Welcome to Litsy!

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

We have a winner!

Our first winner for #camplitsy25, somewhat predictably 😝, is Wild Dark Shore!

Audition did get 7 votes though, against 34 for WDS, and many Littens commented on how valuable the discussions around Audition were - I know they helped me to understand it a lot more, so thank you!

WDS will go forward to our final vote at the end of camp in August - I wonder which two books it will go up against?!

squirrelbrain @Addison_Reads @AmyG @amiable @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @booknaround @BookwormAHN @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger @Cariashley @Caroline2 @CarolynM 3d

squirrelbrain @catgusmax @cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @Debinhawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf 3d

squirrelbrain @flaneurette @fredthemoose @Gatheringbooks @gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ 3d

See All 17 Comments

squirrelbrain @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @KarenUK 3d

squirrelbrain @karisa @Kitta @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @maggie4483 @maich @Mcctrish @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx 3d

squirrelbrain @peaknit @peanutnine @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville 3d

squirrelbrain @skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @texreader @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @zuhkeeyah 3d

Gissy Beautiful book. I still need to read Audition🙄I will because I owned it 🤷🏽‍♀️Let‘s how it is for me ☺️ 3d

TrishB Looking forward to seeing how the others fare. 3d

AmyG No surprise. Audition made it easy for WDS to win. 3d

jenniferw88 🤣😥 I'm keeping Audition, but donating WDS! 3d

Ruthiella Not surprised, but I am genuinely pleased with how many loved WDS. 3d

vonnie862 What a great start for camp! 3d

ImperfectCJ I'm going to be playing catch-up for June, but I'm on track for July (so far)! 3d

Megabooks Congratulations to WDS! It was a great month of discussions on both books. We have great campers! Thank you, Helen, for the excellent leadership! 3d

77 likes17 comments

BookwormAHN

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

My favorite book this month was Wild Dark Shore 🧡
#BookBracket2025 @Catsandbooks

Catsandbooks Awesome! 👏🏼 🎉 3d

44 likes1 comment

BookwormAHN

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

I only got to four books for June. My favorite was Wild Dark Shore.

40 likes

BookwormAHN

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

pick

I loved this book. Rowan washes up on Shearwater Island and is rescued by Dom and his family. There are tons of secrets, missing scientists, whales, a dying seed bank, and a family collapsing. This was written in an almost eco dystopian way as a reminder of how bad global warming is getting and how potentially screwed we are 🧡
#CampLitsy25 @squirrelbrain @Megabooks @BarbaraBB #Pantone2025 #thunderstorm @Lauredhel #WickedWords #beach @AsYouWish

BarbaraBB Glad you loved this too ❤️ 3d

squirrelbrain Glad you loved it! ❤️ 3d

Gissy I loved it too❤️ 3d

AmyG Loved it, too. 3d

Megabooks Great review! 3d

49 likes5 comments

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

June was a good month for reading, thanks to a mostly restful vacation where I finished 7 of these 11 books. I tagged my favorite of the month. Stats:

7 for #Greenland #foodandlit (1 doing double duty with #authoramonth)
3 for #serieslove (double duty with #foodandlit)
2 for #authoramonth (plus 1 finished in May)
2 for #campLitsy
1 for #klbr

@Catsandbooks @TheSpineView @Andrew65 @Soubhiville @BarbaraJean @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Megabooks

Catsandbooks Amazing! 👏🏼 🎉 3d

Megabooks Great month! 3d

54 likes2 comments

Butterfinger

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

pick

The icy waters near Antarctica helped to beat the summer heat. McConaghy used all of our senses to create a stunning world, which added to the suspense of the story. This was my first book of McConagy and I was impressed with how she weaved the climate crisis into the plot. Thank you @squirrelbrain for the wonderful discussion. #CampLitsy25 @BarbaraBB @Megabooks

Texreader And wasn‘t the narration well done? I was impressed with it. 3d

Butterfinger @Texreader yes. I pictured Dom as Hugh Jackman the entire time. 3d

Texreader @Butterfinger ! Now I can‘t get that image out of my head! 🤣 3d

squirrelbrain Glad you enjoyed both the book and the discussions! 3d

Megabooks Fantastic review! Glad you enjoyed it. 3d

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Read4life

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

#WeeklyFavorites

Read with the #CampLitsy25 group, I really enjoyed this one.

LeeRHarry Snap! 4d

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DGRachel

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

pick

F*** this book and 1000 curses on everyone who voted for it so I had to read it. When I stop sobbing, I‘ll go back to the discussion questions I‘ve missed yesterday and last week, but ugh. It‘s riveting, with complex characters you can‘t help but care for deeply, so well-written, even with multiple POVs, and heartbreaking. Absolutely devastating. I hate you all (not really, but kind of) #camplitsy25

Megabooks, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

Bookwormjillk I‘m sorry this made me laugh 5d

DGRachel @Bookwormjillk Oh good. It was supposed to. I just can‘t believe Camp Litsy got me again. There were two books last year the I loved but were so emotionally devastating I wished I hadn‘t read them. 😮‍💨🤣 4d

AmyG Sounds about right. 4d

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squirrelbrain Love this! #sorrynotsorry 🤣 4d

Bookwormjillk @squirrelbrain seems like your job here is done. 4d

squirrelbrain @Bookwormjillk - I‘m not taking all the blame - you lot chose it for camp! 🤣 4d

BarbaraBB @DGRachel it‘s emotionally devastating indeed but so so good! I am glad I‘ve able to read it in such good company 🧡 4d

Suet624 Love this review. 💕💕💕 4d

Daisey I‘m still in a hold list for this one, but this review still makes me think I need to red it when I get the chance. 4d

Megabooks Fantastic review!! 4d

Meshell1313 🤣🤣🤣 4d

kspenmoll Wonderful review! I loved it too. 💕💕 4d

marleed I just did that spit thing with my Starbucks reading this review🤣🤣🤣Count me in the camp of lovers of this book! 4d

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BkClubCare

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

pick

I don‘t usually give credit to short chapters nor consider the multiple POV of a story but #CampLitsy25 discussion has me grappling to explain what worked for me in this story. I do believe it was excellent craft of setting the tension, layering the mystery, being inside each character‘s fears and my questions of why on their actions. Perhaps pacing was perfect due to my only having many short time spans to read it, thus off time ⬇️

BkClubCare To just think about and wanting to get back to it. I do have a criticism that some chapters were too abrupt and resolved too quickly, but that could also have been in its favor. I liked Rowan a lot and Dom was super complicated. ⬇️ 5d

BkClubCare And how Rowan could be conflicted about things but also strong in her resolve? Or how SHOCKED I was that it was Orly that destroyed the comm center?!?! (Ihad wondered about that from close to the beginning.) And sure, it wasnt perfect, but I liked the kids so much and rooted for them. ⬇️ 5d

BkClubCare Hank didn‘t get enough or maybe he was too caricature? Do you think that there might someday be a sequel?! And would I read it now that a seed of doubt has been planted re: the author‘s hatred of women? Lots in this but I am ready to move on and away, I think. #June2025 Book57 5d

Suet624 I‘d be curious to know whether she has plans to write a sequel. 5d

44 likes4 comments

britt_brooke

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

pick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Speculative climate fiction never sounds that exciting to me, but McConaghy‘s writing is just so impeccable. Lush descriptions, flawed characters, and a slow-burn mysterious situation combined for a solid #bookclub selection. I loved Migrations a bit more, but this was good!

Christine Perfectly stated, and agreed! 5d

britt_brooke @Christine Thank you! 🩷🩷 5d

CoverToCoverGirl I love her writing. Can‘t wait to get to this one. The only thing standing in my way is my humongous TBR pile, oops I meant piles. 🤦🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ 5d

britt_brooke @CoverToCoverGirl I feel that!! 🏔️ 5d

76 likes4 comments

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

#camplitsy25

Welcome to our second week of discussions on Wild Dark Shore, and our final weekend of camp in June!

There‘s lots to discuss in this book, that‘s for sure!

Don‘t forget that we‘re only tagging Littens on the first question so check further down for the next two questions. Looking forward to hearing everyone‘s thoughts.

squirrelbrain @Addison_Reads @AmyG @amiable @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @booknaround @BookwormAHN @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger @Cariashley @Caroline2 @CarolynM 6d

squirrelbrain @catgusmax @cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @Debinhawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf 6d

squirrelbrain @flaneurette @fredthemoose @Gatheringbooks @gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books 6d

See All 81 Comments

squirrelbrain @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @KarenUK 6d

squirrelbrain @peaknit @peanutnine @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville 6d

squirrelbrain @skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @texreader @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @zuhkeeyah 6d

Bookwormjillk Multiple voices is hard to do, but I thought it worked well here. It added to the sense that each character only had a piece of the story. 6d

TheKidUpstairs I found it quite effective here. Especially because the characters weren't telling each other the whole truth, the multiple POVs gave us a deeper story. And I loved Orly's sections, they offered an opportunity for in depth nature info, while still feeling like part of the overall narrative. 6d

Susanita Agree that it can be hard to pull off multiple voices but this author did it well. For the most part, while it was frustrating that they kept secrets from each other, I didn‘t get the sense it was just done to serve the suspense of the plot. Orly was especially interesting, because he didn‘t seem to me as naive as the rest of the family described him. 6d

Zuhkeeyah I liked the multiple voices here because each character carried a different part of the island. Fen spoke for the seals and the water. Orly spoke for the plants. Raff was the voice of the whales. 6d

Soubhiville I loved the multiple voices. Orly was my favorite too. 6d

JamieArc @Zuhkeeyah I didn‘t think about that but really like that idea. 6d

JamieArc I‘m trying to think about if there were a POV missing, would I be missing out? And I feel like yes. Parts of the story would have been missed. There are so few characters so it feels like each one should be represented to give a full picture of both the loneliness and joy of the island. 6d

jenniferw88 I liked the multiple POVs too! I loved Orly too. 6d

Kitta @Zuhkeeyah oooh I like that description of how they were each a part of the island. 6d

peaKnit I enjoyed multiple POV also because you never knew who was not telling the whole truth. Or was everyone telling “their” truth?! 6d

CBee I loved the multiple and different POVs. But, that‘s a favorite format of mine anyway. My favorite was Orly - he added an innocence that was needed but also a wisdom that you wouldn‘t expect. An old soul ♥️ 6d

fredthemoose I enjoyed all of the characters but identified most with Rowan because as a reader I was learning the island‘s and family‘s history and secrets with her. I also recognized her ambivalence about marriage and family. 6d

Megabooks I love multiple POVs as a rule, but in this book, as in most I guess, I preferred the adult POVs. (edited) 6d

BarbaraBB @Zuhkeeyah That‘s a great take on the story indeed. 6d

BarbaraBB @JamieArc I agree that I‘d be missing out if one of the PoV‘s were missing. 6d

BarbaraBB I really liked Orly and how he added much to the story with his innocence - as @CBee already pointed out. But like @Megabooks I prefer adult pov‘s in general and I loved Dom‘s complicated attitude towards his kids, grief and the world in general and how Rowan‘s arrival made him see things differently somehow. 6d

Karisa @Susanita So many secrets! I wanted to yell at them I was so frustrated. 😅That tension propels the story but also ends up being deadly. As a reader seeing all POV, we are watching a slow motion train wreck. Beautiful storytelling! 6d

CBee @BarbaraBB I usually prefer adult POVs as well. Orly seemed much wiser than his 9 years and I think provided a break from the immense grief and sadness the others were struggling with. 6d

AmyG I, too, liked the different narrators as each revealed different parts of the story. Yes to Orly….I had fun googling plants. 6d

BarbaraBB @CBee That is true, I loved all scenes he was in and his view on the island and its inhabitants. 6d

squirrelbrain @Zuhkeeyah - I love that idea! ❤️ 6d

mcctrish I love @Zuhkeeyah ‘s take on the three children speaking for themselves and for part of the island. I liked their voices POV the most - Dom was so complicated with grief and what felt like menace sometimes - the kids felt more in the present moment. Dom was the one that held the mystery 6d

squirrelbrain I agree @Megabooks @barbarabb and I‘m afraid I didn‘t love Orly as much as others did. 😬 @TheKidUpstairs @Susanita @Soubhiville @jenniferw88 @CBee @AmyG - I found him a bit too precocious. 6d

squirrelbrain @fredthemoose - I identified with Roman the most too, for the same reason as you - through her we learnt about the island. I agree with you as well, @mcctrish , re Dom - I found him slightly threatening, probably because Fen seemed scared of him. 6d

CBee @squirrelbrain I can absolutely see that. He was quite precocious! 6d

Texreader The audiobook made the different narratives so pronounced and so well done. I loved it. 6d

Texreader @Zuhkeeyah Wow!! 6d

kspenmoll I did enjoy all their voices- I felt I learned from Orly about the land‘s nature. Each person had something different to contribute to the telling of this story. 6d

Ruthiella I don‘t like multiple narrative in general, which is probably why the book didn‘t work for me as well. Ronan was the easiest or most accessible because like the reader, she is coming to the situation ignorant of the island‘s history. 6d

Lesliereadsalot I loved this book and part of the attraction for me was all the different voices showing me their take on their lives. They were all so individual, so alone with their thoughts. I felt like they were all trying their best in an impossible situation. I did love Orly, so smart. And Rowan, trying to make sense of this island. 6d

Deblovestoread I generally love multiple POV and this was no exception. And Orly was the light in an otherwise fairly dark book. Everyone‘s comments are so spot on. 6d

TheKidUpstairs @squirrelbrain I can see that, he definitely was a bit precocious. But I think being brought up in that way, it felt like an earned precociousness, if that makes sense. He's only had his family (and their traumas), scientists, and nature for company. 6d

TheKidUpstairs @Zuhkeeyah I love that way of describing the characters, you're so right! 6d

TEArificbooks Usually five POV is too many for me but she made it work well here. I definitely liked Orly, he reminded me of my son. 6d

Maggie4483 It's hard to do multiple POV well, and in an unskilled writer's hands, every character has the same voice. But I think she did a great job. I feel like you could open up the book to a random page, read a few sentences, and know exactly who was speaking. I also thought it was interesting that Dom, Rowan, and Orly were in first person, but Raff and Fen were in third. 6d

Ruthiella I think I have hit upon why I disliked this book so much. I love character-driven narratives. But this was trauma driven. Everyone is acting and reacting based on their wounds. Their trauma is their only character trait. 6d

ChaoticMissAdventures @JamieArc weirdly I am trying to think back to if we got much if any of Fen. I don't remember her POV at all. and unfortunately unline @TheKidUpstairs I am not super interested in botany and after a couple of pages of Orly I started skipping his talks all together. Overall I thought it was too much and I could have used less. 6d

ChaoticMissAdventures @Ruthiella I agree. I think that it was too much. It didn't work for me either. I could have used maybe 2 POVs, Knowing they are all lying. The rest could have been communicated through dialogue between the characters. 6d

ChaoticMissAdventures @Maggie4483 this threw me off so much. I didn't enjoy the change in 1st to 3rd person. I reread a lot of pieces because I couldn't understand why she would do it this way. I am glad it worked for you though! 6d

ChaoticMissAdventures @Ruthiella agree. Mcconaghy seems to relish their pain. It could even be classified as “Trauma Porn“ 6d

TheKidUpstairs @ChaoticMissAdventures I totally get that. I LOVE that stuff, and love reading NF about plant life, so it was completely up my alley, but I can see that it could be too much for someone who doesn't have my same level of interest! 6d

BkClubCare I have 30 pages yet to read and no time so will check in tonight! 💖 6d

Jas16 I liked the multiple narratives and gaining insight through different perspectives. I think they each had a distinct voice and added a lot to the understanding of their situation on the island. 6d

Christine I loved the multiple POVs, with one exception being that the audio narration for Dom felt very aggressive to me - definitely conveyed that “menace” that @mcctrish mentioned. I‘m curious whether I would‘ve thought the same if I‘d read in print! 6d

Hooked_on_books I felt the multiple POVs added richness to the story, as it was done so well. Like most of the others here, I really liked this approach. I think if it had been written in one POV or close 3rd that it wouldn‘t have been as good of a book. 6d

Gissy Love multiple POV because you can know better each character their motives, personality perspective of the situation. I enjoyed the audiobook. I loved this story even when it was so sad. 😢So slow, beautifully written👌 6d

BookwormAHN I loved the different voices and I agree it can be hard to pull off but it was done really well here. 6d

Chelsea.Poole @zuhkeeyah great observation of the various voices speaking for different aspects of the island. Like many others I can see how the multiple POVs were effective but each was so unrelenting in their trauma. Orly felt like a repreieve to me when his sections came up. Even if he was a bit precocious as @squirrelbrain points out. 6d

squirrelbrain Yes, I can see that now @TheKidUpstairs - precocious in a good way, with his knowledge, not in a brattish way. 😬 6d

squirrelbrain @Maggie4483 - that confused me at first - I had to go back to check if I was misremembering other POVs. I think it probably made their stories more distant, less immediate and therefore slightly more difficult to care about them. 6d

squirrelbrain @Ruthiella - at least we helped you figure that out! 🤨 6d

squirrelbrain @ChaoticMissAdventures - yes, Fen had arguably one of the bigger storylines and yet she disappeared, for me. 6d

squirrelbrain Interesting that the audio made Dom rather aggressive @christine. Makes me want to try the audio just to see, but of course having read in one format we already have pre-conceived ideas if we try another. 6d

ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain I hate to be negative nancy on this but I really disliked this book, and I think it is because it really feels like Mcconaghy hates women. We have three main women - 1 dies in childbirth, one is raped & attempted murdered by the others husband, and the third is beat up over and over again and finally dies trying to say the firsts child. And all the men though sad get off to go live their lives. 5d

willaful I did like Orly, but not his narrative so much (also not as interested as he is in biology.) I think Rowan and Dom's narratives were the most relatable for me. 5d

squirrelbrain @ChaoticMissAdventures - you don‘t think that‘s the author trying to portray the reality of life for women? 5d

squirrelbrain @willaful - yes, those parts drew me out of the story somewhat. 5d

ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain I think it crossed reality and went to women suffer porn. There has to be a lesson for the men or the reader here and I just don't see it? I guess for our adults the lesson is that we are the ones dying for the children (whether we decide to have them or not). But I just don't think it was done well here. Or maybe it is just me b/c others seem fine with it...😀 5d

JamieArc @ChaoticMissAdventures while I did like the book, the amount of trauma did almost put me off. I‘m not quite sure why Raff‘s storyline (of Alex, if I‘m remembering the name right) was necessary. So many deaths. I do think that everyone suffered to some degree though, so I didn‘t see it as happening to only women. 5d

ChaoticMissAdventures @JamieArc I agree that everyone is suffering, no one gets away untraumatized. I just think it is unnecessary that of the 6 MCs (the family and Rowan) the women get directly harmed. Their harm is to their bodies vs men who are "injured" by others dying and it makes them sad. 5d

BkClubCare @fredthemoose - I was most invested in Rowan‘s POV, also. 5d

GatheringBooks @ChaoticMissAdventures ooh i never considered seeing it in this way - but now that you have pointed it out, i can see it. I have to confess that I enjoyed the narrative - and like the rest, I enjoyed the multiple POVs, and especially enjoyed orly‘s as well - i love precocity in young people, and while I am not all that versed in the sciency stuff, I felt that it was introduced in an accessible and engaging way that I found interesting 5d

GatheringBooks @Chelsea.Poole @Zuhkeeyah loved reading your takes on the multiple POVs. What was most interesting for me is how each had a distinct voice which requires skill on the part of the writer. It reminded me somewhat of Sabaa Tahir‘s Heir but Heir introduced another component - that of different timelines along with multiple voices. I was wondering if that would have worked in this case as well - considering the suspense and the buildup of the story 5d

Well-ReadNeck I‘m not always a fan of multi POVs, but I think it works/is necessary for this one. It also helped make this a bit more of a page-turner for me, wanting to get back to one POV or another. 5d

squirrelbrain I agree @GatheringBooks - I can see the ‘suffer‘ porn now that Shawna @ChaoticMissAdventures has highlighted it. That‘s why these discussions are so valuable, to help us see another perspective. 5d

Suet624 Coming in late here ..... I really enjoyed the multiple POV's. Kept me focused instead of drifting through the narrative. In thinking of which character I identified with I'd have to say it was Dom. Rowan a close second. They carried the weight of the novel for me. I loved reading the kids sections, but I identified more with the adults due to their ultimate responsibility of keeping everyone alive. 5d

rockpools I loved your point about the children‘s voices and the island @Zuhkeeyah . The multiple voices did work for me, although I was aware that we didn‘t seem to hear as much from Fen as I‘d have liked. I hadn‘t made the connection with her sections being in 3rd person - thanks @Maggie4483 . 5d

vonnie862 I listened to the audio and having two different narrators really helped with the characters. They brought the story to life. 5d

DGRachel I was annoyed at first, that I was going to have to keep track of everyone, but I ended up really loving the set up. I loved Orly‘s chapters and would have liked more chapters from Fen and Raff‘s viewpoints, although considering what happened to Fen, maybe fewer from her was better. 4d

DGRachel I read so little literary fiction (and usually only for Camp Litsy 🤣) because most of it feels trauma-centric, so I kind of expected this to be full of suffering and misery. I will say I did not expect what happened to Fen at all, and that‘s something very triggering for me, and I could have very happily not read that chapter. (edited) 4d

squirrelbrain It was really quite easy to keep track of everyone wasn‘t it? @DGRachel 4d

squirrelbrain I‘m really intrigued re the audio @vonnie862 - I bet it added another dimension to the story. 4d

Butterfinger I also listened to the audio @vonnie862 Dom's voice was so similar to Hugh Jackman, I already loved the character. But through the book, his deep love for his wife, for his children, for Rowan floored me. As a parent, I will do anything to protect them mentally and physically. I make mistakes, and I own up to those mistakes like I think Dom did, especially with the eldest son. 3d

Butterfinger Ooh @Zuhkeeyah I loved your rationale for the voices. 3d

47 likes81 comments

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

#camplitsy25

A few of us mentioned grief in last week‘s discussions. Everyone on the island was grieving for someone or something - how did you find these different portrayals?

What about the ‘ghosts‘ and ghostly voices? Were they part of the grieving process or something else?

Bookwormjillk I thought it was very realistic- no two people are going to grieve in the same way even when they are faced with the exact same circumstances. 6d

Zuhkeeyah The author did a great job weaving grief into the suspense. Each character carried or spoke to their own ghosts. There‘s no correct way to grieve and the author showed how different people cope with such a strong emotion. Orly broke my heart the most for being so young and yet so aware of the violence that was visited upon the animals of the island. 6d

JenReadsAlot I thought it was well done and realistic. 6d

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Kitta Agreed with @Bookwormjillk and @Zuhkeeyah there‘s no one way to grieve. I thought Orly added an interesting perspective in how he grieved the loss of his mother - by having others tell stories since he didn‘t know her. He was curious but had a sense of loss without knowing different. 6d

Kitta I thought the ghosts were the winds of the island but also sort of the loss of the animals and devastation that had happened there. A silent scream from the island or the earth. I think Orly had a bit of an overactive imagination but when it turned out he was talking to Hank in the vault speaking by the wall I wasn‘t surprised he was hearing voices in the winds. 6d

peaKnit It felt heavy, just like grief often does and it never goes away, no amount of time or life change, you‘re never the same. Like the characters here. 6d

Megabooks At times the grief was almost oppressive, and I think that was purposefully done. I think grief can be like getting stuck in quicksand, when you‘re stuck, the struggle to get out can pull you even deeper. I think all of them were trying to deal with their grief alone, and it left them stuck. 6d

CBee There are some who are more connected to spirits than others - I think in this case it truly was grief, because I don‘t know if it would be realistic that they all heard and felt the voices. Agreed that it was very realistic and powerful. Grief affects everyone differently and there was SO much sadness and loss in this book. 6d

BarbaraBB On the island, everyone is mourning something: a lost person, a broken belief, a shattered identity, or a stolen future. What makes the portrayals compelling is how individual they are — shaped by personality, history, and role in the community. Each portrayal adds realism to the island‘s atmosphere. The setting itself feels like it‘s soaked in loss — not just from individual tragedies, but from the disintegration of what the world used to be. (edited) 6d

Karisa @BarbaraBB Yes! Nicely said. All connected by their grief while going through it individually. 6d

AmyG Well, I LOVE a damaged character and they were all damaged in way. Grief and loss was everywhere in this story….from the characters to the earth and the loss due to climate change. There was loss of people, of homes, of beliefs. Beautifully weaved into the story. A huge part of life is loss and how we grieve thatloss and how we recover (or not) from that loss. Ha, like minds @BarbaraBB ….I was typing as you posted. (edited) 6d

squirrelbrain Beautifully put @BarbaraBB @AmyG ❤️ 6d

mcctrish So many kinds of grief like @BarbaraBB listed were covered, past and present and future, weighing them down, bringing up old griefs, foretelling the future ones. The characters isolating themselves with their grief from each other in the most isolated place 🤯 what a story 6d

squirrelbrain @Kitta - I wondered about Orly‘s grief - I guess you can grieve for someone you never knew and he certainly had a sense of loss, but more for the animals and plants, I think. 6d

AmyG @squirrelbrain Orly never knew his Mom so I think his grief was different. Ilost my Dad when I was 3, I didn‘t remember him. I grieved for something I never had. 6d

kspenmoll I agree with ever 6d

kspenmoll I agree with everyone- grief was interwoven throughout the novel. It exemplified how we all grieve differently & in our own individual ways. This was cataclysmic loss: land, people, animals, flora, seeds, the possibility of the family‘s deaths & struggles with imminent death. I love @BarbaraBB list: broken belief, shattered identity, stolen future. That nails it. Rowan certainly had her future stolen. 6d

Ruthiella I found the grief portrayed in the book overwhelming, which was an intentional choice by the author, I think. But it was too much for me in novel length. 6d

Lesliereadsalot There were so many losses on so many levels. So much bottled up grief and anger and sadness. It could be a little overwhelming, but I felt that the stories were beautifully told. Amen to @BarbaraBB and @AmyG Also the theme of isolation was so profound as @mcctrish pointed out. (edited) 6d

Deblovestoread Loved @BarbaraBB description. Each of us grieve differently because of who we are and also because our relationship to the lost person or circumstance is different as well. 6d

TheKidUpstairs @squirrelbrain I think Orly's grief for the natural world and his grief for his mother were tied up together. A larger grief for all the things he would never know/meet/see, how much loss has come before him. 6d

TheKidUpstairs @BarbaraBB so beautifully put, I agree totally. It was like the island - because of its history, isolation, and its role as seed storage - held the world's grief. And the people there couldn't help but be affected by it, along with their own traumas and griefs. 6d

Jas16 I totally agree with everyone that everyone grieves differently and that grief is woven deeply into this story. It made me think about how my siblings and I have handled our father‘s passing so differently from each other based not only on our own personalities but also our individual relationships with him during his last few years. 6d

Hooked_on_books I thought using grief as a motif worked well both for the story and because of its universality. Since it is so unique to each person, seeing it come through so differently for each character gives the reader a way in when they recognize themselves in one of the forms of grief. 6d

BookwormAHN The grief was overwhelming in certain parts but very real and the destruction of the island was the saddest. 6d

Gissy Wow! It was hard to read these parts because each one of them were still in the grief process. I think this isolation situation with limited support, make the process of healing a little difficult, creating a complicated grief healing. So well described. I think Rowan narrator in the audiobook was a beautiful voice and in my case I liked Dom, Orly and Raff narrators which made me more conscious of their feelings. 6d

Chelsea.Poole The grief in this book was so well done. And as @Megabooks says “oppressive” —to the point I didn‘t really look forward to my time reading it. It was a difficult read for me personally. It just took me to a dark place. Which is undoubtedly a skill that the author was able to bring about such feelings but still made this my least favorite of hers just because the reading experience was painful. 6d

squirrelbrain @mcctrish @Lesliereadsalot - I guess isolation can be a form of grief, or a way of reacting to grief - they‘re so intertwined with each other. 5d

mcctrish @squirrelbrain I think it lets grief fester 5d

willaful @mcctrish It was definitely festering here, though it's meaningful that Dom realizes that in the end. 5d

squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books - well put, I like that idea of grief being universal but unique. 5d

squirrelbrain @Chelsea.Poole - I get how this was a difficult book to read - there wasn‘t any lightness or much hope in there, I felt. 5d

squirrelbrain I‘m beginning to wish I‘d listened to it on audio @Gissy - it sounds wonderful. 5d

mcctrish @willaful yes, thankfully he does 5d

GatheringBooks @Kitta i love the “silent scream from the island or the earth” and @BarbaraBB ‘s collective and personal tragedies intermingling that it “soaks” the earth bringing up ghosts in the wind that Orly speaks to. It is interesting that I felt the grief profoundly - but never in an oppressive way similar to how others experienced it. I felt there was always beauty slicing through despite dangers & devastation - that it still is all worth it in the end. 5d

Suet624 @BarbaraBB Such an accurate analysis. 5d

Suet624 The grief I felt most acutely, both from the book and personally, was the ravages caused by climate change. The loss of seeds, the loss of the island, they were/are what we/I are experiencing right now. And not to be too melodramatic, but if you listen closely I think you can hear the silent scream of many of us who fear the future we know is coming through climate change. 5d

rockpools @GatheringBooks I think my reading of it was closer to yours. Although grief permeated everything, I felt there was an element of hope - in the seals as they left, in the seeds Orly saved and in the resolution Fen experienced… 5d

BarbaraBB @AmyG Great minds 😉😘 5d

squirrelbrain I‘m glad you could both see the hope @rockpools @GatheringBooks ❤️ 5d

squirrelbrain Yes @Suet624 - this author is really valuable in the way she portrays the climate emergency. 💔 5d

DGRachel @BarbaraBB I love the way you perfectly summed it up. 4d

Butterfinger At the beginning, I thought it was going to be very depressing-everyone will die at the end because of how humans won't take care of Earth. It became so much more. Sacrifice for children (future) is the purest love. I know the question is about grief, but I think it is more survivor's guilt. Alex and Rowan lose their brothers, which causes extreme pain. The family loses a wife/parent which causes Dom to question his choice making. 3d

36 likes43 comments

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

#camplitsy25

** WARNING FOR SPOILERS**

There are no spoilers in the question above but please do not read the comments if you don‘t wish to see spoilers for the ending of this book. Everyone else, please go ahead and discuss, with as many spoilers as you wish included!

Thanks for being such great campers in June - come back tomorrow for our first vote of #camplitsy25.

#52bookclub25 #mayminichallenge #buddyread

Bookwormjillk Normally I would have found an ending like that emotionally manipulative, but given climate change is a focus of this book a happily ever after ending wouldn‘t have fit. Question though. Do you think she went to the island knowing her husband was a narcissist, or did she just realize it when she realized all that he had done? 6d

Zuhkeeyah I agree with @Bookwormjillk on it being a good finale. It was certainly dramatic, but this grief brought them all back together which is fitting since her husband‘s actions are what caused the divide. (edited) 6d

Zuhkeeyah @Bookwormjillk I think she made this discovery only once she hit the island. Rowan was too caught up in the grief of losing the house to fully mourn the loss of her marriage. She gained perspective on the island as she watched Dom miss his wife even after so many years. 6d

See All 65 Comments

Susanita @Bookwormjillk I agree about the emotional manipulation potential, but in this case it made sense that at least one of the five wasn‘t going to leave the island. I guess that‘s a spoiler! As for knowing he was a narcissist, I think not. She was dealing with a lot of past trauma herself, and one thing about narcissists is that they are good at gaslighting. 6d

jenniferw88 I think she knew deep down, but because they'd been apart for a while and with the loss of her house, she'd forgotten and was wearing rose-tinted glasses when she started looking for him on the island. And then when she learnt the whole truth she realised that she'd been right back on the mainland about Hank all along. 6d

JamieArc I didn‘t expect the ending to be so dramatic and normally may have rolled my eyes about it. I still do think it all may have been a bit much. I too didn‘t expect a happy ending, but would have liked one. I like the idea of some of the loss being healed by Dom and Rowan being together. And I like the idea of Rowan being a sort of anchor for the children as they have to figure out how to live in a different world after the island. 6d

Reggie I felt a little let down by the ending so much that it removed me from being in my feelings that the rest of the book had me. The book was soo sad and doom and gloom. By fire, by water, or starvation whatever she kept saying. I needed a pick me up. Which I thought was gonna be Rowan surviving. And then the ghost mom shows up and like in Poltergest 2 when the Angel grandma shows up in the ethereal purgatory to return Carol Ann to the family I 6d

Reggie thought for sure ghost mom was gonna return Rowan to the family who needed her. But. O. I guess she was there to welcome her to the afterlife. Comfort her in death? Say, not my family? lol idk I was kinda what was that all about? 6d

Reggie Also there was this meme post on Litsy where it said- he shows all kinds of red flags but I still go for it because my favorite color is red. lol I literally thought of Rowan. ‘You‘re just a baby vessel to me.‘ ‘Our house burned down and you‘re too sad, bye.‘ ‘Help me- she‘s on the first boat out. I just didn‘t understand that. And why couldn‘t they just tell her hey by the way we have this guy imprisoned until the boat gets here for (edited) 6d

Reggie statutory rape and attempted murder. After they felt out her character. 6d

Kitta @Bookwormjillk I think she knew beforehand Hank was a narcissist - she had talked about how their marriage was suffering and how when she got married she didn‘t want to be seen exactly, how she realized that he didn‘t know her and that she wouldn‘t change her mind about kids. I think she went because she still felt something for him and she was worried but I think she knew. 6d

Megabooks @Reggie I was kind of wondering that myself. Why they didn‘t just tell her, your husband is a bad dude? I guess maybe that since she‘d come all that way she‘d do anything to free him and that felt dangerous. Idk. The ending was a bit weird for me! 6d

CBee I think she knew but was too immersed in all of her other feelings (so much loss) to admit it. The ending - sigh. It was fitting despite of course not wanting it to go that way. It came full circle though - Claire dies giving birth to Orly, saving his life. Then Rowan dies to save his life as well, years later. I knew it was coming but I was still “NO NO NO” in my head 💔😢 (edited) 6d

Reggie Also this has nothing to do with this question but my favorite passage in this whole book was about Dom saying being a mother was Claire‘s role but when she died it was just him and this baby but then there were these 2 9yos who also had just lost someone and there they went raising and helping this baby and how he realized it wasn‘t him versus this baby but that they were all a family in it together. 😭😭😭 6d

BarbaraBB I agree with @Reggie in wondering why they didn‘t just tell her. 6d

BarbaraBB To me the ending certainly makes sense this way. The book is steeped in themes of environmental collapse, loss, and the fragility of human connection. A tidy or “happy” ending would undercut the realism and the urgency that pervades the narrative. 6d

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk I think Rowan probably went with hope and loyalty, and only fully grasped his narcissism—and its consequences—once she was there, facing the reality head-on. 6d

sarahbarnes Honestly I think I‘m with @JamieArc on this one - it was a little too much for me. It felt so unnecessary. Was it to justify Dom‘s decision to have kept Hank locked up - to show indeed how terrible he was? I was disappointed in the ending and I‘m not a happy ending kind of reader. 6d

Karisa @Bookwormjillk I was wondering if Rowan had realized her husband was so flawed before too. The images she shows of him shaping the landscape in their earlier life seemed so magical but also narcissistic to manipulate the place‘s habitat to that extent. @jenniferw88 “Rose colored glasses” for sure! I think that was why the Salt family knew they couldn‘t trust Rowan with their secrets yet. She was still deceiving herself. 6d

AmyG I, oo, thought that on a subconscious level Rowan knew he was a narcissist but hearing about him and the incident made her face his narcissism head on. I was “all in” with this book so I loved the end. I got the feeling Rowan came into the life of this family to serve a purpose. She did and sadly died. But the reader “knows” now that the family will carry on, somewhat healed. @CBee Yes….it came full circle. 6d

AmyG @Reggie Ha, loved your thoughts! As in any story….works for some, not for others. (edited) 6d

Karisa I thought the ending was right on the target even while being dramatic. The themes in the book are so big that an operatic conclusion felt necessary to me. Rowan and Hank had caused so much grief (intentionally or not) that it felt correct and balancing somehow. As @BarbaraBB pointed out happy just wouldn‘t have suited this book. 6d

squirrelbrain @Bookwormjillk @Zuhkeeyah @Kitta @cbee @karisa @amyg - I think she knew something was seriously wrong in their relationship but couldn‘t figure out quite what, otherwise why would she have chased after him to the island? 6d

CBee @AmyG I was all in as well. As with all of her other books. 6d

squirrelbrain @jamiearc @sarahbarnes - I agree, the ending was very over-dramatic. I also agree with @barbarabb that it needed to not have a ‘happy‘ ending, and it couldn‘t have been one of the family who died, but it was the manner of it that seemed a bit excessive. 6d

squirrelbrain Yes, I agree @Reggie - why couldn‘t they just tell Rowan what her husband had done? They wouldn‘t have been arrested themselves for locking him up. 🤷‍♀️ 6d

CBee @squirrelbrain makes you wonder more about Hank and his backstory. 6d

mcctrish @Reggie I laughed out loud reading some of your posts ❤️ I feel like the window for telling Rowan about her husband was minuscule- this women chartered a boat to find her husband on a island in the middle of nowhere about to be decommissioned. Said husband is a bad man. First she has to heal. Then they have to get to know her. Then the deadline is fast approaching to clear off. Not a lot of wiggle room. 6d

CBee @squirrelbrain I think they were trying (in a very extreme way) to protect Fen. They didn‘t want Rowan to let him out. I do think Dom should‘ve told her sooner, though. 6d

mcctrish And didn‘t Hank make good choices when they did decide not to let him drown?! I WAS SCREAMING #rotinhellmotherfucker 6d

mcctrish But I did want a HEA 6d

Kitta @squirrelbrain as someone who was raised by a narcissist, you can still care for them and you sorta lose all sense of self preservation due to the gaslighting. They‘re very charismatic and convincing! I think she felt she had to help him, even if she knew. I certainly felt it was my job to « rescue » my family from messes all the time. She was distracted by the loss of her house I think and finding him gave her purpose again. Even if he‘s not good 6d

Reggie @mcctrish yes! I was like why we have to lock Orly in there like that? lol and I love horror and am used to all kinds of horrible and terrible things happening to character endings but I really wanted the HEA here, too. 6d

Ruthiella I thought it was ridiculous. The plotting is mostly what drove me nuts about this book. No one behaved in a way that made any sense to me. The withholding of information was a means to draw out the tension, and that annoyed me. 6d

Lesliereadsalot I thought the ending was perfect, not tying up all these damaged people in a neat little bow. They couldn‘t tell Rowan that Hank was there, they didn‘t know how she‘d react. We don‘t know how she‘d react. And I think they were all too damaged to live happily ever after. They needed to recover slowly, off the island, find out who they were in another environment. 6d

ChaoticMissAdventures @Reggie I totally agree. Why didn't they just tell her? It is a emotional manipulation -miscommunication trope. 6d

TheKidUpstairs @Bookwormjillk It seemed to me that she knew, and honestly it's the one thing about this book that I have trouble reconciling. I don't quite understand why she'd risk so much to get to him when it really seems that she knew who he really was. 6d

ChaoticMissAdventures @Kitta I agree I think any rational woman would know, with the way he talked to her about her home, and how he talked to her about kids. She is still married to the guy and he disappeared, I think personally it was stupid of her to go to the island in the first place, but she was worried for her husband who was erratic before disappearing. 6d

ChaoticMissAdventures @sarahbarnes I am disappointed in the ending too. What are we supposed to learn from it? Dom is the one who locked Hank up, the whole family lied and manipulated her. She is there trying to find a husband who sent scary emails then disappeared, what is the message we are supposed to get from her death. Having both of the adult women figures in these childrens lives die? Why? 6d

ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB I get that someone should have died in the end. With the themes as you say, but why Rowan? What is the message we are suppose to get from it being her? I personally, after 3 Mcconaghy books think this author hates women.... I wish I was joking, and I really think she hates women who do not have children. Every book of hers she either forces the woman to change her mind, treats them like idiots, or makes them regret their decisions. 6d

Deblovestoread Some books there is a voice in my head analyzing an author‘s choices and others I‘m just all in. Not sure the reason but in all of her books I‘m 100% in. I trust that whatever the story goes it‘s right. I was sad about the ending but also wondered if they all got off the island would the relationship last. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 6d

Christine I think I‘m mostly with @BarbaraBB and @Karisa on the ending - fittingly dramatic. And yay, I‘ve been waiting to learn the details about your hate this week, @Ruthiella !! 😁 I enjoyed the book but I agree that a lot of the decision-making was not sensible. 6d

Christine @squirrelbrain Thanks for leading such great conversations this month! 6d

BookwormAHN I think the ending was a little too dramatic, mostly I hated that Rowan died. I would have rather have seen them all get a fresh start. But I did love the book. 6d

Hooked_on_books I think the most important thing about an ending is that it fits the book and honors what has been told in the story to that point, and this one does. So it really worked for me. It also gave Rowan a complete character arc and the others a path forward. I thought it was really well done. 6d

Gissy It was a heartbreaking ending💔 Of course I didn‘t want Rowan to die, I wanted a second opportunity for each character, but I respect author‘s choice. Her stories are dramatic😭I think Raff and Fen would emerge stronger from this experience and they will help Orly and specially Dom to start their healing process. So sad 😭 Love this book4.5/4.8 ⭐️ 6d

willaful @ChaoticMissAdventures I'm intrigued by you opinions because that part of the storyline about Orly's birth sat uncomfortably with me. And if it really is a pattern in her books, even though I loved this I don't think I'll want to read her again. 5d

ChaoticMissAdventures @willaful I mostly have been looking at her from a child free lens. This is my 3rd (&last) book of hers I have read Wolves- MC doesn't want children, gets pregnant, ignores it, then decides there is nothing in life she wants more than a baby has the stupidest birth, (I think her sister dies?) Migration & This 1 childless women run all over the globe suffering searching for their connection to men. All of her women go through it. None are spared.👇 5d

ChaoticMissAdventures 2/2 the women who do live have to change their minds about having children (wolf girl) and even then she might kill them off for the plot! Is it possible that here the moms death doesn't sit right with you b/c no doctor in the world would ask a husband to choose?? People talking about she is writing women suffering b/c it is reality when there are insane plot devices like asking husband to choose mom or baby in an actual hospital. 5d

Chelsea.Poole I think another mother figure passing away from this family was connected to the idea of the environmental crisis//Mother Earth, a symbol of one generation giving way for the next to inhabit the earth. Motherhood is often about sacrifice for children and their mother made the ultimate sacrifice at the beginning of Orly‘s life and now Rowan does too. It was awful and sad…fit with the rest of the book. @Reggie commentary is golden✨ 5d

JamieArc @squirrelbrain I‘m impressed that such a robust conversation can happen through short comments. So many people engaging with it! Thanks for hosting a great month of conversation! 5d

TEArificbooks I was upset Rowan died. I thought maybe she would drown but the ghost and Dom doing CPR would save her, maybe leave it unclear at first if she survived but in the epilogue make it clear she did. I definitely figured Hank would die. And would never read another book by her though if she killed off Orly. Would have been way more upset about his death. 5d

GatheringBooks @Reggie i miss youuuu! Love what you said about the ghost of the mother and “not my family” bit - or maybe they bonded? Lols. I have to admit that I am of the camp who loved this book. I did cry when I read through the last part - as I was hoping for something more uplifting. But @BarbaraBB is right- it wouldn‘t have blended well with the overall vibe of loss and devastation that McConaghy was going for. I felt it was heartbreaking - yet hopeful. 5d

Reggie @Chelsea.Poole lol, thanks! I like your take on mothers and the connection to Mother Earth. I get so bummed out when I go see zombie movies and the end is like, no, there are no humans left. And in here she was laying it on thick. Like sooner, much sooner than we think, climate change is coming for us. But until then can we just have a happy ending? 5d

Reggie @GatheringBooks hi Myra!!!! I was crying while reading this book up until the ghost mother showed up. Why was she there?!!!! lol What was the point? I felt like we were about to have a real ghost Susan Sarandon to the new stepmom Julia Roberts-treat them like your own moment. Whatevs, whatever Charlotte McConaghy- I‘d still read another by her. I‘m excited for the next camp books! 5d

squirrelbrain @JamieArc @christine - it‘s the Littens who make camp so wonderful - with wide-ranging discussions and such insightful commentary. ❤️ 5d

BarbaraBB @ChaoticMissAdventures Oh wow is that true? I hadn‘t realized that and it seems hard to believe but it‘s an issue in each book, that might be a motive indeed 5d

ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB I am sensitive about the topic, being passionately child free I hated wolves & how she showed the MC pregnancy and change of mind so it was top of my mind here. Here I really hated how she acted like it is shocking that Rowan could care about others children. When she had made her decision due to the environment. She never said she hated children. Being willing to be a stepmom is a whole other thing than being willing to have children. 5d

vonnie862 I was not expecting the ending 5d

BarbaraBB I loved Rowan‘s attitude towards the children. I didn‘t feel like the author was judgmental about that but I get that you‘ve paid much more attention to it so you‘re probably right! @ChaoticMissAdventures (edited) 4d

DGRachel Going to comment again before reading others just because I was absolutely devastated by the ending. I‘m glad the Salts survive, and that they seem to be pulling closer with honest communication, but I‘m devastated they have to move on without Rowan. One more person for the family to grieve and it marked the death of the hope I had for their off-page future. 4d

squirrelbrain Yes, it was a truly shocking ending, wasn‘t it?! @vonnie862 @DGRachel 4d

Butterfinger I was completely shocked. Hank. Oh my goodness gracious. Was not expecting him. AND, I WILL REMAIN ANGRY FOR HOW HE TOLD ROWAN HE WAS GOING TO THE BASE. YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME, YOU JERK!!!!I'm just glad that the children survived. Broken, but together. 3d

Butterfinger @ChaoticMissAdventures you make a very valid point about women choosing to be child free. I find myself thinking all the time-she's been married for awhile, is she having trouble getting pregnant? I realized while reading WDS, I was being judgmental. It's 2026 and every woman doesn't want to be a mom. I guess it was ingrained in me as a child-you can work and you get to still be a mom. So, I am grateful that this book opened my eyes in this regard 3d

Butterfinger @Chelsea.Poole wonderful parallel between the characters and Mother Earth. 3d

33 likes65 comments

CBee

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

pick

This was beautiful. #nospoilers #camplitsy25 #readyourkindle @squirrelbrain @Megabooks @BarbaraBB

AmyG Yep 7d

CBee @AmyG 📕 👯 ❤️ 7d

squirrelbrain ❤️❤️❤️ 7d

60 likes3 comments

jenniferw88

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

pick

BarbaraBB Glad you loved it too! 1w

LeeRHarry Glad this one was hit for you as well Jenny. 😊 7d

55 likes2 comments

Suet624

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

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A story of a father and his three children have been living on an island that is being overwhelmed by the rising waters of climate change. Their way of life, their mission to save the seeds, their relations with each other are all being affected. A woman washes ashore and she brings a mystery and a thriller aspect to the novel. The nature writing was specific and inclusive. This was a page turner for me. #camplitsy25

sarahbarnes Me too. 🩵 1w

AmyG My favorite of the year (so far). 1w

Suet624 @AmyG I think I agree with you, but I‘m also reading another good book that probably will be a competitor.

The Correspondent: A Novel

(edited) 1w

See All 12 Comments

AmyG Ah, yes. I haven‘t read that yet but have heard good things. 1w

squirrelbrain I loved it too! ❤️ 1w

kspenmoll Just loved this book! 1w

BarbaraBB @Suet624 Yes!! I can‘t choose between those two. Both are fantastic! (edited) 1w

Itchyfeetreader Stacking this. Sounds great for when I allow myself to start buying books again 1w

Deblovestoread Loved WDS and started The Correspondent today. So far, so good 😊 1w

Reggie I really thought the author was gonna kill Orly off. Whewww. Glad you liked it Sue. 1w

Suet624 @Reggie I was surprised by that ending! 7d

Karisa @Reggie I did too! The ending would‘ve felt so hopeless without him… She didn‘t go the standard happy ending/romance either. I really felt like she stuck the landing! 7d

68 likes2 stack adds12 comments

kspenmoll

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

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Climate change is wreaking havoc on Shearwater Island,near the coast of Antarctica.Only a family of 4 are left, living in the island‘s Light House.The island is another character in itself, along with its flora,fauna, & marine mammals. One of the family‘s jobs is to protect an underground seed bank from melting,surging waters.Orly,the 7 yr old son,keeps track of the seeds, giving voice to their purposes.Their lives are turned upside down side ⬇️

Megabooks, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

kspenmoll When they rescue a woman who washes up on a nearby shore.This story is told in five perspectives,from the POV of the family members & the woman.The descriptive writing is sublime.The themes of grief & loss permeate the novel. #Camplitsy25 Can‘t wait for our discussion! (edited) 1w

Lesliereadsalot I can‘t wait either! I loved this book. 1w

kspenmoll @Lesliereadsalot me too ! 💕 1w

See All 6 Comments

squirrelbrain Hooray! Looking forward to the weekend‘s discussions! 1w

Suet624 You‘ve managed to include all the important details in this review! Great work. 😊 this book was 🔥 1w

sarahbarnes Great review. I loved this one too. 💕 1w

68 likes6 comments

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

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A dystopian novel about humanity reaching its cataclysmic end thanks to climate change, this is a touching, heartbreaking story. Rowan shipwrecks in Antarctica where a family is trying to stay afloat and save as many seeds from the forever (it‘s not)seed bank. They save her life, but the family needs saving, too, from the rising sea and from their own secrets. I read the book while also listening to the audiobook, which I highly recommend. The ⬇️

Texreader multiple narrators are brilliant conveying all the feels for this book. But I was able to switch back and forth easily. Very highly recommended. #camplitsy @Megabooks @squirrelbrain @barbarabb 1w

squirrelbrain Glad you loved it! 1w

Suet624 Great review! 1w

58 likes3 comments

CogsOfEncouragement

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

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Fitting title. Ready for #CampLitsy25 discussion.

37 likes1 stack add

vonnie862

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

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Well, I was not expecting that ending. This was a mixture of thriller/mystery story with a story about grief. The whole time I tried to guess what terrible thing happened in the island, and my guesses were incorrect. I felt for the family but I did not care for the affair that the 2 main adults got into. However, I was eager to find out how it was going to end.

4⭐️

#buddyread #camplitsy25 #bookspinbingo

39 likes

BookNAround

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

True to form, the #camplitsy conversation has already started so I‘m just picking this one up. 😂 The gorgeous flowers are from the local farmer‘s market this morning.

Tamra Oh, those are 😍 2w

AnnCrystal 🤩💐💝. 2w

AmyG Beautiful flowers! GREAT book. 2w

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mcctrish

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

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OMG this book!!!! I love it so much #camplitsy

AmyG Right? ❤️🙌🏻 2w

sarahbarnes So good! I‘m reading the second half right now!! 2w

mcctrish @AmyG I‘m going to be pushing this book on everyone I know 2w

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mcctrish @sarahbarnes I basically inhaled it today ( some weeding and laundry got done) 2w

AmyG Hahahaha…I have already been telling people to read this. 2w

Suet624 I‘ve already handed it off to my daughter-in-law who will pass it along to her many friends. Such a good story. (edited) 1w

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Bookwormjillk

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

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Whew, this one really packed a punch. It‘s a billion degrees here and sweaty, but I felt as if cold ocean water was creeping in all around me. The island and the whales were my favorite characters.
#CampLitsy @BarbaraBB @Megabooks @squirrelbrain how will I ever decide between this and Audition? How how will the rest of the summer live up to this great month of reading? Can‘t wait to discuss the rest on Saturday.

squirrelbrain Glad you‘re loving camp! Your garden is gorgeous! 💚🪴💚 2w

Lesliereadsalot I loved this book. How about the ending? 2w

Bookwormjillk @Lesliereadsalot still wrecked 😭 2w

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AnnCrystal 🤩🌸😍🌱💝. 2w

Butterfinger Keeping you cool in the heat. Love it. 2w

BarbaraBB What a great start of camp we‘ve been having right? Those discussions are the best. I have high hopes for July and August too even though at this moment I am not sure any of the remaining books can top Wild Dark Shore for me! But I still need to read them so I am hoping for some surprises! (edited) 2w

Bookwormjillk @BarbaraBB such good discussions and the books so far are so different. It's been a great month at camp. 2w

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Kitta

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Soo atmospheric and I loved reading the chapters from Orly about the seeds (maybe the biologist in me coming out). There was one instance where the science was wrong which always bothers me but I still love this cli-fi novel about a woman who washes up on the shore and the family living in a lighthouse on a deserted island who find her.

Interested in hearing @Ruthiella ‘s view on this one for our #camplitsy discussion!

#camplitsy25

Ruthiella 😂I have a lot to live up to now! 2w

Kitta @Ruthiella I saw you reviewed it on goodreads and didn‘t read your review because I didn‘t want to be swayed haha. 2w

Kitta Also throwback to #camplitsy24 but the atmosphere is this reminded me a little of

Clear: A Novel

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LeeRHarry Ooh now I‘m intrigued to know where the science is wrong…😏 2w

Kitta @LeeRHarry I can‘t remember exactly what it was that wasn‘t right, but I remember thinking that it wasn‘t entirely correct. Maybe an oversimplification rather than outright wrong. (edited) 2w

Butterfinger I think I jumped to the assumption that you were referring to the disappearance of the island. After reading the comment to @LeeRHarry I don't think that is it. 2w

Kitta @Butterfinger oh no, it was something about one of the plants or sea creatures? I think about the seals? Idk. Not the climate science. 2w

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Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

A little evening reading in our cabin

#camplitsy @squirrelbrain @Megabooks @BarbaraBB

BarbaraBB Looks lovely 🥰 2w

willaful I was also reading this in a cabin, though a considerably more rustic one. :-) 2w

squirrelbrain Lovely! ❤️ 2w

Megabooks Nice!! 2w

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Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

Enjoying this audiobook and coloring scenes from Norway

julieclair Gorgeous! 2w

dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 2w

AnnCrystal 🤩🎨💝. 2w

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kspenmoll

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

Early morning coffee & a book. I did not stay on the porch long. The male house wren was clearly agitated at my presence & sang/chattered, screamed- like in rapid succession. Obviously he was protecting his partner‘s nest which is in one of what I thought of as pretend birdhouses. I stand corrected. I left him in peace. Apparently, I cannot be out there until the babies are born.#porchlife #birdsong #coffeeandbooks

Soubhiville It‘s kind of you to give up your porch for a few weeks. 2w

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks So pretty 😍 2w

Bookwormjillk You have a good heart 2w

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IriDas I see your tea cup there. Very pretty. 2w

AnnCrystal 💖💖💖 Good And Kind Of You 😍🐦💝💝💝. 2w

ShelleyBooksie Beautiful porch 2w

LiseWorks My wren's babies are born, and feeding them is a full-time job for the parents. I get told off if I'm too close to their house, lol 2w

Butterfinger So funny in a sweet way. You have to do what you have to do. 2w

Suet624 Just don‘t let them poop in that beautiful tea cup 1w

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Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

I‘m starting this book next.

#chatterday @AllDebooks
#camplitsy @squirrelbrain @Megabooks @BarbaraBB

AllDebooks She's such a good writer. I loved

Once There Were Wolves

kspenmoll The prose is gorgeous! 2w

squirrelbrain Enjoy! ☺️ 2w

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Megabooks Yay!! 2w

Areader2 Loved! 2w

Texreader @squirrelbrain @Megabooks @BarbaraBB Would yall please add me to the discussion group? I missed the Audition discussion. Thank you! 😊 2w

squirrelbrain Of course - I‘ll do that now! 2w

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Zuhkeeyah

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

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This ending was a reminder that it can also be the beginning of a new story. What a powerful read. It touched on climate change, family, grief, loss, and the grind of moving forward. Dom tries his hardest to give each of his kids what they need to survive on a desolate island. Rowan‘s arrival sparks a change in the family dynamics as time runs out for the seeds they‘re protecting.

June #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks

Zuhkeeyah I burned through the last half of the book after this morning‘s #camplitsy25 discussions 2w

GatheringBooks I loved this book. Agree with all you said. 🥰 2w

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2w

Suet624 @Zuhkeeyah I did the same thing. 1w

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Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

Welcome to our second book of #camplitsy25! We hope you‘re enjoying Wild Dark Shore and we look forward to 2 weekends of discussions.

Don‘t forget, this week we are discussing the first part of the book only so, if you have read on to the end, please take care not to post spoilers for everyone else!

Also, we‘re not tagging on every post, so please scroll down for the other questions for this week.

squirrelbrain @Addison_Reads @AmyG @amiable @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @booknaround @BookwormAHN @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger @Cariashley @Caroline2 @CarolynM 2w

squirrelbrain @catgusmax @cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @Debinhawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf 2w

squirrelbrain @flaneurette @fredthemoose @Gatheringbooks @gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books 2w

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squirrelbrain @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @KarenUK 2w

squirrelbrain @peaknit @peanutnine @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville 2w

DGRachel This has been a bit of A Week, so I haven‘t started yet. I have a bit of catching up to do. 🙃 2w

squirrelbrain @skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @zuhkeeyah 2w

Kitta I think Dom needed control over his life due to grief and moving to the island was one way to make things manageable for him. But I‘m not sure it‘s what‘s best for the children. They need to socialize with other kids their own age and develop friendships etc. It sounds like Raff especially needs extra support with learning and he‘s not getting that. They‘re so isolated. 2w

Lesliereadsalot The situation in which the kids have been raised seems nearly impossible. So inter-dependent, no friends except for the sea life, such a limited childhood! It‘s all they know, but still, how does a parent do this to his kids? Very selfish. 2w

Bookwormjillk Gosh, it's part loving family and part hostage situation. I don't see it going well when/if they get off the island. 2w

TEArificbooks I think the family is grieving and the world is suffering from climate change disasters and there is no perfect way to deal with all that. But people do tend to hold the ones they love closer after such a big loss and they become more codependent. And just because it was not a typical upbringing doesn‘t mean it was wrong or damaging. It might have been what they all needed. 2w

TEArificbooks It even reminds me little of The Light Pirate. The main character was young when Florida began to sink and everyone left it. But she stayed with an old lady and her brother left her. And by growing up in a new climate world she adapted in ways adults couldn‘t and lead to her survival. So maybe the isolation in a rough environment would help them learn how to survive on their own in such a challenging new world. 2w

Chelsea.Poole I really feel for Dom. He‘s lost and grieving. He wants to protect his children but I‘m not sure he‘s doing that in such a remote location. This wildness might be what he needs but it may not be what the children need at this point in their lives. 2w

Suet624 Just a reminder: Don wasn‘t always there with just his kids. There were others on the island at some point. It‘s funny because I never thought to be critical of Dom. His kids, while grieving, seem to be doing pretty well - much like any isolated family in a rural area would. (edited) 2w

TEArificbooks No matter how the dad chose how to raise his kids people would judge them. And he judges himself. He is always questioning himself and regretting word choices and his own parenting. Regretting the things he said or things he didn‘t do. Even questioning if coming to the island was a good idea. Just like every parent. 2w

Kitta @Suet624 that‘s true, I forgot there were others at one point, but now it‘s very isolated and his reluctance to leave and the broken radio equipment worries me. 2w

TrishB Always very difficult to be a parent- because everyone has an opinion on how you do it. I think he made a decision for good reasons for himself and the family at that point in time. 2w

AmyG They were a family in pain after such a loss. Dom did what he thought was best as he deeply loves his children, though he is a very the damaged man. What @TrishB said….he made a decision he thought was best. As for family dynamic…they all deeply love each other and, even with all their issues, I felt they were a close family and very dependent on each other. BUT…wow, there is so much pain there together and separately. (edited) 2w

KarenUK Totally agree @TrishB I think that that opinion of others parenting is often in comparison to what is they consider the ‘normal‘ way. More isolated communities exist all over the world. There isn‘t one way to live. And as @Suet624 said, there were other people there at first. They are grieving as a family. And the kids seem to be empathetic, kind and loving, and developing interpersonal skills even though they are fairly isolated. 2w

BarbaraBB I find Dom‘s parenting both heartbreaking and deeply human. He‘s trying to raise strong, capable children in a world that‘s falling apart, but in doing so, he passes on some of his own pain. He protects them fiercely—but at a cost. 2w

Susanita What @Bookwormjillk said! 2w

LeeRHarry I agree @KarenUK - people live in isolation in many different places and the children share a solid and caring relationship. The grief is palpable and seriously needs to addressed though. 2w

squirrelbrain @DGRachel - it‘s a fast read once you get going - enjoy! 2w

squirrelbrain @kitta -I felt that about Raff, too. Out of all of them I felt he was struggling the most. 2w

squirrelbrain @Bookwormjillk @Susanita - that‘s a perfect way of looking at it! 2w

Zuhkeeyah I think Dom is doing his best. He knows he's not a warm and fuzzy but he loves those children with his whole being. The distance we see in the book is recent because he does mention before times where they sought him out for comfort. 2w

squirrelbrain @TEArificbooks @TrishB @AmyG @KarenUK - great point that parents are criticised whatever they do. Dom, like all parents, is doing what he thinks best in the circumstances he found himself in. 2w

Zuhkeeyah @BarbaraBB Exactly. This is seen in how he helps Raff channel his anger. 2w

squirrelbrain @Suet624 @BarbaraBB @Zuhkeeyah - he certainly does love his children fiercely, and is trying to protect them from (perceived) threats, but in doing so, has he exposed them to different dangers? 2w

BkClubCare For me, the fact (whatever incident HAS happened that I don‘t yet know because I have only read to half 😊) that something horrific has recently happened and Dom is all calm, “yep, power out, it‘s only 6 weeks left, carry on” with NO dealing with it all besides, “let‘s not talk about it, shall we?” Seems a bit weird. There is no conversation of what next, no prepping for any new life elsewhere. Just washing the salt off the windows as needs must. 2w

Bookwormjillk @BkClubCare I stopped at halfway too and have the same frustrations. 2w

jenniferw88 I think Dom's children are coping better with their grief than Dom is, and the relationships between them is OK. Raff might be struggling slightly more as he's dealing with 2 losses (his mum & Alex), but they're trying to work as a unit to help their Dad, who doesn't know how to go about restoring their relationships. 2w

Zuhkeeyah @squirrelbrain Hmmm yes and no. The kids know more about the natural world than most adults. The problem is that they're not part of the human portion, which is going to be hard when they go back to the mainland. Also, no one talks about their feelings but Orly. 2w

Karisa Nodding along with your voices. The complexity of the situation that McConaghy builds in this cold world of work, nature, and family is sublime. I admired Dom‘s strength in carrying on when leading his family while also worrying that the noncommunication is putting them all at risk. They are in survival mode. It‘s both sad and beautiful this place. 2w

sarahbarnes Agree with many of the thoughts here. Dom seems to be doing what he believes is best for his children. The future of the planet also factors into that for him - I think he feels a heavy obligation to protect the seeds until they are picked up. And on top of all that, he is immersed in grief. His kids are experiencing some incredible things. And in many ways it still feels like any childhood - joking about how their dad makes them do chores etc. 2w

mcctrish I agree with all that has been said - I do question moving to an isolated place with the kids after they lost their mom preventing them from having friend supports but global warming ramping up negates that luxury?@TEArificbooks I had The Light Pirate vibes too with the kids being able to negotiate this new world better. I haven‘t read ahead & I feel like whatever has transpired has rocked them & caused the riff between dad & daughter 2w

Susanita @BkClubCare Yes! The family had things barely under control or at least at some kind of equilibrium…then Rowan comes along and upsets the apple cart. It was funny to me that Dom was mad at her for lying, when they‘re obviously lying about SOME BIG THING. And yeah, let‘s just get to it already. 2w

Karisa Random but…. Does any one else love that she made their last name Salt? 😍 2w

JamieArc I haven‘t thought a lot about criticizing Dom, like @Suet624 I feel like there is a lot we don‘t know yet. What does the world actually look like? How bad is it? I‘m not sure how to balance how much the kids‘ situation will hold them back or put them ahead once they get into “the real world.” And - they are leaving with the next boat, so there‘s that. 2w

Zuhkeeyah @Karisa Lol I didn‘t catch that. A lot of earth themes throughout. 2w

peaKnit @Bookwormjillk I like how you said that - part loving family, part hostage situation. I think the kids may be flourishing in some interesting ways, ways that wouldn‘t make sense anywhere else but while suffering and missing so much socialization. I understand why but don‘t agree with it as a long term situation for everyone‘s mental health. 2w

kspenmoll I have just read the first part also. The lush descriptions of the land, its sea creatures, traveling seed on the albatross, birds, light & darkness are captivating. It‘s heartbreaking to feel the grief-it‘s palpable like a character in itself. I think Dom is doing his best to- he is not a man to explore feelings in words which does short change the children - he does not seem to understand that one word will bring his daughter back to him. 2w

Deblovestoread Loved @Bookwormjillk comment and agree with the comments about the deep love this family shares although shattered by the loss of their mom/life. It is so easy to judge parenting from the outside looking in and Dom could communicate more but he‘s doing his best. 2w

squirrelbrain @BkClubCare @Bookwormjillk @Susanita @kspenmoll - this halfway split was just perfect.👌 Things really start to happen soon, although it takes a while to build! 2w

squirrelbrain @Karisa @sarahbarnes @jamiearc @peaKnit @deblovestoread - I agree that Dom is doing what he feels best, and also that they‘re in survival mode. But surviving on the island and surviving in the real world are two entirely different things. 2w

Megabooks @Bookwormjillk hostage situation is the word I was looking for. I think he loves them but is controlling them in a very negative way, too. 2w

Megabooks @TEArificbooks that is a really good comparison to TLP!! I loved the MC in that book. 2w

MeganAnn I actually think that a lot of the grief/ pain the kids are experiencing stems from the big thing that happened before Rowan arrived on the island. They‘ve been on this island for 9 years & their mom died before they came so while they still miss her, they are more worried that Dom cannot seem to find a way through his grief over losing her. Raff is struggling because of the loss of Alex. We don‘t know what happened with Fen yet but something did. 2w

Megabooks @Suet624 idk if I agree that kind of isolation is good for any kid. I found myself wondering why didn‘t he leave when the other people did. It just bothers me that Fen sees more communion with animals than other people. 2w

MeganAnn @TEArificbooks yes this is reminding me a lot of The Light Pirate also! One of my favorites. @mcctrish I agree that whatever big thing happened has caused the rift between Dom and Fen. 2w

MeganAnn While the kids may not be socializing with children their own ages, they were clearly still social with the scientists who were on the island until recently. So while it may not be ideal and they will probably struggle at first to join a new community, I think they have the skills to adapt. And they have learned a lot from nature. Dom‘s refusal to deal with his grief and talk about his feelings is harder for the kids than anything. 2w

vonnie862 It is not healthy. Dom is going through grief and is doing his best to raise his kids in this deserted island. But...what happened? They are obviously hiding something. 2w

MeganAnn @Megabooks I see Fen‘s need to stay with the seals as a result of her dealing with whatever big thing happened that we don‘t know yet. Something clearly happened to her that caused her to pull away and feel uncomfortable in their home which is why she wants to stay out with the seals. Every time she is at the house she says something about not wanting to be there that feels like a trauma response to whatever happened. 2w

Bookwormjillk @squirrelbrain yes it was quite the cliffhanger! 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Suet624 I agree, there mostly seemed a constant flow of scientists on the island until we get to the point where we the reader join them. I do think though that kids need to socialize (more than whatever virtual school they were doing) with other children their own age. They miss so many mile stones and are going to find it difficult to make friends, which I feel they will need when they eventually skater off the island. 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB I agree, McConaghy in the end writes the children in general to be well adjusted and rational, even mature for their ages, I think she was trying to show the situation in a good light because though there is something going on with the kids in the middle we see that they are mostly okay. Even with Fen sleeping with the animals. It isn't much different than the scientists they grew up with. 2w

JamieArc @Megabooks I‘m not convinced they did leave. It‘s probably a big jump to say they didn‘t, but with Hank‘s passport left behind, I‘m now wondering. At least the circumstances under which they left. 2w

GatheringBooks I love @BarbaraBB‘s take on this question along with @Zuhkeeyah‘s thoughts that Dom is doing his best. I also agree with @TrishB that it is easy for an outsider to have opinions about how you raise your own children. As @TEArificbooks noted Dom has sufficient self-awareness that he also second-guesses his choices. More than anything, I find this to be an admirable undertaking - the sense that one has purpose & doing something valuable - what ⬇️ 2w

GatheringBooks (Cont) what a remarkable opportunity for the kids to be surrounded by nature and be mentored by passionate scientists and be raised by a loving parent. I don‘t see what they miss in the regular sense - but marvel at what they have instead. Normalcy is overrated. This is something else altogether that not everyone will ever get to experience in their lifetime. If mainlanders don‘t get them, it‘s on them - not the kids‘. 2w

Hooked_on_books I think he‘s doing his best. Plus, in this changing world, they‘re learning resilience and how to interface with the natural world, which are vital skills they likely wouldn‘t be learning in another setting. And with the rapid sea level rise, what is going on on the mainland? Is it chaos and violence? Probably. So they could well be better off where they are. 2w

Larkken A little late to the party, but chiming in to say that to some degree the parenting seems to be a bit of commentary by the author on the breakdown of society at the end of the world. The undertone is : everything will be tribal & insular & the only people you can depend on is family. So Dom‘s parenting, I guess I would argue, is somewhat a result of the world-wide crisis itself? But maybe I‘m being cynical bc I find McConaghy rather dire/dismal 2w

BookwormAHN I think it's clear Dom is hiding but I also think it would be fascinating to grow up like that. 2w

squirrelbrain @Megabooks - aren‘t all children controlled by their parent(s) though? Although, the kids here have no chance of breaking away from Dom. 2w

squirrelbrain @MeganAnn @vonnie862 @ChaoticMissAdventures I agree, the kids seem really well-adjusted, considering. They almost seem to be parenting their father. 2w

squirrelbrain I love this @gatheringbooks - ‘normalcy is overrated‘ ❤️ 2w

squirrelbrain @Larkken - not cynical at all, and a well-made point that no-one else has yet made. 2w

Jas16 I think parenting is hard enough when you aren‘t dealing with everything on Dom‘s plate. I agree with others that he is doing the best he can Oftentimes that might not be enough but he clearly loves his kids and they seem to know that he loves him despite it all which is half the battle. 2w

Jas16 @Larkken interesting point. 2w

Lesliereadsalot It‘s really hard for me to discuss this book only discussing the first half! Really looking forward to next week. 2w

BarbaraBB @TEArificbooks I now really want to read that book! 2w

BarbaraBB @Karisa I wasn‘t aware of their last name but it‘s well chosen! 2w

willaful @BarbaraBB Well put. 2w

willaful @Megabooks I'm by no means sure that any of the other people actually “left.“ 2w

squirrelbrain @Jas16 - I can‘t imagine how Dom is feeling with everything that is going on, and how guilty he must feel for his kids and the situation they‘re in. 2w

Well-ReadNeck This question has me thinking about the movie Life is Beautiful where a father is raising his son in a concentration camp and imparts the beauty of the world to his son in the worst senecio. I think it‘s a lovely thought and a great movie, but wholly unrealistic. How to keep children protected and innocent while also teaching diligence and the skills to survive is a tricky balance. Different circumstances also make this different for every family 2w

Megabooks @squirrelbrain I think there‘s a difference between control and support. Yes, you can say control is an appropriate word for a child Orly‘s age. I think support would be a more appropriate word for teen, and he‘s taken away a lot of their ability to make any decisions separate from him by isolating them so much. 2w

Megabooks @JamieArc @willaful that‘s a good point. I just kind of pictured it like the research village on Lost. 2w

squirrelbrain @Well-ReadNeck - it doesn‘t feel like the children are innocent of the world in this case, expect maybe Orly. It feels as though Fen and Raff have seen too much already. 2w

CBee Finally finished the first half and am loving it (I knew I would). Agree with so many of the thoughts here, but also many unanswered questions that I‘m looking forward to finding answers… And as a parent who constantly doubts, I admire Dom. He‘s doing the best he can after losing his wife and well, during the end of the world. But, Raff and Fen are closed off for some reason, Orly is an open book. Curious to find out more 🧐 2w

squirrelbrain Glad you‘re loving it! @CBee You can read to the end now! ☺️ 2w

CBee @squirrelbrain yay! Cause I don‘t think I can stop 😂 2w

Butterfinger As I was reading the comments, my thoughts of child-rearing were quite different until I read @GatheringBooks. What an opportunity for children to be on this island where hope for the future is kept in the form of life (seeds) and to see nature in its primal state. As a parent, I try not to do things but give them adventures, and I was envying being there. On the other hand, I would never allow my daughter to sleep in another place by herself. 2w

Butterfinger I also agree with @TrishB with the judgment. In particular, homeschooling. Homeschooling parents are judged because of the lack of socialization, whereas public school parents are judged for too much socialization. They have no friends their age. I agree with adventures, but not for that long. And we don't know, maybe Dom has no support system to take the children, so he did what was needed for his job. I'm going back and forth, aren't I? 2w

DGRachel It‘s funny but I never thought to criticize Dom‘s parenting. As others have noted, he did the best he could while in the throes of grief and guilt. I do wish he‘d been softer for all of his kids, I think even at the halfway point, it‘s clear they needed that, but he loved them and cared for them the best he could. 4d

53 likes85 comments

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

#camplitsy25

The author has addressed climate change in all of her novels – how do you find the portrayal of the climate crisis in this book, through the medium of the seed bank and other factors?

Do you think fiction is a good way of calling for action on this and other similar issues?

Islands of Abandonment: Nature Rebounding in the Post-Human Landscape

Kitta I think fiction is a good way to engage people about climate change and the devastating consequences if we don‘t act now. I like thinking about the island and its environment as a character going through a tough time. It‘s like the ocean is angry and reclaiming land that we humans have destroyed. The closing of the seed bank and Hank having to make the decision of what to save is depressing and stressful. Orly‘s thoughts add to it well. 2w

Bookwormjillk My main volunteer gig has to do with the environment so I am always happy to see people treating climate change like something that actually exists. (Although I admit I have tried to read one of this author's books before and bailed.) 2w

Chelsea.Poole I agree with @kitta —introducing/exposing people to some of these concepts with fiction is a way to get messages out to many who would not otherwise consider reading or learning about climate change. Picking up “a story” that reflects our current struggles is often the way to expose people to these climate disasters to wake them up. Love the author‘s use of nature/environmental concepts in her books. 2w

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Suet624 I appreciate how she writes about the consequences of climate change. Her descriptions of nature have always put me right in the spot she‘s talking about. 2w

TEArificbooks I think it is an excellent way to expose people to the fact that climate change is real and just around the corner and our grandchildren will be dealing with the things this family is dealing with. I have noticed a huge uptick in climate change fiction. I hope it inspires people to try to fix it and our next generation does better than us. 2w

TrishB I enjoy learning via fiction, if you‘re interested you go away and find out more. I love the way she portrays nature as a character. 2w

KarenUK I love her writing because of this. So evocative. It‘s very immersive, moving and thought provoking. 2w

AmyG I loved the climate and descriptions of the land and sea. Her writing gave me such a clear picture of where they lived. I think it‘s a great way to get across to people the situation we are in as a world. I found myself googling seed bank etc. I now have a better understanding of that…which I didn‘t have before I read this book. 2w

rockpools I think she writes the environment wonderfully! And seeing the island (and Rowan‘s lost home) through both Rowan and Orly‘s eyes is really effective. It feels very real, and very close. I haven‘t read her before, but am loving her ability to transport you to this place. 2w

BarbaraBB You could argue the strength lies in its balance: the book doesn‘t just highlight ecological catastrophe—it delves into personal grief, survival, and moral choice. I regard the seed bank both a literal and symbolic heart of the story, representing what we value—or risk losing. fiction like this delivers more than facts alone, by bringing climate change into our emotional and moral worlds. 2w

Susanita Fiction can drive home the emotional impact of a situation in a way that just reporting facts and figures can‘t really do. We feel the loss of Rowan‘s home to the fires and the loss of the island because we see those losses on an individual and immediate level. 2w

squirrelbrain @rockpools - you should definitely read the other books by this author! 2w

squirrelbrain Playing devil‘s advocate here - do you think the people who *should* read and do the research around a book like this, will do? Or will they just see it as pure fiction and not rooted in fact? @Kitta @Bookwormjillk @Chelsea.Poole @Suet624 @TEArificbooks @TrishB @KarenUK @AmyG @rockpools @BarbaraBB @Susanita 2w

squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB - I was only seeing the seed bank in a very literal way. 🤔 2w

Zuhkeeyah The island and Rowan's house are themselves characters in the book. The island shows what is still there, while Rowan's home represents how fast it can all disappear. This is mirrored with the seed bank and the need to protect it. Fiction reaches a wider audience than nonfiction. I'm glad to see authors making an effort to highlight the imminent dangers of climate change. Once you relate to a character's struggle, it's harder to ignore the issue. 2w

rockpools @squirrelbrain The people who ‘need‘ to read around this - maybe they will see it as fiction. But it builds. They will hear about wildfires. And floods. And maybe even seed banks (or biodiversity loss). And the impact of those things will become more real, more relevant and the stories more human through having read fiction. 2w

Chelsea.Poole @BarbaraBB excellent point about the seed bank! I thought often about what I would protect at all costs in my own life while reading. It‘s the seeds for the future —my children and the environment for them and all living beings. Seems to be a deeply ingrained drive for humans: preparing for the future. 2w

Chelsea.Poole Well put @rockpools !! I‘m not sure those who need this will be willing to pick it up on their own but this author sure is gaining popularity and perhaps that will help propel her message…plus, as mentioned above all the other cli-fi out there. It‘s going to become more and more difficult to avoid. 2w

Bookwormjillk @squirrelbrain good point- on the whole probably not, but maybe someone will. 2w

BkClubCare Oooo! Does anyone have any NF suggestions to pair with this? I definitely looked up snow gums and buzzy burrs, amongst other stuff. Great comments here. 👏 2w

Karisa @BarbaraBB Ooooh, the seed vault as the heart is beautiful (after all, seeds and hearts can be transplanted). Their home is the lighthouse—the eyes? Both are failing with the people/lifeblood/brain trying to keep it all running while time is running out. They are hoping but unsure if help is on the way and if so, will the help make it in time? A microcosm of the larger, ailing world. 2w

KarenUK @squirrelbrain Good point! Probably not is the sad answer… 2w

mcctrish @Karisa I love your description of the island I love fiction that teaches me something and @rockpools that connections people who stumble across this book make in real life is enough to propel them to make changes ( or be loud enough to get the people in charge to) I loved reading the descriptions of this island - I continually wavered between wanting to be there and absolutely not wanting to be there 😆 2w

JamieArc I really like that she makes it something really tangible and personal. It‘s not some big thing that has turned us into a dystopian planet. But it‘s affected the island, their home, their work. 2w

AmyG @BarbaraBB Spot on. I viewed the seed bank as the future. Dom was saving the seeds so his children, and basically humans, could have a future. 2w

Ruthiella I pretty much hated the book. But I do agree the writing is good and the environment, the weather, the atmosphere of the island is beautifully rendered. 2w

peaKnit @BarbaraBB yes, I also appreciate your thoughts about the seedbank, now I can see it as the heart more - I‘m learning I might read too literally. 2w

kspenmoll The author‘s descriptions of the land, sea, & its creatures were mesmerizing. I I loved the chapter that featured the truss from the seat on the back circling the Earth. I agree with @rockpools that seeing the island through the eyes of Rowan & Orly is effective- Rowan‘s eyes are new, so you feel her wonder & Orly‘s joy at sharing his world with her. @Karisa I love your view/ ideas about the novel as a “microcosm of the larger, -ailing world.” (edited) 2w

Deblovestoread I love how I know exactly where I‘m at with her writing. Her descriptions are vivid. And yes I think novels can open our eyes to something we should be paying attention to and can spur you on to learn more. 2w

squirrelbrain I agree with @chelsea.poole - that was beautifully put @rockpools , and so hopeful! 2w

squirrelbrain @Karisa @JamieArc - this author is so good at linking large, expansive issues with more personal challenges, giving them so much more heart and meaning in the process. 2w

squirrelbrain @mcctrish - maybe a short visit?! 😜 2w

squirrelbrain @Ruthiella - I‘m sorry you didn‘t like it 😞 but glad you could see past that to some of the positives. 2w

squirrelbrain @peaKnit - I read too literally too! A book like Audition *makes* you look for metaphors / analogies / whatevers but with books like this one that are so immersive and ‘easy‘ I tend to take them at surface value. 2w

Megabooks @Kitta that‘s a good point. I feel like some folks feel lectured at with nonfiction or news in the way they don‘t with fiction. It opens us to new worlds even if they‘re scary. @Chelsea.Poole 2w

Megabooks @BarbaraBB wow!!! Great thought/observation!! 💜💜💜 2w

Megabooks @Suet624 @KarenUK @AmyG she is one of the best descriptive writers I‘ve read recently!! 2w

Christine Great points, @BarbaraBB and @Zuhkeeyah ! And 🤣 @Ruthiella , I‘m enjoying the book but am eager to learn more about your hate! 2w

vonnie862 The description of the island really helps portray the situation the characters are in. 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain I think the people who should read it, will never be changed, until something very drastic happens to them, and even then it is a 50/50 chance they will “believe“ in climate change. I think they would read this book as a dystopian thing that cannot happen like Mad Max or other wild tales. 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures I will begrudgingly admit (I did not like this book) she writes a scene/landscape well. I can visualize the island, and the cottages in my mind even now weeks after I have finished the book. I think she selects in all her books the harshest climates, the places that feel like they want to drive humans away by the force of nature. 2w

JamieArc @Megabooks I was also thinking of the lecturing point. I feel like I‘ve seen people say that even with fiction books. But climate change is woven into the story in a way that doesn‘t feel like…I‘m not sure how to say it. It‘s all interconnected - the land, the climate, the characters and their grief. The climate doesn‘t overshadow the other parts. 2w

Hooked_on_books I love how the environment is portrayed here. Especially the ocean, which here and in reality is relentless, unstoppable, and untamable. And she shows that so well. And I do think fiction is a good medium to explore things like climate change, since it allows an author to reach forward into what is to come and create characters people can relate to so they can see what it might be like for themselves. Plus, so many people just don‘t read NF. 2w

Hooked_on_books @BkClubCare It‘s less about climate change specifically, but looks at human damage to locations and what nature has done to reclaim those places from human injury. It‘s fantastic and I think would pair well with this:

TEArificbooks @Hooked__on__books thanks for the suggestion. As for if I think the people need to read the book would read it and change their opinion on climate change? I hope so. I think if they can be empathic to a character then they can be empathetic to the environment too. However, I know that there are people that never believe no matter how much logic and evidence there is. There are still people that think the earth is flat for Pete‘s sake. 2w

GatheringBooks Great follow up question by @squirrelbrain - that is the rub, isn‘t it? Whether those who need to read it manage to do so in the first place - but at least it IS there. You are right in noting how the setting is very much a character here. The sense of aliveness of the place and the evocative way it was described is lovingly detailed. Like @JamieArc noted, i never felt the climate change aspect was heavy handed or prescriptive, it simply is. 2w

BkClubCare @Hooked_on_books - Thank you 🙏 2w

BookwormAHN I was a little torn on the climate change aspect. On one hand I can see the need to find a way to convey the need for everyone to take it more seriously but I think that she almost pushed it in to a dystopian novel. Or we are a lot more screwed than I was previously aware if. 2w

squirrelbrain @jamiearc @Megabooks - I don‘t think that this book felt like a lecture at all. Conversely, while I really enjoy Barbara Kingsolver, sometimes she gets on her soapbox and becomes really didactic. 2w

squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books - you‘re right, so many people shy away from NF for fear of it being ‘dry‘. 2w

LeeRHarry @Hooked_on_books great NF book suggestion - I loved that one. The way that nature writing is woven into this book is my favourite part about it. Living in a country that regularly has bushfires, I thought the sense of devastatingly loss for all things as a result of fires was done really well. (edited) 2w

Jas16 @BarbaraBB I love that so much. I didn‘t think of that while reading the book but you are so right 2w

Jas16 @rockpools I agree with you. People may not do a deep dive into climate change after reading this but stories like this enter people‘s consciousness which is a way to get them thinking and empathizing outside of their usual bubbles. 2w

rockpools @Hooked_on_books Thanks for the recommendation- I‘d wanted to read that when it came out, but it somehow fell off my radar… (or got buried under other things). 2w

rockpools @squirrelbrain Yes re how she wove in climate change elements. And I agree re Kingsolver - I‘ve loved her books for years. But you can feel lectured! 2w

Lesliereadsalot @Ruthiella You hated this book?!? Can‘t wait for next week to find out why. 2w

Ruthiella @Lesliereadsalot Pretty much! 😂 2w

rockpools @BarbaraBB I love your thoughts on the seedbank. For some reason, the decisions Hank was forced to make made me think of the UK education system (go figure!). ‘Useful‘ subjects only, none of that artsy, wild, beautiful stuff we need to thrive, just the crops we need to exist. 2w

Lesliereadsalot @BarbaraBB What smart observations! You really got the best out of this book. 2w

rockpools @squirrelbrain I will definitely read more by this author. Are camp sessions finished for today? Can I go back to my tent and read the second half now??! Can‘t wait to get back to it 😁 2w

Hooked_on_books @rockpools I know we can all relate to that! 😂 2w

squirrelbrain @rockpools - yes you can read more! At least you don‘t have to be secretive about it - at this camp we encourage reading after lights out! 😜 I have both other books if you can‘t get hold of them - I can bring them to Gladstone‘s and you could post them back to me, or I‘ll post them to you beforehand 2w

rockpools @squirrelbrain Aw, thanks Helen 😘. But my library has both of the others, so no need to risk them to the post! Very happy you all pushed me to read her xx 2w

Kitta @squirrelbrain late reply but I think you‘re right that the people who need to read it and understand, won‘t. But there will probably be a few who pick it up and have the ideas planted in their minds. We need to celebrate those wins, however small. And I think cli-fi is more engaging than NF sometimes. There‘s really good NF books but deciding to read it is a step too far for someone not engaged in climate change I think. 2w

squirrelbrain That‘s great! @rockpools I just thought they‘re not that easy to come by in the UK so I‘m glad you can get them. 2w

squirrelbrain We can but hope! 🤞 @Kitta 2w

Well-ReadNeck I think the author is doing an amazing job of show-don‘t-tell here letting what the reader knows evolve through observation. Lots of ominous vibes here. I am a little confused about what the state of the world is here, but I think that‘s also part the story-they are so isolated they don‘t really know either. 2w

Butterfinger Before I read comments, I am going to say - climate change is real and its scary and you think about everything humans have done (penguins in the barrels, oh my goodness) and the last black rhino that died in the current past. It's shameful. The author does a good job with describing the wild beauty and the ugly reality. And when you add Rowan's harrowing ordeal with the fire - it can get depressing. @Chelsea.Poole well said. 2w

Butterfinger I agree with the symbolism @BarbaraBB I will also add that the seed bank is hope for mankind's future so the family and Rowan may have hope for a solid future. I love the idea of the seed bank. I knew the world had it, but I assumed it was in the north. Well said @Zuhkeeyah yes @mcctrish I also learn about major issues from fiction and this cli-fi will stay with me for a long time. My fav part so far is Orly sharing his love with her @kspenmoll 2w

Butterfinger @ChaoticMissAdventures I remember the ozone scare in the mid to late 80s. Because I read my Nanny's newspapers as a child (lack of books and being a bit too far to get to the library) she stopped using her aerosol hair spray and burning Styrofoam. She grumbled, "Tammy Lynn needs to stop reading."? But she stopped. When the young get invested, they will share the message to family and/or raise their children more conscientiously. 2w

Butterfinger Thanks @Hooked__on__books for the nf. 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Butterfinger there are actually lots of seed banks around the world! You are probably thinking of what I think is the largest of them all, it is in the north in Norway way up by the Arctic pole by a town called Svalbard. Definitely not on an island that will flood soon, but that wouldn't be very dramatic for a novel. 2w

Butterfinger Aaah!!! @ChaoticMissAdventures I see. That must be the one I know from CNN10. 2w

squirrelbrain Yes @Butterfinger - those barrels were truly horrific weren‘t they? And I love how you demonstrate that even the little things have an impact on ‘saving the planet‘ like your Nanny did. 2w

DGRachel I love when the setting can be a character in its own right. The descriptions here are so evocative. It was hard not to feel frozen and windswept while reading (even though it‘s been between 90-100* F here the last two weeks 🥵). Also @BarbaraBB I love the idea of the seed bank as literal and metaphorical heart. I know there was a lot of symbolism I missed. 4d

35 likes75 comments

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

#camplitsy25

There are two polarised views about the island, from Fen and her father. Orly also seems to love the island, although he knows nothing else. What about Raff?

Who do you think is more correct in their views?

Could you live (or even thrive!) in such an environment?

#camplitsy25 #adventuresinphilosophy #philosophyfightssocialinjustice #familymemoir #ColdWarNovel

Kitta I think Fen says it‘s killing them but she clearly loves it too. The animals there, especially the seals, have a real acceptance of her if not a bond. But I think she‘s right and it‘s not sustainable forever to live there. Dom‘s grief is clouding his judgement imo. Maybe it was a good idea for a short period of time but 9 years? Orly‘s whole life? Only knowing the island? Idk. But I grew up in a city. I can‘t imagine growing up so isolated. 2w

Bookwormjillk I would love to live on an island like that by myself for a year just to see if I could. That is assuming it wasn't trying to kill me.

I think this is one of those situations where everyone is right. It's such an extreme environment that it may kill some people and others may thrive. I think Raff is so deep in his grief that he's not really feeling anything at all. 2w

Lesliereadsalot I don‘t think Dom can see straight in this life where he has placed his family. He has his single minded focus on saving the seeds, and the kids come second. Of course he loves them, and he sees who they are, but he‘s sort of helpless to nurture them. Fen knows they need a different life, even though she has grown to love the sea. Raff and Orly go along, but only the reader can be objective enough to know how much they could grow elsewhere. 2w

See All 53 Comments

Lesliereadsalot I could never live like this for even a week. 2w

Chelsea.Poole Maybe how each character feels about the island symbolizes their feelings/grief of losing their mother/wife? Fen is angry, Dom cannot let go, Raff is adrift, Orly doesn‘t know what he‘s missing out on. 2w

Suet624 Oh gosh. Honestly, I‘m sad they will have to leave. While the conditions are harsh, moving to civilization feels scary to me for this group. The outside world will be hard to get used to and the conditions experienced living among other people could be as harsh as the island. 2w

TEArificbooks I agree with @Chelsea.Poole there is a connection between their grief and how they feel about the island. But there is no wrong way to grieve and everyone has a different experience even when they are having the exact same experience. So I don‘t think anyone is wrong or right. You feel what you feel. 2w

TrishB No way I could live this life. There is some attraction to isolation for short periods. But not forever. Their life there is not sustainable, which is sort of a sub plot about nature and life! 2w

rockpools I‘m intrigued by Fen‘s view. Of everyone, she seems the most a part of the environment, and yet the most realistic about leaving. Her need to leave seems to be based on the mental health of the others, particularly Dom. She comes across as so capable… but possibly more aware that they need support. I do wonder what happened, why she won‘t sleep in the house. 2w

rockpools And no. Much as I would love to live this kind of life, and have lived in some differently isolated places (never this extreme!), turns out I quite need to be around people, or at least have decent transport links back to civilisation, to stay sane. Annoying, really! 2w

KarenUK I‘m definitely attracted to the idea of isolation in small doses, but long term… eek! I love what @Chelsea.poole said about their grief and their feelings about the island being intertwined. 2w

AmyG I, too, agree with @Chelsea.Poole about the island and grief/loss. Fen comes to the island after her loss of her home, her husband and the family after the loss of their Mom/wife. I understand Dom wanting to desperately save the seeds…he couldn‘t save his wife so maybe he can help save the future for his kids. I think Fen believes this island is killing them. I also think Dom is afraid to leave…he may (in his mind) “lose” his kids to the world. 2w

BarbaraBB I think the book pushes us toward a synthesis: the island isn‘t just wild or dear—it is both, and only by acknowledging both can the characters (and we) truly connect to it. I think island doesn‘t fit into a single box. 2w

squirrelbrain @Lesliereadsalot @rockpools - Fen seems to be the most mature of everyone doesn‘t she? 2w

Zuhkeeyah Fen is more self-aware than Dom, who is completely committed to protecting the seeds and keeping his kids close. The island was what they needed when drowning in grief but it's time the kids got to stretch their wings. Dom is afraid of them flying away from him because he's not ready for another loss. 2w

Zuhkeeyah I don't think I'd mind the isolation of the island back when the researchers were there too. As it is now... no way. 2w

Lesliereadsalot I think Fen expresses the most thoughts, so we clearly see how she has evolved. Her life should get better and better off the island. I did love Orly though, such a cool kid! 2w

jenniferw88 I agree with @Suet624 . 2w

squirrelbrain @Chelsea.Poole @TEArificbooks @AmyG - there‘s definitely some link to grief there, in all of them, isn‘t there? Hopefully, we‘ll explore that a bit more next week. 🤔 2w

Karisa Totally agree with @Suet624 and @jenniferw88 there‘s no guarantees that the outside world seems unsafe too. @Lesliereadsalot I admire Dom‘s family and the place so much but wouldn‘t last a week either! 😅 2w

mcctrish I think the island trying to kill them is 2 fold - the extreme weather is one making it hard to do anything and it‘s getting worse - plus whatever happened has scarred not only them but the island making them not function together. I could maybe handle it for a period of time but not to live and work for years. I don‘t even like the idea of not being able to walk somewhere and having to rely on a car for everything 2w

Susanita Isolation sounds good in some ways…until it‘s not. And they are REALLY isolated now with whatever happened to the comms. Also, like @rockpools I really want to know the story with Fen and Dom. 2w

Ruthiella I think they are both correct and the author means this to be a microcosmic portrayal of the planet and our relationship to it. Nature owes humans nothing. We are killing the Earth and so it defends itself - Earth abides. 2w

peaKnit I imagine this family with a hard shell and squishy insides. They are so damaged but maybe stay distracted and build walls by the work of living on this island? Fen seems to have taken on a more adult role out of necessity but also protects herself by staying isolated much of the time. 2w

kspenmoll I agree with @Suet624 as well. This family is so poorly equipped to deal with the real world- I have this gnawing feeling it would kill them. Also agree with @mcctrish in that the mysterious tragedy is eating them alive in different ways. I could visit an isolated spot but only as a visit, not to live & with the assurance I can leave. 2w

mcctrish @Ruthiella YES!!!!! 2w

kspenmoll I love these discussions for the different views and insights that I gain (edited) 2w

kspenmoll @Ruthiella Perfect statement! 2w

squirrelbrain @Ruthiella - that‘s a wonderful way of seeing / understanding the portrayal of both the family and the island. 2w

vonnie862 I can see how they love the island but the island is not sustainable to live in. Maybe if they move to the middle of the woods instead? 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Lesliereadsalot I am right there with you. Absolutely not. I could never live in this environment! But I am a sunny warm person, cold make me so unhappy. 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole I think this is a great way to look at the characters and their attachment to the island. That is a wonderful way to look at them. 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures I think Fen is seeing the island the way I do in question 2, it is like the elements are getting harsher and creeping in and trying to literally kill them. Fen sees that the world they build is not in their control, and is becoming to dangerous to hang onto. I agree with others she seems like the only rational person of the bunch. I personally am a city rat and could never live like this I would be bored out of my mind. 2w

Hooked_on_books I‘m apparently one of the few (appropriately!), but yeah, I could totally live in that environment. 😂 I do pretty well with isolation. @Chelsea.Poole I love this take on each character‘s feelings for the island mirroring their grief. And @Ruthiella , you took the words out of my mouth! The island as microcosm for the planet is exactly how I see it. 2w

Megabooks @Lesliereadsalot I think Dom is blinded by grief and needs to save something — his children, the seeds, the planet — because he lost something monumental. 2w

Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole count me as another fan of your interpretation! 2w

Megabooks I don‘t even want to live on a well inhabited island (even up to the size of the British isles — sorry @squirrelbrain ), so yeah, this doesn‘t sound good to me at all! 2w

GatheringBooks @BarbaraBB loving the non-binary and more complex ideation of The Island: the same thing that we are most attached to can also be slowly killing us - a truth in most other situations too. The Island has become a sort of family to them, notwithstanding whether it is dysfunctional or otherwise. I think we would not really know what we are capable of unless we are in a situation where we have limited choices in the matter, which is why I admire Dom. 2w

BookwormAHN I was kind of surprised by Fen's view since she seemed more attracted than any of them. But I also think it would be scary to like on a place that is so harsh and disappearing in front of them. 2w

LeeRHarry I think Fen out of the three children has the most interest in the outside world even though she clearly loves the animals on the island, there is some contradictory resentment there about being stuck on an island. I‘d like to visit Macquarie Island - just visit mind - but then I‘m a bit of an islophile. 😊 2w

BkClubCare Gosh, no one has even mentioned the ghosts. The island / nature might be both “wild and dear”, but what about the voices and sense of an otherworldly presence? 2w

TEArificbooks @BkClubCare I think the ghosts/spirits of the dead people and animals have a greater role to play in I haven‘t read ahead, but there are so many hints (the story orly tells). I think maybe Hank went mad from the ghosts on the island and killed everyone and maybe Dom took him out. Or maybe there was mass hysteria cause Alex also was hung and it‘s not clear if he did it or he was executed 2w

rockpools @LeeRHarry *googles Macquarie Island* Is this where this is based on then? I assumed it must be a real place when Orly mentions it as the only breeding ground for ?royal penguins - too specific a fact to make up (maybe). I‘ll fall down that rabbithole when I‘ve finished the book 🙂. But I‘d like to join you on your visit! 2w

rockpools @BkClubCare @TEArificbooks And the footsteps Rowan hears behind her in the fog. Was that just her getting creeped out, ghosts, or is there someone else on the island? (edited) 2w

LeeRHarry @rockpools oops is that a spoiler? 🫣hopefully not. I think you can definitely visit from here so the more the merrier I say. 😊 2w

squirrelbrain @BookwormAHN @leerharry - there‘s clearly something else going on with Fen, despite the fact that she loves the island. 🤔 (edited) 2w

squirrelbrain @BkClubCare @TEArificbooks - we were going to ask a question about the ghosts / voices but there were so many questions we had to cut some out. I do think this will come out more in one of the second-half questions though. 2w

squirrelbrain No spoilers there! @LeeRHarry 😉 2w

Butterfinger I think Fen means the secret is killing the family. Raff, as the eldest, wants to protect his siblings even though he is dealing with his own pain and grief. He may be my favorite character. Dom is so ruthless and mean to him, but at least he knows and is reflective of that fault. @Lesliereadsalot Fen is so scared about returning to society. You are so right. WELL SAID @Ruthiella @BkClubCare I credited the presence to highly sensitive imagination 2w

BkClubCare @squirrelbrain - reading on and already, GHOSTS 👻 2w

squirrelbrain Maybe?! @bkclubcare 2w

DGRachel (Answering before reading comments) I lean more to Fen‘s interpretation, but I think it‘s the isolation and the lack of open, heartfelt communication that is destroying them. I know I couldn‘t survive the isolation. I lived in the mountains of NC, not as isolated, but disconnected from friends and family, for two years and it honestly made me suicidal. I need easy access to people, even if I choose to stay home. 4d

DGRachel Also, like @Suet624 I worry about how they will adjust to life in civilization after being on the island for so long. 4d

32 likes1 stack add53 comments

Chelsea.Poole

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

pick

I‘m so behind on reviews and my reading life has been slower than usual (hi, anxiety! 👋) but I did manage to get this #CampLitsy25 read in before this weekend. While I did love most of it, one central theme throughout had me spiraling. I‘m looking forward to discussing tomorrow with fellow campers! McConaghy is one of my favorite authors ever (big fan of the way she weaves nature in her stories) but I must say this is my least favorite of hers.

AnnCrystal 🙏🏼🫂🤩🌸😍🐈. 2w

squirrelbrain Sorry to hear you‘re struggling. 😘 Looking forward to the discussions this weekend. 2w

Chelsea.Poole @AnnCrystal @squirrelbrain 🤍 thank you both! Looking forward to your questions Helen! 2w

70 likes2 stack adds3 comments

kspenmoll

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

rachelsbrittain

38 likes

Suet624

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

I‘ve been going through a crappy reading phase. None of the books I‘m picking up are keeping my attention. Leave it to McConaghy to reinvigorate my love for reading.

Stopped reading at the midpoint so I can stick with the #CampLitsy25 schedule. @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB @Megabooks

kspenmoll I am really loving this- the prose, the descriptive imagery, the mysterious atmosphere, the angst. 2w

squirrelbrain Yay! I‘m glad it got you out of the reading slump! 2w

Christine I accidentally listened a bit past the midpoint and have had a hard time resisting it since then! 2w

See All 11 Comments

BarbaraBB So glad she does the job! 🧡 2w

AmyG She is a HUGE favorite. Favorite book of the year for me. 2w

Suet624 @kspenmoll All of this, yes!
2w

Suet624 @squirrelbrain Thanks! 2w

Suet624 @Christine Go for it!!! 2w

Suet624 @BarbaraBB Me too! 2w

Suet624 @AmyG Great to hear. 2w

Megabooks She‘s so fantastic!! Queen of description!! 2w

54 likes11 comments

Areader2

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

pick

Loved everything about this book 5 ⭐️
Best read so far this year highly recommend!

14 likes

BkClubCare

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

“I am a tunnel, wind screaming through me.”

(OMG the two sentences that follow the quote above. 😬😳😱🫣 ~page 67)

📸 Wall, MHK

RaeLovesToRead Ok, I need to get to this book ASAP! 2w

BkClubCare @RaeLovesToRead - the foreshadowing! The “wait, what?!” ‘s are just perfect. I have no idea who to trust yet. 2w

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Reggie

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

pick

From the getgo you are hurled into this frenzied sea with a shipwrecked woman tangled in kelp. A family of four finds her and cares for her. They are caretakers of an island meant to have a doomsday seed vault. But due to rising sea levels they are just waiting for a ship to come get them and the seeds. The family and the woman all have secrets. I thought this was good. McConaghy can write the hell out of nature but sometimes it was a bit 👇🏼

Reggie much for me. I wanted to say, I get it Charlotte, I‘m freezing, the wind is whipping my face, I can hear the chirps of the birds, the barks of the sea lions, I‘m smelling the salt on the air from those waves constantly crashing against the eroding beach, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE CHARLOTTE!!! and to be honest that was her strength as much as I gripe cause it makes me want to know more and care more about the disappearing nature around us. Pick. 2w

Bklover 😊😂😊 I seem to remember nodding off in the middle of Migrations. 2w

Ruthiella I thought the writing was great, evocative…but I hated everything else. 😂 No one‘s behavior made sense to me. 2w

See All 20 Comments

Erinreadsthebooks @Reggie I love a review that cracks me up! Thank you 😆🙌🙌 2w

Lesliereadsalot My favorite book of the year so far! I found the story compelling, the characters interesting and I loved where it went. I was immersed!! 2w

sarahbarnes Reading this right now! 😂 2w

Centique WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE CHARLOTTE? 😂😂 No I havent read it yet but I feel ya. Ive read a couple of books like that this year. Really good writing but I almost drowned in them a couple times 🤪 2w

Crazeedi I need to read this one 2w

Reggie @Bklover I‘m gonna read more of her but I need a moment. lol 2w

Reggie @Ruthiella I think her writing style was great. I really thought before the Hank stuff she was gonna kill off Orly and I was gonna be pissed. But then when Rowan died after she was held by the ghost of the mother. It went sideways for me. Was the mother like no one can take my place?!! lol, I thought she was gonna save her. And after all the foreboding “we‘re doomed” talk I wouldn‘t have minded a happy ending. Orly smashing the comms was 👇🏼 2w

Reggie what?! moment. And having one half of a gay couple hang himself was the other What?!! lol I did like it. I swear. 2w

Reggie @Erinreadsthebooks lol, glad I could oblige. 2w

Reggie @Lesliereadsalot as long as she didn‘t kill Orly which I thought what was gonna happen from the start, it turned out being ok for me. I love horror but I really wanted a happy ending here after all the foreboding ‘we‘re doomed as a species‘ talk. Glad you liked it. 2w

Reggie @sarahbarnes @Centique have either of ya‘ll read the Overstory by Richard Powers. I think their writing style is very similar but man I needed her to move the story forward sometimes. 2w

Reggie @Crazeedi I hope you like it! 2w

CoverToCoverGirl Adding! Didn‘t realize she had another book out. (edited) 2w

TNbookworm Great review! 2w

Suet624 Half halfway through and I‘m loving it 2w

Rissreadswithcats You made me laugh out loud again! 🤣 I loved Migrations! I‘ll definitely read this sometime. 2w

kspenmoll Fabulous review! Your language made me laugh! I did live this book… 6d

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BkClubCare

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

I‘m not at the shore, but am starting this on a wild windy thunderstormy day; it‘s dark now, and the power across the street has been out since early morning. Ours came on around noon. Be safe out there. ⛈️ ☔️ 💨 🌱⚡️

Ruthiella You stay safe! ❤️ That is very appropriate weather for the book! 2w

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Bookwormjillk

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

Started the next #camplitsy book out on the porch tonight. So far it‘s perfect for a long hot night outside.

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perfectlywinged

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

A beautiful but heartbreaking book for the beach

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