This book was a pleasant surprise.
I thoroughly enjoyed it, as it was a quick read and a good time.

J. Courtney Sullivan is an auto-read author for me, and this is no exception! I was waiting eagerly since her last book, "Friends and Strangers" (which I LOVED) and "The Cliffs" delivered. Beyond the amazing wring about the coastal setting, Sullivan's excellent character work is on display again here, as she weaves together the past and present storylines. The plot is a bit slow to get going, but since I've read everything else the author has written I knew to settle in and trust her, and I'm so glad I did.

This book was not my speed, it has numerous conflicting story lines that seemed like tangents and took me out of the true purpose of the book. Love the author but this one was not for me.

This is a deeply character-driven story that follows Jane as her life unravels. Recently placed on leave from her job and separated from her husband, Jane is also grieving the recent death of her mother. She temporarily moves back to her childhood town to clear out her family home, which brings her face-to-face with a Victorian house she was once obsessed with as a teenager. Perched on cliffs overlooking the ocean and abandoned for years, the house plays a key role in the story. As the narrative unfolds, we gradually learn what has led Jane to this pivotal point in her life, with insights from her past and different perspectives along the way. This rich, atmospheric novel explores the struggles of three generations of women, weaving together their complex stories with vivid, evocative descriptions.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an exploration of human relationships, set against the breathtaking backdrop of the rugged coastline. It is an interesting book and worth the read but not my favorite.

One of the standout aspects of "The Cliffs" is its setting. Sullivan's vivid descriptions of the coastal landscape are almost cinematic, immersing readers in the sights, sounds, and smells of the sea. The cliffs themselves become a metaphor for the emotional highs and lows experienced by the characters, adding a layer of depth to the narrative. Loved this part of the writing and this element in the book.

The themes such as love, loss, and redemption make "The Cliffs" a thought-provoking read.

I do think that the confusion in the novel is caused by too many POVs and the choppiness of the way the story is presented.

My thanks to J. Courtney Sullivan, Knopf, and NetGalley for the ARC.

some interesting ideas and strong characters, i liked emphasis on female protagonists. Overall, it felt like to many areas of focus, too disparate to link well or flow as a narrative. It felt like the book doesn't know if it wants to be a ghost story?; a literary and poignant exploration of family trauma, alcoholism, forgiveness and love?; a exploration of the terrible mistreatment of the indigenous peoples? Unfortunately the author failed to draw me in with characterization enough to want to find out and I did not finish the book.

This book started out great with a mysterious house with a ghost, a woman who has to restart her life, and other charming characters. I DNF at 36% after I felt like I was reading a lecture. This was far too slow paced, and I did not enjoy this soliloquy in the middle of the story.

I loved the Maine setting, but the plot was just too slow for me + I had a hard time feeling invested in the ghost story-line.

As a teenager Jane discovers a Victorian house, painted lavender that sits abandoned on a cliff in Maine, overlooking the ocean. She begins to visit the house every day to escape her home life and pretend that she lives here.

Years later Jane is back in her home town after making a mistake that threatened her job and career; while also battling alcoholism. She is disappointed to learn the house’s new owner has remodeled; the house is now white, not lavender, and very little of its charm remains. The new owner insists that the house is haunted and hires Jane to dig into the history.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC!

Initially, I was not sure what to make of this book, because I was scared that it was too long. I told myself that if I did not like it, a quarter of the way through, I would not finish it. However, I was nicely, surprised, this seems like a genre of book. I would not usually read but I found it, engaging, cozy, and enjoyed it all the way through

Sullivan's "The Cliffs" masterfully weaves together past and present in a haunting tale set against Maine's rugged coastline. The story follows Jane Flanagan, whose teenage fascination with an abandoned Victorian house comes full circle when she returns home twenty years later as a Harvard archivist, grappling with personal and professional crises. When she discovers the house has been transformed by its new owner Genevieve, who believes it's haunted, Jane is drawn into researching its complex history.
The novel brilliantly explores themes of motherhood, marriage, and the weight of the past through multiple timelines. Sullivan's rich prose brings to life both the atmospheric Maine setting and the intricate web of stories spanning generations of women who lived in the house. While investigating tales of lost lovers, stolen artifacts, and family secrets, Jane must also confront her own demons.
What sets this book apart is Sullivan's deft handling of complex themes like colonialism, alcoholism, and generational trauma, all while maintaining a compelling narrative that blends elements of historical fiction with a ghost story. The result is an emotionally resonant novel that shows how places can hold onto memories long after their inhabitants are gone.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

Loved, loved "Maine" by the same author but this didn't hit the sweet spot for me. I can't put my finger on why though :(

This felt like too many different stories combined into one. There wasn't any plot line that I didn't like, exactly, it was just that putting them all together - and periodically inserting new, historic narrators - stifled the momentum, and many didn't come to a satisfying enough resolution to be worth it.

Jane has really been through the ringer, and really has her share of baggage.

This novel has family drama, addiction, historical New England settlement, dual time period, multi point of view, grave diggers (and robbers), entitlement, and well, tons of other topics.

I feel like this book covered so many topics, but it could have just been one? Also what ever happened to the son and the ghost? That just like disappeared, like right after the confrontation...

2.5 stars on Storygraph.

Thank you NetGalley and Knopf Publishing for my DRC

I almost passed on this book based on the description and the scope and the length, but it was so worth the read. I loved the format of each section telling one part of an interconnected story that made perfect sense at the end. A little bit of spooky magical realism, but the reader doesn’t have to suspend disbelief to enjoy the read.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing this ARC for my voluntary and honest review!

The plot of this book was severely disjointed (and practically nonexistent), broken apart several times by lengthy tangents that felt more like reading a history textbook. It was almost as if the author forgot the story they were writing and instead shoved a series of research papers into the book. 1.5/5 stars.

Definitely unlike anything I’ve ever read before. I don’t believe in spirits or the afterlife but this was fun to dive into.

What a beautiful sweeping novel that takes you through the history of the women who live in a cliff-side house in Maine. This will appeal to readers that look for historical fiction as well as those that just enjoy a deep look at what is required to be a woman. I recommend this book!

"Jane was often astonished that there were so many worlds. Ideas and obsessions that meant everything to one person, to which he might devote his entire life, which the next person knew and cared nothing about."

I absolutely loved The Cliffs by J Courtney Sullivan - thank you to Knopf for the free ebook to review, I also had to buy my own physical copy when I realized how much I was highlighting. If you want a fast moving, plot driven story - move along, this isn't the space for you today. But if you're in the mood to meander, to wander into some tangents, to pause to take in the ideas/the words/the feelings, please come in!

The book description promises "enthralling, richly imagined, filled with psychic mediums and charlatans, spirits and past lives, mothers, marriage and the legacy of alcoholism, The Cliffs is a deeply moving novel about the land we inhabit, the women who came before us, and the ways in which none of us will ever truly leave this earth." I loved this book and don't have the words to do a review justice but I hope if any of this sounds good, you'll give it a try too!

Jane Flanagan returns home to Maine to lick her wounds after steamrolling her life and career while under the influence. There she reckons with her mom‘s recent death, her family‘s legacy of alcoholism, and the unexpected history of a house she “adopted” as a teen. There is a lot going on in this book between Jane‘s story, diversions into indigenous history, and first-person deep dives into historical characters with connections to the house. Even though I often wondered why I was being lead on a lengthy tangent into local history, I was satisfied with how Sullivan brought everything together in a way that didn‘t feel artificial. Recommended!