“Night Swimming” is a poignant exploration a group of high school graduates on the cusp of adulthood. Trevor and Sarah decide that they will swim every swimming pool in their home town before the end of the summer. Their friends get wind of the plan and join in, and it nearly succeeds…until a meeting with a mysterious person leads them to a relatively unknown and little-used swimming hole that holds a mysterious and seductive power. There, the group must really look within for answers as to why they are there and how they will escape.

The story is novel. I enjoyed the off-the-wall decision by the main characters to swim every pool in town - it’s the type of goal that is both silly/meaningless in the long term, but endlessly meaningful if you’re caught up in the space between the moments of childhood and adulthood. I think I would have liked more on that part of their quest as they went through it since the majority of it felt glossed over to make room for the characters’ encounter with the mysterious swimming hole. The latter part of the book centers on this mysterious swimming spot, and I appreciated the premise. It gives of strong “Twilight Zone” vibes in a good way.

The characters are fun, with a good dynamic. They seem very well-suited to the 1990s, almost like the cast of characters you’d find in movies like “American Pie” or “Can’t Hardly Wait.” Trevor and Sarah have a solid relationship and a “will they/won’t they” vibe, although I did feel in places that she was defined more by her relationships to male characters than as a character in her own right. The other characters provide good foils for them.

Overall, a solid story exploring the possibilities and terrors offered by abandoning childhood and leaping headlong into adulthood.

I received this book for free via NetGalley

I enjoyed this book. I think mainly because it was "my time". I loved reading about about all the things I grew up with and just had forgotten. That made for a fun setting. I think the book was well written and they characters developed. Enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! My inner teen enjoyed the 90s setting. Adult teacher me liked the appeal for teens. Although this book was definitely out there, I thought it had enough creep and novelty to stick out from the same old same old books. The ending was strange, and I don’t really understand the connection with the lady who sent them to the pool and why she shared this info or even knew it, but it definitely kept my interest. I kind of wish I knew what went in with each character in the end, the mystery around all of it was good, too. I’d recommend this one to HS kids, not MS. FYI profanity, talk of sex, underage drinking and drug use

I read this book as an ARC. I loved the feeling it gave me of being back in high school and the nostalgia of being a senior in high school again. It was hard to put this book down as I was reading it.

A fever dream of a book, and like a dream, it doesn't give you much to grasp on to. It's nostalgic and atmospheric, but much of that effect is created through a spare, detached writing style, at the expense of deeper character development or more compelling exploration of the scenario playing out. (I'm intentionally staying vague here because discovering that scenario is half the fun!) Overall, it's a quick, short read, but never captivating enough that I found myself itching to pick it up again—in fact, at times, I forgot I was reading it until I opened my Kindle app and saw the cover.

If you're considering reading, a tip: The book mentions John Cheever's amazing short story "The Swimmer." If you've never read it before, this is NOT a case where you need to go rush off and look up the story before continuing—in fact, I would personally recommend reading it AFTER you've finished "Night Swimming." I'm sure there's not a right or a wrong answer, of course, but personally, I would have preferred to have gone into the reading experience without any familiarity with "The Swimmer"!

Book:
NIGHT SWIMMING by Aaron Starmer
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the Earc (April 29)

Review:
2⭐
Trevor and Sarah make a pack to swim in all the pools in their town before the end of summer. When doing so, they learn of one last one---one that leads to confusion and weirdness.
I'm not sure how to review this because what did I just read??? It was weird and über confusing---and I still don't know what happened. Like I felt like I couldn't follow, especially the little povs at the end of the chapters and the ending. It was all out confusing. The mystery of the swimming hole, getting stuck there, leaving, and what happens after. The phenomenon made zero sense to me. Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't something that I would want to read again.

An interesting idea. I was intrigued until the end. Not sure how I feel about the ending yet but it wasn’t what I expected.

One night after high school graduation and before college. Before things change. Before life begins. A group of friends go for a night swim in a natural pond for the last time.

Most of us look back to that time fondly. Or if not fondly, at least with some nostalgia. But how would you feel if you never left?

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Workshop for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
4/5!!!

I loved this novel in the sense that it was a quick, feel-good read. There was a hint of magical realism with a mix of ‘90s nostalgia. The plot was highly original and the story will truly bring you back to those endless summer days and nights between semesters where you have no responsibilities and the possibilities are endless. The novel poses many life-altering questions about who we are and who we are meant to become.

The book is in two sections (A & B); A follows Trevor and Sarah on their lustful pool hopping journey that lands them at the pool of all pools, and B is where the group of teens begin to realize that the forest they have entered may be stopping time on the inside, and has a unique pull on each of them and their desires. Starmer titles each chapter with song titles that perfectly complement the contents.

Favorite Quote: “Yet, there was one thing he did understand. He couldn’t stay here trying to recapture what they had, waiting on someone who would never return. His life couldn’t be defined by this one person, this one place, this one moment. Because the moment was over, and it was okay for things to be over. It was also okay to feel scared and ashamed and unsure about what might come next, as long as he could face what came next. And what came after that.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! So different than I expected, odd but fascinating. The description of the the people and scenery was perfect, I could imagine being there. Immerse yourself in the author's magical land of nightswimming!

Thank you netgalley for the prerelease ebook!

I absolutely love the cover. It is what caught my attention. Unfortunately, the book didn't. Ig started ok but then dragged and I really didn't care what happened to the characters. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

*thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC for review*

This one was I think a little too weird for me. I really enjoy the 90s vibes and feel, but the story itself never really captivated me and I finished simply to know what the interludes were referencing. The ending wasn’t really satisfying and I felt like the characters just didn’t do much. Onto the next!

Imagine the exhilaration you feel, when finally coming to the end of something that has been your total existence since being a young child all the way through to the end of your teenage years. Then imagine that exhilaration mixed with the fear and anxiety of new unknowns and what comes next in your life. Night Swimming takes a look at the in between of those two pivotal milestones and shows what it would be like to freeze a perfect moment in time. But it also asks the question, what is the permanence of a perfect moment, when we grow and change, and seek out that next fleeting, perfect moment.

Trevor and Sarah have just graduated from high school in the early summer of 1994, and Sarah decides it would be a great idea to swim in every pool of their town, by the summer’s end. This gives the two of them a great way to avoid the questions of their future and what it will look like when they both leave for college. Trevor agrees because of his feelings for Sarah, and he is hoping this will give him the opportunity to share those feelings with her, and that she will return them.

I really enjoyed the time period for Night Swimming, because I graduated in 1993, so a lot of what was happening in the story was very nostalgic for me. I could also totally see the neighborhood pool hopping being something that could have easily taken place during this time. I also loved the different personalities that Starmer introduced through Trevor and Sarah’s other friends. They were a perfect reflection of kids that I knew from high school, and Schulz was definitely my favorite.

The magical realism is done really well, and I thought it was a great way to show that even though groups of people might be at the same stage in life, we are not all ready for that stage at the same time. Each of the characters had to come to their own realizations of when they were ready to face that moment.

I found Night Swimming to have a unique storyline that takes a step away from typical YA Fiction, to take a deeper look at what it means to leave young adulthood behind and face the choices of adulthood. If you love stories about coming of age, self discovery, and 90s nostalgia, with a touch of magical realism, then I would highly recommend Night Swimming.

It had a very original writing style that I occasionally like, and the plot was completely different from anything I've ever read. The story's tone and atmosphere appealed to me, and I was eager to learn what had transpired. Night Swimming is a great choice if you like character-driven narratives and are drawn to stories with a hint of the fantastical. It's a haunting, unforgettable story that makes you appreciate the mystery and beauty that lie beyond the known.

I found Night Swimming to have some appeal when I think about being the age of the characters and what was going through their head and their experiences. It reminded me of my own teenage years. I found it a little strange to want to make a game of swimming in all the pools in the town. However, I also found it a bit exhilarating. As the Trevor and Sarah found the new swimming pool. It seemed as though it took a while to keep the plot moving. I enjoyed the book, but I found it to be a bit slow in places.

This felt really unique - it was weird, and nostalgic, and beautiful. In many ways it felt like an appropriate length for the story, and then in other ways I would have liked it to go on much longer. This feels like a book I will think about for quite some time.

If you liked this, you may also like The Hike by Drew Magary. The Hike is much weirder and a bit scary, but there are some similar themes and concepts that I feel like go well with this book. And both left me with questions I am still thinking about, such as how many people before them experienced this same thing?

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Workshop, and the author for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my review!

I picked this book for 2 reasons- First, the stunning cover. Second, this little blurb: From the author of Spontaneous comes a 90s mixed tape of a young adult novel that delivers a summer romance with an unearthly twist.
Being that I was a young adult in the 90s, I definitely was intrigued and dove in head first, completely blind. I suggest you do the same, you won't be disappointed, but if you want a little more premise, read on.

August 1994, I just finished my freshman year of high school and was going into my sophomore year the following month.
For our MMC, Trevor, and FMC Sarah, they just graduated and are off to separate colleges. They decide to spend their final summer together pool hopping throughout their entire town of Sutton.

The two young adults and a few close friends are led to a natural pool in the woods on the outskirts of town by a mysterious woman who loves purple. With plenty of Boones Farm wine (oh, this takes me down memory lane) and 90s music references (hence the title), the group decided to make the most of this last swimming pool adventure.
They soon realize that things are a little bizarre, are they dreaming, or is what's happening even real?

Aaron Starmer takes you down a nostalgic path that leaves you guessing at everything and at every corner. Written in such a heart felt, almost poetic way, you are fully immersed in Night Swimming. (I literally found myself feeling anxious and holding my breath a couple of times.)
Truly, it's unputdownable (not sure if that's a real word), but I couldn't stop reading once I started. I finished in 1 sitting, a few short hours.

Night Swimming is not your typical summer romance/YA novel. It was written to take you on your own personal, thought-provoking journey. Reflecting on your own past experiences and the fears you had as a young adult in regards to self discovery and your grown-up future.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for an advanced eARC of Night Swimming by Aaron Starmer.

This was a quick read that felt like Bowling For Soup's High School Never Ends literary-fied. Trevor and his crush Sarah go pool-hopping on a whim starting after they graduate. It's fun at first, but then Trevor becomes frustrated since this activity doesn't help him getting out of friendzone. He accidentally blurts it out to his circle of friends, and when Jared, Bev, Schultz, Lori, Buck, and Heather finally join in to a natural pool in the woods, strange things happen.

My high school days are fifteen years after this story takes place, so I can't say anything about nostalgia, but the feeling of wanting to freeze time especially after the hardship and before harder stuff comes is relatable. Trevor and his friends realize that they inevitably will take different paths but which one hangs longer onto this fleeting moment of endless night is another question. I liked that it incorporates surreal elements and mysterious first person POV snippets in every chapter, slowing down the fast pace and making me guess who this is about. This might start like typical dare/bucket list kind of story but the twist from the middle makes it unique.

"Night Swimming" in my opinion is perfect for readers of peculiar books and those who want to experience contemporary YA set in retro times, old and young. You'll find you and I are not so much different when it comes to growing up. 3.5 stars rounded up.

The good:
My high school experience wasn't exactly parties and drinking in the nineties, but for what it's worth, the nostalgia for a high school friend group hit exactly right anyway. To me, this book pretty much perfectly captured all the weird, melancholy feelings around just after high school graduation. That period is an intimidating pause point in time thinking about a future that doesn't really make sense to you but feels like it's actually your future and your choice for the first time. It really feels surreal and a little bit magic, just like this book.

The bad:
The semi-omniscient narrative style was a little strange, and I think harder to read than more stringent POVs from characters would have been, and some characters weren't explored as well as they could have been due to our being mostly connected to what and who Trevor cares about.

The ugly (silly opinions):
Man, this book captures how high school romance is really well. I remember being sort of like Sarah and Trevor once. A little extra (cringe) nostalgia as well as everything else.

I did not read the description close enough when I requested this book. I was intrigued by the description and the cover. I did not realize it was YA and YA is a genre I steer clear of. I'm not sure why because I love this book! The story hooked me from the beginning and it was such a fun palate cleansing read.

Aaron Starmer’s "Night Swimming" is a cleverly written story that has a heartfelt plot and a surprising twist. What starts as a seemingly straightforward tale quickly transforms into a mind-bending exploration of time, memory, and the choices that define us.

Full of 90's nostalgia and cute quips, the has a surprising magical realism element to it that opens the door for a more reflective and emotional look at teen years and the journey that takes us on.

If you enjoy stories that challenge your perception of reality while delivering a rich emotional payoff, Night Swimming is an absolute must-read. It’s a testament to Aaron Starmer’s talent that a book so playful in structure can also be so deeply moving.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC!