always). The adults are “faking it until they make it” as parents, educators, and counselors. The teens and pre-teens are forced to grow up fast, with heartwarming resiliency and heartbreaking tragedy the inevitable outcomes. Trust is hard to come by.

While reading, I felt that I should be paying closer attention to details in order to pick up foreshadowing clues about what may have happened with Lucy; “Women and Children First” is a mystery, after all. But I don't because I'm mesmerized by the sentences, especially amused by the clever and (LOL) witty dialog. It’s that well-written. The chapter structure with multiple narrative points-of-view required me to keep a list of characters that evolved into a map of inter-relationships.

I look forward to seeing how this book is marketed (and shelved in school and public libraries). Grabowski has written a mystery that is literary fiction at its core. Well done!

Thanks to SJP Lit and NetGalley for the eARC.

Multiple points of view about the death of a young woman in the town where all the characters reside. Very good writing and an interesting way of storytelling. Four stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.