I just finished reading 'The Weight of Water' and I'm still gutted from the emotional impact. It's like the author took my heart, wrung it out like a wet towel, and then tenderly pieced it back together again. The story of Rachel and Talia is a raw, unfiltered gaze into the darkest corners of human suffering, but also the most radiant aspects of love and resilience. I mean, these sisters go through some seriously messed up stuff - poverty, addiction, trauma, and loss - but their bond is this unbreakable force that just won't quit.

The writing is masterful, with a pace that's both measured and relentless. W.A. Schwartz knows when to pull back and when to dive deep, and the result is a story that feels both expansive and intimate. The characters are fully realized, with all their flaws and beauty on display. And the setting - oh, the setting! New Orleans and the surrounding bayous come alive in a way that's both haunting and alluring.

I'm not gonna lie, this book wrecked me. I stayed up way too late reading, my heart racing and my emotions raw. But it was worth it, because in the end, 'The Weight of Water' is a testament to the human spirit, a reminder that even in the darkest depths, there's always hope. Just read it, okay? But be prepared to ugly cry and/or want to hug your loved ones forever.

A complicated plot with interesting characters. Small events have large life impacts. I recommend this book b

This was a good story with a solid storyline and was really well told. Kept me interested till the end and invested in the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

An excellent mystery that reminds us that people are frequently much more than who they originally seem to be

Also, chronicles the horrors of hurricane Katerina, and the devastation caused by the fierce storm.

Lastly, a novel about family, redemption and the lasting and healing properties of familial love.

The Weight of Water, though a thriller, is a thriller of all sad components - a story, in essence, of what multiple adverse childhood events can do and how vulnerable those children are left.

The Weight on Water was not my favorite work, but not my least favorite, either. For starters, a good chunk of the book, start trim pretty much page 1, goes way too slow. However, there is some necessary information presented for later down the line. The slowness, though, almost stopped me from making any attempt to finish the book.

It wasn't until close to or actually the end of the book where anything of the full-blown thriller aspect of the books comes in play. Of course, this, too, is when the story is resolved.... This is where I think the book shows the best it has to offer with the full presentation the thrilller, then, it's resolution. The overall ending I found to be satisfying yet not.

I may not recommend this book, necessarily. However, I wouldn't dissuade anyone from reading it.

I am very torn about this book. There were some things I loved about it but there were some that bothered me.
First, the positives: the topic was fascinating. I remember Hurricane Katrina like it was yesterday. I have been to New Orleans several times and love the city. The research that obviously went into this book was amazing. I learned so much about what happened. The level of attention to that detail was obvious. The events, of course, were compelling. The prose was beautifully written.
Second, the difficulties. The book was a little slow to start. The style was a bit confusing and I am not sure it wasn't intentional. The timeline kept going back and forth and looked at different characters. It seemed to get more focused at the end, as if it was trying to enter the eye of the hurricane, which would be quite ambitious but made it hard for me as a reader (not the focus at the end but the back and forth for much of the book). The prose and the topic were good enough for me to continue reading until I knitted things together but I prefer to be a little less confused in my reading. The confusion extended to the characters and it was hard to keep them all straight, and I knew it might be when I saw a glossary of characters in the beginning. I think I would have preferred a few less characters. At the same time, while we got a good picture of the main character and her sister, we did not of her husband and since he figured prominently at the end, I wished we had seen more of him.
Finally, the book was so packed with plot and characters and for this much content, it seemed a little rushed. Now, I have read many books recently where I think it could have been 100 pages less, but my thinking here is that it might have done the plot justice if the author had slowed down just a little.
That said, I am glad to have read the book and it would be a solid 3.5 stars for me. I am rounding to 4 because it was so ambitious and such an important subject. Just one note, if a reader is looking for a lighthearted read, this is not the book. If the reader is looking for a thought provoking book about an event that many of us THINK we know about but may not really, this would fit the bill.

Rounded up from a 3.5 - I liked this even though it was overfilled with things during the 1970s POVs that ended up superfluous to the story which might have been better spent providing more context to some of the players and depth in general in the other two timelines around Katrina and present day.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review