Like Water

Written by Rebecca Podos

Narrated by Kyla Garcia

~Winner of the Lambda Literary Award for the best LGBT YA novel of 2017~

An unforgettable story of two girls navigating the unknowable waters of identity, millennial anxiety, and first love, from the acclaimed author of The Mystery of Hollow Places.

In Savannah Espinoza’s small New Mexico hometown, kids either flee after graduation or they’re trapped there forever. Vanni never planned to get stuck—but that was before her father was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, leaving her and her mother to care for him.

Now she doesn’t have much of a plan at all: living at home, working as a performing mermaid at a second-rate water park, distracting herself with one boy after another.

That changes the day she meets Leigh. Disillusioned with small-town life and looking for something greater, Leigh is not a “nice girl.” She is unlike anyone Vanni has met, and a friend when Vanni desperately needs one. Soon enough, Leigh is much more than a friend.

But caring about another person threatens the walls Vanni has carefully constructed to protect herself and brings up the big questions she’s hidden from for so long.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 17, 2017
• ISBN: 9780062689535

Rebecca Podos

Rebecca Podos is the Lambda Literary Award-winning author of YA novels, including The Mystery of Hollow Places, Like Water, and The Wise and the Wicked, and co-editor of the YA anthology Fools in Love. Find her online at www.rebeccapodos.com.

Reviews for Like Water

[edgoldberg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Savannah's (Vanni) plan to exit her tiny town of La Trampa is, at best, put on hold, at worst, cancelled, when her father is diagnosed with Huntington's Disease and she is needed to assist with the family restaurant. As his disease progresses, he will need more attention from Vanni and her mother.To dull the pain, she hooks up with various boys in meaningless entanglements. While it may momentarily distract her, it does no long-term good.All that changes when she meets Leigh, sister of a lifeguard Vanni was trying to attract. As they spend more time together, they become closer. There is a physical as well as emotional attraction. But, where Vanni is the (relatively) good girl, Leigh has issues and acts out at times. But Vanni feels more for Leigh than she has for any guy.Of course (without spoiler), there's the inevitable breakup.Author Podos does a nice job of both demonstrating Vanni's frustration at being stuck at home and having a dad whose illness will only progress and appreciating the one good thing in her life as her relationship with Leigh deepens. However, something is brought up at the end which I didn't see the need for, thus dropping the stars from 4 to 3 1/2. Maybe, looking back, I could have predicted it, but I think it detracted from the story, not added to it.Like Water is totally enjoyable. I recommend it.