I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Once, in a small New England town known for its hot springs, something terrible happened. Something that should have been a warning to stay away from the pools, if the stories were to be believed.

But no one is afraid of the water anymore, even if they should be.

When new girl Lexie meets golden boy Chester, their chemistry is undeniable. She’s running from a glittering life she won’t speak about. He’s hiding secrets of his own. Their connection feels bigger than both of them, despite their damage.

One frigid winter morning in that small New England town, five people go for a swim in the pools. Five people, including Chester. What happens there sends shock waves through the town, changing life as Lexie knows it forever.

Short and Sweet Review

When Lexie moves to a small New England town with her mom and younger sister, she’s hoping for a fresh start. Her family has been struggling, and Lexie has spent a lot of time taking care of everyone else instead of getting to just be a teenager. Then she meets Chester, the town’s golden boy, at one of the famous hot springs. Chester seems to have everything Lexie doesn’t, but he’s dealing with his own struggles and secrets. The two quickly become close, but their relationship takes a darker turn when Chester and four other people go swimming in the pools one freezing morning and something happens that changes everything.

The atmosphere was probably my favorite part of this book. The town, the pools, the old stories surrounding them, and the cold New England setting gave the whole story this eerie, almost dreamlike feeling. I also liked the way the book explored grief, depression, family responsibility, and the pressure Lexie feels to take care of everyone around her. Chester’s struggles were also interesting to read about, especially seeing how his relationship with Lexie gave him something he hadn’t been able to find on his own. The biggest thing that took some getting used to was the writing style. The entire book is written in a mix of poetry and prose, and while there were definitely some beautiful passages, I sometimes struggled to follow the story and really connect with the characters. The magical realism also becomes more prominent as the story goes on, and I had a hard time figuring out what I was supposed to take literally and what was meant to be more symbolic. I think if you’re someone who enjoys poetic and unconventional storytelling, this could work much better for you, but it wasn’t always easy for me to settle into. I also wanted more from Lexie and Chester’s relationship. We’re told how important they are to each other, but I didn’t always feel like I had enough time to really understand their connection before the story moved into the more fantastical parts. There were also some heavier themes involving mental illness, religion, and Lexie’s Jewish identity that I had mixed feelings about. Some of those elements felt uncomfortable in ways that I don’t think the story fully addressed, especially toward the end.

Overall, The Pools was definitely different from what I expected, but I can appreciate what E. Lockhart was trying to do with it. The writing can be beautiful, the atmosphere is haunting, and the story has some really interesting ideas about love, grief, family, and loss. At the same time, the unusual format and magical realism made it harder for me to connect with the characters and fully get invested in the story. If you enjoy poetic writing, dark fairy tales, magical realism, and books that leave you with more questions than answers, this may be worth checking out.