Almost thriller-like in scope, The Water Takes is about Pam, a lady in her 70s, who has had many sadnesses in her life that now keep her hiding from the world in her house. These events are slowly revealed in small fragments over the course of the novel. The neighbour’s 10-year-old daughter, Charlotte, starts turning up at her house, and they form a friendship that brings Pam out of her shell a little. They are bought together by the large sinkholes appearing in the neighbourhood and devastation to the people around them.

This is a debut for Sarah Walker and an exciting and original one at that. I really enjoyed the characterisation and emotional depth of Pam and Charlotte’s relationship as they deal with the crisis of what to do when there is no end to what’s happening around them and no help coming. At its heart, The Water Takes is a dystopian novel that is so immediate in devastation that it keeps you very engaged and compelled to keep turning the pages. Dealing with grief, mental ill-health, ageing, coming of age, and environmental disaster, I really look forward to reading whatever Walker comes up with next. An exciting new Australian author to watch.