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NIGHT SWIMMING

Aaron Starmer

From the author of Spontaneous comes a '90s mixtape of a young adult novel that delivers a summer romance with an unearthly twist.
One final swim of the summer. Let's make it last all night. Summer, 1994. Trevor can barely wrap his mind around the fact that he and his friends have graduated high school. And yet there's no rush to get to college. He's determined to live one night at a time. Riding shotgun from party to party, windows down, music up, his focus is entirely on his crush, the enigmatic girl in the driver's seat. Will things ever go anywhere with Sarah? Maybe? Because Sarah has proposed a mission: They're going to swim all the pools in town. Before long, they're sneaking into backyards every night, splashing, floating, and loving every minute of it. But it's still not enough for Trevor. He yearns for Sarah, despite her college boyfriend, despite her "not yet"s, despite the way she keeps pulling away the moment it starts to feel truly magical. Things finally change when they learn about a natural pool hidden deep in the woods. It seems like just another spot to check off their summer bucket list. But once they get there, they realize that this place has a curious hold on them, and something very strange is happening. Aaron Starmer is the author of numerous novels for young readers, including The Only Ones, The Riverman, and his young adult novel, Spontaneous. He lives in Vermont with his wife and daughter. You can find Aaron online at @AaronStarmer
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Published 2025-04-29 by Workshop

Comments

Allegorical and shimmering with expectation, Night Swimming is an all-consuming dream of a novel that feels at once vital and timeless. In one singular perfect summer, what's momentary becomes everlasting, and what's feared becomes beautiful and necessary. Unforgettable.

A haunting, romantic, and mesmerizing story of the perilous moments between adolescence and adulthood that will take your breath away. Aaron Starmer's latest will take readers on what they think is one ride, and then turns out to be anotherand it's a fantastic one, powered by crisp, beautiful prose and a story that will linger long after the book is over. (Bonus: The songs that begin each section are sure to comprise your next favorite playlist.)

Starmer's eerie love story is spooky, sad, and sweetly funnya highly original '90s retro mixtape of a book that will have you wishing you could go night swimming with Sarah and Trevor, until chills go down your spine and you realize what a very, very bad idea that would be.

Night Swimming is just the kind of book I like: a beautifully written character dive that plays with the boundaries of reality. Bonus points for the '90s nostalgia and music references that had me thinking wistfully of my own teen years. An exciting offering in the world of speculative fiction, Starmer's novel asks all sorts of questions about who we are, who we might become, and who we're meant to be with. I'm very much here for this book (and I think Michael Stipe would be, too).