Reviews

The Inland Sea by Madeleine Watts

zannarachel's review against another edition

informative sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

tinamayreads's review against another edition

4.0

THE INLAND SEA by Madeleine Watts is an absorbing debut novel! We follow a young Australian woman as she navigates her life after college and a pseudo break up while working at an emergency call centre. Throughout the book the anxiety intensifies as we learn about her past, her ongoing life choices and the climate change that affects everything. The writing took a bit to get used to as there are no quotation marks used for the dialogue but I liked the symmetry in the way her life unfolded to the weather disasters to her work. Watts is a talented writer to make me care about this character even though I didn’t agree with her choices. It was interesting to read about life in Australia and I would definitely read Watt’s next book!
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Thank you to Catapult for this review copy!

maperks's review against another edition

4.0

“The open wilderness of adulthood stretched ahead like so much wasteland.” Beautifully written from the very first page.

rosannajhunt's review

4.0

A moody, contemplative novel. Some breathtaking writing, weaving the impact of climate change into a young woman’s very personal story.

mcomer's review against another edition

4.0

A dark yet finely-wrought portrait of a young Australian woman in crisis. The book follows its protagonist as she works a boring yet traumatic job at an emergency number call center and lives a life of slow self-destruction after she finishes university. In particular, she gets re-involved with an ex-lover, claiming that avoiding catastrophe is pointless as it will find her anyway. In the background, the climate crisis causes more and more disasters, seeming to illustrate her point that there is no hiding from cataclysm, no point in seeking protection. Madeleine Watts writes self-destruction and recklessness very well, and some of the scenes in which the main character deals with her body, as well as some of the scenes involving partying and men, are viscerally affecting. The blurbs make a big deal out of the woman being a descendant of an early, somewhat roguish explorer, but I didn't find that the text made much of a connection out of this. I also thought that some of the transitions back and forth in time were a bit heavy-handed and lacking finesse. All in all, however, I came away with an understanding of a psyche different (or is it really so different) from mine, as well as a series of glimpses into the urban and rural Australian landscape. Recommend for a different take on a coming-of-age story.

gisela9405's review against another edition

4.0

this book made me put it down multiple times throughout reading this and just think abt what i read. this book is relatable and real. it felt mundane like how normal people felt just with higher stakes and bigger issues. this book was anxious in a good way and it talked abt current issues that are happening. all in all this a great book.

sarahbousq's review

4.0

This was beautifully written. It was looking at the story from a distance, but she also drew you in and created such vivid imagery. At times it felt almost too familiar, like a looking in a distorted mirror of my time in Australia and what could have been if I was a little more lost, a little more afraid. I really enjoyed this.

frankie_s's review against another edition

4.0

I loved its intelligence, and the way it writes Sydney on the edge of a catastrophic future, the call centre job, the dumb fucks. (I’ve had jobs like this). While there is wry humour like this, it is often so dour as to be alienating, like the main character. I will reread it anyway. Shades of Elizabeth Harrower. Also, just a beautiful object.

crabbypatty's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ebalon's review against another edition

3.0

This book was bleak and meandering. I'm not really sure how the reflections on the explorers searching for the inland sea furthered the narrative. Definitely a character driven novel, but not one that I was particularly invested in.