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Mudflowers
In the year following her mother’s death, Sophie navigates a complicated love triangle between a new flame and a past partner.
It's the west end of Toronto, the apartments are small, and everybody is 27 and making some kind of art. In the wake of her mother’s death, Sophie pays rent by making stained glass mosaics for rich people and plays house with her childhood friend and sometimes-lover, the beautiful boy Alex. Both are from Newfoundland but move easily in this world of crowded patios and DIY movie shoots.
When Sophie meets the glamorous poet Maggie, who is the downtown product of a hundred cool queer bars, she falls into a bewildered infatuation, but secrets emerge that threaten to crumble the foundation of her relationship with Alex and Maggie both.
Moving from bohemian Toronto to an arts colony in a castle in France and then back to Newfoundland, Mudflowers examines the impact of family that one is born into and family one chooses, exploring new and unconventional intimacies.
Moving, funny, and written in glittering, darting prose, Mudflowers is a dazzling debut.
A RARE MACHINES BOOK
It's the west end of Toronto, the apartments are small, and everybody is 27 and making some kind of art. In the wake of her mother’s death, Sophie pays rent by making stained glass mosaics for rich people and plays house with her childhood friend and sometimes-lover, the beautiful boy Alex. Both are from Newfoundland but move easily in this world of crowded patios and DIY movie shoots.
When Sophie meets the glamorous poet Maggie, who is the downtown product of a hundred cool queer bars, she falls into a bewildered infatuation, but secrets emerge that threaten to crumble the foundation of her relationship with Alex and Maggie both.
Moving from bohemian Toronto to an arts colony in a castle in France and then back to Newfoundland, Mudflowers examines the impact of family that one is born into and family one chooses, exploring new and unconventional intimacies.
Moving, funny, and written in glittering, darting prose, Mudflowers is a dazzling debut.
A RARE MACHINES BOOK
232 pages, Paperback
First published October 17, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
November 15, 2023
a little thing i like to call Too Much and Not Enough, sadly.
in the first half, i have to tell you...i hated this so much. it stole the "where are you supposed to put all of it" beautiful love and mourning line from fleabag and had a going rate of one simile per sentence, as in most sentences on average had one but sometimes mercifully one would be spared, but not to worry because just as often, somehow, evilly, there would be more than one.
the second half was better, for some reason. but that's a lot to get over.
this very badly wants to be a quiet, striking, introspective book, like those written by sally rooney or brandon taylor, but it doesn't know how to do that. maybe the author will find a way!
bottom line: yipes.
(thanks netgalley for the e-arc)
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tbr review
blacked out and requested books on netgalley exclusively because of their covers
in the first half, i have to tell you...i hated this so much. it stole the "where are you supposed to put all of it" beautiful love and mourning line from fleabag and had a going rate of one simile per sentence, as in most sentences on average had one but sometimes mercifully one would be spared, but not to worry because just as often, somehow, evilly, there would be more than one.
the second half was better, for some reason. but that's a lot to get over.
this very badly wants to be a quiet, striking, introspective book, like those written by sally rooney or brandon taylor, but it doesn't know how to do that. maybe the author will find a way!
bottom line: yipes.
(thanks netgalley for the e-arc)
------------------
tbr review
blacked out and requested books on netgalley exclusively because of their covers
November 3, 2023
Aley Waterman’s debut novel is mostly set in Toronto, centred on a group of people in their twenties striving to be artists or poets but scraping out a living working in bars or restaurants. Everything plays out from the point of view of Sophie, recently arrived in Canada along with best friend Alex, they are inseparable, but although they have sporadic sex, they’re not a couple. Then Sophie falls for seductive aspiring writer Maggie who seems to have all the qualities Sophie wants but doesn’t have. Their budding relationship is then split apart when Maggie and Alex start seeing each other. The plot revolves around the messy interactions between Sophia, Maggie and Alex but also the culture that shapes them, references to writers like Ben Lerner, art and music are plentiful – Waterman is also a musician. There are some great passages and I loved the picture Waterman presents of life on the margins of Toronto’s art scene but I found the pacing a little too slow, and the overall narrative felt slippery and slightly out of focus. But I think Waterman’s a promising author and I’m definitely open to reading more of her work.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Rare Machines for an ARC
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Rare Machines for an ARC
July 17, 2023
this character study explores family: the one you are born into and the one you form with those around you through sophie post her mother’s death as she navigates a love triangle between her childhood friend alex and poet maggie.
i have mixed feelings on this. on the one hand, i loved the messiness. perhaps not relatable to me yet or at all, but still, something we know all too well in various areas of life. on the other hand, i struggled to connect with this. the characters felt straight out of a sally rooney novel but without the substance and intrigue rooney crafts them with making for a mid-read.
- 2.5 stars.
thank you to netgalley and dundurn press for the arc.
i have mixed feelings on this. on the one hand, i loved the messiness. perhaps not relatable to me yet or at all, but still, something we know all too well in various areas of life. on the other hand, i struggled to connect with this. the characters felt straight out of a sally rooney novel but without the substance and intrigue rooney crafts them with making for a mid-read.
- 2.5 stars.
thank you to netgalley and dundurn press for the arc.
June 29, 2023
ARC Review
I am convinced Aley Waterman wrote this book specifically for me, the connection I felt to this book and the way it was written was other-wordly. Following a woman named Sophie as she navigates her relationships, friendships and her own self acceptance.
When I was only about 10 pages into this book I yearned for a physical copy so I can scribble all my thoughts into the margins, the prose was written brilliantly, very reminiscent of Sally Rooney. This book is entirely character focused rather than relying on a major plot and honestly I loved that.
The moment this book is published I will be running out and purchasing a physical copy.
I am convinced Aley Waterman wrote this book specifically for me, the connection I felt to this book and the way it was written was other-wordly. Following a woman named Sophie as she navigates her relationships, friendships and her own self acceptance.
When I was only about 10 pages into this book I yearned for a physical copy so I can scribble all my thoughts into the margins, the prose was written brilliantly, very reminiscent of Sally Rooney. This book is entirely character focused rather than relying on a major plot and honestly I loved that.
The moment this book is published I will be running out and purchasing a physical copy.
October 3, 2023
I usually love to read these novels about young people living their messy lives, and overcoming their messy selves.
I really wanted to love Mudflowers but unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work for me.
Mudflowers is reminiscent of Sally Rooney novels, but with less depth. The characters felt very bland and too far away from my reality.
I don’t go into these books expecting to find them relatable, I know I’m a very lucky person, with a very fortunate and normal life, but I do expect to be interested in them or in the events they are experiencing. I ended up feeling old, wondering all the time about their risky behaviors and where did their parents fail in raising them.
The writing was beautiful though, which made me love pieces of the book, while I hated others (hence the I believe Alex Waterman has a great potencial as a writer and I’m expectant for her second novel.
I would like to thanks Dundurn Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I really wanted to love Mudflowers but unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work for me.
Mudflowers is reminiscent of Sally Rooney novels, but with less depth. The characters felt very bland and too far away from my reality.
I don’t go into these books expecting to find them relatable, I know I’m a very lucky person, with a very fortunate and normal life, but I do expect to be interested in them or in the events they are experiencing. I ended up feeling old, wondering all the time about their risky behaviors and where did their parents fail in raising them.
The writing was beautiful though, which made me love pieces of the book, while I hated others (hence the I believe Alex Waterman has a great potencial as a writer and I’m expectant for her second novel.
I would like to thanks Dundurn Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 12, 2023
3.5/5 🌟
Mudflowers by Aley Waterman is a spectacular work. I have read a lot of literary fiction and this will be one of my highly recommends. It follows Sophie, a twenty something woman living in Canada. Instead of taking the usual route, this book is more of a character study. It also doesn't uses quotation marks for the dialogues.
We follow the tumultuous relationships Sophie shares with Alex and Maggie. The writing has the effect that made me feel like a close friend of mine is sharing her story while I'm listening to it. Throughout the course, I'm shocked and I related to some of it. I enjoyed reading it and hope to read more from Waterman. Behind all the struggles of a young woman are the themes of grief, neatly unwound by the end of the book.
I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for the e ARC.
Mudflowers by Aley Waterman is a spectacular work. I have read a lot of literary fiction and this will be one of my highly recommends. It follows Sophie, a twenty something woman living in Canada. Instead of taking the usual route, this book is more of a character study. It also doesn't uses quotation marks for the dialogues.
We follow the tumultuous relationships Sophie shares with Alex and Maggie. The writing has the effect that made me feel like a close friend of mine is sharing her story while I'm listening to it. Throughout the course, I'm shocked and I related to some of it. I enjoyed reading it and hope to read more from Waterman. Behind all the struggles of a young woman are the themes of grief, neatly unwound by the end of the book.
I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for the e ARC.
May 28, 2023
I'd have to say I'm pretty much on the fence about this debut novel. It was simply okay for me. I wouldn't rave about it but nor would I complain about it particularly.
The story mainly revolves around Sophie's relationships with Maggie and Alex. Sophie has a long term relationship with Alex, a boy she grew up with, but when she meets Maggie she feels an instant attraction and connection. However the relationships between these three becine confused and complicated causing heartache and misery.
There were a few things that irritated me (or confused me). I couldn't quite work out why none of them appeared capable of making other friends. It was as though they were the only people in the world each other could be friends with. Also the Sophie character seems to have a downer on people who write books that involve introspection and confused relationships - even though this book is nothing but the exact same things.
I'd have to say on the whole that this was perhaps not the right book for me. It did give me minor headaches at times then it would redeem itself hence the fence-sitting. I would be interested to see what Aley Waterman comes up with for her second novel.
Thankyou to Netgalley for the ARC.
The story mainly revolves around Sophie's relationships with Maggie and Alex. Sophie has a long term relationship with Alex, a boy she grew up with, but when she meets Maggie she feels an instant attraction and connection. However the relationships between these three becine confused and complicated causing heartache and misery.
There were a few things that irritated me (or confused me). I couldn't quite work out why none of them appeared capable of making other friends. It was as though they were the only people in the world each other could be friends with. Also the Sophie character seems to have a downer on people who write books that involve introspection and confused relationships - even though this book is nothing but the exact same things.
I'd have to say on the whole that this was perhaps not the right book for me. It did give me minor headaches at times then it would redeem itself hence the fence-sitting. I would be interested to see what Aley Waterman comes up with for her second novel.
Thankyou to Netgalley for the ARC.
October 10, 2023
Sophie is not quite at sea in Toronto, making mosaics to pay the rent and falling in and out of bed with her childhood best friend. When Maggie enters the picture, the landscape changes—Maggie is the flame to Sophie's moth. But they're all in their twenties, and stability is a fleeting thing.
Mudflowers follows Sophie through this year or so of attempted growth and change—she's grieving the loss of her mother, figuring out what she wants and doesn't want in a relationship, thinks (this is going to sound like criticism but she's in her twenties, it's just statement of fact) that she's terribly self-aware but is...sometimes self-aware.
I've been reading more lit fic this year, and this falls squarely in that category—a story narrowed in on a relatively ordinary life rather than big events; narration without a lot of drama even as things don't go quite to plan; more thought than action. Sophie would benefit from broadening her social circle, maybe making some more decisions (and mistakes) without considering the opinions of the people she's so deeply entangled with, and maybe examining her own life a little bit less and the world around her a little bit more. Not to be too broad about it, but there are heavy themes of love, loss, and mothers woven throughout the book, all of them with somewhat messy connections and endings (again: not criticism; this time it's not because Sophie's in her twenties but because it's lit fic). This is probably best read relatively slowly rather than all in one go, but even taking my time I lost some steam near the end.
An aside: Sophie's commentary about losing a parent at the beginning of the book is sufficiently on-point that I thought I might have trouble finishing the book, but she ends up focusing more on romantic drama. "Love triangle" is probably too tidy a term for what goes down throughout the book—and for what's to come after the book is over—but much of it will be relatable to those who have had entanglements made up of blurred line after blurred line.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
Mudflowers follows Sophie through this year or so of attempted growth and change—she's grieving the loss of her mother, figuring out what she wants and doesn't want in a relationship, thinks (this is going to sound like criticism but she's in her twenties, it's just statement of fact) that she's terribly self-aware but is...sometimes self-aware.
I've been reading more lit fic this year, and this falls squarely in that category—a story narrowed in on a relatively ordinary life rather than big events; narration without a lot of drama even as things don't go quite to plan; more thought than action. Sophie would benefit from broadening her social circle, maybe making some more decisions (and mistakes) without considering the opinions of the people she's so deeply entangled with, and maybe examining her own life a little bit less and the world around her a little bit more. Not to be too broad about it, but there are heavy themes of love, loss, and mothers woven throughout the book, all of them with somewhat messy connections and endings (again: not criticism; this time it's not because Sophie's in her twenties but because it's lit fic). This is probably best read relatively slowly rather than all in one go, but even taking my time I lost some steam near the end.
An aside: Sophie's commentary about losing a parent at the beginning of the book is sufficiently on-point that I thought I might have trouble finishing the book, but she ends up focusing more on romantic drama. "Love triangle" is probably too tidy a term for what goes down throughout the book—and for what's to come after the book is over—but much of it will be relatable to those who have had entanglements made up of blurred line after blurred line.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
April 8, 2023
“mudflowers” is both a character study and an insight into the horrors of modern dating. sophie and her boyfriend alex are in love, but neither have had the Big Feeling about each other. when sophie meets carefree euphoric maggie, she finally gets that feeling. as her relationship blossoms with maggie in a unicorn hunting fashion, she might lose alex in the process.
this is not a lesbian romance, this is a bisexual disaster romance-esque horror. the writing is very stream of consciousness and has moments of great brilliance. it is well written, engaging, but the ending let me down and left me wanting more. i really enjoyed this novel, and it was a fun read. i just wish it wasn’t painting bisexual women as cheaters and overly promiscuous.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
this is not a lesbian romance, this is a bisexual disaster romance-esque horror. the writing is very stream of consciousness and has moments of great brilliance. it is well written, engaging, but the ending let me down and left me wanting more. i really enjoyed this novel, and it was a fun read. i just wish it wasn’t painting bisexual women as cheaters and overly promiscuous.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review!
January 2, 2024
Boy oh boy. From about 10% in right up til the end, this was an emotional gut punch! There’s a steady enjoyable plot and the characters are fully fleshed out, heavily intricate and nuanced with many flaws and contradictions (which I always love the most) that I could feel myself connect to - what more could you ask for?
I had many moments of introspection reading this. There was so much beauty, so many lines that I stopped to think on. It opened up lots of new perspectives for me; specifically on the different ways of defining family. Everything these characters felt I seemed to feel along with them. The sharp prickle of betrayal caught me in my chest. The warmth, ease and familiarity of their relationships. The struggle of fraught childhood memories resurfacing. I became cocooned in Sophie, Alex & Maggie’s little world and really didn’t want to leave.
My main criticism is that there are unnecessary slurs and some generally questionable language. I counted 2, but possibly more, uses of s*** which there’s really no reason for. It felt out of place and confused me, particularly when otherwise the writing was so gorgeous.
Despite this I would still definitely recommend as it’s a searing debut, a complex & intimate portrayal of modern dating, relationship dynamics, and the painful accuracy of navigating trauma. Very grateful to have received this arc!
I had many moments of introspection reading this. There was so much beauty, so many lines that I stopped to think on. It opened up lots of new perspectives for me; specifically on the different ways of defining family. Everything these characters felt I seemed to feel along with them. The sharp prickle of betrayal caught me in my chest. The warmth, ease and familiarity of their relationships. The struggle of fraught childhood memories resurfacing. I became cocooned in Sophie, Alex & Maggie’s little world and really didn’t want to leave.
My main criticism is that there are unnecessary slurs and some generally questionable language. I counted 2, but possibly more, uses of s*** which there’s really no reason for. It felt out of place and confused me, particularly when otherwise the writing was so gorgeous.
Despite this I would still definitely recommend as it’s a searing debut, a complex & intimate portrayal of modern dating, relationship dynamics, and the painful accuracy of navigating trauma. Very grateful to have received this arc!
August 19, 2023
On my blog.
Rep: bi mc, bi li
Galley provided by publisher
Mudflowers is a coming of age tale that I enjoyed, but ultimately didn’t feel much about. If you enjoy books with reasonably self-absorbed characters, who don’t ever really become less self-absorbed, apart from maybe regarding one or two other people, then perhaps you’ll like this one.
The story opens with our main character Sophie meeting Maggie. Sophie is 27, living in part with her best friend and occasional lover Alex, and she strikes up a relationship with Maggie. Time passes, not much happens, and then Sophie discovers that actually Alex and Maggie are now in a relationship. This is the precipitating event for… growth? Maybe? If you squint?
Anyway, as I said, these characters are pretty self-absorbed. They never feel that likeable (not in itself an issue, per se), but then the writing style doesn’t really lend itself to allowing you to get a handle on their personalities, if I’m honest. It’s all quite stream of consciousness, and the main character is not much more than a vague outline. Does she have any convictions? Solid opinions? Hard to say. She’s little more than a ghost to the reader, despite being the narrator.
Maggie and Alex fare hardly any better and, to be honest, each does feel a little like a manic pixie dream girl/boy. Maggie more so than Alex, and in turn, Alex gets a little more character development thrown in there. Or perhaps not development, perhaps simply establishment. Because I’m not sure I could say there’s any sort of growth or development of these characters throughout. Probably that’s down to their vagueness. If I can’t get a handle on them to start with, how on earth am I going to be able to tell how or if they develop at all?
This being said, it was still an interesting enough read, and the way they seemed to stumble into polyamory towards the end was, I thought, a good conclusion to the relationship drama. Although, I have to admit, the ending itself felt quite abrupt, as though stopping right in the middle of a thought. It wasn’t that I wanted more so much as something a little more concrete.
But given how indeterminate the book felt as a whole, perhaps that was fitting.
Rep: bi mc, bi li
Galley provided by publisher
Mudflowers is a coming of age tale that I enjoyed, but ultimately didn’t feel much about. If you enjoy books with reasonably self-absorbed characters, who don’t ever really become less self-absorbed, apart from maybe regarding one or two other people, then perhaps you’ll like this one.
The story opens with our main character Sophie meeting Maggie. Sophie is 27, living in part with her best friend and occasional lover Alex, and she strikes up a relationship with Maggie. Time passes, not much happens, and then Sophie discovers that actually Alex and Maggie are now in a relationship. This is the precipitating event for… growth? Maybe? If you squint?
Anyway, as I said, these characters are pretty self-absorbed. They never feel that likeable (not in itself an issue, per se), but then the writing style doesn’t really lend itself to allowing you to get a handle on their personalities, if I’m honest. It’s all quite stream of consciousness, and the main character is not much more than a vague outline. Does she have any convictions? Solid opinions? Hard to say. She’s little more than a ghost to the reader, despite being the narrator.
Maggie and Alex fare hardly any better and, to be honest, each does feel a little like a manic pixie dream girl/boy. Maggie more so than Alex, and in turn, Alex gets a little more character development thrown in there. Or perhaps not development, perhaps simply establishment. Because I’m not sure I could say there’s any sort of growth or development of these characters throughout. Probably that’s down to their vagueness. If I can’t get a handle on them to start with, how on earth am I going to be able to tell how or if they develop at all?
This being said, it was still an interesting enough read, and the way they seemed to stumble into polyamory towards the end was, I thought, a good conclusion to the relationship drama. Although, I have to admit, the ending itself felt quite abrupt, as though stopping right in the middle of a thought. It wasn’t that I wanted more so much as something a little more concrete.
But given how indeterminate the book felt as a whole, perhaps that was fitting.
December 21, 2023
neeeeeeeed to party with aunt wanda….
October 2, 2023
4 ⭐️ AN UPLIFTING SALLY ROONEY
As filled with grief and heartbreak as it is, I can’t help but feel entirely uplifted by Mudflowers. Sophie and Maggie’s attitudes, the fearless and brazen way they spoke and loved and accepted.
Waterman’s writing was raw and without guards, a story that didn’t feel like a storyline.
A lit fic about the truest love between three best friends that everyone needs to read!
As filled with grief and heartbreak as it is, I can’t help but feel entirely uplifted by Mudflowers. Sophie and Maggie’s attitudes, the fearless and brazen way they spoke and loved and accepted.
Waterman’s writing was raw and without guards, a story that didn’t feel like a storyline.
A lit fic about the truest love between three best friends that everyone needs to read!
August 6, 2023
i think this is the type of book thats only enjoyable if u can somewhat relate to it. i couldnt relate to the main character at all and i very quickly lost interest in trying to understand her feelings or get to know more abt her. the narrative style didnt help with that bc disliked being stuck inside of sophie's head sm and the books very heavy on introspection. i also couldnt connect to the other characters nor really understand what sophie liked abt them/what they liked abt sophie. so yeah, found this pretty boring overall and it really dragged on even tho its just 200-something pages
October 24, 2023
This was a debut novel for author Aley Waterman and I can see that her writing is superb. She truly paints a picture with her words, and I enjoyed the candidness of her writing. However, I really find it difficult to read novels without quotation marks when characters are speaking, so that immediately made it less appealing to read.
The main character Sophie wasn’t my favourite- I couldn’t relate to her, I felt she was so naive & emotionally immature for her age, and her actions were just confusing.
The reader gets to journey to Toronto, then France, and finally, ends in Newfoundland. These different settings, and the characters in each place, kept me wondering just what Sophie what learn about herself & her relationships. But… we are kind of left wondering, what does she learn? How does she grow or evolve as a person through her experiences?
I can absolutely appreciate the author’s writing, and it was a unique book for me to read. I feel like younger readers (20, 21…) will maybe find more to relate to with this novel- and thus perhaps connect better with some of the characters & situations.
The main character Sophie wasn’t my favourite- I couldn’t relate to her, I felt she was so naive & emotionally immature for her age, and her actions were just confusing.
The reader gets to journey to Toronto, then France, and finally, ends in Newfoundland. These different settings, and the characters in each place, kept me wondering just what Sophie what learn about herself & her relationships. But… we are kind of left wondering, what does she learn? How does she grow or evolve as a person through her experiences?
I can absolutely appreciate the author’s writing, and it was a unique book for me to read. I feel like younger readers (20, 21…) will maybe find more to relate to with this novel- and thus perhaps connect better with some of the characters & situations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2024
this felt kind of like a warning about who i could end up being if i moved to the city after undergrad and befriended too many artists. i found it quite funny though, at the less serious points!
April 10, 2023
Mudflowers is a novel about a woman looking for love and self after her mother's death, whilst navigating changing relationships. Sophie lives in Toronto, where she makes stained glass mosaics and doesn't return home to Newfoundland after her mother's death. She spends most of her time with Alex, a guy who is her childhood best friend and sometimes lover, but then she meets Maggie, a woman she finds herself fascinated by, and Sophie must work out her relationships to both of them.
This is an at times stream of consciousness style book that fits into the "sad-ish millennial looking for meaning and being a bit of a disaster" genre. You get access to a lot of Sophie's thoughts and memories in the narrative and it's the kind of book that maybe if you find her relatable, you'll particularly enjoy it, as I think people often find with this genre. However, the thing I didn't really get from the first person narration was much about how Sophie actually felt about Alex and Maggie, not in-depth.
There's not much going on, plot-wise, as you might expect from this kind of literary fiction, but I did think there was going to be more interesting stuff going on with the central relationships which are described in a blurb as a "complicated love triangle", but actually after some initial revelations, mostly it seems something that Sophie is fairly apathetic to. That in itself is maybe interesting, but the book didn't really delve into exploring the relationships formed and the potential of Sophie's connections to Alex and Maggie, however they might be. There's a middle part set in France that felt fairly pointless and after that, what happened felt quite cursory. As a book that focuses on a woman loving both a man and a woman, I also felt that there was surprisingly little engaging with this and the kinds of queer relationships and families people form, despite it seeming like a major point of the book.
I was expecting more of an interesting exploration of the idea of a love triangle and queer ways of subverting that (or failing to), but Mudflowers just felt similar to a lot of other books out there, engaging with the protagonist's feelings but never quite going deep enough for me.
This is an at times stream of consciousness style book that fits into the "sad-ish millennial looking for meaning and being a bit of a disaster" genre. You get access to a lot of Sophie's thoughts and memories in the narrative and it's the kind of book that maybe if you find her relatable, you'll particularly enjoy it, as I think people often find with this genre. However, the thing I didn't really get from the first person narration was much about how Sophie actually felt about Alex and Maggie, not in-depth.
There's not much going on, plot-wise, as you might expect from this kind of literary fiction, but I did think there was going to be more interesting stuff going on with the central relationships which are described in a blurb as a "complicated love triangle", but actually after some initial revelations, mostly it seems something that Sophie is fairly apathetic to. That in itself is maybe interesting, but the book didn't really delve into exploring the relationships formed and the potential of Sophie's connections to Alex and Maggie, however they might be. There's a middle part set in France that felt fairly pointless and after that, what happened felt quite cursory. As a book that focuses on a woman loving both a man and a woman, I also felt that there was surprisingly little engaging with this and the kinds of queer relationships and families people form, despite it seeming like a major point of the book.
I was expecting more of an interesting exploration of the idea of a love triangle and queer ways of subverting that (or failing to), but Mudflowers just felt similar to a lot of other books out there, engaging with the protagonist's feelings but never quite going deep enough for me.
October 11, 2023
1 star
This book is kind of advertised like a book that could be compared to Normal People by Sally Rooney. Well... I don't think I can agree with that. I see what the author tried to do, writing a book where it is more about characters than plot, but it was simply not well done. The only thing the books had in common was the fact that there was a lack of quotation marks when using dialogue. (Why is this becoming a trend?)
I don't like giving 1 star ratings, but with this book I felt like I could not justify giving it more stars. For instance, the book was so not interesting once I started reading that I kept forgetting what the names were of the characters, and there are not that many characters with names in this book, so it should not be that difficult. The characters felt flat and incomplete. I even found them quite annoying most of the time. I just did not care about them at all, which resulted in me not caring about what would happen to them.
The book did not really have chapters, more like four parts and sometimes breaks using a white line. But to be honest the seperation of the parts felt off. It just did not make sense, probably due to the story being so jumpy and all over the place. It did not feel like it was written down with a purpose and knowledge of where the story was going. This got even worse towards the end of the story where I felt like the author did not want to work on it anymore and just wrote it down quickly to get over with. It was very unsatisfying.
This book is kind of advertised like a book that could be compared to Normal People by Sally Rooney. Well... I don't think I can agree with that. I see what the author tried to do, writing a book where it is more about characters than plot, but it was simply not well done. The only thing the books had in common was the fact that there was a lack of quotation marks when using dialogue. (Why is this becoming a trend?)
I don't like giving 1 star ratings, but with this book I felt like I could not justify giving it more stars. For instance, the book was so not interesting once I started reading that I kept forgetting what the names were of the characters, and there are not that many characters with names in this book, so it should not be that difficult. The characters felt flat and incomplete. I even found them quite annoying most of the time. I just did not care about them at all, which resulted in me not caring about what would happen to them.
The book did not really have chapters, more like four parts and sometimes breaks using a white line. But to be honest the seperation of the parts felt off. It just did not make sense, probably due to the story being so jumpy and all over the place. It did not feel like it was written down with a purpose and knowledge of where the story was going. This got even worse towards the end of the story where I felt like the author did not want to work on it anymore and just wrote it down quickly to get over with. It was very unsatisfying.
May 6, 2023
Mudflowers felt like a story with potential but it didn't quite nail the execution. I wanted to like it more than I did. I didn't mind Sophie as a main character, but I felt the contrast between Maggie and Alex was exhausting. The characters are well-developed but I found it hard to connect with any of them. The writing did seem inspired by a Sally Rooney type but the broodiness felt weighted down and confusing. It was hard to focus on following the plot because I felt like I had to keep double checking what I just read. There was a kind of shock to the point of view which I alternated enjoying and finding annoying. It's the weird middle ground of I was intrigued enough to keep reading, but I wasn't excited to read more.
May 29, 2023
ARC received in exchange for an honest review
oh my GOD. Sophie's every thought was captivating and left me feeling very emotional. i enjoyed reading her complex relationships with Alex and Maggie, which really showed the rich layers of friendship, chosen family, and love. the nuances and tensions between the characters left a lasting impact on me and it's actually really remarkable how the feeling lingers in my chest. it's been a while since i felt this deeply about a novel.
i just cannot give it a higher rating because it dragged at times due to the stream of consciousness-like narration and the sometimes overdramatic navel-gazing that is characteristic of these kinds of books. i do, however, greatly enjoy reading about a character dealing with grief by literally doing everything and nothing to cope with the loss, thereby resulting to messy relationships and a messy life— which is what this book has done. also, i can see how being mentored by Sheila Heti has benefited the prose and structure of the novel. i will be looking forward to Waterman's future releases.
overall, this book has a potential to be one of my favorite books of the year. i just have to let it simmer in my head a bit longer. i'm still reeling from the last pages of the novel when i realized what the title finally means.
oh my GOD. Sophie's every thought was captivating and left me feeling very emotional. i enjoyed reading her complex relationships with Alex and Maggie, which really showed the rich layers of friendship, chosen family, and love. the nuances and tensions between the characters left a lasting impact on me and it's actually really remarkable how the feeling lingers in my chest. it's been a while since i felt this deeply about a novel.
i just cannot give it a higher rating because it dragged at times due to the stream of consciousness-like narration and the sometimes overdramatic navel-gazing that is characteristic of these kinds of books. i do, however, greatly enjoy reading about a character dealing with grief by literally doing everything and nothing to cope with the loss, thereby resulting to messy relationships and a messy life— which is what this book has done. also, i can see how being mentored by Sheila Heti has benefited the prose and structure of the novel. i will be looking forward to Waterman's future releases.
overall, this book has a potential to be one of my favorite books of the year. i just have to let it simmer in my head a bit longer. i'm still reeling from the last pages of the novel when i realized what the title finally means.
March 3, 2024
I really really really tried to like this, it just wasn't an enjoyable experience.
Every time I felt like we were getting deep and actually getting something of substance, we changed subjects. This book was honestly a jumbled mess of thoughts. Felt like one super long run-on sentence.
Every time I felt like we were getting deep and actually getting something of substance, we changed subjects. This book was honestly a jumbled mess of thoughts. Felt like one super long run-on sentence.
March 13, 2024
Waterman’s prose is casual but gut-punching, candidly capturing grief, love, and the way humans often contradict themselves. I disagree with the reviews that minimize Sophie to just “a sad girl”. Sophie’s grief was portrayed honestly and with beautiful humanity. She is selfish and critical, but also forgiving, making her a sympathetic character even in her most unlikeable moments.
I read many reviews comparing Aley Waterman to Sally Rooney and I can appreciate these comparisons, but I also feel hints of Alice Munro thematically. Namely, the idea that your hometown follows you - haunts you - and sometimes the return is needed for healing and closure.
I read many reviews comparing Aley Waterman to Sally Rooney and I can appreciate these comparisons, but I also feel hints of Alice Munro thematically. Namely, the idea that your hometown follows you - haunts you - and sometimes the return is needed for healing and closure.
July 24, 2023
This book was so beautiful. Very Sally Rooney-esque (down to the lack of quotation marks and everything). The writing is candid and so perfectly suited for the story. Sophie, the protagonist, is messy and interesting, she’s flawed and does some shitty things but she isn’t written as invincible, there’s real consequences for every action. I love the way the plot meanders and flows and ebbs and is just so much lovely nothing but also felt like it could have just a tiny bit more of a structure. I was happily surprised with this book. Recommend if you’re looking for a life-affirming, beautiful piece of fiction. Thank you netgalley for the digital ARC.
March 24, 2024
great book to read if you are bisexual artist named sophie who is from newfoundland
August 13, 2023
Aley Waterman’s debut novel Mudflowers is a loose exploration of grief, love, sexuality, friendship, and finding yourself in your 20s - right up my alley!
The first few pages had me feeling a bit skeptical as Sophie, our narrator, traverses through a number of complex thoughts and feelings, and I found myself getting lost in these journal-like musings without having much opening context to ground her experiences and have them stick for the following chapters. Eventually I felt a good rhythm come in as characters and a loose plot line were introduced.
As the novel continues, the themes become jumbled as Sophie takes brief detours into other subjects, and it was hard to decipher exactly what message Waterman was trying to get across. While I do enjoy a Sally Rooney-esque ‘no plot just vibes’ kind of story, this one had a few too many ‘vibes’ flying around for anything to leave a solid mark on me.
I did love how Waterman writes about certain feelings and experiences with such detail (although some of the metaphors felt a bit too overly specific / abstract), some that I can relate to but have never seen explored in a novel. At moments it felt like I was reading my own internal monologue which was spooky - a bit chaotic, judgemental, and lots of personal reflection.
I’d recommend giving Mudflowers a spin if you’re looking for a moody read with a healthy dose of character-study, but be wary that slow moments that can make this read a bit of a push to get through.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for this eBook, Mudflowers will be released in October!
The first few pages had me feeling a bit skeptical as Sophie, our narrator, traverses through a number of complex thoughts and feelings, and I found myself getting lost in these journal-like musings without having much opening context to ground her experiences and have them stick for the following chapters. Eventually I felt a good rhythm come in as characters and a loose plot line were introduced.
As the novel continues, the themes become jumbled as Sophie takes brief detours into other subjects, and it was hard to decipher exactly what message Waterman was trying to get across. While I do enjoy a Sally Rooney-esque ‘no plot just vibes’ kind of story, this one had a few too many ‘vibes’ flying around for anything to leave a solid mark on me.
I did love how Waterman writes about certain feelings and experiences with such detail (although some of the metaphors felt a bit too overly specific / abstract), some that I can relate to but have never seen explored in a novel. At moments it felt like I was reading my own internal monologue which was spooky - a bit chaotic, judgemental, and lots of personal reflection.
I’d recommend giving Mudflowers a spin if you’re looking for a moody read with a healthy dose of character-study, but be wary that slow moments that can make this read a bit of a push to get through.
Thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for this eBook, Mudflowers will be released in October!
June 1, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book wasn’t for me, unfortunately. I struggled to get into the narration style, there’s not much plot, and it jumps in time in a way that made it hard to follow. There also aren’t any chapters, just line breaks, and part one is 90-some pages long, which I personally struggle with, as someone who prefers books with clear, short-ish chapters. The way the narrator tells the story, there’s a lot of description and not a lot of dialogue, which is great if you like those kinds of books, but personally I prefer more plot and dialogue than this book offered.
This book wasn’t for me, unfortunately. I struggled to get into the narration style, there’s not much plot, and it jumps in time in a way that made it hard to follow. There also aren’t any chapters, just line breaks, and part one is 90-some pages long, which I personally struggle with, as someone who prefers books with clear, short-ish chapters. The way the narrator tells the story, there’s a lot of description and not a lot of dialogue, which is great if you like those kinds of books, but personally I prefer more plot and dialogue than this book offered.
June 27, 2023
*Ad-pr product: I received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
I loved this book!
Mudflowers is a character-driven novel which delves into the messiness of dating, following Sophie who’s been in an on-off almost relationship with her friend Alex. They’re not in a relationship but do pretty much everything a couple would do, and have years of history. When Maggie comes along, Sophie finds herself falling for her, and things get more and more complicated from there.
It’s an engaging read which really draws you into the tangled lives of the three main characters, each of them compelling in their own way. It was a bit of a slow-starter for me but, as soon as the plot unfolded and the three became more and more intertwined, I was hooked. It’s a novel primarily about relationships and where the lines between friendships and romantic relationships blur, but it’s also a novel about grief and the affect this can have.
An intriguing, addictive and emotional read, which is both beautiful and unique in style - perfect for lovers of introspective character studies and realistically flawed protagonists. Thank you so much to Dundurn Press and NetGalley for this review copy!
I loved this book!
Mudflowers is a character-driven novel which delves into the messiness of dating, following Sophie who’s been in an on-off almost relationship with her friend Alex. They’re not in a relationship but do pretty much everything a couple would do, and have years of history. When Maggie comes along, Sophie finds herself falling for her, and things get more and more complicated from there.
It’s an engaging read which really draws you into the tangled lives of the three main characters, each of them compelling in their own way. It was a bit of a slow-starter for me but, as soon as the plot unfolded and the three became more and more intertwined, I was hooked. It’s a novel primarily about relationships and where the lines between friendships and romantic relationships blur, but it’s also a novel about grief and the affect this can have.
An intriguing, addictive and emotional read, which is both beautiful and unique in style - perfect for lovers of introspective character studies and realistically flawed protagonists. Thank you so much to Dundurn Press and NetGalley for this review copy!
December 17, 2023
i finished the last page, said “oh.” then closed the book. .5 seconds later i reopened the page, made the connection with the title and said “OH.”
so lovely.
so lovely.
July 16, 2023
“We stood there quietly for a moment looking at each other, maybe mutually wondering if we had both just added a whole person to our lives, or maybe it was just me wondering that”
This book was a strange one, quaint, self conscious, and a little pretentious, I can see it appealing to first year philosophy students. Some parts were enjoyably surreal, reminding me of Miranda July short stories in making the ordinary extraordinary, but others felt juvenile, more befitting of the young adult genre. That said, there are also moments of beauty, of observational comedy, of putting common human experiences into uncommon soul stirring prose.
“Maybe it would be nice, I thought, if, from the outset of meeting a person, you could just get a glimpse of when someone would mean the most to you — the highest point of love between you and a person, a percentage, so that you could know what you were getting yourself into. You would get one shot, the moment of pure love recorded from the future and sent to you via email, where you could assess it on your lap- top, from the safety of your bedroom. Then you would get a follow-up attachment that showed you all of the pain the person would bring you, too. You would push your thumb into the screen and feel the love or the pain for as long as your hand made contact. And when you broke contact, there would be no necessity of recovery, just a decision: Do I want to love this person? Am I prepared?”
I think the author has a lot of potential, that will take some maturity to realise. Where she was good she was great, my interest is piqued, and I will be keeping an eye out for her next work.
“When I think about this time that I didn’t get, it hurts more than anything else hurts, because it is as imaginable as it is impossible and there’s no getting out of it, the space between the feeling of inevitability and impossibility”
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC
This book was a strange one, quaint, self conscious, and a little pretentious, I can see it appealing to first year philosophy students. Some parts were enjoyably surreal, reminding me of Miranda July short stories in making the ordinary extraordinary, but others felt juvenile, more befitting of the young adult genre. That said, there are also moments of beauty, of observational comedy, of putting common human experiences into uncommon soul stirring prose.
“Maybe it would be nice, I thought, if, from the outset of meeting a person, you could just get a glimpse of when someone would mean the most to you — the highest point of love between you and a person, a percentage, so that you could know what you were getting yourself into. You would get one shot, the moment of pure love recorded from the future and sent to you via email, where you could assess it on your lap- top, from the safety of your bedroom. Then you would get a follow-up attachment that showed you all of the pain the person would bring you, too. You would push your thumb into the screen and feel the love or the pain for as long as your hand made contact. And when you broke contact, there would be no necessity of recovery, just a decision: Do I want to love this person? Am I prepared?”
I think the author has a lot of potential, that will take some maturity to realise. Where she was good she was great, my interest is piqued, and I will be keeping an eye out for her next work.
“When I think about this time that I didn’t get, it hurts more than anything else hurts, because it is as imaginable as it is impossible and there’s no getting out of it, the space between the feeling of inevitability and impossibility”
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC
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