Rating: 4 out of 5

Good, and plentiful characters, an interesting story. But what actually stuck out for me was a personality quirk of one of the main character’s Mum’s - counting things. Probably as an antidote to anxiety. In her later years, when travelling by car, Mum used to count motorbikes and caravans. I’ve been wondering for a while if a few of Mum’s quirks were actually anxiety disguises/coping strategies, and this may be another one.

Highlighted passages:

Mist hangs low over the blue slab of water like dry ice on a lighted disco floor

the poolside bunting flapped frailty on the ground like fishes slowly dying

When the music ends for someone you love you don’t stop dancing. You dance for them as well.

Originally posted to my Goodreads account