It's not so much that I liked the characters in this book or even that I cared about them, but that they were fascinating. I especially liked Jacob, the former child prodigy, who changed his focus from his own success to his wife's. Everyone just gives him up for 'normal,' but Goodman makes it clear that he is every bit the genius he used to be.

The other characters are all intricately crafted. Since intricately crafting characters takes time, the mystery and 'action' of the story is more subtle. The reader wants to find out what happens and reach the 'revealing climax,' that is so common in books, but that is not what makes the story enjoyable, and the climax is not a peak, but a little hill that you almost miss. The social interactions of the characters and the layers of history revealed for each character give the book it richness. But you need some patience to enjoy it.

I did enjoy reading this book. I liked the metaphor of the lake water sinking then freezing, but as with Carol Goodman's other books (Mainly the Seduction of Water), I felt that she doesn't give her reader enough credit. She no sooner hints at a twist than tells you outright exactly what the secret was. You don't ever get to enjoy the satisfaction of catching a clever allusion, metaphor, or secret because she slams it in your face.
She is clever and makes good metaphors and interesting twists, but divulges them to bluntly.
I also don't like her female main characters. It seems that she's trying to make them realistic, but to me they just end up seeming stupid and too dependent on men. I know some people like reading about realistically flawed people and really relate to them, but I would much rather read about someone I can aspire to be like.