Sometimes you come across a book and when you pick it up, you notice that this is not the right timing for this particular book. I had this issue with Go as a River by Shelley Read. I noticed back in 2023 that I kept falling asleep and that’s never a good sign. Moreover, it’s marketed as “for fans of There Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens” and that book is tremendously overhyped in my opinion. I therefore knew I wouldn’t be in the right headspace for this book at that moment as I saw the movie adaptation for that other book recently and yeah that’s pretty soon after one another. Fast forward four years and this book kept popping up in my recommendations on many, many platforms. I took the bait and read it this time around. Was it for me or was it to similar to that tremendously overhyped book?

About the book

Go as a River by Shelley Read
Published by Spiegel & Grau on March 7, 2023
Pages: 302
ISBN: 9781954118232
Genres: Adult, General fiction, Historical fiction, Literary fiction
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

A riveting and deeply moving debut–a love story in the spirit of Where the Crawdads Sing–that is both a stunning exploration of the natural world and an unforgettable coming-of-age novel.

Victoria Nash is just a teenager in the 1940s, but she runs the household on her family’s peach farm in the ranch town of Iola, Colorado–the sole surviving female in a family of troubled men. Wilson Moon is a young drifter with a mysterious past, displaced from his tribal land in the Four Corners region, who wants to believe one place is just like another. When Victoria encounters Wil on a street corner, their unexpected connection ignites as much passion as danger and as many revelations as secrets. Victoria flees into the beautiful but harsh wilderness of the nearby mountains when tragedy strikes. Living in a small shack, she struggles to survive with no clear notion of what her future will be. What happens afterward is her quest to regain all that she has lost, even as the Gunnison River rises to submerge her homeland and the only life she has ever known. Go as a River is a story of love and loss but also of finding home, family, resilience–and love–where least expected.

My review

Pro: the growth of the main character

Main character Tori lives in a small farmers town in 1948 USA. She lives in the south and the town and its people are pretty conservative. Tori however is not someone to let herself be dictated what to do and what not, which makes her an outsider in the community. Throughout this novel, she has to make some tough choices that will affect her life and maybe haunt her forever. She was the good girl who took care of the household and her family and never complained. One encounter with a stranger awoke a fire in her she never knew she had. As the story progresses, Tori grows into a woman who stands up for herself and is determined to get what she wants and desires. She definitely is coming of age rapidly, but her past will always be a part of her.

Con: the pacing

For me, the pacing is a bit of a con in this novel. It fits both the story and title Go as a River, because this plot is meandering a bit and never really hits the rapids. This makes this book perfect for a slow, hot day, but if you’re looking for more action, it’s not for you. There is a lot happening, but the author only touches lightly on several of these events. Such a pity.

Pro: the themes

Even though this book is pretty slow, it still addresses many important themes. Tori has to make several decisions that will leave a permanent mark on her future life. She has to make them all alone, because she doesn’t have a steady support system. Even though her family loves her, they are pretty conservative and never show their love and affection till much later in the story. Some of them are real jerks to be honest. This all influences the themes, because finding your true identity, showing strength and resilience, racism are the pillars of this novel alongside love, trust, friendship and family ties and legacies. Despite the book being not that long, all these themes are explored.

Con: the themes

Yes, it’s also a pro, because many of these themes Read addresses in the story fit the time frame and are written well, but it’s also a con. The book is not too long and there therefore is not too much space to explore all themes in depth. Some are touched upon more briefly than others that also deserve a deeper exploration. The most important event leaves room for questions, especially for a curious mind like mine. I didn’t get the answers and wished for an epilogue. I still was intrigued though, and the pro outweighs the con on this part.

Pro: the setting

This book is perfect for lovers of nature. Throughout the novel, our main character needs to spend some time in the mountains. However, nature plays a very important role in her entire live as her family literally owns a peach orchard which provides a living for them. When the government wants to implement impactful changes to the environment – and especially will affect the river – Tori has to take yet another decision which again involves nature. Thanks to the vivid descriptions Read provides, it’s possible, and even easy, to picture the setting of this novel. The changes to the landscape are also vividly described, which truly showcases Torri’s despair and longing for past times.

Final thoughts

Beforehand, I was really sceptical picking up Go as a River by Shelley Read. I’m not one for slow meandering plots. I often need more action. However, the explored themes and the growth of the main character really surprised and intrigued me. The vivid descriptions of the setting make it really easy to picture nature and its importance for main character Tori. The writing was fine, it doesn’t stand out. And yes, I see why this novel is compared to There Where the Crawdads Sing as it has kind of a similar vibe. I still prefer Read’s novel as it has more deeper layers. Still, this is not my favourite book but ended up being a nice surprise. The pros definitely outweigh the cons!