The Tidal Zone

A 4.5 star read for me. The final line and some elements of Adam's narration irritated me at points in the text and made Adam appear overly intellectually superior, bitter and stuffy at points. That's why I cannot give the full 5 stars. However overall this novel is phenomenal. It follows parents Adam (a stay at home dad with a PHD) and Emma (a nurse drowning in the NHS) who struggle to cope with their daughter Miriam's shock accident one day in which her heart suddenly stops on her school sports field. The story is woven from Adams point of view and it's poignant at times. It's contemplative, moving and beautiful. Parents should read it. Teenagers and young adults should read it. It beautifully depicts the family dynamics and conflicts between parents and teenagers.As well as the parental denial and struggle against their children's inevitable journey to adulthood. A frank and gorgeous investigation of the modern family home and the human connection.