I'm not sure this author is for me. Started out okay, but then I just got bored. The characters weren't interesting to me. It's more of a character study than a whole plot. The family has come together after the death of their mother, but they just don't like each other. I thought there was some climate fiction stuff in here, too, but there was not much.

@marinerbooks | #gifted I think the writing of Lynn Steger-Strong is a bit of an acquired taste. Her stories are often intense and can involve characters who aren’t always likable, but she’s a master at fraught relationships, especially family relationships. That is exactly what you get with 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗟𝗢𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗘𝗦𝗧, her most recent book. The story revolves around the four Kenner siblings, who have come together after the death of their mother, who dominated the family. Now they’re left to help their father adjust to life on his own, while at the same time pushing and pulling on one another over past and present slights between them.⁣
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If you hear a criticism about this book, it’s likely to be in the narration style. The whole story is told by Jude, the third daughter in the family. She tells her parts of the story in first person. When covering the lives of her parents and siblings, she mainly delivers their lives in third person, but often inserts herself or her opinions back in first person. This was a little jarring at first and at first I did have to go back and reread paragraphs to make sure I got it right, but I quickly adjusted to this unique style. In fact, I came to really appreciate Jude’s narration.⁣
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I also appreciated the many layers of this story. The Kenners were a family of doers, but they often walked over others to get where they were going. This was something that they all understood about each other, but that none-the-less caused pain and division. I liked the way Steger-Strong wove this whole family together. For me, it was a story that just got stronger and stronger the more I read. With a sunny Florida setting, it would also make for a not quite light, but still excellent summer read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

3.5 stars. This book really grew on me. I’d honestly give the first half of the book a 3 and the second half of the book a 4. At first I didn’t know if I was even going to finish it but as I kept listening the story became less whiny and more interesting.
The Float Test tells the story of 4 adult siblings and their father after their mother’s sudden death. All of the siblings (besides for the oldies sister who is the only one with her sh*t together) are annoying in pretty much all of the same ways (and honestly their storylines were all so similar, so much so that it was strange.) As we learn more about each sibling they become more humanized and their stories become more interesting. This is a good, messy family story but nowhere near the top of that genre. But despite any flaws, I flew this audiobook and listened to it in one day.
Thank you to Netgalley and Mariner Books for an advanced copy of this book.

The Float Test by Lynn Steger Strong is a deep and thought provoking novel about four adult siblings who come back together after the death of their mother. Steger Strong is a voice who fully draws out the complicated and sometime humorous relationships between siblings in her works. As with any family, alliances are formed, destroyed and reformed over the course of time and secrets revealed. I found that I was reading this novel at a slower pace than I normally would, simply so I could soak up all of the inner monologues and thoughtful insights of the 4 Kenner children.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the opportunity to read this novel.

Secrets. Conflict. Silence. Repeat.
The pain and power of family...

The Kenner siblings have returned home to Florida for their mother's funeral. It is where the three sisters and one brother grew up. The July heat is intense, as is the tension between the family members...

"The Float Test" is a character study of a family that has forgotten how to love, trust, and care for each other. There is no nurturing of relationships, only pushing, pulling, and avoiding—all of them, siblings, parents, spouses, living on the surface of life, afraid to dive in.

Youngest sister, Jude, is the omniscient, all-knowing-ever-present narrator. Her thoughts amble, then she digresses as she constructs her thoughts in short, choppy sentences, remembering specifics. The author's unique writing talent has me believing these horrible characters are real, undoubtedly true to life, and my emotions bubble over...I love to hate them all.

An immersion read, I partnered this gifted DRC with the audiobook, narrated by Andi Arndt, who gives life to Jude's character, recounting the story with clarity and believable gender voicing. I encourage an immersion read as the best way to experience this book.

"The Float Test" is my second Lynn Steger Strong read, "Flight" being my first. Similarly, they are about family, one of my favorite topics. Now I have my eyes on her second novel "Want" and hope to read it soon!

3.75⭐

Thank you to Mariner Books and Lynn Steger Strong for the gifted DRC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

It was okay. Learned quickly it wasn’t my cup of tea. Probably would recommend to my friends who love these type of books though!

I enjoyed this author’s last novel, Flight, but this one didn’t really work for me. It’s a slow story of four siblings and their lives after their mother has passed away. This one was just too slow for me. There were a lot of characters none of whom I felt deeply connected to.

Pick this up for a slow character driven family story.

Lynn Steger Strong’s The Float Test dives deep into the messy, murky waters of sibling dynamics, grief, and generational tension, offering a character-driven portrait of a fractured family reunited in the wake of loss. Set against the oppressive heat of a Florida summer, the novel follows the Kenner siblings—each adrift in their own crises—as they circle and clash around the open wounds of the past.

The writing is undeniably intelligent and layered, with Strong's signature psychological depth and eye for nuance. Fans of Ann Patchett and Clare Lombardo will find familiar terrain in the emotional unraveling of a privileged but broken family. There are sharp observations on motherhood, professional burnout, and the limits of storytelling itself—particularly through Fred, a blocked novelist who questions the purpose of narrative even as she inhabits one.

Still, for all its thoughtful prose and thematic ambition, the novel sometimes drifts too far into introspection. The slow pacing and the interiority of its characters—while realistic—can make it feel inert, especially when the central tension between Jude and Fred is teased for so long it risks deflating. There’s a sense that Strong is less interested in resolution than in excavation, which might frustrate readers looking for a more satisfying emotional payoff.

The Float Test succeeds in depicting the tenderness and toxicity that often coexist within families. But while it floats—it doesn’t always land.

This book wandered between pace being too slow and then hurry up and finish. I got bogged down in some of the political business that felt out of place in this family drama. Just didn't do it for me.

My new favorite thing is picking up books that take place in Florida. ☀️

The way this book was written, it read like a memoir. All the references to the political climate in Florida were current, or as current as they can be when writing a novel and it’s making its way through the publishing process.

Despite the lovely writing, this book was heavy. The characters are all a mess, as a family they’re a mess, they’re relationships are a mess, it appears they’ve always been a mess and they have all these very kind people around them, people trying to be their best and grow, and they just mess everything up.

And I’m sorry the horrifying moment near the end?! COMPLETELY uncalled for. Dog lovers be warned 😂.

I had a hard time when reading this trying to figure out where it was going. The ending was sort of sweet, but after that scene, like I cannot get over it why would you put that in there 😂😂😂.

You need to make sure you’re in the right mood to pick this one up. Like in the middle of the summertime sads and you want to be more sad maybe. Also if you love messy families and lots of family and relationship drama. And Florida.

Thank you @netgalley and @marinerbooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

A dysfunctional family and a few of their friends are trying to deal with changes in their life after the matriarch of the family passes away. The story jumps around and I had some confusion trying to remember who everyone was and their own family make-up. Possibly the best part of this book was the descriptions of the Florida climate and how they responded to it. There was a lot of swimming and a lot of angst. Very atmospheric and ultimately little hope. I'm glad that I was able to finish it despite wanting to give up on it a few times.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's a fine addition to the dysfunctional family genre.

Sadly, DNF @ 84 pages. I wanted to love this and really enjoyed the author’s last book. Unfortunately, I was just bored, for lack of a better explanation. I found myself not wanting to pick it up and avoiding reading because I just didn't care enough. Normally I don’t need a lot of plot, but then I do need the characters to be interesting - and these ones just, weren’t. Thank you for the opportunity to review.

2.5 ⭐️. This one wasn’t my cup of tea.
I hate Covid books, too soon.
And I really struggled to connect to any of the characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Mariner Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I did like this book even though I thought it was a strange one. I liked the characters and the storyline. I would definitely recommend this book.

Slow but compelling family drama. I always leave Strong’s novels a little unsatisfied, but in a way that feels like a testament to their veracity.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

The Float Test is an entertaining story of an American family, their dysfunction, and journey to reclaim a sense of home. I most enjoyed the Florida setting and layered inter-sibling relationships. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a family-centered story.

I really wanted to like this book. I love sibling stories set around a family secret or betrayal. However, this one started off confusing, and if I have to continually tap back pages to reread what I read or to clarify something (especially difficult on an eBook) I begin to get frustrated and lose interest quickly. I know that Lynn Steger Strong has been praised for her book, Flight, and it has been on my to-read list. However, this book seemed very disjointed. It is told from the perspective of Jude, one of the siblings but even when the perspective changes to a different sibling, Jude is still there using the "I" pronoun which becomes confusing. Also, one of the sisters is named Fred and a brother is named George. Again, every I read the name Fred, I thought of a man and then had to quickly remember, that she was one of the sisters. I think the author could have chosen different names for the characters. Overall, I gave this the "old college try" and got to 25% before deciding this was taking too much thought and not enough enjoyment to keep reading.

I've loved Steger Strong's books in the past but I just couldn't get into this newest one that felt like.a stream of consciousness diatribe without a clear plot. I did enjoy the Florida setting and many of the characters but the story itself didn't flow well despite having relatable characters trying to cope with life during and after the COVID pandemic. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and @librofm for a complimentary ALC narrated by one of my fav voice actors - however even Andi Ardnt's skills couldn't keep me invested until the end of the book. :(

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins | Mariner Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest novel by Lynn Steger Strong. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

The Kenner siblings are all at crisis points in their own lives, when they head back to Florida after the death of their mom. Jenn is the oldest, and struggling with her own family as well as feeling the responsibility of her parents as well. Jude is a corporate lawyer, single mom, and estranged from her once favorite sister, Fred. Fred is struggling with life and love and still finding her way. The baby, George, is estranged from his wife and having issues at work. They have never needed each other more or trusted each other less.

I love a well-written family drama! This story is told from Jude's POV, but we get all of the siblings' backstories as well, except for the reason that Jude and Fred are estranged. That reveal doesn't come until the book is almost over, which brought out an underlying tension through the entire book. The story felt real, with siblings taking their roles from childhood and feeling the pressure of maintaining those, as well as childhood resentments that we all hold on to. Everyone has secrets, including the parents. The hot Florida sun felt like another character as well. Another fabulous book from this author - and Luli had the perfect ending!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital review copy of this title. I stopped reading thoroughly at 43%, but I skimmed through to the end to make sure I didn’t miss any major shifts and could feel confident about giving it feedback.

My main struggles were that I didn’t feel connected to the characters or like them much. Past memories were shared in a way that felt jarring. The sentence structure and style was awkward at times. I had to reread sentences to understand them, and it wasn’t something I got used to over time. The pacing felt very slow and I couldn’t sense any momentum building. This definitely had potential to be a powerful story about grief and family, but there were too many style barriers for me personally.