One of the things that I most love about Meg Rosoff is that she never writes the same book twice. I haven't been a fan of everything she has written but her latest is just glorious and the perfect book for reading in the sunshine! It's a wonderfully atmospheric and bittersweet coming of age story with top-notch characterisation and vivid sense of place. Thoroughly beguiling and strongly recommended.

Strong, captivating novel based on a short but intense summer holiday by the sea. The arrival of Kit Godden disrupts the cosy, warm atmosphere in many ways. Beautifully captured characters and emotions.

Thank you to netgally for this advance review copy. (For reference I read this during Covid lockdown)

This book is a capsule of a summer of being a teenager and longing for a boy and all the feelings that entails. I gave it three stars because I felt like the book was shallow in that it only told the surface of the situation.

The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff tells the narrative of one family and their summer at the beach. It is a coming of age story, which I normally love. But sadly, it just didn’t convince me or hook me in.

I enjoyed the feeling of a long, languid summer that Rosoff creates. She narrates the feelings of love and infatuation in youth well, as well as the feeling of a never-ending summer that feels familiar with childhood.
However, I felt very mixed about this book the whole way through and couldn’t place how it was meant to be received. It felt very American to me- I just couldn’t imagine this as a story about a family at a small, British seaside town.

Also, the narrator is too ambiguous for my liking. We are told extraordinarily little about them, not even their name or their gender. I couldn’t decide whether this was on purpose and meant to be a progressive form of storytelling, as a comment about love having no boundaries, or if it had little reasoning. But it meant that it was hard to connect with the narrator and this became problematic throughout the narrative. The feelings developed by the narrator felt insincere and unbelievable, and I wasn’t hooked into the story in the way I would have liked.
The narrative also felt very stagnant. Not much happened and the few main plot events were told rather than described and I was left with a feeling of wanting more. The characters also felt very one-dimensional and again I felt there needed to be more information.
Overall I felt disappointed by this book. The beautiful, poetic writing was not enough to hold my attention and it needed to be longer as to explore the characters and the events further.

I believe that if it was longer, Rosoff may have been able to add the detail to the narrative that I so wanted.

I was really looking forward to reading The Great Godden by Meg Rosoff. I've really enjoyed her books in the past and the description of this one sounded really appealing - a big family spends the summer at their holiday house by the sea - and they're joined by these two boys, one of whom is the mysterious and charming Kit Godden and what follows is this summer of love.

I thought The Great Godden was written really beautifully, and I loved the lazy, summer days and the quirks of this family. But certain elements of the book just didn't work for me as well.

1) We are never told the name or gender of the main character. The reader, I guess, is left to make any conclusions on their own (as I did) but I don't think this worked very well.

2) I think maybe my expectations of this book based on the description versus what actually happens within the story were vastly different which hampered my enjoyment of the book.

I didn't feel emotionally connected to the characters, to the story or to the relationships throughout. I think I just wanted more.

I really enjoyed this and kind-of sank into this bildungsroman of a golden summer gone wrong. It was pretty masterfully written, the narrator/oldest daughter's voice was almost omnipresent and strong. Short and powerful, while also being gentle.

This is an absorbing coming of age story, reminiscent of I Capture the Castle but with a very modern twist. Lighthearted and evocative in its description of a middle-class family summer, an idyll is disrupted when two brothers turn up and stir up all kinds of rivalries and relationships that lie below the surface.
The characters are lightly drawn with a sure touch that draws the reader in, and leaves you wanting to hear more about them, and the impact of the summer is felt through the whole family as the feel of endless time is so well described with all its potential and disappointments.
My only slight disappointment was in the ending of the book, which summarised events after the summer ended, which felt a bit rushed to me, but overall didn't impact my enjoyment of the book - a super holiday read.

What a joy to read this was. Clever, sophisticated, and intelligent. There were times when things fell slightly apart? Yes, the contrast between Hugo and Kit was too great and obvious.

I am not sure what the gender neutrality added to the plot or character other than a vague ambivalence that, would, I suppose lead to class room discussions. It's very cleverly done though.

What was excellent was the sense of place, atmosphere and family. The way as a teenager one watches what is happening to see if it provides clues as to who you are and what you are.

Meg Rossof is someone whose work I have always admired, and one of the reasons why is that she does not write the same novel over and over again. Each of them is different. In this novel she moves closer to a cross between Donna Tart in terms of memory and friendship and Dodie Smith in 'I Capture the Castle' with the excellence of family and sibling relationships (but without the humour).

Meg Rosoff is such a skilled writer. You never quite know what you're going to get with one of her novels, and I mean this in the best way possible. Her range and imagination know no bounds and she writes so beautifully it's always a joy. For me, the main character of this book is really the summer, specifically a teenage summer. She evokes perfectly the tension, boredom and pleasure of six weeks with your family perfectly. Year on year a family go to the same holiday cottage by the sea, building tradition and comfortable routines that shape their summer. This year that routine is broken by the introduction of the Godden brothers who come to unsettle and and reshape the summer forever after. Teenage love and desire, distrust and jealousy snake through the heat of the summer days and ripple through everyone's lives. This is a wonderful, coming of age novel which both takes its place in the genre and with a few, subtle twists, redefines it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is the perfect summer read- dreamy, warm and enchanting. I loved the family dynamics, and the distinct characterisation of members of this eccentric and endearing family. The author perfectly captured the delights and tension of a British summer holiday. Tensions increase and sparks fly with the introduction of the Goddens- brothers from America come to stay for the summer. As the summer unravels before them, all members of the family become entwined in the games and the intriguing silence of the Godden brothers.

The only thing that stopped me giving this 5 stars is I would have liked to have been given more of an insight into the sibling dynamics and conflict they feel as they fall in love with the same brother. But that is my personal preference.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3328849300

The Great Godden reels you in quickly with its captivating, enchanting depiction of a lazy, hazy summer spent languorously by the beach. Meg Rosoff perfectly depicts long summer days that seem to stretch and warp in their care-free nature. That is, until the Godden brothers arrive.
Kit and Hugo – one relentlessly, captivatingly charming, the other silent and shadow-like – arrive and slowly-revealed chaos lies in their wake.
This is a coming-of-age book about love and deception, hope and betrayal. It’s depiction of summer and first love is evocatively depicted and resonates with its truthfulness.
Highly recommended for fans of Meg Rosoff and anyone in need of a visceral, thrilling read.

I have been a huge fan of Meg Rosoff since picking up the extraordinary 'How I Live Now' when I was a teenager. She has such a gift for creating atmosphere; whether joyous, intense or dark. I picked TGG up knowing that I would enjoy it simply because of the author. I sat down on a sunny afternoon in May and devoured this story in one afternoon. It is set over the school summer holiday and laying down on a bench in my garden to read this, I was also transported to August! Intriguing, evocative, nostalgic, with perfect dialogue and a moody darkness.

A family tradition of a summer holiday at the beach is interrupted by the arrival of family friends- two young brothers from LA. One gorgeous and charismatic, the other moody and dark. The arrival tears apart the sweet family fabric that has been so long in the making. The mix of characters represents the jostling in big families where vying for attention is an everyday sport. The narrator tries to remove herself from this and in turn hides herself from us; we have no idea what she looks like.

I loved the portrayal of hazy summery days, the freedom of the sea and also the suffocating claustrophobia of a jam-packed holiday house. You can see the sand covering the floor, the dusty feet and damp salt stained clothes strewn about.

Don't let the idea of it being aimed at YA put you off. This is a read for everyone.

I read this in a day. One day.

I had read Rostoff’s How I Live Now before and thoroughly enjoyed it, so when I discovered she was releasing a new book, I had to get my hands on it. What surprised me at first was how different it felt from the one I had read, but Rostoff had already proven to me she is a talented author and can write emotions well, and The Great Godden just proves that better than ever.

I have never connected with a book so quickly. The atmosphere and the heady setting of summer and nostalgic longing was enticing from the first page. Our narrator tells us of their summer years ago, where they and their family encounter the Godden siblings, especially the enigmatic Kit, whose presence is enough to unsettle the peaceful equilibrium of their lazy summer.

I think your liking of the book will hinge on if you connect with the narrator. They are never named, nor is their gender specified, which adds to the mysterious nature of the tale. Their slightly cynical view of the world, and their contrasting feelings of wanting to be seen and desired by the person you desperately want the attention of almost hit too close to home for me, and I liked that they seemed aware of these feelings; how their attraction to Kit is a bad idea, but they can’t help but be enthralled by him. It was a contrast that felt believable, but not hypocritical. I couldn’t help but be enchanted by the Godden’s as much as everyone else was, and the intrigue into their personalities had me hooked until the last page.

For a story about love, it was refreshing to have a new take on it. It’s a coming of age story, but it’s also one on heartbreak, betrayal, and disappointment. I wasn’t sure where it would go, and the build up to the unpredictability of it felt natural. It gave me Call Me By Your Name vibes, in how the headiness of a setting can be just as intoxicating as the romance, and how the romance itself wasn’t your traditional love story you usually expect. They feel more real and honest in how attraction is portrayed, and the raw emotions experienced hits you with force that you can’t help but be carried away.

The only gripe I have is that the ending feels abrupt and rushed. If it had been more developed then it would be a big improvement, but my heart was swept away with this book. This is a relatable coming of age story, with enough intrigue to keep you yearning for more.

Another beautiful tale from Meg Rosoff. Her characters stay with you after reading and I genuinely couldn’t put it down. I would find this easy to recommend

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Description

One dreamy summer, in a holiday home by the sea, two families fill hot days with food and wine, swimming and games, plans for a wedding and plans for the future.

Enter the Godden brothers – irresistible, languid Kit, and surly, silent Hugo. Suddenly there’s a serpent in paradise – but which brother is it? And is it love he promises, or something very much darker?

The Great Godden chronicles a family’s summer holiday at the beach and how the comfortable family dynamic shifts when two brothers, Kit and Hugo Godden, come to stay with them. The narrator, as with the whole family, is enthralled by Kit – the elder Godden – but, as the narrative unfolds, you find that everything is not as it seems….

Straight off the bat (no pun intended, you’ll know what I mean if you’ve read it!), the narrative felt captivating and familiar. Almost instantly, I was placed into a family dynamic that was awkward and endearing in equal measures. Through the lens of the narrator, we meet a variety of characters: bat obsessed Alex, horse obsessed Tamsin and boy obsessed Mattie, as well as Hope and Malcolm and – of course – the Godden brothers, Kit and Hugo.

This family isn’t your typical family, there’s not many heart to hearts and nobody really talks to each other much but – in a funny way – you can still tell there’s love there. It didn’t bother me as much as I thought that the family weren’t close because – really – my attention was on the two mysterious brothers who emerged and interrupted the family dynamic.

We have two brothers that couldn’t be more different – which has been done multiple times, that’s for sure – but (as I read on) I couldn’t help but become captivated by the two of them. Hugo is intense and moody, whilst Kit is brooding and charming. I was incredibly annoyed by them at times but I was also a little bit in love with them, too. My opinion of them shifted and changed with the narrator and – in the end – what I thought at the start was completely turned on its head.

Rosoff’s narrative is impossible to resist. The places feel familiar, the characters are developed, and I loved how the narrative flowed like summer does: it feels like it’s never ending but – abruptly – everything just calms.

The narrator of The Great Godden was ambiguous, to say the least. They are unnamed, they don’t disclose their gender and we never learn their name. This narrator took me back to my school and university days, groaning at lessons and lectures about “unreliable narrators”. The lack of a face or name for the narrator made it harder for me to connect with them but, thankfully, it didn’t impact my enjoyment of the story as much as I thought.

The Great Godden was an irresistible summer read, full of sibling rivalry, secrets and a serpent in the midst. My only wish for this book was a more satisfying ending, it definitely could’ve ended a lot worse but I didn’t really feel like this book had the ending I imagined or wanted.

Again, I just want to thank NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for the ARC.

The Great Godden will be published on 9th July, 2020

Everyone who meets Kit Godden seems to fall under her spell. The world shifts, something changes. In a holiday house by the sea, one family embarks on a dreamlike summer, when two brothers - one silent, one erring more towards deadly - arrive.

Even when you spot the serpent in the grass, you can't look away. Lyrical, breezy to read, hazy with a line of destruction, it's a summer with ramifications for a lifetime. A quick, easy read.

The Great Godden is a story that captivates the reader and whisks them off to a summer by the sea filled with family drama, adolescent shenanigans and coming of age enlightenment.
It’s the perfect read for an afternoon by the sea.

The Great Godden read as if I were watching a film. The lucid writing allowed me to read the story with such ease it was as if I were witnessing the events first hand. I particularly enjoyed the characters. They were well-rounded as individuals and together they were captivating. The family dynamics were realistic and I especially liked the banter between characters. The Goddens were also intriguing characters and I was compelled by how their true colours manifested as the story progressed, but I noted the absence of a backstory to support their questionable behaviour.

What I found particularly interesting was the questionable narrator. I was often wondering who they actually were. Having a questionable narrator is not a bad thing as they create a sense of invisibility that allows the reader to experience the story through the narrator’s eyes while remaining detached from stereo-typical bias and this type of narration adds a certain intrigue that would otherwise be absent.

All-in-all, The Great Godden is a light, entertaining and enjoyable story. It was the perfect afternoon read and I’m grateful to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the preview copy.

Meg Rosoff is an exceptionally talented writer, and like her previous novels ‘The Great Godden’ is a well written and evocative coming of age story, set over the course of a single summer.
Ultimately, I found it very difficult to truly immerse myself in the story, because of the nameless, faceless, gender-less narrator. The eldest child in the family, the story is seen through their eyes, and though it was a very clever device and very well done, I found that it left me unable to truly connect to the story as seen through their eyes. I found the plot interesting but ultimately anticlimactic. Again, I think this was due to the narrator.
This was a very quick read, and I did enjoy it. However, it is certainly not a story I would feel compelled to re-read. If you were able to connect with the narrator, I can see this being a much more enjoyable experience.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review

Compelling, lyrical and a little bit strange, The Great Godden is a coming of age book that demands to be devoured.

I loved that we know nothing at all about the narrator, when we know so much about everyone else, so this was a particularly intriguing part of the story.

The characters were all well written, their flaws evident, and the climax satisfying, though not at all what I thought it would be.

Definitely recommend this one.

‘When I think back on that summer it’s always with a sense of having lost something fragile and fleeting, something I can’t quite name. We still go to the beach and always have good times, but it’s never quite the same.’

The Great Godden was not quite what I expected, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, finishing it easily within a couple of hours. Rosoff has crafted a brilliant coming-of-age tale, full of fleeting romance and the unexpected, over a heady, lazy summer.

The unnamed narrator takes us through a summer spent at a beach house with their family and friends that might as well be family. It begins as I would imagine – they’re a close and chaotic family, all happily doing their own thing with the beach house as a base. This is what they do, how they've spent their summer holidays for generations. But when two unexpected visitors, Kit and Hugo Godden, arrive, everything changes. Everyone is enchanted by Kit, suspicious of Hugo, and an odd atmosphere slowly creeps up on you; you’re sure something is going to happen, you just don’t know what and I spent the majority of the book trying to figure it out.

I was totally swept up in the mystery of it all, in the fleeting feelings of summer romances and raging hormones. I’m not sure if it felt a bit rushed, or if I just rushed through it, but this feels like a perfect summer read that is just the right mix of light and easy, with an undercurrent of something else.