The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan

The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan
"Carrying just a suitcase and an old laundry bag filled with clothes, Kasienka and her mother are immigrating to England from Poland. Kasienka isn't the happiest girl in the world. At home, her mother is suffering from a broken heart as she searches for Kasienka's father. And at school, Kasienka is having trouble being the new girl and making friends. The only time she feels comforted is when she's swimming at the pool. But she can't quite shake the feeling that she's sinking. Until a new boy swims into her life, and she learns that there might be more than one way to stay afloat."- summary from Amazon

I had Crossan's Breathe in my TBR pile and had been meaning to pick it up, but I made my way to her contemporary debut first. It did also make things easier that this was written in verse, which therefore means a quicker read. It was easy to fit into my reading schedule. It'll be interesting to read Breathe after this and compare the two; they're both completely opposite ends of the spectrum.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this book. Immigration is not something you really read much about, and Crossan does a good job of writing it realistically. It's also interesting too reading about two different countries- Kasienka comes from Poland and reflects on those memories, and now she's in London making new ones. Most books I read are set in the US, so it was nice to have a break from that though London isn't exactly all sunshine and roses for Kasienka. There's a bullying aspect covered here, and it was heartbreaking to read about her problems fitting in. It's a very poignant book.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this book to those interested in tales of bullying and verse novels. Crossan does a wonderful job packing in the emotion and turmoil of Kasienka's life into so few words. While I'm even more excited to read her other book Breathe, I do hope she writes more in verse as well.

FTC: Received e-galley from Netgalley. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.