This is a book that I will be thinking about for a long time! I ended up having more questions upon finishing it than I did when I started it, but bloody hell, I loved it! If you enjoy ambiguous endings and unreliable narrators then you need to pick up John Burnside’s A Summer of Drowning.

Set in the achingly beautiful and remote Kvaløya in the Arctic Circle, A Summer of Drowning sees Liv, now in her late twenties, attempt to piece together the mysterious events of her 18th summer on the island where several people drowned or vanished without explanation. But the question remains, how much can we trust Liv’s account? How much does her paranoia affect her recollection of events?

Burnside is also a prolific poet and you can really see that in his writing, especially in his descriptions of nature and art. There some truly beautiful passages. He also has an uncanny knack for self-reflection, especially when it comes to solitary people. Solitude plays a huge role in his work, and I think any person comfortable in their own company will appreciate his writing!

The book is haunting; myth and Norwegian folklore blend with modern-day reality, resulting in a sense of distorted time on this isolated island, where nothing and no one is really as it seems. Beneath the guise of myths and legends, there’s a hint of something darker, something human and predatory simmering beneath the surface... But we can only guess at it, Burnside does not provide any concrete answers. Which I understand will not appeal to many readers, but I personally loved it!