This is the drama of a family with conservative parents and more liberal grown children around and after the Covid pandemic. The story is told by Judy even though she is not present in all of the events. That was a little confusing. The story was also presented as unstructured memories that felt random at times. It just bounced from place to place. Add to that the huge amount of character, in and out of the family, and it became difficult at times to follow. Why were some of the people included was never fully explained. The book is definitely more character driven and less plot driven; however, there was continued foreshadowing to an event that felt rather anticlimactic. As a slice of life family drama type book, this was a good read. I wanted more from it.

I think this author won't be for everyone but I love her slow, family centered stories. Her characters are so real to me and I love being in their lives so deeply.

This is a very dysfunctional family story with characters who were not very likeable. After the death of their mother, 4 siblings come home to Florida to be closer to their father. They definitely all have some pretty serious issues going on. The story seemed pretty meandering and I just could get on board with where it was going most of the time. I didn't like that 2 of the siblings were named George and Fred, one of which was a girl. I kept confusing who was who. Also, the main narrator is Jude, who we don't even find out her name for awhile. But while she is in first person, we switch to the other sibling's stories and it seems third person, but not straight forward. That part was also confusing and I didn't enjoy always trying to figure out who was telling. I thought the part about the girl from their childhood, Ellen's story was an odd choice and just seemed thrown in. The secret that was alluded to for the entire story was quite a let down once it was finally revealed. Now.........we get to the part that took this down a full star rating for me. The death at the end of the book. I can't go into details without going into spoiler territory, but it was completely unneccessary and quite graphic and disturbing. If I had been reading this in physical format I probably would have gotten up and thrown it in the trash, it made me that mad. If anyone wants to know what it was about you can DM me. Overall, this one just didn't work well for me, then the ending pushed it over the top for me.

Thank you to @netgalley and @marinerbooks for this #gifted copy. Publishes 04/08/2025

The Float Test tells the stories of 4 adult siblings a month after their mother passes as well as previous years. I really enjoyed the writing style, but I had a hard time sticking with it. The story bounced around a bit which made it hard for me to follow and by the time I got to the end I wasn't invested enough to feel like it redeemed itself. Three stars for the writing and finally getting to understand why the siblings were estranged.

The Float Test tells the saga of the Kenner family as they grapple with their grief from losing their mother, as well as all of their own individual triumphs and failures. This is a story about family and about secrets - both the ones we keep and the ones we choose to share. Overall, I found the story very entertaining and kept wanting to turn the pages to know what was going on. To find fault, I would say that there was a wide range of characters and while all were explored, some felt limited in depth and as though there was more to explore within them.

3.5 rounded up. For fans of Claire Lombardo's "The Most Fun We Ever Had."

Tolstoy said “ All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way and that is true for this privileged Florida family in The Float Test. The Float Test follows an unhappy family after the sudden death of the matriarch. Strong weaves a serpentine storyline that made me struggle to make sense of the plot. A gun is introduced early on and taken from the deceased mother’s underwear drawer. An unhappy young mother who the daughters went to school with is introduced, but she seemingly has little involvement with the family. I guess the fun was introduced as a way to increase tension in the story? The reader is just waiting for someone to use the gun. The four siblings are not close at the time of their mother’s death but the reason for their distance is not revealed until 90% of the novel has passed and by that point I didn’t even care. There was a great deal of climate change and environmental damage angst perhaps thrown into make readers more aware of Florida’s particular damage, but it really didn’t serve to improve the already slow story.

Lynn Steger Strong’s "The Float Test" is a family drama that explores grief and relationships in the aftermath of loss. Set over two summer months in a wealthy area of Florida, the story focuses on the four Kenner siblings as they come together following the sudden death of their mother, who passed away after a stroke. It captures the complexity of their lives and the challenges they face while regrouping as a family.

The youngest sibling, George, stays in the family home, while second sibling Winifred becomes a central figure. One key element of the story is a gun that Winifred discovers in their mother’s dresser drawer after the funeral. The mystery of the gun connects past events with the present and becomes a subtle thread running through the novel.

What makes this novel truly unique is that it's told from the perspective of Jude, the third-oldest sibling. He is the "omniscient" narrator even though he is away in New York for much of the book. He shares details about the other characters’ thoughts and actions, filling in gaps with imagination or information he learned later. While this choice gives the story an interesting and creative structure, it can sometimes make things feel disjointed or a bit confusing.

There are subplots incorporated for each sibling which add layers to the story with backstories and details about their late mother’s life. However, with so many characters and storylines, it can feel like there’s not enough focus to tie everything together. Additionally, while the book touches on environmental issues in Florida, this aspect doesn’t play a major role in the overall plot and could have been eliminated altogether.

While "The Float Test" is a beautifully written novel that delves into themes of family, loss, and unresolved tensions with moments of insight and emotional depth, its fragmented structure can feel challenging to follow at times. However, for readers that enjoy character-driven stories and don’t mind a more open-ended narrative, this could be a thought-provoking read.

I absolutely loved the writing in this book. The insights were sharp and well-rounded. I really enjoyed how the author illustrated the difficult childhoods of each of the characters without spoon feeding her reader. Because each sibling brings their own baggage and unresolved issues to the table the story is rich and layered narrative. I had just enough information to fill in the gaps of each of the siblings. While I appreciated the credit Strong gave her reader, I did have a hard time keeping track of all of the characters and backstories because of so many subplots and backstories. I could have done without Maeve and Tallulah. I disagree with some reviews that have noted "environmental issues" or "climate change" as a plot point. I think these elements are central to the character of Florida. Climate change has and is seeping into every aspect of the human experience. It would be like telling a story about California without mentioning wildfires.

I really appreciated the story and detail about the client of Deborah and how she came to be in possession of the gun. There are unresolved questions (why didn't she turn it in? why did she keep it?) that I don't feel needed to be resolved but did linger at the end for me.

Strong's writing is immersive, capturing the oppressive heat of Florida along with the emotional intensity and upheaval of the family's interactions. However, some readers might find the abundance of storylines and characters a bit overwhelming. Overall, The Float Test is a testament to Strong's skill as a writer that she can weave together so many threads into a cohesive and engaging story.

The Kenner family has some real challenges. After the sudden death of their mother, the four adult children and their father find themselves unmoored, each in a very different and unique way. Their upbringing was very comfortable, never wanting for anything, and all are/were in professional careers. However, they all seemed to be living very messy lives and there's really not one likable character in the whole book.
Their story, and secrets and grievances, unfolds over the course of a steamy Florida summer. Lynn Steger Strong does seem to like to focus on family relationships in her novels, although I did prefer the ones in her earlier novel, Flight.
The Float Test tackles themes of dysfunctional families and secrets, along with threads about climate change and deforestation of land.
Thanks to Netgalley and Mariner Books for the opportunity to read The Float Test. I received a complimentary copy of the book and opinions expressed are completely my own.

Too much going on and also not enough going on at the same time. Could not get into any of the characters but it had some bright spots.

The Float Test by Lynn Steger Strong is a recommended literary family drama set in Florida.

The four Kenner family siblings come together after their mother dies. The oldest daughter Jenn, lives nearby and has a large family, Fred (Winnifred) is a writer who is unable to write, Jude is a former lawyer who has a teenage daughter and a grudge against Fred, and George is estranged from his wife and job. Jude is the omniscient narrator and describes everyone's experiences over two months during the summer in Florida.

First, the writing is quite descriptive and the potential for a great literary drama following a dysfunctional family is present. The descriptions of the hot, humid atmosphere in Florida is palpable.

All of these siblings have a strained relationship with each other, including secrets and grudges they are holding. There are numerous interpersonal issues, backstories, subplots, secrets, anxieties, and actions going on throughout the novel. unfortunately, none of the characters are compelling. Fred is decidedly annoying and the story focuses on her the most.

Unfortunately all of the well-written various parts don't coalesce into that one whole, complete story. 2.5 - rounded up for the descriptive writing. Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

I love this author's writing. WANT is one of my favorite novels, and I think THE FLOAT TEST is just as good, if not better. Lynn Steger Strong is so gifted at writing relationship dynamics, and I love a good old complicated family. She's also amazing at writing about Florida as a location, and the weather helps compound the emotional themes of the book. I loved sinking into the world of the characters and their problems, while also pondering the larger, global issues that Steger Strong weaves through.,

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

I should've checked the reviews before requesting this book. While the cover is stunning, this book was a chore to get through.

I think I am done reading from this author. I read her debut, Want, and I liked it but I wasn’t blown away by it either. I love reading about family dynamics, but this was so tedious to get through, I think it’s her writing style that doesn’t mesh well with me. Her prose meanders to the point of aggravation. There’s too much exposition and not enough dialogue. I didn’t like anything about this novel, it was a total snooze fest. Yawn.

Lynn Steger Strong’s The Float Test is a dark, offbeat family drama exploring sibling tension, grief, and personal struggles. While the novel’s complex characters and slow-burning plot kept me engaged, an unsettling scene near the end dampened my overall enjoyment

The state of Florida just oozes its muggy humidity over Lynn Steger Strong's The Float Test. In it, four siblings assess their current situation after their mother unexpectedly passes. They reconvene in Florida to help out their father and think about their futures. Secrets are slowly revealed through the book and the author leaves clues along the way. The eldest Jenn is a mother of too many children and is frazzled, Fred is a writer who no longer writes, Jude (the primary narrator) primarily is seen through her simmering feud with Fred, and George, the youngest is estranged from his wife and unsure about his future. There are so many scenes of sweltering humidity in this book, I felt choked by the general ambience and murkiness of secrets. I found the overall resolution somewhat fulfilling on this one, but struggled with investment in the characters.

Thank you to Mariner Books via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

I really enjoyed Lynn Steger Strong’s previous novels, WANT and FLIGHT, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of her forthcoming release, THE FLOAT TEST. I’d best describe this one as a complex family drama with flawed and multi-layered characters that’s a little dark, dreary, and offbeat.

Right off the bat, the reader notices that there’s some bad blood between two of the sisters—Jude and Fred. We don’t know what caused the rift and it adds a mysterious element to the story throughout. I kept asking myself, “Oh my goodness, Fred! What the heck did you do?” I just had to find out.

Each sibling is dealing with their own individual woes and issues like divorce, job loss, and parenting problems as they come together to support their father after their mother dies. We receive snippets of the past and present and learn how the relationships between the siblings have evolved from childhood into adulthood.

READ THIS IF YOU ENJOY:

- Family drama and dynamics
- Sisterhood
- Secrets and betrayal
- Florida setting
- Flawed characters
- Marriage and divorce
- Writer lifestyle
- Reflections on loss and grief
- Slow-burning plot lines

I can’t end this review without mentioning a scene at the end that left a sour taste in my mouth. I’m going to be totally vague and not give any details because I don’t want to ruin your reading experience. With that said, I found it quite upsetting and unnecessary. It honestly made me knock my rating down a bit because of it, so that’s unfortunate.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this novel and thought that it was a solid family drama. I love Lynn Steger Strong’s writing style and will read anything she writes. I’m gonna go with 3.5/5 stars for THE FLOAT TEST. It’s out on April 8th!

This would be a great summer read as the story takes place in Florida over July and August. The author does a great job at making us feel like we are in Florida - I could practically feel the humidity. I can also appreciate the sub plot about the importance of deforestation/environmentalism.

Honestly and unfortunately, I had a tough time getting through the book. While the premise was interesting with dysfunctional family dynamics and complicated sibling relationships, the story just couldn’t hold my attention throughout multiple parts of the book, mostly in due because I was confused about what was going on up until the resolution.

Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Float Test is a novel full of promise, but unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me.

The writing meandered here and there throughout the story, bringing in information about environmental issues and global health issues when more time should have been spent developing the dysfunctional Kenner family members.

The plot did eventually come together for a worthwhile conclusion, but I never would have reached that point if I hadn't committed to reviewing this title. I would have quit reading out of boredom before the halfway point.

A dysfunctional family novel really relies on its characters. If you can’t connect with the characters, it’s hard to be invested in their progression. I felt like we never got to know any of them enough, especially Fred. I kept catching myself trying to make assumptions about why they were making the choices they were instead of being able to rely on their story for some context. I know siblings go through things but they all seemed a little *too* stubborn at times. I did really enjoy the ending scene with them and their dad, I wish we got to spend more time with him. At its core, the plot was incredible and had a lot of potential. I just had a hard time getting invested.