The Shore

Brian and Margot Dunne live year-round in Seaside, just steps away from the bustling boardwalk, with their daughters Liz and Evy. The Dunnes run a real estate company, making their living by quickly turning over rental houses for tourists. But the family’s future becomes even more precarious when Brian develops a brain tumor, transforming into a bizarre, erratic version of himself. Amidst the chaos and new caretaking responsibilities, Liz still seeks out summer adventure and flirting with a guy she should know better than to pursue. Her younger sister Evy works in a candy shop, falls in love with her friend Olivia, and secretly adopts the persona of a middle-aged mom in an online support group, where she discovers her own mother’s most vulnerable confessions. Meanwhile, Margot faces an impossible choice driven by grief, impulse, and the ways that small-town life in Seaside has shaped her. Falling apart is not an option, but she can always pack up and leave the beach behind.

Highly recommend this book! This was my first book to read by this author and I can't wait to read more! The characters and the story stay with you long after you finish the book. One of the best books I have read in a long time.

A very vivid novel with compelling and realistic portrayals of illness and the stress of caregiving and disease on an entire family. But, in this time of pandemic, I must add, this is not a lighthearted or easy read for those looking for an escape.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Scribner and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A very true to the point, realistic take on illness, caregiving and the toll it takes. It’s a heavy read.

A really beautiful book. I loved each character and the journey we went in with them the summer their dad turned into a stranger, dying. There's a lot of grace in these pages; a gentle understanding under pain, confusion and loss. Really well done.

"Maybe that will always be the question I ask about anyone from now on: What have you already lost?"

Terrific read. I really loved these characters, esp. Evy and Liz. They were real and heartbreaking. I had a harder time feeling much for Margot - a few times I did empathize with her but she struck me as emotionally selfish, turning away from her daughters when they needed her most. I could smell the sand and the cotton candy and hear the roller coaster and Tilt-a-Whirl. I wanted to get back to these people and found myself thinking of me when I wasn't reading.

Well done. Highly recommend.

P. S. Thanks to #NetGalley and @ScribnerBooks for the DRC.

The Shore by Katie Runde sucked me in from the first page. I was captivated by the family drama of the Dunnes - parents Brian and Margot, and teenage daughters Liz and Evy. Their world has been turned upside down by Brian's brain tumor, and this book captures their last summer as Brian dies. Yup, there are parts that are depressing, and yup, the characters are not always likable. Death and loss and grief (and a long, drawn-out loss) does that to people. Yet, there is hope throughout the book as the sisters learn to love and learn to take care of themselves and their parents in new ways, and to grow up too. I liked the combination of formats in this book... the present and the past, text messages, old emails, and chat rooms. This book really worked for me. The ending (though obviously sad!) also was fantastic and fitting.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary advanced ebook copy. All opinions are my own.

This is the story of how a mother and two daughters faced with their husband/father's deterioration over the course of a summer after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. A poignant, very real look at one family dealing with life, death, loss and love.

I loved all the characters in this book - Runde expertly develops each one of them. The reader will experience love, lose, grief, joy and sorrow - a lot to accomplish In one story!! Especially enjoyed because it took place at the Jersey shore & I relived my teenage summers spent there.

I was lucky enough to win an advanced digital copy of THE SHORE by Katie Runde from a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thanks for the early look, and have a safe and happy weekend!

While living with a husband who is slowly dying from a brain tumor, Margot and her daughters Liz and Evy work through slowly losing him before he is actually gone. The author has done a great job of portraying the feelings that the characters experience during Brian's final summer. All characters are well developed and we learn a lot about Brian and Margot's early life and relationship from old emails. The author also uses a chat support group to give insight into her deeper thoughts. I found this exposition realistic as it is often easier to tell a stranger your feelings than someone you are close to.

It was clear before I read the author's acknowledgment that she had experienced this kind of loss herself. The story captures the experience of having a loved one slowly dying and how sometimes we lose them before they are actually gone. Having experienced a parent on hospice, many of the situations felt true. The family strain, the well-wishers, the thoughts of just surviving, the struggle to not lose yourself. How this experience differently and similarly affected Margot, Liv, and Evy was also well explored.

The setting captured the vibe of the shore and made me crave a stroll on the boardwalk and some saltwater taffy. The counter view of the happy laughing summer vacationers and life going on against what is happening felt important to the story. I definitely recommend reading this one.

Thank you Netgalley and Scribner for the arc.

The Shore by Katie Runde. What a very heavy but terrific read. I loved the characters. It was a very real look at one family's struggle dealing with life, illness, and death. This story was beautifully written, very real and heartbreaking. I would recommend. 4.5 stars!

Had me on the edge of the seat. I still cant believe that i got approved for this book its one of my favorites after i read it and just in shock by the ending. The plot was wonderful and had me drawn in the writing was so good i thought i was watching a movie. This is definitely gonna be a best seller

LOVED this one. An emotional family drama/coming of age story that was done so well. Emotional & bittersweet, reflecting on not only a parent's terminal illness but a summer of first loves and growing up, this one had a little bit of everything. I really enjoyed this story, especially after reading the author's note and I think this would make a great book club story - lots to discuss. 4.5 stars

This is one of the best books I have read on the theme of loss. It was a bit of a slow crescendo for me as I read and immersed in the story of this family and their daily activities over the course of one summer, as their father lay dying. There are so many aspects that a reader could identify with and as the title indicates, the setting itself enhances the theme. Highly recommended for anyone dealing with grief and loss and it would be an excellent choice for a book club.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this lovely and impactful book.

Wow, this book is deep, and you will get highly invested and highly connected to this family. This is not a lighthearted read, and if you are not in the state of mind right not to be somewhat melancholy for lack of a better word, then don't read it. The writing style was gorgeous. I loved the setting on in Jersey. This would make an excellent book to read with a friend or two. It would be great for open discussion. I look forward to more by this author.

Talk about all the feels!

Love. Loss. Highs. Lows. Sadness. elation. You will feel it all and feel it all deeply!
what a glorious summer read.

Having been a full time caregiver to sick and ailing family twice in my life and can say this book was an intimate portrait of that dynamic and impact on family. It was also not a light hearted read if you're looking for an escape. However, sometimes when we're in the thick of hard things books like these can help people feel seen and understood in a way that's hard to come by in real life. I thoughtful and poignant book, thank you so much for the advanced copy of this debut.

This family has a great life in a small Jersey shore town, until the father develops a brain tumor. We live with the mom and two teenage daughters as they live through his increasingly erratic behavior, and then steady decline. The relationships in the family take a hit but ultimately strengthen. #theshore #katierunde #bookstagram #bookblogger #readersofinstagram #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookloversofinstagram #readersofinstagram #readallday #currentlyreading

The Shore
by Katie Runde
Pub Date: Mary 24, 2022
Scribner
Thanks to Runde, Scriber, and NetGalley for the ARC of this great book! It will be one I long remember, The hardest part was when the book was over saying goodbye to the Dunes and the Town of Seaside. Great Book!
The Shore is a powerful, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting novel infused with humor about young women finding sisterhood, friendship, and love in a time of crisis. This big-hearted family saga examines the grit and hustle of running a small business in a tourist town, the ways we connect with strangers when our families can’t give us everything we need, and the comfort to be found in embracing the pleasures of youth while coping with unimaginable loss.
I recommend this book!
5 stars

This book is raw and emotional. I enjoyed how it brought the real side of having to be a care giver and how it really does effect and play a role in the lives of everyone in the family. This was a fantastic read, highly recommend.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I loved this book. Full stop. But seriously, it is beautifully written and a unique story.

Brian has been diagnosed with a rare brain tumor, his wife Margot is trying to keep their beach rental business afloat while being his care-giver and raising their two teenage daughters, Liz (17) and Evy (16). This book shows us primarily their three points of view (Margot, Liz, and Evy), the summer that Brian's health completely robs him. There is a first and last chapter from Brian's point of view that are particularly heart-warming as well.

Runde's writing style is effortless, poetic, and observant. She portrays perfectly the complex feelings of coming of age while dealing with the grief during the "loss before the loss" of a loved one affected by a brain disease. My own father passed away from Alzheimer's years ago, and the way that Runde writes the ugliness, bitter-sweetness, shame, and exhaustion of those last weeks and months is poignant and accurate. Margot, Liz, and Evy are wholly formed and distinct characters with their own clear voices. How Liz navigates a first love in a highly intelligent and introspective way is so different from Evy trying to have fun and navigate summer parties with too much booze. Margot finds solace in an online support group for wives whose husbands have the same brain tumor--and Evy finds a connection to her mother by "catfishing" as another wife on the forum.

This story talks of the themes of love, marriage, support, emotions, mothers and daughters, and sisters. There is definitely heartache and sadness, but also hope. This is beautifully written and is in the running for the best novel I've read in 2022.

Binged this book in less than 24 hours! It helped that the setting was the Jersey shore, where I spend a lot of time :) don’t let the beach setting fool you though, this book is SAD. Losing a family member to a form of glioblastoma, causing extreme personality changes was very sad to read about but also interesting in its own way. I felt like the mom and her daughters dealt with it in their own way while trying to find themselves. I very much enjoyed this!

Brian and Margot live in Seaside. They have rental homes on the boardwalk that they rent to tourists. They live with their teenage daughters, Liz and Evy. Things take a turn when Brian is diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor. The Shore tells a story of a family trying to enjoy the last summer as a full family unit.

The Shore is about family bond, survival, friendship, hope, sisterhood and grief. In this story you get a glimpse of how each family member handles the heartbreaking loss of their husband/father as he deteriorates before their eyes. Each character handles this illness and loss in their own ways which I think allows the reader to connect to the characters in an authentic way. The story is packed full of emotion and at times a tear jerker. A beautiful and fantastic debut novel.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an advance copy of this book to read in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I absolutely everything about this book from the cover to the last page! Such a great read. You will truly feel every emotion possible when reading this! Make sure you add this to your TBR pile immediately! I can't wait to read more by Katie Runde!

Property managers Brian and Margot Dunne have spent their lives buying, renovating and renting beach houses in Seaside, NJ. Their daughters Liz and Eve are 17 and 15. Life is good. Until it isn’t. Brian is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, an ugly disease that has affected his personality. During this summer, which will probably be the last of Brian’s life, the Dunne women are floundering. Margot,is managing, cleaning and restocking summer cottages by herself. She’s drinking wine at night and posting on GBM, a message board for spouses of brain cancer patients. She doesn’t know that Evy, using a fake name, is also on GBM so she can read her mothers thoughts. Margot has remained closed and matter of fact to her daughters. The summer is changing both Liz and Evy. They are exploring their sexuality, experimenting with alcohol and drugs and planning futures very different from what they expected.

The Shore is a sad, thoughtful novel. It honestly and heartbreakingly illustrates the effects of terminal disease on a family. It will stay with you long after you read the final page. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Scribner and Katie Runde for this ARC.

This wondrous, cinematic, deeply moving book is the exact opposite of what I thought it would be. I was expecting Katie Runde’s novel set in Seaside during the summer to be as frothy and ephemeral as cotton candy. Instead, what I discovered was a meditation on family, loss and grieving. This book surprised me and astonished me by its wisdom and humor. A must read.

The Shore by Katie Runde is a tender story about family, marriage, sisterhood, and illness told through the eyes of Margot Dunne and her two teenage daughters, Liz and Evy. The trio are suddenly faced with the caregiver roll to their husband/father, Brian once a brain tumor takes over and transforms him into someone they no longer recognize. The family is having a difficult summer full of confusion, new responsibilities, and so many unknowns. Your heart will absolutely break for this family. If you’re looking for a summer read with a little grit and some substance to bring to the beach in a month or two, The Shore is definitely it. It’s by no means a light and fluffy read at all, but the tourist town it’s set in with the bustling boardwalk, seasonal rental homes, candy shops, and overall laidback vibe just screams summer to me. Yes, there’s loss, grief, chaos, and multiple heartbreaking moments; but also a lot of humorous and uplifting ones to even things out a bit. It’s one of those stories that punches you in the gut, makes you sit back, and take a few moments to sit with for a little while. Overall, this was a very impressive debut. It was just the complex and messy family drama that I needed, and I cannot wait to read more from Katie Runde. She’s a marvelous storyteller. Be sure to pick up a copy on release day - May 24th!

Brian and Margot Dunne own a multitude of vacation rental properties in Seaside, New Jersey, where they are also raising their teenaged daughters, Liz and Evy. The lives of each of them are challenged when David is diagnosed with a Glioblastoma Multiforme Tumor and fades into someone unrecognizable. The book unfolds during one summer with flashbacks to the early days of Margot and Brian’s relationship and is told from rotating points of view in alternating chapters.

Liz and Evy struggle to uncover and process secrets kept by their parents, while they each try to maintain some part of a normal summer with summer jobs and blossoming love interests. At the same time, Margot gains comfort from a group of internet strangers while she also plots a life forward without Brian.

This book feels like summer with its vibrant descriptions of the beach, the boardwalk, shore food and colorful characters. At the same time, the book hits serious issues of loss, grief, and miscommunication among family members.

Thank you Net Galley and Scribner for the free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. The review will posted on Goodreads, Amazon and the Friends and Fiction Facebook group shortly before or shortly after the release date.

Any woman will find something to relate to in this book. This book would be perfect for any beach bag this summer. It's light but with depth and I couldn't stop turning the pages.

Set over the course of one summer, THE SHORE follows Brian Dunne’s family as his brain tumor changes his personality into somebody unrecognizable to his family. His wife and teenage daughters navigate their evolving grief in different ways. The picturesque seaside setting lies in stark juxtaposition to the deep loss this family is experiencing, which made for a compelling read.

The author explores how a family can grieve the loss of a loved one even while they are still living but aren’t themselves. I appreciated how the writing highlights the complexity of emotions in a raw way.

Readers looking for a summer read with nuanced characters and depth of emotion will appreciate this heartfelt debut by @katierunde.

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: May 24, 2022

A big thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review. Review will be posted to www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks in advance of publication date.

“She would remember this as a summer of unnameable sadness, but also as a summer she was proud to have moved through with an uncertain wisdom she felt swelling inside her.”

I know there are a lot of great books coming out this month, but do NOT sleep on this one. Told from the perspective of a mother and her two daughters during one trying summer on the Jersey Shore, this is a fantastic story about family, grief, coming-of-age, parenting and alll the things!

You’ll find yourself reminiscing about those summer moments in adolescence when you seemed to find yourself, when you NOTICED yourself growing as a person, when you decided who you were going to be, what kind of person you wanted to love, which of your friends were genuine.

There are certainly moments of joy in this one, but I was wiping away tears as I finished the last few pages. Katie Runde wrote all of these characters beautifully— and I felt myself growing attached to each of them.

Even though this is a bit of a heavier read, it would still totally work as a vacation or beach read this summer. It’s got all the sand and sea and boardwalk descriptions to transport you to the Jersey Shore. I 100% recommend.

A beautifully written book about a family living in a seaside community over the course of one particularly difficult summer. Told from multiple points of view, this novel evocatively portrays the struggle of a family dealing with a loved ones illness as they navigate first love, familial relationships, changing friendships, and life on the shore. A perfect read for anyone looking to bring a deeply poignant book to the beach this summer.

"The Shore" by Katie Runde
Scribner
May 24, 2022
10-198218017X
Contemporary Fiction



Dealing with a terminal illness is grueling, not just for the one who is ill but also for their loved ones. When Brian Dunne's persona changes, Margot, his wife, is gravely concerned, especially after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Margot and their two teenage daughters, Liz and Evy, are trapped in this maelstrom causing frayed nerves and grief.

Brian and Margot own several properties in the coastal town of Seaside, NJ, which they rent weekly to visitors. They have spent years building their business. Though the girls and another employee pick up the slack, Brian's prior involvement is missed, for he is not to be trusted doing turnarounds due to his erratic behavior. Margot is stressed and worries about how she can single-handedly take care of things—for now, it seems watching Brian is a full-time job.

Liz, the oldest daughter at 17, spends most of her time at a place that rents beach umbrellas and hangs around with an older guy of whom her parents would not approve. Sixteen-year-old Evy makes her escape from the turmoil by working at the local ice cream and candy shop. She feels staying away from home as much as possible will keep her from thinking of her dad's ultimate demise. The sisters are close and can confide in and console each other, yet they still grapple with their own demons.

They learn Brian's fate in October, and now it's late spring, and the whole family travels to Philadelphia to meet with Brian's physician, Dr. Zimorodi.

"Margot followed the end of Dr. Zimorodi's pen across the screen, staring as it traced the gray-on-gray between healthy tissue and the creeping decay. The tenor of his voice was a soft, legato, his eyes steady and watery brown, but his language was direct: the treatments had stopped working, the tumor would take over now. He said it again, his phrasing free of metaphor to avoid any chance of misunderstanding. There's nothing else we can do.

"Dr. Zimorodi left the screen open to the images. He filled the beats of silence with more professional, relevant follow-up details she didn't hear. Evy interrupted him to ask, 'How long, exactly?' He said some never knows, and every case is differents, a few anything can happens, but then he said: by the end of summer."

Margot, who has always loved her little community, now considers selling everything and moving away after Brian's death. She joins an online chat group for those with family members going through brain cancer. Evy chances to stumble on this site and reads her mother's comments about leaving town. This is her home, and causing her to panic, she devises a false name as though she has a husband with this disease. This way, she hopes to find out Margot's intentions. Margot does not mention anything to her daughters, so Evy decides to do all she can to dissuade her from leaving.

Soon, Evy confides in Liz, and the two plot to learn Margot's plans, especially as Brian's illness progresses and they realize the end is near. The sisters are distressed that she had not confided in them, yet they are angry that she has no problem discussing it with strangers. How can they deter her from going so they can stay in the town and the home they love?

For the last few weeks of Brian's life, a hospice nurse comes to help him and the family. Their rental business declines, and fear, anguish, and depression sink in mostly with Margot. What does she have to look forward to when her beloved husband is gone?

Katie Runde's debut novel touches on a disheartening topic, which she pens with grace and sympathy. This tale is not only about someone's passing with a horrendous disease, but it depicts how family members deal with the agony of it all. Does it pull them apart, or does it bring them together? While the daughters try to hide their anguish in their jobs, spending time on the beach, or with their friends, it's understood they are all hurting. All this brings to light the reality of our own demise or of a loved one and how we would handle it. All the very relatable family members are not without quirks, making this a tender read about dealing with the pain of loss.

A sweet and salty story about the impending loss of a loved one and all that comes with it—exhaustion, longing, laughter, and the fear of what happens next. The Shore is both a big-hearted beach book and a guide for grieving. For fans of Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney and Katherine Heiny.

The Shore by Katie Runde was a heavy read about a family navigating a family member's illness and death, and the effects it has on them.

This is a very emotional read so be prepared for it to get to you because it will. It will make you cry and will haunt you for some time afterward.


This book is heartbreaking, heartfelt, and written beautifully

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Scribner Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this beautiful debut by Katie Runde - 5 stars!

Margot and Brian own a rental home business in Seaside, New Jersey, and have two teenage daughters, Liz and Evy. When Brian develops a brain tumor, all their lives are changed forever. Suddenly, the business is too much for Margot and the girls, who have to figure out caretaking of Brian as he changes from the man they all loved.

This is a gorgeously-written novel - one that showcases old love and first love, family, grief, sisterhood. It's a character study of what it means to be human with all those messy emotions, a coming-of-age story of teenagers discovering themselves while losing where they came from. I loved spending time with this family and will be missing them and thinking of them now that I finished the book. I loved the glimpses of the future that the author sprinkled in so that we would have faith in their journey. Although it's a touch subject matter, i highly recommend spending time with the Dunne family. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Many thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Shore may look fun and cherry but it's an emotional rollercoaster of a read. I loved it - I laughed, I sobbed… wow, what a wonderful character-driven debut!
Over the course of one summer in Seaside, NJ, the book follows a family which owns multiple rental properties in town. Brian, the father, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme tumor the past October, which affects his personality making him alternate between being a jerk, a toddler, etc. His wife, Margot, is trying to hold everything together, managing their properties and helping guests enjoy their stays while also trying to babysit her husband through the end. 16 year old Evy and 17 year old Elizabeth are working quintessential beach jobs (selling candy and renting umbrellas) and helping their mom with the property turnovers and supporting their dad, forced to mature in ways their friends don't understand.
Having grown up in NJ and spent a summer selling ice cream on the boardwalk in Wildwood when I was 18, I had some nostalgic moments while reading. And as someone with a close father-daughter relationship, I felt many of Evy and Liz's emotions as if they were my own.
If you're looking to invest yourself in an emotional read and become intimately acquainted with this family, I recommend The Shore, which will be available 5/24!

Solid 4 stars. Such an emotional story - I had to take my time reading it. I was torn between wanting to finish it and never wanting it to end.

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Whew! This is the kind that stays with you after you’ve finished the book. Despite it being a heavy loaded read, it is a beautiful book. Showing the reality of what illness/cancer can do to a family. The journey the family went through, each individually had their own experiences. Sad, heartbreaking but also touching, emotional. Another reason why I was drawn to the book was the cover, the fact that it took place on the Jersey shore. I felt the nostalgia of the shore, the author wrote everything about NJ beautifully that it stirred up many personal memories. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This book surprised me with its intensity and the weight of the topics it deals with. I wouldn't recommend it as a light and airy beach/summer read, rather go into it understanding that it will be an emotional story about family, illness, death, and grief. It is easy to read though and moving as well.

Set over the course of one summer, this perfect beach read follows a mother and her
two daughters as they grapple with heartbreak, young love, and the weight of family
secrets.
The Shore is a powerful, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting novel infused with
humor about young women finding sisterhood, friendship, and love in a time of crisis.
This big-hearted family saga examines the grit and hustle of running a small business
in a tourist town, the ways we connect with strangers when our families can’t give us
everything we need, and the comfort to be found in embracing the pleasures of youth
while coping with unimaginable loss. Highly recommend.

What a beautiful book this is! Sisters Evy and Liz, and their mom Margot, tell this story of the summer their father and husband Brian dies of a brain tumor. Set in New Jersey beach town with all the feels (the candy shop where Evy works and the umbrella/chair stand where Liz works, cleaning the rental properties), it's very much a coming of age story as well for these teens. Brian and Margot's relationship started in the same town back in college; they married and created a vibrant business of rental houses and apartments. Now though, Brian's tumor has taken over and he's, to put it mildly, difficult through no fault of his own. Margot finds solace of sorts in an internet chat board which Evy discovers - and creates a persona to join and use as a medium to talk to Margot in a way they can't in real life. Everyone realizes but doesn't acknowledge that they've already lost Brian and Margot is planning a future the girls don't want but then... There are so many small things in this novel that make it sing, even through the sadness. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. Runde writes from the heart. Highly recommend.

I won't be reviewing the book. Instead, I will leave a review for the audiobook. It's a great story and I will definitely be giving it 5 stars. Thank you for sharing!

The Dunne family live in Seaside, New Jersey. Brian and Margot are happily married and have two daughters, Liz and Evy. This story details their lives from Margot, Liz and Evy's perspectives as they deal with Brian's cancer diagnosis. There is a lot to take in and the plot isn't overly clear, but you will feel all kinds of emotions as Liz and Evy try to convince Margot to remain in Seaside after Brian's death.

4 out of 5 stars. Thank you Scribner and NetGalley for an e-arc for honest review.

A wonderful book that tackles a variety of issues that arise within a family who are trying to keep it together following the father’s brain tumor diagnosis.

The Shore by Katie Runde is the story of summer. A family living in a tourist beach town endures life like the seasons. Summer is the season of overcoming.

Brian and Margot Dunne have two teen girls, Liz and Evy. The family lives in a getaway town that tourists flock to every summer. The events of this summer are life-changing.

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.

The past, present, and future come together in a heartbreaking story that celebrates life's ups and downs. It's brilliant writing.

I wish I could say more, but you will have to read the book. I'm not one for spoilers.

A book for everyone. It hits all the right spots: love, hate, coming of age, sexuality, illness, death, despair, and the return home.

What an incredibly beautiful book about heartbreaking loss, love, and family. The dad in this family has a Globlastoma tumor. I was drawn to this book for this very reason as my father has a Glioblastoma tumor. While I didn't grow up on the New Jersey shore, I do have two sisters and like Liz and Evy in this book, we are each other's life support as we traverse this new territory in my father's health. From the opening dialogue I was in tears of understanding and connection, and I highlighted so many passages in this book because they resonated with feelings and circumstances I can relate to in my own life. I felt so very understood! I also felt like it was an honor to be given insight into this family's pain and grieving process. Reading the story from three POVs (the mom and two daughters) had me in all the feels, and relating to each of them from all the different versions of me I have been in my 51 years of life. I thought this book would be nothing but pain, but I also felt joy, frustration, and relief, as this book is so much more than pain., Just like real life. Margot, Liz and Evy are all doing the best they can and I enjoyed them all for different reasons.

Katie Runde's description of the Boardwalk and Seaside allowed me to escape to a place I have never been, with vivid imagery that had me smelling the ocean and feeling the salt air as if I were right there on the beach boardwalk. I have added the Jersey Shore to my list of places to visit and think when I go I will choose the month of September as the summary of Seaside that is written in the book made me feel very peaceful, and I longed to feel that peace.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I live in Iowa City and will get the chance to hear Katie speak this evening and I cannot wait to meet her and thank her for sharing such a beautiful story with the world.

Powerful, emotional, and a little heavy; this one is a fantastic read. You really don’t want to miss this one. The multiple POV in this book were perfectly done, and you won’t want to put this book down.

Moving story how a family comes together in the face of terminal illness of family member. Great character development. I spent many childhood vacations at the NJ shore and could picture the setting perfectly in my mind. Very real story that unfortunately many families face.

**Many thanks to Shelf Awareness, NetGalley, Scribner, and Katie Runde for an ARC of this book!**

Can you remember the wistful feeling of your first kiss? The buzz of the cicadas in the air during those last final days of summer, where the start of school felt so close and yet so far away? The steady din of the carnival rides fading slowly as the moon rose above you? Perhaps even the gentle crashing of waves beneath the boardwalk as your sandals smacked against the weather-beaten wood?

And have you ever had to lose someone. you loved...slowly, and with no way to stop it?

If you answered yes to ANY (or all!) of these questions and are in the mood for an emotional, tragic, funny, and memorable summer read...the Shore is absolutely the book for you!

Brian and Margot are TRULY living the dream. Close to the idyllic Jersey Shore, the two rent out nearby properties through their real estate company, and of course have easy access to the nearby boardwalk and the beachy shore themselves. Daughters Evy and Liz have always been content to call Seaside home, and also share the sort of special bond that only sisters can understand. However, their reality shifts dramatically when Brian is diagnosed with GBF, a rare brain tumor, that puts a ticking clock on the rest of his life. As the tumor progresses, all three women grapple with the struggles Brian faces on a daily basis as he becomes a completely different person, and each try to help him find his way back to himself again.

Evy and Liz are balancing these struggles with the everyday ups and downs of teenage life and young love, and with a future ahead of her that will not include Brian, Margot questions whether life will be possible in Seaside without him...or if it's time to move on from everything she knows. When fate inevitably takes its toll, what will happen to these three women without Brian? Is there more to his story (and Margot's) than Evy and Liz ever realized...and can they connect with Margot on an even deeper level, or will Brian's death send these women away from Seaside-and each other-for good?

It seems strange to consider a book centered on trauma and family drama (at least in part) a summer beach read, but The Shore manages to tick so many of those boxes. I was simply BURIED in nostalgia...and I've never even been to the Jersey Shore! This novel encapsulates all of the hallmarks of summer, from the summer fling, to the carefree days spent wandering the boardwalk, and even the casual feel of your first summer job like setting up beach chairs or working at a diner. All the while, Runde dives deep into family dynamics and how we deal with trauma differently, and I absolutely loved all three women. Margot, Evy, AND Liz are all narrators, and each of them brings something different to the table. I loved the exploration of the sister relationship between Evy and Liz, how they each interacted differently with Margot, and of course, how they all came to interact with Brian. Other than feeling a bit old at the 'Dad Rock' I apparently enjoy (Pearl Jam and Fleetwood Mac..and a special shout out to Ben Folds, my son's namesake! :)) it was interesting to see how the relationships evolved as time wore on.

Runde's attention to every last detail was spot-on, and I was so sad to leave these characters and say goodbye to this family. This is the sort of book that sneaks up you, where you don't even realize quite how invested you are until it ends. Like those last fading days of summer, the nostalgia, heartbreak, and longing you'll feel while reading The Shore, much like that first kiss, first heartbreak, and first loss, are destined to become etched in your memory in their own unique and indescribable way.

4 stars

There is one word to describe The Shore: FEELS. Literally, all the feels. The first layer of these feels is Brian, a father and a husband is dying of a brain tumor. His wife and two daughters are each trying to navigate the grief and loss that comes with this process. Meanwhile, both daughters are also exploring young love and relationships. The other really interesting layer of this is that Margot, the wife, looks to an online support group to process her emotions and what she wants to do next. One of her daughters finds her mom's thoughts in this group and not only that, she creates a persona in the group to be able to engage with her. This one is real and hard emotion, but also it's told in such a beautiful and authentic way. It's a wonderful story exploring where we find comfort and connection through whatever comes our way. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early look at this recent release.

Thanks to Scribner for an advanced copy.

One of my friends recommended I pick this up and I really enjoyed this book. Set in Seaside, NJ over a summer, this book looks at one family and how they are trying to hold together after the father's rare tumor/cancer diagnosis. This isn't a cheery read by the beach book, but one that looks more at relationships and family.

I went to the Jersey shore every year growing up so I liked that aspect of the book. I found both sisters well written and liked how this showed their relationship with their mom and dad as well as the usual teenager drama on top of their father's diagnosis. This was a little more character driven than I like in my books, but found the writing spectacular and the author's note at the end really helped bring this home.

Let me start off by saying, as someone who has lost a parent to Cancer and experienced in home hospice care, this story felt very authentic. I thought this book might be a bit too much of a gut punch as it hit very close to home, but Runde managed to capture so many emotions of nostalgia which was a much needed contrast to the heaviness of Brian’s fate.

When someone you love is dying, it is a strange feeling that life continues on for everyone else. Evy and Liz are living this reality everyday. They are navigating blossoming relationships, troubles at work, all while returning to their home at night bombarded with the grief of their father passing. I loved their innocence coupled with their emotional maturity.

I also loved how this story was a love letter to the Jersey Shore. Growing up I spent many happy summers at Stone Harbor and Manasquan and the author really captured the spirit of the Jersey Shore and its locals. However, it was Margot who I really connected with. Her strength shines repeatedly throughout her relationship with Brian. Although this story is so heartbreaking, the ending was perfect, and filled with so much hope.

A solid 4 star read, I definitely recommend reading The Shore!

This was such an emotional but a good read at the same time. The writing is very atmospheric and will bring back your childhood summer.
Many thanks to Scribner and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.