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 1mo

squirrelbrain @catgusmax @cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @Debinhawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf 1mo

squirrelbrain @flaneurette @fredthemoose @Gatheringbooks @gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ 1mo

See All 18 Comments

squirrelbrain @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @KarenUK 1mo

squirrelbrain @karisa @Kitta @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @maggie4483 @maich @Mcctrish @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx 1mo

squirrelbrain @peaknit @peanutnine @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville 1mo

squirrelbrain @skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @texreader @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @zuhkeeyah 1mo

Gissy Beautiful book. I still need to read Audition🙄I will because I owned it 🤷🏽‍♀️Let‘s how it is for me ☺️ 1mo

TrishB Looking forward to seeing how the others fare. 1mo

AmyG No surprise. Audition made it easy for WDS to win. 1mo

jenniferw88 🤣😥 I'm keeping Audition, but donating WDS! 1mo

Ruthiella Not surprised, but I am genuinely pleased with how many loved WDS. 1mo

vonnie862 What a great start for camp! 1mo

ImperfectCJ I'm going to be playing catch-up for June, but I'm on track for July (so far)! 1mo

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! 1mo

BarbaraBB I missed this post somehow but am not surprised by the outcome. Audition was the better discussion but Wild Dark Shore is one of the best books I read this year, so I am happy! Thank you so much Helen for being the perfect camp counselor 💖 4w

87 likes18 comments

BookwormAHN

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

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

Catsandbooks Awesome! 👏🏼 🎉 1mo

50 likes1 comment

BookwormAHN

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

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

45 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 ❤️ 1mo

squirrelbrain Glad you loved it! ❤️ 1mo

Gissy I loved it too❤️ 1mo

AmyG Loved it, too. 1mo

Megabooks Great review! 1mo

54 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! 👏🏼 🎉 1mo

Megabooks Great month! 1mo

57 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. 1mo

Butterfinger @Texreader yes. I pictured Dom as Hugh Jackman the entire time. 1mo

Texreader @Butterfinger ! Now I can‘t get that image out of my head! 🤣 1mo

squirrelbrain Glad you enjoyed both the book and the discussions! 1mo

Megabooks Fantastic review! Glad you enjoyed it. 1mo

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Read4life

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

#WeeklyFavorites

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

LeeRHarry Snap! 1mo

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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 1mo

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. 😮‍💨🤣 1mo

AmyG Sounds about right. 1mo

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squirrelbrain Love this! #sorrynotsorry 🤣 1mo

Bookwormjillk @squirrelbrain seems like your job here is done. 1mo

squirrelbrain @Bookwormjillk - I‘m not taking all the blame - you lot chose it for camp! 🤣 1mo

BarbaraBB @DGRachel it‘s emotionally devastating indeed but so so good! I am glad I‘ve able to read it in such good company 🧡 1mo

Suet624 Love this review. 💕💕💕 1mo

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. 1mo

Megabooks Fantastic review!! 1mo

Meshell1313 🤣🤣🤣 1mo

kspenmoll Wonderful review! I loved it too. 💕💕 1mo

marleed I just did that spit thing with my Starbucks reading this review🤣🤣🤣Count me in the camp of lovers of this book! 1mo

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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. ⬇️ 1mo

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. ⬇️ 1mo

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 1mo

Suet624 I‘d be curious to know whether she has plans to write a sequel. 1mo

46 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! 1mo

britt_brooke @Christine Thank you! 🩷🩷 1mo

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. 🤦🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ 1mo

britt_brooke @CoverToCoverGirl I feel that!! 🏔️ 1mo

78 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 1mo

squirrelbrain @catgusmax @cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @Debinhawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf 1mo

squirrelbrain @flaneurette @fredthemoose @Gatheringbooks @gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books 1mo

See All 83 Comments

squirrelbrain @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @KarenUK 1mo

squirrelbrain @peaknit @peanutnine @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville 1mo

squirrelbrain @skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @texreader @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @zuhkeeyah 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

Soubhiville I loved the multiple voices. Orly was my favorite too. 1mo

JamieArc @Zuhkeeyah I didn‘t think about that but really like that idea. 1mo

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. 1mo

jenniferw88 I liked the multiple POVs too! I loved Orly too. 1mo

Kitta @Zuhkeeyah oooh I like that description of how they were each a part of the island. 1mo

peaKnit I enjoyed multiple POV also because you never knew who was not telling the whole truth. Or was everyone telling “their” truth?! 1mo

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 ♥️ 1mo

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. 1mo

Megabooks I love multiple POVs as a rule, but in this book, as in most I guess, I preferred the adult POVs. (edited) 1mo

BarbaraBB @Zuhkeeyah That‘s a great take on the story indeed. 1mo

BarbaraBB @JamieArc I agree that I‘d be missing out if one of the PoV‘s were missing. 1mo

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. 1mo

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! 1mo

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. 1mo

AmyG I, too, liked the different narrators as each revealed different parts of the story. Yes to Orly….I had fun googling plants. 1mo

BarbaraBB @CBee That is true, I loved all scenes he was in and his view on the island and its inhabitants. 1mo

squirrelbrain @Zuhkeeyah - I love that idea! ❤️ 1mo

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 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

CBee @squirrelbrain I can absolutely see that. He was quite precocious! 1mo

Texreader The audiobook made the different narratives so pronounced and so well done. I loved it. 1mo

Texreader @Zuhkeeyah Wow!! 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

TheKidUpstairs @Zuhkeeyah I love that way of describing the characters, you're so right! 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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! 1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @Ruthiella agree. Mcconaghy seems to relish their pain. It could even be classified as “Trauma Porn“ 1mo

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! 1mo

BkClubCare I have 30 pages yet to read and no time so will check in tonight! 💖 1mo

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. 1mo

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! 1mo

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. 1mo

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👌 1mo

BookwormAHN I loved the different voices and I agree it can be hard to pull off but it was done really well here. 1mo

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. 1mo

squirrelbrain Yes, I can see that now @TheKidUpstairs - precocious in a good way, with his knowledge, not in a brattish way. 😬 1mo

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. 1mo

squirrelbrain @Ruthiella - at least we helped you figure that out! 🤨 1mo

squirrelbrain @ChaoticMissAdventures - yes, Fen had arguably one of the bigger storylines and yet she disappeared, for me. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

squirrelbrain @ChaoticMissAdventures - you don‘t think that‘s the author trying to portray the reality of life for women? 1mo

squirrelbrain @willaful - yes, those parts drew me out of the story somewhat. 1mo

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...😀 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

BkClubCare @fredthemoose - I was most invested in Rowan‘s POV, also. 1mo

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 1mo

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 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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 . 1mo

vonnie862 I listened to the audio and having two different narrators really helped with the characters. They brought the story to life. 1mo

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. 1mo

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) 1mo

squirrelbrain It was really quite easy to keep track of everyone wasn‘t it? @DGRachel 1mo

squirrelbrain I‘m really intrigued re the audio @vonnie862 - I bet it added another dimension to the story. 1mo

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. 1mo

Butterfinger Ooh @Zuhkeeyah I loved your rationale for the voices. 1mo

JenP I am coming to this late but just finished it. I do like multiple voices/pov in novels and I liked them all in this book. Orly‘s voice wasn‘t the voice of a 9 year old for me but I still enjoyed reading his chapters and enjoyed the descriptions of all the seeds. His perspective was valuable so I was able to suspend my dislike for when authors make children who are written to sound like adults. 4w

squirrelbrain Yes, I agree @JenP - I don‘t usually like children as adults. I didn‘t particularly like Orly‘s chapters in this though, not because of that, but because they took me out of the story. 4w

48 likes83 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. 1mo

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. 1mo

JenReadsAlot I thought it was well done and realistic. 1mo

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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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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) 1mo

Karisa @BarbaraBB Yes! Nicely said. All connected by their grief while going through it individually. 1mo

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) 1mo

squirrelbrain Beautifully put @BarbaraBB @AmyG ❤️ 1mo

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 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

kspenmoll I agree with ever 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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) 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

BookwormAHN The grief was overwhelming in certain parts but very real and the destruction of the island was the saddest. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

mcctrish @squirrelbrain I think it lets grief fester 1mo

willaful @mcctrish It was definitely festering here, though it's meaningful that Dom realizes that in the end. 1mo

squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books - well put, I like that idea of grief being universal but unique. 1mo

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. 1mo

squirrelbrain I‘m beginning to wish I‘d listened to it on audio @Gissy - it sounds wonderful. 1mo

mcctrish @willaful yes, thankfully he does 1mo

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. 1mo

Suet624 @BarbaraBB Such an accurate analysis. 1mo

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. 1mo

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… 1mo

BarbaraBB @AmyG Great minds 😉😘 1mo

squirrelbrain I‘m glad you could both see the hope @rockpools @GatheringBooks ❤️ 1mo

squirrelbrain Yes @Suet624 - this author is really valuable in the way she portrays the climate emergency. 💔 1mo

DGRachel @BarbaraBB I love the way you perfectly summed it up. 1mo

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. 1mo

37 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? 1mo

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) 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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 1mo

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? 1mo

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) 1mo

Reggie statutory rape and attempted murder. After they felt out her character. 1mo

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. 1mo

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! 1mo

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) 1mo

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. 😭😭😭 1mo

BarbaraBB I agree with @Reggie in wondering why they didn‘t just tell her. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

AmyG @Reggie Ha, loved your thoughts! As in any story….works for some, not for others. (edited) 1mo

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. 1mo

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? 1mo

CBee @AmyG I was all in as well. As with all of her other books. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 🤷‍♀️ 1mo

CBee @squirrelbrain makes you wonder more about Hank and his backstory. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

mcctrish And didn‘t Hank make good choices when they did decide not to let him drown?! I WAS SCREAMING #rotinhellmotherfucker 1mo

mcctrish But I did want a HEA 1mo

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 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @Reggie I totally agree. Why didn't they just tell her? It is a emotional manipulation -miscommunication trope. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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? 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 1mo

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. 1mo

Christine @squirrelbrain Thanks for leading such great conversations this month! 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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 ⭐️ 1mo

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. 1mo

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.👇 1mo

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. 1mo

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✨ 1mo

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! 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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? 1mo

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! 1mo

squirrelbrain @JamieArc @christine - it‘s the Littens who make camp so wonderful - with wide-ranging discussions and such insightful commentary. ❤️ 1mo

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 1mo

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. 1mo

vonnie862 I was not expecting the ending 1mo

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) 1mo

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. 1mo

squirrelbrain Yes, it was a truly shocking ending, wasn‘t it?! @vonnie862 @DGRachel 1mo

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. 1mo

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 1mo

Butterfinger @Chelsea.Poole wonderful parallel between the characters and Mother Earth. 1mo

35 likes65 comments

CBee

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

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

AmyG Yep 1mo

CBee @AmyG 📕 👯 ❤️ 1mo

squirrelbrain ❤️❤️❤️ 1mo

60 likes3 comments

jenniferw88

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

pick

BarbaraBB Glad you loved it too! 1mo

LeeRHarry Glad this one was hit for you as well Jenny. 😊 1mo

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. 🩵 1mo

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

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) 1mo

See All 12 Comments

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

squirrelbrain I loved it too! ❤️ 1mo

kspenmoll Just loved this book! 1mo

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

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

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

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

Suet624 @Reggie I was surprised by that ending! 1mo

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! 1mo

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. #Camplitsy Can‘t wait for our discussion! (edited) 1mo

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

kspenmoll @Lesliereadsalot me too ! 💕 1mo

See All 7 Comments

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

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

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

Megabooks This was a really good book and discussion. So glad you're at camp this summer! 3w

68 likes7 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 1mo

squirrelbrain Glad you loved it! 1mo

Suet624 Great review! 1mo

58 likes3 comments

CogsOfEncouragement

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

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Fitting title. Ready for #CampLitsy25 discussion.

38 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 😍 1mo

AnnCrystal 🤩💐💝. 1mo

AmyG Beautiful flowers! GREAT book. 1mo

68 likes3 comments

mcctrish

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

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

AmyG Right? ❤️🙌🏻 1mo

sarahbarnes So good! I‘m reading the second half right now!! 1mo

mcctrish @AmyG I‘m going to be pushing this book on everyone I know 1mo

See All 6 Comments

mcctrish @sarahbarnes I basically inhaled it today ( some weeding and laundry got done) 1mo

AmyG Hahahaha…I have already been telling people to read this. 1mo

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) 1mo

68 likes1 stack add6 comments

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! 💚🪴💚 1mo

Lesliereadsalot I loved this book. How about the ending? 1mo

Bookwormjillk @Lesliereadsalot still wrecked 😭 1mo

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AnnCrystal 🤩🌸😍🌱💝. 1mo

Butterfinger Keeping you cool in the heat. Love it. 1mo

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) 1mo

Bookwormjillk @BarbaraBB such good discussions and the books so far are so different. It's been a great month at camp. 1mo

82 likes7 comments

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! 1mo

Kitta @Ruthiella I saw you reviewed it on goodreads and didn‘t read your review because I didn‘t want to be swayed haha. 1mo

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

Clear: A Novel

1mo

See All 7 Comments

LeeRHarry Ooh now I‘m intrigued to know where the science is wrong…😏 1mo

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) 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

37 likes7 comments

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

A little evening reading in our cabin

#camplitsy @squirrelbrain @Megabooks @BarbaraBB

BarbaraBB Looks lovely 🥰 1mo

willaful I was also reading this in a cabin, though a considerably more rustic one. :-) 1mo

squirrelbrain Lovely! ❤️ 1mo

Megabooks Nice!! 1mo

62 likes4 comments

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

Enjoying this audiobook and coloring scenes from Norway

julieclair Gorgeous! 1mo

dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 1mo

AnnCrystal 🤩🎨💝. 1mo

68 likes3 comments

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. 1mo

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks So pretty 😍 1mo

Bookwormjillk You have a good heart 1mo

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IriDas I see your tea cup there. Very pretty. 1mo

AnnCrystal 💖💖💖 Good And Kind Of You 😍🐦💝💝💝. 1mo

ShelleyBooksie Beautiful porch 1mo

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 1mo

Butterfinger So funny in a sweet way. You have to do what you have to do. 1mo

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

78 likes9 comments

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

1mo

kspenmoll The prose is gorgeous! 1mo

squirrelbrain Enjoy! ☺️ 1mo

See All 7 Comments

Megabooks Yay!! 1mo

Areader2 Loved! 1mo

Texreader @squirrelbrain @Megabooks @BarbaraBB Would yall please add me to the discussion group? I missed the Audition discussion. Thank you! 😊 1mo

squirrelbrain Of course - I‘ll do that now! 1mo

69 likes2 stack adds7 comments

Zuhkeeyah

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

pick

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 1mo

GatheringBooks I loved this book. Agree with all you said. 🥰 1mo

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 1mo

Suet624 @Zuhkeeyah I did the same thing. 1mo

28 likes4 comments

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 1mo

squirrelbrain @catgusmax @cbee @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @Debinhawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf 1mo

squirrelbrain @flaneurette @fredthemoose @Gatheringbooks @gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books 1mo

See All 85 Comments

squirrelbrain @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @KarenUK 1mo

squirrelbrain @peaknit @peanutnine @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville 1mo

DGRachel This has been a bit of A Week, so I haven‘t started yet. I have a bit of catching up to do. 🙃 1mo

squirrelbrain @skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @zuhkeeyah 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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) 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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) 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

Susanita What @Bookwormjillk said! 1mo

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. 1mo

squirrelbrain @DGRachel - it‘s a fast read once you get going - enjoy! 1mo

squirrelbrain @kitta -I felt that about Raff, too. Out of all of them I felt he was struggling the most. 1mo

squirrelbrain @Bookwormjillk @Susanita - that‘s a perfect way of looking at it! 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

Zuhkeeyah @BarbaraBB Exactly. This is seen in how he helps Raff channel his anger. 1mo

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? 1mo

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. 1mo

Bookwormjillk @BkClubCare I stopped at halfway too and have the same frustrations. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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 1mo

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. 1mo

Karisa Random but…. Does any one else love that she made their last name Salt? 😍 1mo

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. 1mo

Zuhkeeyah @Karisa Lol I didn‘t catch that. A lot of earth themes throughout. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

squirrelbrain @BkClubCare @Bookwormjillk @Susanita @kspenmoll - this halfway split was just perfect.👌 Things really start to happen soon, although it takes a while to build! 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

Megabooks @TEArificbooks that is a really good comparison to TLP!! I loved the MC in that book. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

Bookwormjillk @squirrelbrain yes it was quite the cliffhanger! 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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. 1mo

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 ⬇️ 1mo

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‘. 1mo

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. 1mo

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 1mo

BookwormAHN I think it's clear Dom is hiding but I also think it would be fascinating to grow up like that. 1mo

squirrelbrain @Megabooks - aren‘t all children controlled by their parent(s) though? Although, the kids here have no chance of breaking away from Dom. 1mo

squirrelbrain @MeganAnn @vonnie862 @ChaoticMissAdventures I agree, the kids seem really well-adjusted, considering. They almost seem to be parenting their father. 1mo

squirrelbrain I love this @gatheringbooks - ‘normalcy is overrated‘ ❤️ 1mo

squirrelbrain @Larkken - not cynical at all, and a well-made point that no-one else has yet made. 1mo

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. 1mo

Jas16 @Larkken interesting point. 1mo

Lesliereadsalot It‘s really hard for me to discuss this book only discussing the first half! Really looking forward to next week. 1mo

BarbaraBB @TEArificbooks I now really want to read that book! 1mo

BarbaraBB @Karisa I wasn‘t aware of their last name but it‘s well chosen! 1mo

willaful @BarbaraBB Well put. 1mo

willaful @Megabooks I'm by no means sure that any of the other people actually “left.“ 1mo

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. 1mo

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 1mo

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. 1mo

Megabooks @JamieArc @willaful that‘s a good point. I just kind of pictured it like the research village on Lost. 1mo

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. 1mo

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 🧐 1mo

squirrelbrain Glad you‘re loving it! @CBee You can read to the end now! ☺️ 1mo

CBee @squirrelbrain yay! Cause I don‘t think I can stop 😂 1mo

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. 1mo

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? 1mo

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. 1mo

54 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?