I like the first part of the book but, I thought it was kind of meandering. The letters from Diamond's relatives didn't really do anything to further the story.
The different plot lines did not come together and I was left with a lot of unanswered questions.

This is not your typical mother daughter story. There is definitely some sadness to it. It is just Diamond and her mother after her dad walks out on them. They are living in poverty in a town with a deep history of racism. Sometimes they can't afford to keep the electricity on and hitch hike wherever they need to go. Diamond stands out at her high school being the only Black and gets bullied about being overweight.
Diamond comes out of her shell when she makes her first real friend at driving school. I was a little creeped out at her friend's inappropriate relationship with an older man. I felt hope when she started communicating with a member of her dads' African American side of the family. The story really showed that family history and connection can play a big role in shaping a person's identity and understanding of themselves. The writing flowed well, and I wanted to keep turning the pages of Diamonds story.

The story has solid layers to it. The quote, "A Black man was in charge of the Ferris wheel. It makes me feel like everything will be alright" truly stuck out to me. Otherwise, I would have liked the story to have had an unique perspective on childhood, hardships, and family.

3.5 stars
Coming-of-age story about a biracial girl in an all-white town. The author did a good job of portraying Diamond's life and the history of the town. However, some aspects of the story didn't make sense to me and weren't fully explained or fleshed out. Also, while the beginning of the book was maybe just a bit too slow and detailed, the end just felt way too rushed.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

Diamond Newberry has determination. She knows life has dealt her a bad hand; she knows the kids at school ridicule her, and most embarrassing of all, her father left and never came back. But she’s determined to get her driver’s license. She says the thought is like a puddle with a river inside it.
One day, Diamond gets a letter from someone who says she’s her Auntie Lena. Through her letters, Diamond learns there’s so much more to her family, things to be proud of. So begins Diamond’s quest to learn as much as she can about her past. It’s a beautiful story, filled with strength and tragedy, a family’s love, and the pain of a family’s secrets. I’m impressed that this is Ms. Chambers debut novel. I look forward to reading more from this bright, new author.
Thanks so much to Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

While I truly believe the story needs to be told, I was kind of bored the whole time. There weren't many exciting moments that kept me captivated. Instead, I skimmed a bit and felt a little grateful after finishing it. However, the writing was solid. This is just not the type of book I enjoy because it felt too much like real life. I want to escape when I read, and this didn't provide me with escapism.

This debut combines a coming of age tale, historical fiction (set predominantly in the 1980s), and mystery. Diamond is a lonely and awkward teen, she weighs 300 pounds and she’s teased about it, and she’s the only black resident of her town after her father disappeared. The story is set over the course of one summer when many great changes take place in Diamond's life. I could see that this was well done, and it does have moments of hope and humor, but it was a HARD read and I never wanted to pick it up.

I loved the idea of this story. The writing was well done. However, it just didn't quite hold me the way I wanted it to. I loved how Diamond learns about her father's family history through letters from a relative she never had the chance to get to know. I love the pain and pressure between Diamond and her mother. I wasn't crazy about the interactions with her friend, Shelley. It took away from the plot I wanted to really dive into: the leaving and the missing father.

Swift River, by Essie Chambers, is a stunning debut novel. The voice of the main character is beautiful, vibrant, and vulnerable, and the intermixing of her ancestors and relatives through letters is a poignant addition and weaves together a multigenerational story that both guides and informs the narrator and reader.

This is a Soft dnf for noww. I loved Diamond as a character but aat the 30% mark I still felt that the book waas not moving at all. Once the letters came in I was so excited but they were slow and it did not feel like anything would come of it. I will pick this up again, but at the moment it does not feel like the right time for me.

I wanted to like this so much more but it felt all over the place and I don't feel like enough happened or the characters developed enough for a full book. The ending switched to talking TO the mom suddenly and felt out of place and then rushed the rest of Diamond's life like it was unimportant or she ran out of time for the book deadline. I did really enjoy her figuring out her place with/without her mother and becoming her own person but it wasn't enough to make up for the pure chaos of the books organization. I think this author shows promise with better guidance by an invested editor. 2.5/5 rounded up

Swift River is the name of a tiny town, mostly devoid of POC, which often times makes life difficult for mixed-race, Diamond. Add to that the fact that her father disappeared years ago and is presumed dead (or shacked up with another woman a few towns over, depending on who you ask), and her mother is a pill head who can’t move on from the loss of her husband, and it’s easy to see why Diamond is looking for…something else. Who or what, she isn’t sure, but Swift River isn’t it.
This story had four different time periods, which I found occasionally muddled things up a little, especially in the beginning. It came together better by the end, though, and overall, was an enjoyable read.
Thanks to #netgalley and #simonandschuster for this #arc of #swiftriver by #essiejchambers in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for letting me read SWIFT RIVER early. This one is out now.

I had a hard time getting into this one. I think the story was just not hitting me at the right time. I hope to pick this one up again real soon.

I am always up for a good coming of age story. This was a struggle for me, it kept me interested but at times I had a hard time following parts of it. Quite a sad story on many counts.

A "Read With Jenna" pick, I was delighted to receive an ARC of this book to review. Being the only black person in town, Diamond struggles with her identity and a sense of belonging after her father disappeared seven years past. Living with her white mother, they have a complicated relationship. Then a letter from her father's sister arrives and Diamond begins to make a connection to learn more about her father and his family and her history. going behind her mother's back. In this story we see Diamond grow and evolve into becoming comfortable with herself and celebrating her cultural history. A great coming of age story well told, we see the prejudices and hardships encountered and the courage of Diamond to overcome. Quite thought provoking, I highly recommend it. Many thanks to #netgalley, #swiftriver, #essiechambers, #simonandshuster for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is one of the best things I've read this year. A beautiful coming of age story that brought me a favorite character in a long time. Watching Diamond look for her place in this world moved me to tears multiple times.

Swift River is a painstakingly written novel about growing up, feeling alien, and dealing with parental loss. In 1987, Diamond is a mixed-race 16-year-old growing up in western Massachusetts. Seven years before, her father disappeared, leaving his shoes and wallet by the river. Diamond’s mother has never been able to move on from the loss of her husband. Though she is devoted to her daughter, she suffers from pain and struggles to keep a job. She dreams of the day when she can cash in her husband’s life insurance policy after he’s officially declared deceased.

In her predominantly white defunct mill town, Diamond, feels like she has never fit in and rarely had friends. Early on, in Driver’s Education class, Shelly befriends her, seeing in Diamond someone she can be herself with. I really adored their friendship. Chambers does such a wonderful job illustrating what friendship is like between teenage girls. It’s not perfect, but they are so loyal to each other.

Early in the novel, Diamond’s long-lost aunt writes to her. Diamond has no contact with her father’s family, who live in Georgia and Canada. Diamond and her aunt correspond, and Diamond also receives letters sent by her great aunt many decades prior. These letters help illustrate the reality for black families in Swift River and how her father was brought up. Thinking about Diamond’s father, makes me ache for his family’s pain and what her father must have gone through during his life.

Though a little bleak at times, Swift River, is such an engrossing novel. The characters are fully formed and so well-written. It depicts how imperfect parental love can be, even when you are born in love and both parents have the very best of intentions. Diamond is so sensitive, empathetic, and astute in her observations about her mother. I truly did not want this story to end. I was rooting so hard for Diamond and her mother.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

It’s 1987 in the town of Swift River. Diamond is a teenager relentlessly bullied by those around her. Being the only black person in town, she definitely stands out. Her father disappeared seven years ago and her mother is determined to have him declared dead so they can collect his life insurance and re-establish themselves. Diamond’s life is about to change when she receives a letter from relatives, relatives that have answers to her Pop’s past, as she starts to find her place in the world, will the lessons from the past change her future? The story started strong, but told in three voices, jumped around and became confusing at times. This story covers some difficult topics, but it was one that I had a difficult time connecting with and the end left me with several unanswered questions. Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I feel like I have not stopped talking about this book. A heart-wrenching story showing the entangled lives of multiple generations of the Newberry family. The stream of consciousness vibe really works for this type of story. I wouldn’t be surprised if years down the line, I saw a Classics version of ‘Swift River’. It has the heart and staying power of a literary masterpiece.

Spanning multiple generations, Swift River is a moving story of a family trying to survive in a small New England mill town. My heart broke for teenage Diamond who just wants to learn to drive and dreams of escaping the town that’s been so cruel to both her and her family. I enjoyed the letters from relatives that Diamond didn’t previously know being used to expose the town’s secrets.

I was glad that there was more hope for Diamond at the end of the book. I wish the ending gave more details on what happened next for Diamond. I found the ending to be a little abrupt and vague.

This debut is a powerful coming of age story that involves the loss of a parent, race, and identity.

Thank you to Simon Books for a digital copy.