I absolutely loved this book! I was super invested in the story from the very start, and the touch of the supernatural really hooked me. Jane was such a fascinating character and I couldn't get enough of her story. I loved all of the ways the book branched off in different directions and how it became the story of the different women who lived in the house on the cliffs, but structurally it felt very different (and better) to me than other books with dual timelines or the like. I also really enjoyed the educational aspect of the novel and I felt like I learned a lot of interesting history, but not in a way where it felt forced in - it really flowed with the story. I just loved this so much! I can't wait to get a paper copy so I can share a review with my followers on Instagram closer to pub date!

J. Courtney Sullivan is a must-buy author and The Cliffs is a must-buy book! Sullivan spins a complex story of Jane an archivist who comes to terms with her childhood, marriage, and career, by researching an old house in Maine that has secrets and stories of its own.

That you to NetGalley and to the publishers for this ARC. It actually pains me to write this review because I love J. Courtney Suillivan, I’ve read all of her books, and some of her books are my favorite but this was not for me at all. It was all over the place and I hated the ghost component.

I was super excited to get this one, but for some reason it just never was able to really capture my attention.

summer beach read alert! premise is wonderful and dreamy. the separate stories interweave flawlessly and all subplots felt full and whole. great, great, book

I am obsessed with J. Courtney Sullivan and am always SO excited when I see something new from her. As always, I was fully engrossed in this and finished it in a day. Love her writing.

I feel like no one is talking about that fact that 2024 brings us a new J. Courtney Sullivan book! This year is shaping up to be great, I keep reading 2024 releases and giving them 5 stars, which is making me so excited for all of our reading year ahead.

This book is unlike anything Sullivan has written. Full of family secrets, shocking discoveries, ghosts, and an in-depth history lesson on the Native American experience in Maine and Massachusetts, I had a very hard time putting THE CLIFFS down. The plot sounds simple, but the story weaves us through so many twists and turns, centuries and POVs, that I never knew what to expect next. It's a really beautiful new book by one of our most beloved authors.

There is always a line or a passage in Sullivan's work that sticks with me after I've finished reading. Sometimes they haunts me a little, keeping me up at night thinking about them. Other times it makes me see my world a little different. The Cliffs (especially the house) will be no different. I will admit the history "lessons" felt a little long in the tooth while I was reading them, but I'm happy I stuck it out. They paid of in the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle ARC. I've read all of J. Courtney Sullivan's books. One thing I admire about her writing style is that its not formulaic. None of the books are similar in style or storyline. No fixation on rom-com or drama or suspense/thriller. The Cliffs was a completely different kind of story than any of her previous books. It covered several different time periods and there were strong attempts to tie them together in the story but it felt a bit cluttered with too many story lines. They were not difficult to follow but once the reader got immersed in one part of the story, it completely veered off in another direction. The story of an old house in Maine, possibly haunted but with many other seemingly interconnected directions that didn't always mesh well. It wasn't my favorite of the author's books.

A moving story about family, generational trauma (alcoholism), colonialism, and spirituality in which Sullivan takes on a number of important issues. I found Jane Flanagan to be a likable main character and narrator — it’s hard not to root for Jane. She returns to Maine after a death in the family and starts to unravel her childhood fascination with a house on the cliffs, rich in history and its very own trauma.

as a non-reader of historical fiction I never would've picked this one up if I had known it would veer in that direction - but I did end up enjoying those parts of the book. wrapped up a little too quickly/nicely and i wish there had been a more coherent thread through all the many parts of the story, but I did like the book and feel glad to have read it.

An eye opening novel that can’t help but make you think about the past and how awful the English were upon their arrival. Jane has a whole lot of flaws but her desire to honor the past is not one of them. Sullivan covers a lot of ground in The Cliffs and made sure unanswered questions were answered.

Interesting plot involving current and past inhabitants of a cliff-side house. Twist and turns takes the reader through time and relationships.

This book was beautiful and mysterious at times. Not a perfect novel but thought provoking.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200634672

As a fan of J. Courtney Sullivan I appreciate Net Galley providing me with this advance copy. Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations. It seemed to be two different research papers uncomfortably rolled into a book. One “paper” is a very informative, well researched history of the indigenous peoples of the Maine coast and beyond. That part of the book is definitely interesting. These stories were woven into the woes of the main character, Jane, in a way that felt forced. The second “paper” in the book is a discussion of alcoholism, its effects on the person suffering from it and on those around him/ her. I found this part, although realistic, very predictable.
In an effort to avoid spoilers I will finish by saying that the conclusion was a bit too neat and tidy to be believable.
I would like to give 3.5 stars but that isn't an option so I rounded up to 4.

This book was DNF. It simply wasn’t for me. The story moved slowly and it felt more like a non fiction history which I’m not into.

Enjoyable novel but the multiple story lines was a bit much for me. I loved the main parts of the story and the history of a small part of Maine. From the notes at the end, it seems the author did extensive research on many aspects of the novel. I think I felt at times that the "researcher" in the novel took over from the story in the novel. I loved the idea that one small area can be part of so many people's lives over the centuries.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the digital ARC.

4.5⭐️ A sprawling & enthralling saga of family, community & history.
Powerful & immersive.
So many intertwined stories which only get more beautiful & captivating.
Definite book hangover now.

With great thanks to NetGalley & Knopf for this e-ARC!

Maine. The happiest place on earth for me. I love visiting and reading about the state. The setting was fabulous but after a couple of chapters; I lost interest. This happened to me before with Sullivan's work. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Three stars.

Thank you for the ARC! I rarely DNF these books, but this time I did. I was excited to read a story that took place in Maine but unfortunately it was not for me. It read like a non-fiction book, but a non-fiction book where one was just lecturing me. It was history wrapped up in a very slow story.