The Great Godden

By: Meg Rosoff

Narrated by: Ell Potter

From National Book Award Finalist Meg Rosoff comes a lyrical, compulsively listenable coming-of-age tale that is heady, irresistible, and timeless.

Everyone talks about falling in love like it's the most miraculous, life-changing thing in the world. Something happens, they say, and you know . . .
I looked into his eyes and I knew.
Only, everyone else knew too. Everyone else felt exactly the same way.

This is the story of one family during one dreamy summer - the summer when everything changes. In an eccentric, turreted vacation house by the sea, our watchful narrator sees everything, including many things that shouldn’t be seen, while brothers and sisters, parents and theatrical older cousins fill the hot days with wine and tennis and sailing and planning a wedding. Enter two brothers, the sons of a fading film actress - irresistibly charming, languidly sexy Kit and surly, silent Hugo. Suddenly there’s a serpent in this paradise, and the consequences will be devastating. In a propulsive narrative carrying intrigue and a growing sense of unease, Meg Rosoff, best-selling author of the iconic How I Live Now, offers a summer tale of innocence lost that will find its place among the classics of young adult literature.

©2020 by Meg Rosoff, first U.S. edition published by Candlewick Press. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“As a British family of six takes its annual beach holiday, narrator Ell Potter's delivery is informed by the voice of the unnamed, ungendered young adult narrator.… Potter's narration focuses on the emotional arc, tone, and characterizations of this story. Listeners will enjoy this finely crafted novel in which time and traditions endure amid plot twists and the protagonist's struggle to find his footing.” (AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award Winner)

“A British family of six takes its annual vacation to the beach for what is sure to be a glorious summer....Printz Award-winner Rosoff (How I Live Now, 2004) has written an absolutely remarkable coming-of-age story. Everything about it - style, substance, mood, atmosphere, tone, and especially characterization - is spot-on. One wants to read the book several times to tease out how Rosoff achieves her effects. The effort is a joy, just like this unforgettable novel, the first of a planned, summer-themed trio.” (Booklist, starred review)

“A London teen recounts the summer that tore the family apart... Through the narrator’s keen observations, made more poignant in hindsight and through sarcasm, readers view the twisting and turning development of Kit’s manipulation. Although slim, Rosoff’s taut, psychological story elicits a slow burn, leaving readers wondering how far and wide Kit’s power will extend through the family. It’s all just the beginning of the narrator’s loss of innocence. A searing coming-of-age novel.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“I was blown away by the deep heart, dark soul, and storm-tossed depiction of a summer with family where nothing and everything changes. The Great Godden took me into a space of memory, nostalgia, teenage passions, and sun-swept coastlines. A truly beautiful book.” (E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars)

More please !

Great Saturday afternoon escape to the beach . Love the family drama . Well written and excellent performance by Ell Potter ! More please !

Loved this

I loved everything about this book: the characters, setting, plotting, and narration. Wishing for a sequel.

Summer vacation gone awry

This relatively short novel explores a family’s annual summer holiday that goes off the rails when two teenage boys are introduced into the mix. The description makes this sound rather superficial, but it is a thing but. The prose is succinct and vivid, the characters are interesting and complex. Wonderful narration.