#The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh

[dresmire]

-The Water Cure, Sophie Mackintosh

[morgan--reads]

The Water Cure - Sophie Mackintosh 

Summary: The three sisters Grace, Lia, and Sky have been raised in total isolation from men other than their father, taught to fear men and the outside world. One day, after their father disappears, two strange men and a boy wash up on their shore, asking for help. 

Quote: “I understand that he is trying to shame me for my need, but unfortunately for him and for me I am totally shameless in this regard, I will demonstrate my need over and over for anyone who asks. I would take my strange and incapable heart out of my chest if I could, display it, absolve myself of responsibility.”

My rating: 3.5/5.0  Goodreads: 3.25/5.0

Review: Like Mackintosh’s other work, Cursed Bread, this story centers on the desire for love and affection and Lia’s longing for it suffuses the book. The generally sinister atmosphere of the island in combination with that longing creates a compelling mood, but the details of the story don’t often hold up to serious scrutiny. This is very much a vibes-based story. It isn’t clear whether or not this takes place in a near-future or alternate world or if the girls have just been led to believe in a very different reality. The uncertainty unbalances, sometimes in an interesting way and sometimes in an irritating one.

Content warning: abuse, self-harm

[king-sassy08]

13 Questions About Books

Tagged by @boyd-clowder thank u very much for the tag :3c I also read way less than I used to, probably because my semesters are so insane that I'm brain fried all summer long now 🫠

1. The last book I read

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I read that one in a little under 48 hours (I'm depressed). Read that one at the same time as a comic by @raphodraws which was great :3

2. A book I recommend

Hmmm. Probably Testaments by Margaret Atwood or Into the Water by Paula Hawkins! Both are really good.

3. A book I couldn't put down

Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony was really good. So was Larry McMurtry's Horseman, Pass By.

Wait, does it have to be a book? I recommend everyone read the introduction chapter to Tom Lynch's Xerophilia. It'll change your brain.

4. A book I've read twice (or more)

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, all of the Gangsta. manga series by Kohske, Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black, Mohsin Hamad's Exit West, The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar...I reread a lot of things.

5. A book on my to-be-read

Preaching and the American Novel by Dawn Coleman

6. A book I've put down

I have put down a few books, for several reasons. I have also MENTALLY put down books, but I've had to finish them for class. A book I put down because I keep getting busy is Stephen King's Dreamcatcher. A book I mentally put down but was forced to finish was Daughters of the North by Sarah Hall. Worst book I've ever read (but a close second is The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh). A book I didn't like and didn't finish was Captive Prince, may have been by C.S. Pacat.

7. A book on my wishlist

Um...I actually have no idea. Maybe Borderlands/La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldua? I'd like to own a paper copy of that. Otherwise...no idea. I don't really look for books unless I'm working on something.

8. A favorite book from childhood

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony Diterlizzi!!

9. A book I would give to a friend

Depends on the friend. Off the top of my head, I would give someone The Darkest Part of the Forest, The Testaments, or Joy Harjo's Poetry Warrior. Or! Spatial and Discursive Violence in the US Southwest by Sánchez and Pita.

10. A fiction book I own

King Henry IV by Shakespeare (best Shakespeare play to exist)

11. A nonfiction book I own

The Origins of the Modern World by Marks (a must read if you would like a historically accurate, non eurocentric view of the colonization of the world during the 1500s and how England and Spain caused an ice age!!)

12. What I am currently reading

The first Fence comic by C.S. Pacat, and also something else but I can't remember,,

13. What I plan on reading next

I'd like to read Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer next, but...we'll see. I may stop reading soon to preserve my brian energy for the upcoming semester.

My shelfie:

It's a pretty old picture from a few years ago, back when I still lived at our old house. My current bookshelf is a sad state of affairs. I have like 10 books here in my apartment. Boo.

My tags (no pressure): @jackest-jack @idkwhattoputformyusername @raphodraws @prismaticate @somsnosas

Thank u again @boyd-clowder , it's been a long time since I contemplated my books :]

[searidings]

reading wrap up 2022 GO

ok so my goal this year was to read 100 books and then i went ahead and read 109. and if i read the locked tomb series three times through that's no one's business but mine <3

italics are queer, bold are amazing, bold italics are queer and amazing

jan:

middlesex - jeffrey eugenides

the mountains sing - nguyên phan qué mai

the vegetarian - han kang

the galaxy and the ground within - becky chambers

to be taught, if fortunate - becky chambers

when we were orphans - kazuo ishiguro

americanah - chimamanda ngozi adichie

h of h playbook - anne carson

klara and the sun - kazuo ishiguro

the space between worlds - micaiah johnson

feb:

normal people - sally rooney

circe - madeline miller

blood of elves - andrzej sapkowski

gideon the ninth - tamsyn muir

time of contempt - andrzej sapkowski

baptism of fire - andrzej sapkowski

march:

the tower of the swallow - andrzej sapkowski

lady of the lake - andrzej sapkowski

harrow the ninth - tamsyn muir

the last wish - andrzej sapkowski

we should all be feminists - chimamanda ngozi adichie

a memory called empire - arkady martine

burnt sugar - avni doshi

a psalm for the wild built - becky chambers

april:

the alchemist - paul coelho

sword of destiny - andrzej sapkowski

oranges are not the only fruit - jeanette winterson

the colour purple - alice walker

the midnight library - matt haig

where the crawdads sing - delia owens

10 minutes 38 seconds in this strange world - elif shafak

the discomfort of evening - marieke lucas rijneveld

crying in h mart - michelle zauner

my year of rest and relaxation - ottessa moshfegh

the shadow king - maaza mengiste

the virgin suicides - jeffrey eugenides

sapiens - yuval noah harari

the manningtree witches - a. k. blakemore

may:

parable of the sower - octavia butler

hot milk - deborah levy

an unkindness of ghosts - rivers solomon

the water dancer - ta-nehisi coates

pure colour - sheila heti

this is how you lose the time war - amal el-mohtar & max gladstone

five little indians - michelle good

june:

indian horse - richard wagamese

ducks, newburyport - lucy ellmann

the vanishing half - brit bennett

medicine walk - richard wagamese

crier's war - nina varela

a quality of light - richard wagamese

after the quake - haruki murakami

death in her hands - ottessa moshfegh

the school for good mothers - jessamine chan

bluets - maggie nelson

of women and salt - gabriela garcia

lapvona - ottessa moshfegh

mcglue - ottessa moshfegh

songbirds - christy lefteri

july:

to paradise - hanya yanagihara

sankofa - chibundu onuzo

the argonauts - maggie nelson

jane: a murder - maggie nelson

eileen - ottessa moshfegh

iron widow - xiran jay zhao

homesick for another world - ottessa moshfegh

a desolation called peace - arkady martine

the art of cruelty: a reckoning - maggie nelson

the witch's heart - genevieve gornichec

dune - frank herbert

aug:

never let me go - kazuo ishiguro

the island of missing trees - elif shafak

the marriage plot - jeffrey eugenides

almond - won-pyung sohn

all over creation - ruth ozeki

the water cure - sophie mackintosh

drive your plow over the bones of the dead - olga tokarczuk

sep:

the remains of the day - kazuo ishiguro

the blind assassin - margaret atwood

go set a watchman - harper lee

a pale view of hills - kazuo ishiguro

seven fallen feathers - tanya talaga

an artist of the floating world - kazuo ishiguro

the atlas six - olivie blake

the inconvenient indian - thomas king

a tale for the time being - ruth ozeki

ru - kim thuy

split tooth - tanya tagaq

wintering - katherine may

nomad century - gaia vince

dune messiah - frank herbert

the unbearable lightness of being - milan kundera

oct:

nona the ninth - tamsyn muir

indians on vacation - thomas king

severance - ling ma

nocturnes - kazuo ishiguro

nona the ninth - tamsyn muir

a prayer for the crown-shy - becky chambers

nov:

gideon the ninth - tamsyn muir

harrow the ninth - tamsyn muir

nona the ninth - tamsyn muir

embers - richard wagamese

dec:

starlight - richard wagamese

the buried giant - kazuo ishiguro

autobiography of red - anne carson

notes on grief - chimamanda ngozi adichie

cloud cuckoo land - anthony doerr

on fire: the burning case for a green new deal - naomi klein

sufferance - thomas king

[jxrm]

book log - 2019

my kind of perfect by hannah ellis

not the girl you marry by andie j. christopher

the wedding party by jasmine guillory

sweet venom by tera lynn childs

obsession by amanda robson

the proposal by jasmine guillory

maybe in another life by taylor jenkins reid

the last librarian by brandt legg

exit west by mohsin hamid

the water cure by sophie mackintosh

the broken hearts' society of suite 17c by leighann kopans

royal holiday by jasmine guillory

the good samaritan by john marrs

fuck marriage by taryn fisher

christmas with friends by hannah ellis

the death of mrs. westaway by ruth ware

gabi, a girl in pieces by isabel quintero

swipe right for murder by derek millman

#therealcinderella by yesenia vargas

shutter island by dennis lehane

the wedding of rachel blaine by amy cross

pieces of her by karin slaughter

these witches don't burn by isabel sterling

a spark of light by jodi picoult

the friend by teresa driscoll

frankissstein by jeanette winterson

how to hang a witch by adriana mather

the bride test by helen hoang

just one bite by jack heath

the babysitters coven by kate williams

blame game by c.j. cooke

about the night by anat talshir

wreckage by emily bleeker

our house by louise candilish

just what kind of mother are you? by paula daly

the other ann by amy cross

in a dark, dark wood by ruth ware

spare room by dreda say mitchell

jar of hearts by jennifer hillier

without remorse by tom clancy

the amateurs by liz harmer

exhalation by ted chiang

the astonishing color of after by emily x.r. pan

all the beautiful lies by peter swanson

batman: year one by frank miller

go by kazuki kaneshiro

the bird and the sword by amy harmon

q is for quarry by sue grafton

guilt by amanda robson

blame it on bianca del rio by bianca del rio

size 14 is not fat either by meg cabot

the banker's wife by cristina alger

a good enough mother by bev thomas

someone we know by shari lapena

the man i thought you were by leah mercer

radio silence by alice oseman

the butterfly garden by dot hutchison

in twenty years by allison winn scotch

what happened at the lake by phil m. williams

the thinnest air by minka kent

you know me well by nina lacour

the waiting room by emily bleeker

sleeping murder by agatha christie

we were mothers by katie sise

bunny by mona awad

the one by john marrs

losing leah halloway by lisa reganby devney perry

the song of achilles by madeline miller

daughters of the lake by wendy webb

remember me? by sophie kinsella

the birthday list by devney perry

a curse so dark and lonely by birgid kemmener

spindle by e.k. johnston

the babysitter by sheryl browne

a serial killer's daughter by kerri rawson

the ex by alafair burke

the meryl streep movie club by mia march

watership down by richard adams

every ugly word by aimee l. salter

the rhythm of blues by love belvin

killman creek by rachel caine

undead girl gang by lily anderson

the turn of the key by ruth ware

smart girls gets what they want by sarah strohmeyer

girl gnoe virals by arvin ahmadi

the perfect roommate by minka kent

brother by david chariandy

that time i loved you by carrianne leung

lock every door by riley sager

the zen man by colleen collins

stillhouse lake by rachel caine

daisy jones & the six by taylor jenkins reid

once upon a river by daine setterfield

the good widow by liz fenton

sadie by courtney summers

dead girls by tim kizer

half past by victoria helen stone

the woo-woo by lindsay wong

ender's game by orson scott card

smoke by catherine mckenzie

the favorite daughter by kaira rouda

xo by jeffery deaver

whiskey in a teacup by reese witherspoon

the truth lies here by lindsey klingele

save the date by morgan matson

i am wathcing you by teresa driscoll

the last time i lied by riley sager

alex and eliza by melissa de la cruz

little fires everywhere by celeste ng

the long deception by mary mccluskey

fast forward by juliet madison

emergency contact by mary h.k. choi

two weddings and a fugitive by donna joy usher

the rules of magic by alice hoffman

i dream of johnny by juliet madison

friends like these by hannah ellids

the perfect mother by aimee molloy

a beautiful poison by lydia kang

girls with sharp sticks by suzanne young

the other woman by sandie jones

from twinkle with love by sandhya menon

the seven husbands of evelyn hugo by taylor jenkins reid

instant mom by nia vardalos

finding claire by lisa regan

the silent patient by alex michaelides

hidden bodies by caroline kepnes

playing with matches by hannah orenstein

the last resort by marissa stapley

robin by dave itzkoff

the perfect child by lucinda berry

sugar run by mesha maren

the afterlife of holly chase by cynthia hand

bright side by kim holden

convenience store woman by sayaka murata

the perfect mother by nina darnton

rush by lisa patton

girls' night out by liz fenton

the tattooist of auschwitz by heather morris

the power by naomi alderman

bird box by josh malerman

all we ever wanted by emily giffin

the haunting of hill house by shirley jackson

this is how it always is by laurie frankel

eligible by curtis sittenfield

the better sister by alafair burke

an anonymous girl by greer hendricks

educated by tara westover

nine perfect strangers by liane moriarty

the good neighbor: the life and work of fred rogers by maxwell king

harry potter and the philosopher's stone by j.k. rowling

five feet apart by rachael lippincott

the seven deaths of evelyn hardcastle by stuart turton

harry potter and the chamber of secrets by j.k. rowling

verity by colleen hoover

the wedding beat by devan sipher

harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban by j.k. rowling

boy swallows universe by trent dalton

the polygamist's daughter by anna labaron

harry potter and the order of the phoenix by j.k. rowling

starstruck in seattle by juliet madison

harry potter and the goblet of fire by j.k. rowling

13 minutes by sarah pinborough

harry potter and the half blood prince by j.k. rowling

the silver star by jeannette walls

harry potter and the deathly hallows by j.k. rowling

the girls by emma cline

the sun is also a star by nicola yoon

[thevoyagein]

"I know you think we are nothing. I know you come from a world where we would already be dead. I know you are a man who wants to kill women, because that is every man, even the ones who claim to love us. But your body will not save you here. You are no longer in your territory. This belongs to us. It always will."

—Sophie Mackintosh, The Water Cure

[carnivorine]

this year i read:

Night Walks by Charles Dickens, not really much to say about this one as I read this in January and it is not particularly memorable

We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, I really did prefer this to 1984, at some points found it quire confusing, but overall yeah

The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh, this book was okay but it was not a banger by any means. Very quiet feeling and did not really grip me, it was average but I would read another of her books (indeed I have Cursed Bread to read at some point)

What Moves the Dead by T.Kingfisher, to be honest I love the premises of Kingfisher's books however have read two now and much like Schwab they do absolutely nothing for me, most likely would not read a Kingfisher book again although I always love the premises. It is the execution that I dislike

Outlawed by Anna North, I was an enjoyer of this book. Nothing else to say really. I liked it, not a new favourite but a keeper.

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy, I think this is an excellent book, can be very confusing for me due to the writing style but would definitely reread, probably one of the best books objectively that I have read this year

The Unseen Body by Jonathan Reisman, this doctor is insane honestly like reading some of his thoughts I was thinking WTF, but I did enjoy this for the (quite service level) insights into the body. I especially enjoyed the first chapter in my memory, wanted to show it to people who are not aware of EOL care and considerations, but not that good for people who already have a well enough understanding imo

Life With the Afterlife by Amy Bruni, this was very readable but again quite surface level, I am not familiar with the TV show the author is on and it referenced that quite a lot, enjoyed the viewing of ghosts as completely real, would love more 'ghost non-fiction'

From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughty, I really did like this book but tbh I thought some of her descriptions were kinda cringe, teenage edgy, also it was barely around the world and there were not many sections, at least two were about the USA. Like they were still interesting but it did feel kind of surface level again, and not that international

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant, really did enjoy this one, there were definitely flaws and it is hardly a literary masterpiece however it was a lot of fun to read

Sister, Maiden, Monster by Lucy A. Snyder, this was another one that I found to be good fun however with flaws. I enjoyed the first POV the most but then I kind of thought it descended into a mess. Think this could have been done incredibly well if it was longer and went into actual biblical lore... a person can dream

Pew by Catherine Lacey, this was okay, although this had been hyped up to me and did let me down. This was very interesting premise of a completely ambiguous person and had a lot of space for coversation about perception and treatment based on race/gender/class etc however I am not sure this was explored to it's full potential, it was also recommended as something creepy, which I did not feel it was

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno Garcia, what can I say, Silvia Moreno Garcia I am in love with you <3 obsessed with the doomed romance tbh and I will read anything she writes. Put this off for over a year because I was scared I would hate it - ha I could never

Below by Laurel Hightower, I was so disappointed in this tbh. Like WHERE was mothman? He was there like three times and the main monster was NOT mothman. It was marketed as a mothman horror, and there was too much going on for such a short book

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson, another banger of a book, one of the top three of the year. The ending did feel rushed to me but I believe and hope there will be a sequel, other than that I really enjoyed this

Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell, this was okay... the premise and prologue were creepy but it just got worse as it went on. Also, he said how he was advised not to use Native American folklore and characters and he did anyway and said something about not making them into caricatures but the two main native characters still died during assisting the white main characters so... ??? Personally I would have enjoyed this more had it stayed a reddit story, or even a novella

Garlic and the Vampire by Bree Paulsen, a cute little comic type thing about a group of vegetables being petrified of a nearby Vampire who had just moved back into his castle, and a cute little lesson (???) about assumption and judging people before you know them, will probably read to my son

[theworldsbetweenthepages]

Book Review

The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh

Genre: Science Fiction

Imagine a world very close to our own: where women are not safe in their bodies, where desperate measures are required to raise a daughter. This is the story of Grace, Lia and Sky, kept apart from the world for their own good and taught the terrible things that every woman must learn about love. And it is the story of the men who come to find them - three strangers washed up by the sea, their gazes hungry and insistent, trailing desire and destruction in their wake. 

Review

It's just plain weird mostly?! I was really irritated when I started reading, I gotta admit that.

Only towards the end does it make a little sense to me, because before that, I kept wondering why the fuck a commentary on the back said 'feminist fable' when the story was three girls being emotionally and physically abused by their parents to keep them safe from a world outside that seems to be toxic to women because of men? Since everything that happened to them and how they were conditioned definitely didn't fit that. That 'feminist' part only came towards the very end, when the girls (or rather, women - one of them is already 30) saved themselves after finally realising that the man, their father, who claimed to keep them safe, was actually just like the others and kept them small on purpose, using them and indoctrinating them into helplessness.

To me, that book just read like a huge metaphor to what the world is often to women - the men toxic, harmful, even the ones you think to be good at first. They'll push you into harmful behaviours (*waves at the beauty industry*) and socialise you in a way that makes you helpless, especially when the man leaves (women not being taught about cars or handicraft mostly, for example.

In the book the girls were also sometimes pitted against them, like we are all the time, but in the end, they save themselves and each other by sticking together.

The Water Cure's message (if I interpreted it right) is important and only revealed towards the end. I found reading the book mostly irritating, much is left in the dark, and I don't know if I would really recommend it. If anyone thinks about reading it, I just want to warn for the self harm and abuse that's happening regularly in the story, if you're sensitive to that, I don't know of this book is for you.

[alinaandalion]

Be good, be good, be good.  A reckoning with my body.  Please just for one second, I beg my feelings, lying there, waiting for them to subside.

The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh

[hircyon]

Writing Meme: number 8?

8 - Is what you like to write the same as what you like to read?

Yeah I'm simple like that. I have strong preferences and I think they show in my writing. Some of the tropes I like to read I just can't pull off, though, like enemies to friends to lovers. I don't have the skill or patience to do that kind of slow burn. I'm trying with Dogtooth to sort of do the opposite, lovers to enemies. We'll see if it works.

But especially with writing style. I vibe with a certain kind of loose, poetic style that isn't too caught up in perfect grammatical construction. I think it might be polarizing in the world of fanfic, where "good writing" tends heavily toward novel writing conventions and clean, crisp prose, where I prefer a looser, artistic experience. I love writers who really use the structure of their language to evoke a mood, and I aim to do that as well. You can tell I don't write longform stories lol.

[warningsine]

There is a fluidity to his movements, despite his size, that tells me he has never had to justify his existence, has never had to fold himself into a hidden thing, and I wonder what that must be like, to know that your body is irreproachable.

Sophie Mackintosh, The Water Cure

[inthegoldenblue]

I know that without being touched I will die. I have known it for some time. It has always felt like I need more touch than the others anyway, my hands brushing over their shoulders or the tops of their heads as they shy away, because nobody is assigned to me. I am not anybody’s loved-most, have not been for some time. I have gone days, weeks, without touch and when that happens I can feel my skin thinning, I have to lay my body against grass and velvet and the corner of the sofa and rub my hands and elbows and thighs against anything until they are raw.

Sophie Mackintosh, The Water Cure

[lookatbradsjunk]

[4/5 ⭐]

Three sisters--Grace, Lia, and Sky--live on an island with their mother and father in a bizarre cult situation, wherein their parents make them perform all types of dangerous, degrading, and morally disagreeable rituals and exercises, which they are told will fortify their bodies and minds. At the very beginning of the story (literally the very first line of the book, so this is not a spoiler) their father dies. Shortly thereafter strange men wash up on the island, and their mother (who, admittedly is not a very good person, per se, and whom the sisters have complicated feelings about) goes missing. From there, things get messy.

We get the story in dual perspective from the two older sisters Grace and Lia (but not Sky, the youngest: an interesting choice on the part of the author). Grace is cold, frail, and stern; Lia is emotional, hardy, and eager to please. Their juxtaposition is a major theme of this book. To explain the plot further would be to wade into spoilery territory, so I'll just say, while I enjoyed the story quite a bit, I felt there needed to be more. A lot of stuff is glossed over and left open-ended, which generally I don't mind, but a lot of things that seem integral to the plot are brought up only to be dropped. In particular, the island used to be a women's rehabilitation center (cult) run by the girls' parents, but at some point they had shut it down. Both Grace and Lia mention incidents involving women in their parents' charge that they feel are turning points for when things started to go bad for them, but neither of them expound upon it. Having Sky as a POV character could have fleshed this story out a bit--and also could have justified her existence--but Mackintosh apparently didn't feel that way. Indeed, Mackintosh seems mostly interested in exploring Lia as a character: a large portion of the middle of the book is told from her perspective. When, towards the end of the book, we switch back to Grace's perspective, I was expecting more exploration into her character--and we do get some, but not as much as I was hoping for. The most glaring flaw here, however, is the lack of a proper climax, followed by a hasty ending. More overt tension and conflict between the men and the sisters could have added to the stakes, which were honestly somewhat lacking. Instead the ending is rushed and a little unsatisfying. That said, despite its flaws, I thought the concept was interesting, the story was compelling, and Grace and Lia were both engaging characters.

[johndories]

→ the water cure by sophie mackintosh

“if we were to spit at them, they would spit back harder. we expected that - we were prepared for it even. what we didn't expect was their growing outrage that we even dared to have moisture in our mouths. then outrage that we had mouths at all. they would have liked us all dead, i know that now.”

[newyorker]

Sophie Mackintosh’s début novel, “The Water Cure,” is sometimes grouped with the new crop of feminist dystopias, but it doesn’t much resemble them in that it constructs not a world but a bubble within a world—in other words, a family. The story, which concerns three sisters brought up in fear and isolation, is a sort of twisted fairy tale about toxic masculinity. 

Read the full review of the book here. 

[thevoyagein]

"The anger of the women seemed a force from outside them. It was an anger that welled up deep in their chests. Without it, they would not have been able to survive."

—Sophie Mackintosh, The Water Cure