Thank you so much to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor for the ARC!

From the description alone, this really sounds like the perfect kind of read for me. I love literary fiction especially when it involves messy family drama, old houses, and this one also said GHOSTS? Sign me up!

It started out rather slow and I even had to re-start a couple times because my mind kept wandering while reading. While it did pick up a little bit, ultimately I just don't think it was for me. It seemed to go off the rails for me around 30% in and it didn't hold my attention like I wished it would.

On a positive note, I love the cover and I'm sure this will be big hit. Lots of positive reviews so take mine with a grain of salt.

This will be available July 2nd!

Overall, this was an interesting read with overlapping stories told through different centuries and perspectives as they relate to one location on the coast of Maine. Overall I enjoyed the redemptive character arc and generational trauma. The book was obviously well-researched but at times it felt a bit too much like a research paper and I’m not sure quite so much exposition was required although that may be because I’m fairly well-acquainted with Spiritualism and repatriation.

Sullivan’s provocative latest is the story of a purple Victorian and the land on which it sits, overlooking the ocean in Maine. The present day storyline doesn’t hold the same allure as the past dramas, but this juicy summer tale remains immersive, nuanced, and highly discussable.

The premise to this novel sounded promising, but the pacing felt a bit off and it was always a struggle to pick the book back up after setting it down.

WOW! This book was such a compelling read about our family histories, the histories of physical places, and the history of the land around us.

Growing up, Jane Flanagan doesn't feel connected to her mother and sister so she seek refuge in an old abandoned house on a secluded bluff in her hometown. After moving away and working as a Harvard archivist of women's stories, she returns home. Ostensibly, this is to pack up and sell her grandmother's/mother's house since her mother has passed away. But she is also running away from her life after a judgement error impacts her job and her marriage.

Once home, she goes back to the house to find it completely renovated by a new owner. When the new owner, Genevieve, learns of Jane's profession, she hires her to look into the history of her new home that she is convinced is haunted. As Jane does research she learns the stories of the past inhabitants and the women who lived there - and may still be present.

I am a big fan of J. Courtney Sullivan's other books, so I was excited to have the opportunity to preview her next one, The Cliffs, with a gifted digital copy from NetGalley. However, this is did not live up to her other books, though I had hope for her to bring it all together.

The book reads like the author has done a ton of research on a lot of different topics, and she wants to cram it all in one book, but isn't really sure how. This book covers a historical home, Native American tribes, stories, and reparation fights in Maine, spiritualists, the Shakers, alcoholism, and grief all in one book. There are several ghost sightings, but then never again. There are many references to David, the main character's husband throughout the book but we never get to know him, or even see him in the book until the end. Other characters appear and reappear throughout the book, which could be main players, but they come in and out randomly. Toward the end there is a serious chapter on the effects on alcoholism on relationships, and I felt this was both too late in the book (too late to give understanding about characters) and it felt like a bit of a lecture, which I didn't need. There is also a lengthy "article" about tragedies that the tribe of Native Americans suffered at the hands of English explorers, which also seemed kind of random, only put there to be informative and bring attention to these atrocities. Interesting and necessary to know and honor, but this book was not the place for it. There are a couple characters that were brought up as Shakers, another interesting thing to learn about, but one of the characters leads her own chapter, which I enjoyed, but I was not sure of the necessity of having her suddenly be a main focus. I was enjoying the beginning of this book, but overall, by the end when things started to get more serious, I was over it and just wanted to be finished. It did not have a flow and left you not caring about any characters because those who you cared about in the beginning suddenly were not nice, the whole thing just fell apart. Really too bad since I have felt that J. Courtney Sullivan was always one of my go to authors. But this one I will not be recommending. Go for The Engagements or Maine instead.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The author is very talented and I've read her other books- Maine being a favorite. I think The Cliffs could have been great, but it was trying to be 2 very different kinds of books. I appreciated the history lesson and importance of Native American origins of the land. I didn't particularly care for Jane as a person. I found it hard to believe Genevieve hires her. The ghost stories and psychic medium was interesting but as a reader, skeptical and bogged down by long chapters and no easy breaks. The Cliffs dragged.

3 of 5 stars. Out 7/16/24.

1.5⭐️s rounded up. Honestly, I disliked 90% of this book. The only reason I didn’t DNF it was because it was an ARC and I didn’t feel right leaving a review without finishing it.

I could not stand Jane. I know that’s probably sort of the point but a main character who has an enormous victim-mentality, blames everyone for her problems and her alcoholism, wants everyone to chase her but has no concept about herself fixing things or apologizing, and is an overall judgmental snob, for most of the book is not enjoyable.

The heavy pushing of psychic medium and reincarnation that was threaded thru the book was unexpected and bizarre. I anticipated based on the description it would be a lot of historical threads for the house and cliffs that were the setting but each past character only got a chapter at most and then it was Jane and her alcoholism or all sorts of psychic, speaking with the dead.

In addition, the historical Native American focus could have been really interesting - definitively more interesting than the rest of the book, honestly - but the majority (outside of the last chapter) felt like a browbeating. I completely agree that the treatment of the Native Americans and their land was horrendous and awful. But it felt conveyed with a pretentious superiority rather than creating a sense of empathy and allowing a space for learning thru the people’s stories.

Overall I just really disliked the book on so many levels.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

There was A LOT going on in this novel, with multiple longs trips down a couple different rabbit holes that I'm not sure were entirely necessary. While I found the tangents interesting, it felt disjointed. Some of the backstories could definitely have been abbreviated. Also, the chapters were very long, which is a pet peeve of mine, and the pace was a little slow. That being said, I enjoyed the story overall.

I absolutely loved Sullivan's Saints for All Occasions and have also enjoyed several of her other books. Thus, I was really looking forward to reading The Cliffs. The premise of the book is compelling, and I adore the setting in Maine (one of my favorite places). However, my enjoyment of the book was severely hampered by the frequent "info dumps" on topics ranging from Native American history, past life regression, Quaker life, and more. Don't get me wrong, I think these topics are crucial and were absolutely relevant to the plot and characters. However, in this book the presentation was so didactic that it pulled me away from the bones of the story. The long chapters (especially those from other POVs) also had this effect. In short, this book could have been an amazing story of a woman struggling with substance abuse as she seeks to discover the mysteries of a place she loves, but it just didn't come together for me. A disappointing read from an author I love.

I'm a bit torn on this one. On the plus side, it was incredibly unique and educational. It was definitely unlike any book I've ever read. On the negative side, the plot lines felt too many to me and the way they interacted didn't totally work for me. Some connections felt forced and others didn't totally make sense to me. I also wanted to empathize with the MC but it was hard because she was so judgmental of others. Overall, it was a middle-of-the-road read.

While I don't usually choose to read "ghost stories," The Cliffs is by author J. Courtney Sullivan, who's name alone makes me want to read the book. I found myself drawn into the story quickly, and I enjoyed the multiple viewpoints that were in longer sections than a typical multi-generational timeline format of alternating chapters. I felt myself being fully immersed in each character as I read her story in her respective timeline. The main character, Jane (present day), was complex and entirely human. The Cliffs is not your typical summer beach read, but it still embodied the same spirit that always has me longing for long days at the beach with a good book.

As always, Ms. Sullivan did not disappoint! I have been a fan of her since reading Commencement so getting the opportunity to read and review this ARC was a true honor. This book does deal with some heavy/sensitive topics including alcoholism, grief, and depression, so if those are triggering to you, please be aware. This book follows Jane dealing with not only the grief of losing her mother, but also the fallout from an event that may cause the loss of her marriage and her job. She returns home to a coastal village in Maine where she begins to pack up her mother's home and unpack her relationship with grief and alcohol. While there she comes across Genevive who hires Jane, and archivist, to help her delve into the history of a historical home that she has bought in the village. Jane uncovers the rich and often unsettling history of the indigenous people that once inhabited the land in much of Maine. We also get a glimpse of some of the history of the Shakers who also are a part of Maine's history. The author includes real life details and facts about these people into the story that really make an impact, especially if you reside in the New England Area. I appreciated the references she gave and look forward to diving more into this topic.

There was a lot to unpack in this book, but J. Courtney Sullivan does it masterfully as she has done with all her previous works. The only place where I will nitpick a little is with the ending. I wish we got to spend a little more time tying up the loose ends with Jane, but otherwise a brilliant novel that I can't wait to get a physical copy of and reread.

Pros: really interesting indigenous history! The main character redeemed herself at the end. I liked using the medium as a central role in telling the story

Cons: it felt like 2-3 different stories that tried to be blended together - somewhat successfully. It was not a quick and fascinating read for me, but did pick up towards the end, although I couldn’t tell you how all the characters fared.

3 stars/C

'If only these walls could talk'. Well they nearly do in 'The Cliffs', the latest from J. Courtney Sullivan. Our main character, Jane, grows up in Maine and has a particular fondness for the purple Victorian on the cliffs that she and her friend used to play in as kids. It was abandoned at the time, but there were still remnants of its prior residents-clothes, toys, and other artifacts.Jane grows up and leaves for Boston, where she pursues her dream of becoming a researcher at Harvard on women's rights. 20 years later, divorced and unemployed, she returns to her hometown and finds the house has been completely renovated and is not occupied by a wealthy Bostonian family. She befriends the owner, Genieve, and ends up getting hired when the family's son begins seeing ghosts. As an archivist, Jane digs into all the history of the house going back at least 50 years. What she finds is stories of women. Women persevering, women failing, women dying, women thriving, whole lives embodied in the house that gives her research on women's rights a whole new meaning. She ends up working out some of her own issues by doing this research on the house, her relationship with her mother, and their alcoholism. This has great character development, and is very well written. It does drag in spots so might benefit from some strong editing. If you love history, and old houses, you'll really enjoy this!

The Cliffs by J Courtney Sullivan is a novel made of many stories. The main story of the character is Jane. She has been balancing her life and needs throughout the story. She is determined not to be her mother and to be part of a person who helps share stories from the past. The story is told in various female voices (including Jane’s) that highlights love, loss and motherhood.

There are at least 3 other stories involved including the story of Hannah, the captain’s wife, and Eliza, the ex Shaker. I enjoyed the stories that highlight the history of the house, but I felt that each one of the stories could be a standalone story. By tying them all together, I feel each story was then more of a lecture about the past than a story of the past. I really wanted to hear more about the Shakers or the original indigenous people than the story of Jane.

Jane was not a likable main character and Genieve was not a likable secondary character. I felt that both characters drained the book for me. I slogged through their stories wanting to get to reading about the more interesting characters. While the novel ended in a positive manner, I didn’t embrace the story as a whole and felt disappointed in the novel.

Having said all that, I read the book for the entirety of the story. I did not like all the parts of the book, but neither did I stop reading it. The Cliffs by J Coutney Sullivan was interesting, challenging, irritating and fascinating - all rolled into one book.

I have enjoyed several of J. Courtney Sullivan's books, and her latest one, "The Cliffs," sounded like a winner from the description. When I first started it, I thought it was going to have a similar plotline to "North Woods," because both books feature a house -- a character in itself -- and the various occupants of the house over several centuries. But while "North Woods" seemed to deal more with ecology, "The Cliffs" captured my attention because of the human characters and the fascinating history Sullivan details.

Teen-age Jane, the story's primary character, stumbles upon a ramshackle purple Victorian house perched on one of the famous cliffs in coastal Maine. Jane is entranced by the unoccupied property, and it becomes her refuge from her alcoholic, emotionally abusive mother. She and her best friend, Allison, break into the house and are surprised to find clothes in the closets, marbles all over the floor, and a total state of disarray. After moving away, going to college, getting her dream job as a women's archivist and researcher at Harvard and marrying a wonderful man, she returns to her hometown 20 years later a broken mess -- a work catastrophe and the crumbling of her perfect marriage threaten her long sought-after happiness on top of dealing with cleaning out her childhood home after her mother's death. She re-visits the house on the cliff, and is appalled that a wealthy Bostonian couple has bought it as a summer retreat, but they have totally white-washed it to make it a magazine-worthy showpiece.

The home's current owner, Genevieve, who has her own personal issues, hires Jane to research the history of the house -- her motives aren't quite clear, but the fact that her young son has seen a ghost is obviously one reason. Jane needs money and a new sense of purpose, and becomes quite involved in finding answers.

The novel is long and touches on a lot of themes -- mysticism, ghosts, alcoholism, family conflicts, infidelity, friendships, and of course, history. I really enjoyed learning about the Native Americans who were subjugated to terrible violence from the "invading" Colonists, the peace-loving Shakers, along with other interesting subjects, such as the pilfering and sale of Indigenous artifacts, home restoration and mysticism. The book goes back and forth in history, and this can make for some challenges keeping up with all the characters and various storylines. I still thoroughly enjoyed the novel and highly recommend.

J. Courtney Sullivan has been one of my top authors for some time now. Commencement is one of my favorite books. Whenever she has a new title, I’m eager to read. The Cliffs is told in typical Sullivan fashion with several story lines intertwined. This book followed several narratives, but I enjoyed delving deep into each character.
There was quite a bit of history involved, which also made for a more a more interesting read. It was a long read , and at times moved slowly, but Sullivan’s writing and ability to connect varying characters kept me engaged. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

Just a really wonderful, rich story, full of compassion and heart. I will definitely be recommending the Cliffs.

I have read and loved a couple of J. Courtney Sullivan's books in the past, so I was especially looking forward to reading THE CLIFFS! I can be picky about historical fiction, and am not usually a huge fan of ghost stories/horror type of books, but I still really liked this one.. I especially enjoyed following Jane's journey—she was such a complex, fascinating character, and I was engaged in her story from start to finish. I thought the historical aspect of the story was also so well-done, extensively researched, and fascinating to read about! Sullivan evokes such a strong sense of place throughout, too—she does a fantastic job of developing the setting and immersing readers in this small Maine town. Other reviewers have described the story as a sort of short story collection within a larger novel, which I overall agree with, and thought that narrative style was a real strength of the book. Each different facet of the story is important, and all of the different elements gradually connect to each other throughout. That also shows that it has something for everyone—whether you're a history buff, more drawn to a twisty mystery, or love a character-driven read, you'll certainly find something to enjoy in THE CLIFFS this summer! Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC.