4.5.

Alina Grabowksi hit it out of the park with Women and Children First. My one wish is that I read this in a physical copy rather than electronically, so I could easily look back in the book.

Women and Children takes an event — the death of a student, Lucy, a student at a Nashquitten, Massachusetts high school. Lucy dies at a house party and this story line is threaded through the stories (each a chapter) of 10 women living in the town. There are other students, adults, Lucy’s mothers each have a voice in this coming-of-age story of loss and living in a decaying costal town.

At first, I wasn’t shore I would be able to stay into the narrative with 10 different voices — that’s a lot of perspective changing in one book. But, at three chapters in, it worked for me. Why? The women are so different that their voices are different even though some of them are the same age. This is a quiet impactful book that won’t be for everyone, but I loved it so much.

A really smart and compelling debut, perfect for fans of Otessa Moshfegh. Throughout the book, we examine the death of Lucy from the points of view of several women in her crumbling coastal home town.
The different narrators were, at first, confusing, so a more marked difference in voice would have been good but it soon went in and became seamless. A wonderful, character driven novel which takes on several themes. Beautifully written and full of absolutely stunning, lyrical passages, I think this will be one to watch this year!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: A well written debut novel about the death of a teenaged girl, Lucy, as experienced by multiple women who were connected to her. The many narrators did cause some confusion for me, but some of the voices--especially Layla the school counselor--were compelling and the many connections build throughout the book. Ultimately, the question of the truth and the impact are different for all of the narrators. A strong debut.

A chorus of ten diverse women — residents of Nashquitten, Massachusetts, a decaying coastal beach town that tourist season cannot resuscitate — address their lives in a claustrophobic small town that coalesce in the circumstances surrounding the mysterious death of a young woman, Lucy Anderson, at a house party. Alina Grabowski unspools the story through artfully crafted vignettes told from each characters’ perspective. Layla is the interim counselor at the local high school. She has suspicions about the new math teacher, Rob, who seems to enjoy the attention of students “who make him feel valuable whereas women his own age do not.” But, Layla may be too sensitive because, as a high school student, she dropped out of soccer, a sport she had excelled in, when her coach started paying her “special attention.” Jane is an industrious student who works and tends to her mother’s mysterious ailments while enjoying thrills and risks. She is having a clandestine affair with the math teacher, but she seems unaffected by the inequitable relationship: “Everything with Rob is an experiment. I learn what I like and what I don’t. And I know that he, unlike the boys at school, won’t tell a single person.” Mona’s parents gifted her with the home where Layla is renting a room. Mona has been unsuccessful in her attempts to be accepted into a graduate program. When her co-worker, Marina, a teenager with aspirations to become a gynecologist shows up on the periphery of Mona’s yard, accompanied by a friend whose dress is spattered in blood, Mona takes no action.

Grabowski fully immerses the reader in each of the novel’s first-person sections so that the characters and their thwarted dreams are come alive. She addresses some powerful themes, including complicated mother-daughter relationships, grooming and sexual abuse, the misuse of social media, and the impact of status and wealth. Grabowski has created a deeply affecting and smart debut novel that explores how a seemingly tight-knit community can fall short. Thank you Zando Project and Net Galley for an advance copy of this fabulous read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

This story is told by different women and teenagers, in vignettes. A high school student dies, and all the perspectives relate to this. As the book unfolds, you learn more about the circumstances of the death, although I'm not sure that I, even now, still clearly understand what happened. It's a very emotionally depressing book. There is no happiness here; every character is stuck in some way. If you like character-driven novels, you will enjoy this one.

I loved this book so much and marveled in the authors talent in regards to being able to tie together ten POVs! Very enjoyable read, very distinct voices and I found myself missing some of the characters when their piece was over.
Human beings are so complicated and the characters in this book are both good and bad and it was so interesting to get the POV of what other's thought of them and then right after get into their heads to see what's really going on.
Alina Grabowski deserves the positive feedback she's getting. Women and Children first is a five star read. Please read this book. You won't regret it.

“Women and Children First” investigates contemporary womanhood via several female viewpoints with the death of a teenager as the unifying concept.

While the cover states that this book is a novel, I would say it’s more of a collection of linked stories because each chapter introduces a new character who offers her perceptions of life in a New England community. This is definitely for people who enjoy character-centered books: don’t expect a strong narrative arc or closure. If you accept these parameters, you will be rewarded with beautiful, insightful prose and entertaining perspectives. There were so many times when I thought, “Yes! That’s exactly how it is.”

This is definitely a book that is up Reese's Book Club's alley. The alternating P.O.Vs of different women—each one receives a single chapter—provide insight on what happened to Lucy Anderson that fateful May night. The characters range from the inner circle to the outer while the details surrounding the mystery build. I was skeptical of the continually changing P.O.V. premise, but it really grew on me after I got into the rhythm. This was a great casual read, but if you are affected by media like 13 Reasons Why, this is your trigger warning.

I will say, though the flashbacks and constantly moving timeline kept me on my toes, sometimes it felt a little bit like whiplash with some flashbacks occurring right in the middle of a conversation with no italics or warning sign. Overall, I thought this was a very inventive and fresh writing style. I would also note that there are many expletives smattered throughout. I did feel like the ending lacked closure and resolve, but my working theory is that it was supposed to end on this note to mimic the sleepy town and the fact that many tragedies of this nature lack closure.

This book is great for fans of Kukafka's Notes on an Execution, with less emphasis on the central incident itself and more on what caused it and the events leading up. The writing was beautiful, there were many poignant quotes that I found myself highlighting and each character becomes real as you read. I thought the lengths of each character's story could be only slightly tedious at times, but all of the details helped to patch together a story. It was like a short story collection where it all connects, and it was very pleasurable to read! I absolutely devoured this book.

What an immersive story! From the first lines of Alina Grabowski's WOMEN AND CHILDREN, I fell into the shore town of Nashquitten, Massachusetts. Told through the views of 10 different women of the town following a drowning death at a party, the story is tightly drawn, taut tension, and beautifully told. Every view felt genuine, heartfelt, and deeply convincing -- even as the people in the town pull together, yank apart, or try to deny the tragedy that has forever changed them. While the subjects were so close to my heart, I deeply admire and applaud an exceptional talent telling a tale that tells us who we are through the make-believe, utterly convincing tale of make-believe events. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Great premise; unfortunately so poorly written that you quickly lose the plot and can never really find it again

I liked the premise of this book but I did not like how it was presented. Told in multiple POV's about a young woman dying. Was it suicide or an accident or was it murder. The more you listened to what the different people said the more you could get an understanding of what really happened to Lucy. It was an interesting concept but I think that maybe if the author would have put a timeline on the the different POV"s it would have been easier to understand. There were so many characters I had a hard time figuring out who was who. I will say that Lucy did have an impact on each of the character's life and it was a very compelling read.
Thanks to #netgalley, #SLPlit and @alinagrabowski_ for an ARC of this book

When the sudden death of a young teen girl at a house party affects a small coastal Massachusetts town, WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST tells the impact it has on ten different women/girls (that knew her-or-of her) in that community. The story deals with grief, coping, sexuality, family and relationships. Each characters story is told in one chapter, giving you a small glimpse into their life. All overlap in another’s POV.. very typical of small town life. Her death touches everyone in different ways, showing their lives before and after it happens, some not caring at all to others feeling their own connection to what it means to lose someone they cared for. This is very character driven (which I love) but even so I never fully got the chance to understand/relate to the characters as it felt disjointed due to the many characters and short glimpses of them. Sadly it ended abruptly and left me wanting more. 3 stars — Pub. 5/7/24

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Fantastic literary fiction. Lucy, a high schooler has died in the fictional seaside town of Nashquitten Massachusetts. The story unfolds as we hear bits and pieces from ten women from the town. Told in their voices and from their points of view, each story is like a puzzle piece and then the whole picture emerges. This is some intelligent writing and the author has great talent to have woven it all up so expertly. This is not fast paced and you have to keep an eye on the details and the multiple characters to avoid getting confused. And then brace yourself for a wonderful ride navigating a host of contemporary issues confronting teenagers and their parents and teachers .
Thank you Net Galley, Zando Publishing and Alina Grabowski for the ARC

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This was another book that I received very close to the pub date, so I felt a tremendous amount of pressure to read it and review it in a timely manner. I am going to try the audiobook version. I don't think it was bad, I just feel that there was not a whole lot of time in between when i received the book and the pub date unfortunately.
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Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I wanted to enjoy this book however it was too slow of a start and I found it to drag. I ended up not finishing this title.

How do the women in a small coastal town in Massachusetts cope with a tragedy?

Welcome to Nashquitten, MA, a small town on the coast whose best days are behind it. In it live the women who narrate alternating chapters in this captivating novel, each of whom has her own connection to the tragic death of a high school student in town and who each of whom has a unique perspective on the event. Some of the narrators are friends and classmates of the dead girl, others work at the school she attended, and some know her in the way that everyone in a small town knows one another. As I read each of their stories, I learned about the town, its dynamics, its foibles, and the people who call it home. Who was the young woman who died, and what happened on the night of her death? Who is to blame?
This subtly crafted novel first seemed to be a collection of short stories with a commonality of place, but as the reader continues it is clear that this is one story told by many. There is so much to absorb, from the damage that people do to one another to the way one event affects even those who don’t seem connected to it . There is sadness, grief, anger, jealousy, and love and much more. Its writing is reminiscent of Elizabeth Strout, Kent Haruf and Howard Norman at their best; fans of these authors’ works should absolutely make sure that this book gets prominent placement on their TBR pile, as should any reader who loves a well-crafted novel, beautifully written. Many thanks to NetGalley and Zando/SJP Lit for allowing me early access to this novel, whose characters will stay with me for a long while.

I enjoyed this book. I thought the characters and the narrative structure were very interesting. I would recommend this book to those interested in this genre. I would be interested in reading more from this author.

This was a unique story about 10 women whose lives are intertwined and centered around the death of a high school girl. This book was so well done and I loved the stories from the different perspectives of women. This book doesn't focus on the death of the girl, but rather the difficulties and rawness of each one of the characters that cohabitate in a small town. This was a beautiful story full of realness and I would recommend it to a friend!

I loved the idea of the story but the actual writing style just wasn't for me. I can see why other people loved it though! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC!