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The Float Test: A Novel
"What I loved most about The Float Test is the sense of place. ... The adult children of the family gather on the hot ground of their childhood following their mother’s death, where they try to untangle decades of betrayals and sorrow, and reclaim their sense of home." — Ann Napolitano, New York Times bestselling author of Hello Beautiful
From Lynn Steger Strong, critically acclaimed author of Flight, a sophisticated and layered novel about sisters, betrayal, love, and climate change, for readers of The Dutch House and The Most Fun We Ever Had.
The Kenner siblings are at odds. Gathered after a major loss, each sibling needs the others more than ever—if only they could trust each other. Jenn is a harried mom struggling under the weight of family obligations. Fred is a novelist who can’t write, maybe because she’s lost faith in storytelling itself. Jude is a recovering corporate lawyer with her own story to tell, and a grudge against her former favorite sister, Fred. George, the baby, is estranged from his wife and harboring both a secret about his former employer and an ill-advised crush on one of his sisters’ friends. When the four are reunited it's clear that much has changed between them. Equally unsettling are the changes around them; the climate of their hometown is hotter and more oppressive than ever before.
A family story is, of course, only as honest as the person telling it. This family story in particular is fraught with secrets about kids and sex and jobs and why the Kenner matriarch had a gun in her underwear drawer. The biggest secret of all though is the secret of what happened between Jude and Fred to create such a rift between the two once-close middle sisters. Over the course of a sweltering Florida summer, the Kenner siblings will revisit what it means to be a family and, if they are smart and kind and lucky, come out on the other side better for having each other.
A rich exploration of family, ambition, secrets, and love, The Float Test is an elegant and gripping testament to the power that family has to both nurture and destroy us from a critically acclaimed writer working at the top of her craft.
From Lynn Steger Strong, critically acclaimed author of Flight, a sophisticated and layered novel about sisters, betrayal, love, and climate change, for readers of The Dutch House and The Most Fun We Ever Had.
The Kenner siblings are at odds. Gathered after a major loss, each sibling needs the others more than ever—if only they could trust each other. Jenn is a harried mom struggling under the weight of family obligations. Fred is a novelist who can’t write, maybe because she’s lost faith in storytelling itself. Jude is a recovering corporate lawyer with her own story to tell, and a grudge against her former favorite sister, Fred. George, the baby, is estranged from his wife and harboring both a secret about his former employer and an ill-advised crush on one of his sisters’ friends. When the four are reunited it's clear that much has changed between them. Equally unsettling are the changes around them; the climate of their hometown is hotter and more oppressive than ever before.
A family story is, of course, only as honest as the person telling it. This family story in particular is fraught with secrets about kids and sex and jobs and why the Kenner matriarch had a gun in her underwear drawer. The biggest secret of all though is the secret of what happened between Jude and Fred to create such a rift between the two once-close middle sisters. Over the course of a sweltering Florida summer, the Kenner siblings will revisit what it means to be a family and, if they are smart and kind and lucky, come out on the other side better for having each other.
A rich exploration of family, ambition, secrets, and love, The Float Test is an elegant and gripping testament to the power that family has to both nurture and destroy us from a critically acclaimed writer working at the top of her craft.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 8, 2025
311 people are currently reading
14456 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Steger Strong
4 books513 followersLynn Steger Strong was born and raised in South Florida and received an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University where she also taught Freshman Writing. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two small girls.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 258 reviews
August 26, 2024
This is a slow burn story about a family that comes together after the unexpected passing of their mother. The siblings grew up in a very large house in a wealthy family. The siblings do not seem well adjusted or happy. They go back to Florida to be near their father and the place they grew up.
This book did not work for me. I felt the storyline was meandering and slow. Where are we going with this? Some of it felt politically motivated. There was too many chapters on the climate change and deforestation of Florida land that has left native species without a home. I understand the importance of this issue but it felt improperly placed in a family drama.
I was bored with this book by 38% and had to move on.
Thank you to netgalley for the chance to read this book.
This book did not work for me. I felt the storyline was meandering and slow. Where are we going with this? Some of it felt politically motivated. There was too many chapters on the climate change and deforestation of Florida land that has left native species without a home. I understand the importance of this issue but it felt improperly placed in a family drama.
I was bored with this book by 38% and had to move on.
Thank you to netgalley for the chance to read this book.
May 6, 2025
Secrets. Conflict. Silence. Repeat.
The pain and power of family...
The Kenner siblings have returned home to Florida for their mother's funeral. It is where the three sisters and one brother grew up. The July heat is intense, as is the tension between the family members...
The Float Test is a character study of a family that has forgotten how to love, trust, and care for each other. There is no nurturing of relationships, only pushing, pulling, and avoiding—all of them, siblings, parents, spouses, living on the surface of life, afraid to dive in.
Youngest sister, Jude, is the omniscient, all-knowing-ever-present narrator. Her thoughts amble, then she digresses as she constructs her thoughts in short, choppy sentences, remembering specifics. The author's unique writing talent has me believing these horrible characters are real, undoubtedly true to life, and my emotions bubble over...I love to hate them all.
An immersion read, I partnered this gifted DRC with the audiobook, narrated by Andi Arndt, who gives life to Jude's character, recounting the story with clarity and believable gender voicing. I encourage an immersion read as the best way to experience this book.
The Float Test is my second Lynn Steger Strong read, Flight being my first. Similarly, they are about family, one of my favorite topics. Now I have my eyes on her second novel Want and hope to read it soon!
3.75⭐
Thank you to Mariner Books and Lynn Steger Strong for the gifted DRC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
The pain and power of family...
The Kenner siblings have returned home to Florida for their mother's funeral. It is where the three sisters and one brother grew up. The July heat is intense, as is the tension between the family members...
The Float Test is a character study of a family that has forgotten how to love, trust, and care for each other. There is no nurturing of relationships, only pushing, pulling, and avoiding—all of them, siblings, parents, spouses, living on the surface of life, afraid to dive in.
Youngest sister, Jude, is the omniscient, all-knowing-ever-present narrator. Her thoughts amble, then she digresses as she constructs her thoughts in short, choppy sentences, remembering specifics. The author's unique writing talent has me believing these horrible characters are real, undoubtedly true to life, and my emotions bubble over...I love to hate them all.
An immersion read, I partnered this gifted DRC with the audiobook, narrated by Andi Arndt, who gives life to Jude's character, recounting the story with clarity and believable gender voicing. I encourage an immersion read as the best way to experience this book.
The Float Test is my second Lynn Steger Strong read, Flight being my first. Similarly, they are about family, one of my favorite topics. Now I have my eyes on her second novel Want and hope to read it soon!
3.75⭐
Thank you to Mariner Books and Lynn Steger Strong for the gifted DRC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
August 14, 2024
Loved this gem of a book -full of family disfunction !I need to read the author’s backlist!
May 18, 2025
I was interested in the theme of how to trust siblings in middle age after less than ideal parenting. But I thought this was a shallow story of four messed up siblings unable to grieve and to manage adult responsibilities. The first-person narrative makes no sense when she acted as an omniscient narrator who somehow knew details of other siblings when she wasn’t there. The multiple subplots and tirtiary characters unnecessarily complicated the main plot which took too long into the big reveal. The addition of climate change as a storyline was incomplete and distracting. And the tragedy in the final pages was ridiculous and unnecessary.
December 20, 2024
I trudged through this book and wish I hadn’t. I should’ve just shelved it as DNF. It was boring, none of the characters were likable and there was no cohesive plot. Would not recommend.
Thanks NetGalley and Mariner Books for this ARC.
Thanks NetGalley and Mariner Books for this ARC.
December 10, 2024
A quick, winding novel about four maladjusted siblings reeling after the death of their mother, an ambitious lawyer with an exacting presence in her kids lives. The dialogue was witty, and the overarching metaphor about floating was elucidated well. Other than that it was quite a flat reading experience. I felt more invested in the characters' relationships at the beginning of the story rather than the end. The ending of the book was objectively shocking but it felt more provocative than emotionally moving. Maybe it was that the characters felt a bit 2-D and I wasn't invested in their dynamic or that there are so many characters and moving parts and those undercut those "raw" moments. Also not sure that I got the "Florida" vibe I was supposed to - the scenes set in florida often felt indistinguishable from those in NYC. I was also confused why Jude was the narrator? The ending shed a bit of light but mostly I was left wondering how she would have come by all the knowledge she narrates given her rocky relationships with her mother, father, and siblings? Either way, not sure this book was for me.
If you like family dramas, especially stories about complicated sibling dynamics then you will probably like this one.
Thank you to Mariner books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
If you like family dramas, especially stories about complicated sibling dynamics then you will probably like this one.
Thank you to Mariner books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
April 13, 2025
Omg. I hated everyone. And the weird, floating, older sister narrator got irritating after a bit.
June 12, 2025
Reading this book was the biggest waste of my time😅
January 28, 2025
2.5 stars
I wasn't fond of THE FLOAT TEST by Lynn Steger Strong. I did like her previous novel FLIGHT.
This is a wealthy (although “new money”) dysfunctional family that comes together after the death of their mother. I didn’t care for any of the characters. Now I don’t always need to root for or even like characters. Gosh, I love a despicable main character! But these weren’t despicable nor likeable characters. They were all blandly problematic and navel gaze-y.
I wasn’t sure why the perspectives didn’t completely switch. Jude, the main character, is the third oldest sibling with a solid first person perspective. But when it’s from Fred or George’s perspective, it feels like it’s a close third person perspective, but then she would say “I” (as Jude) even in situations when Jude couldn’t have been there to observe the situation. It felt odd to me, but maybe it’s a higher literary technique that goes above my head.
There was some information (what happened between Jude and Fred) that was kept from the reader until the end, and it felt like the author was being unnecessarily coy because it didn’t land as a big reveal (maybe it wasn’t supposed to be?). And did the death at the end need to happen?? I think that’s going to put a bad taste in the mouth of many readers due to how it happened and to whom.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
It publishes April 8, 2025.
I wasn't fond of THE FLOAT TEST by Lynn Steger Strong. I did like her previous novel FLIGHT.
This is a wealthy (although “new money”) dysfunctional family that comes together after the death of their mother. I didn’t care for any of the characters. Now I don’t always need to root for or even like characters. Gosh, I love a despicable main character! But these weren’t despicable nor likeable characters. They were all blandly problematic and navel gaze-y.
I wasn’t sure why the perspectives didn’t completely switch. Jude, the main character, is the third oldest sibling with a solid first person perspective. But when it’s from Fred or George’s perspective, it feels like it’s a close third person perspective, but then she would say “I” (as Jude) even in situations when Jude couldn’t have been there to observe the situation. It felt odd to me, but maybe it’s a higher literary technique that goes above my head.
There was some information (what happened between Jude and Fred) that was kept from the reader until the end, and it felt like the author was being unnecessarily coy because it didn’t land as a big reveal (maybe it wasn’t supposed to be?). And did the death at the end need to happen?? I think that’s going to put a bad taste in the mouth of many readers due to how it happened and to whom.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
It publishes April 8, 2025.
October 29, 2024
I wanted to read this one because I really like the cover, and the plot seemed interesting enough - four siblings come together after their mother passes, and we see family drama unfold. However, I felt the story moved very slowly, and it took me a while to even understand what was happening. It finally comes together at the end, but I have to say it was a struggle to finish this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley & Mariner Books for an advanced copy of this book.
Many thanks to NetGalley & Mariner Books for an advanced copy of this book.
June 21, 2025
While I enjoyed the characters, plot, and setting, the pace felt inconsistent and I was either engrossed or thinking about putting it down. Overall, I’m glad I finished, but I had to push through the family drama a few times.
Read
April 17, 2025DNF
September 15, 2024
I have a childhood memory of driving through the Florida Everglades with my large family all packed into a station wagon and coming upon a horrific car crash. My mother was next to me in the front seat and told me not to look, but stupidly I did look, and what I saw was a lot of mangled metal and a lot of blood on the wet ground. That awful image is seared in my head along with a number other not particularly pleasant memories of time spent in Florida. Florida has always felt exotic but in a dark and creepy way to me. Florida politics, the heat, the endless strip malls, the sense of no there there, guns, don’t help the cause.
All this to say, this story of one Florida family and the very tenuous threads that hold them together just was an extension of my own perceptions of this state. Heat, Busch Gardens, the oddly warm ocean water, herons and vultures, those with too much money in close quarters with those living month-to-month, marriages that end but not fully… it’s a borderline creepy story that all the time holds the threat of going somewhere darker.
I couldn’t figure out why Jude was the omniscient narrator, but she is one of 4 siblings, and she tells the story of growing up with intensely career-focused and affluent parents in a sort of benign neglect atmosphere. As adults all 4 gather back in Florida for their mother’s funeral. In the time during and after the funeral, each is puzzling out their own messy life in the context of this hard-edged family of origin. It’s not a quirky family - more of a family held together by shared disappointments, not enough parental warmth and positive attention, and dissatisfactions.
The looming environmental issues that are harder to avoid in Florida, an underlying vibe of potential doom that weighs like the Florida humidity, and a family with at least a few people imploding and in need of some mental health care, all float around together in an uncertain direction and lead to a not very satisfying but not unwelcome ending.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for this review.
All this to say, this story of one Florida family and the very tenuous threads that hold them together just was an extension of my own perceptions of this state. Heat, Busch Gardens, the oddly warm ocean water, herons and vultures, those with too much money in close quarters with those living month-to-month, marriages that end but not fully… it’s a borderline creepy story that all the time holds the threat of going somewhere darker.
I couldn’t figure out why Jude was the omniscient narrator, but she is one of 4 siblings, and she tells the story of growing up with intensely career-focused and affluent parents in a sort of benign neglect atmosphere. As adults all 4 gather back in Florida for their mother’s funeral. In the time during and after the funeral, each is puzzling out their own messy life in the context of this hard-edged family of origin. It’s not a quirky family - more of a family held together by shared disappointments, not enough parental warmth and positive attention, and dissatisfactions.
The looming environmental issues that are harder to avoid in Florida, an underlying vibe of potential doom that weighs like the Florida humidity, and a family with at least a few people imploding and in need of some mental health care, all float around together in an uncertain direction and lead to a not very satisfying but not unwelcome ending.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for this review.
May 7, 2025
I loved this so much😭💗 There were so many incredible lines in this book but the one that stopped me in my tracks…
“She’s wanted then, much as she wanted now, to disappear herself for a while.
She didn’t want to be looked at the way this guy was looking at her now. It reminded her of running back then but also it reminded her of writing. The power she felt — being good, getting better— was altered, destroyed, broken by all the ways that being good meant other people looking, wanting, standing too close to her to try to make her theirs somehow.”
WOW.
This was such an incredible commentary on family dynamics, complicated relationships, and growing up. It was beautiful and sad and funny and made me physically ill. My favorite kind of reading experience.
“The language of a family often lives outside of what is spoken.”
This made me think and feel things. Made me journal and laugh. I will absolutely be rereading this in the future. It will sit on my shelf of all time favorites.
Thank you to Goodreads, the author, and the publisher for the ARC!
“She’s wanted then, much as she wanted now, to disappear herself for a while.
She didn’t want to be looked at the way this guy was looking at her now. It reminded her of running back then but also it reminded her of writing. The power she felt — being good, getting better— was altered, destroyed, broken by all the ways that being good meant other people looking, wanting, standing too close to her to try to make her theirs somehow.”
WOW.
This was such an incredible commentary on family dynamics, complicated relationships, and growing up. It was beautiful and sad and funny and made me physically ill. My favorite kind of reading experience.
“The language of a family often lives outside of what is spoken.”
This made me think and feel things. Made me journal and laugh. I will absolutely be rereading this in the future. It will sit on my shelf of all time favorites.
Thank you to Goodreads, the author, and the publisher for the ARC!
May 23, 2025
Just despised the book and its characters- nothing redeeming about these narcissists. I made it 2/3rds of the way hoping for something to like. Nada. Ugh!
March 31, 2025
This is the drama of a family with conservative parents and more liberal grown children around and after the Covid pandemic. The story is told by Judy even though she is not present in all of the events. That was a little confusing. The story was also presented as unstructured memories that felt random at times. It just bounced from place to place. Add to that the huge amount of character, in and out of the family, and it became difficult at times to follow. Why were some of the people included was never fully explained. The book is definitely more character driven and less plot driven; however, there was continued foreshadowing to an event that felt rather anticlimactic. As a slice of life family drama type book, this was a good read. I wanted more from it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
August 26, 2024
thank u netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange of a review
this was kind of all over the place but it was definitely all connected in the end just confused the hell out of me first
siblings dynamics are insane because i would go to war for my brother burn the whole world down for him yet i would still call him a spoiled little brat every chance i got
and while i’m not as dramatic as this bunch, i can confirm this is how siblings act, through thick and thin
fred is also a bit insane , alot sick in the head because why air your dirty laundry like that (i get her)
this was kind of all over the place but it was definitely all connected in the end just confused the hell out of me first
siblings dynamics are insane because i would go to war for my brother burn the whole world down for him yet i would still call him a spoiled little brat every chance i got
and while i’m not as dramatic as this bunch, i can confirm this is how siblings act, through thick and thin
fred is also a bit insane , alot sick in the head because why air your dirty laundry like that (i get her)
July 25, 2025
⭐️⭐️
This book was a bit of a disappointment for me—I found it really boring most of the time.The story centers around the death of a mother and her four adult children who reunite at their childhood home in Florida. Each sibling comes with their own baggage and drama, but I struggled to stay engaged with their individual storylines. The narration is from Jude’s point of view, one of the sisters, and takes place during a hot Florida summer. I also found it confusing that two of the sisters, Jude and Fred, had traditionally male names—it threw me off more than once.
This book was a bit of a disappointment for me—I found it really boring most of the time.The story centers around the death of a mother and her four adult children who reunite at their childhood home in Florida. Each sibling comes with their own baggage and drama, but I struggled to stay engaged with their individual storylines. The narration is from Jude’s point of view, one of the sisters, and takes place during a hot Florida summer. I also found it confusing that two of the sisters, Jude and Fred, had traditionally male names—it threw me off more than once.
May 30, 2025
Well friends, this one quite honestly wasn’t for me. As a notoriously generous rater, I just couldn’t get into this one-even after switching to audio. I was determined to finish it through to the end hoping to get some kind of profound conclusion and it just lacked in all areas for me (and for those triggered by unnecessary animal deaths, this one had that too).
It’s meant to be a character study analyzing the complexities of a strained family dynamic but the whole experience was too much of a slow burn with not enough to keep me invested in any of the characters. The cover is stunning so I’ll give it that. And the thing I did appreciate was the attention to climate change and its effects on the Florida setting. However, it’s kind of out of place within the actual plot.
Overall my book club and I agree, this isn’t one we’d particularly recommend. With that said, if you’re interested in this one, read some reviews both from the high ratings to lower and see if it’s worth it for you.
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Lynn Streger Strong
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: April 8, 2025
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 2.5 stars rounded up to 3
Verdict: It wasn’t for me
✨Thank you to @bookclubgirl for providing us with these #gifted copies! #bookclubgirl2025 #pagesandprosebookclub
It’s meant to be a character study analyzing the complexities of a strained family dynamic but the whole experience was too much of a slow burn with not enough to keep me invested in any of the characters. The cover is stunning so I’ll give it that. And the thing I did appreciate was the attention to climate change and its effects on the Florida setting. However, it’s kind of out of place within the actual plot.
Overall my book club and I agree, this isn’t one we’d particularly recommend. With that said, if you’re interested in this one, read some reviews both from the high ratings to lower and see if it’s worth it for you.
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Lynn Streger Strong
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: April 8, 2025
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 2.5 stars rounded up to 3
Verdict: It wasn’t for me
✨Thank you to @bookclubgirl for providing us with these #gifted copies! #bookclubgirl2025 #pagesandprosebookclub
June 4, 2025
I really don’t know where to start with this one. There are a handful of narrators that I follow and adore, but since I’ve gravitated to mainly sapphic romance, I’m missing some of these old voices. Andi Arndt is one of them. I decided to give it a whirl when I saw this audiobook pop-up with Arndt narrating it. I did not know at all what I was in for.
Let me also say that the story is much slower than I am accustomed to. While I don’t need things to be super fast or sound like an action movie, I do need to feel like I’m getting somewhere. Admittedly, there were moments in the beginning of this story when I wasn’t sure if we would get to our destination. It was a struggle to keep going, and this might have been one of those stories where it’s better to read than listen to.
This was an interesting story about family dynamics, told from the point of view of one of the sisters, Jude. The story hops back and forth between the past and present day, providing a backstory for tender feelings and broken hearts.
Within the story, we have an artist involved, Fred. Like many artists, Fred’s life and direction are grossly affected by the world around her. She deep-dives into climate change, the wetlands of Florida, and all the things associated with this. We see how Fred spirals.
Another sister, Jen, is a busy mother who often acts as the matriarch for the rest of the family.
George follows in his father‘s footsteps in managing the family business and wealth.
And our storyteller, Jude, is a corporate lawyer and a single mom raising a teen.
The story explores the rich, entangled landscape of family dynamics, family dynamics when wealth is involved, and family dynamics when priorities aren’t always kept straight. It’s a story that reflects on the family unit itself as if it were its own entity and how it changes with aging parents. It’s also a story that explores the tangled webs we weave within our family, as well as our family secrets.
If you have some tears to shed over a family, this might get them going. But I do feel there are some trigger warnings. I need to put out there: sexual assault, domestic abuse, depression, alcoholism, and the death of a family pet. There is also sexism, abortion, and cancer. It was quite a heavy read that, in the end, did not provide the closure I expected from stories. Instead, it had me reflecting on the dynamics of my own family and aging parents.
The shining light in the story, however, is Andi Arndt. Arndt’s talents are vast, and we’re on full display for the story. She has many voices up her sleeve, so one doesn’t have a hard time keeping track of a cast that isn’t necessarily diverse. I was so happy to hear her voice again. As much as the story left me melancholy, I believe Arndt evoked the emotion from me that the author was going for.
So, if you want to read or listen to a book that will slowly gut-punch you and not really put you back together, this one might be for you. 
I received a copy of this Advanced Listening Copy from the publisher on Netgalley and am leaving a voluntary review.
Let me also say that the story is much slower than I am accustomed to. While I don’t need things to be super fast or sound like an action movie, I do need to feel like I’m getting somewhere. Admittedly, there were moments in the beginning of this story when I wasn’t sure if we would get to our destination. It was a struggle to keep going, and this might have been one of those stories where it’s better to read than listen to.
This was an interesting story about family dynamics, told from the point of view of one of the sisters, Jude. The story hops back and forth between the past and present day, providing a backstory for tender feelings and broken hearts.
Within the story, we have an artist involved, Fred. Like many artists, Fred’s life and direction are grossly affected by the world around her. She deep-dives into climate change, the wetlands of Florida, and all the things associated with this. We see how Fred spirals.
Another sister, Jen, is a busy mother who often acts as the matriarch for the rest of the family.
George follows in his father‘s footsteps in managing the family business and wealth.
And our storyteller, Jude, is a corporate lawyer and a single mom raising a teen.
The story explores the rich, entangled landscape of family dynamics, family dynamics when wealth is involved, and family dynamics when priorities aren’t always kept straight. It’s a story that reflects on the family unit itself as if it were its own entity and how it changes with aging parents. It’s also a story that explores the tangled webs we weave within our family, as well as our family secrets.
If you have some tears to shed over a family, this might get them going. But I do feel there are some trigger warnings. I need to put out there: sexual assault, domestic abuse, depression, alcoholism, and the death of a family pet. There is also sexism, abortion, and cancer. It was quite a heavy read that, in the end, did not provide the closure I expected from stories. Instead, it had me reflecting on the dynamics of my own family and aging parents.
The shining light in the story, however, is Andi Arndt. Arndt’s talents are vast, and we’re on full display for the story. She has many voices up her sleeve, so one doesn’t have a hard time keeping track of a cast that isn’t necessarily diverse. I was so happy to hear her voice again. As much as the story left me melancholy, I believe Arndt evoked the emotion from me that the author was going for.
So, if you want to read or listen to a book that will slowly gut-punch you and not really put you back together, this one might be for you. 
I received a copy of this Advanced Listening Copy from the publisher on Netgalley and am leaving a voluntary review.
January 26, 2025
Meet the Kenners: sisters Jenn, Fred, Jude and brother George are the children of a strong mother and a quiet but present father. Having grown up in Florida with a fierce and opinionated lawyer mother and a CPA father the children have never wanted for anything - they had the world at their fingers. But love and support can't be bought. Now that the children are all grown up with children of their own, they're all back in Florida together after a loss. Over the course of the book, we hear through Jude's voice the experiences of their younger years, how each of them changed and grew and how now that they're all together they're finding ways to process and cope with all the things they've held inside over the years.
The Float Test is a reflective story that offers a powerful insight into the influence of nurture on children growing up. The story shows the struggle of families as they grow, age and become extended families - siblings become more distant, small grievances pile up, and hurtful actions lead to estranged relationships. I found the relationships between the siblings in their adult years to be burdened by histories they never learned to cope with in their younger years leaving them all to carry baggage that was a disservice to their growth and happiness. I think this book would be good for readers who enjoyed Banyan Moon or are looking to read a story about changing family dynamics in relation to aging parents.
I will note that during my readings their were times I struggled with the stream of consciousness writing style - one that felt like we were living in Jude's mind. It was a powerful tool to present the story, but there were several times I had to reread to make sure I was understanding what was being said. I also think it would be important/beneficial to note that there is depiction on page of a graphic animal death that should be included in a content warning. In the case that I didn't miss a warning that was included I will say that I was disappointed to get to that part of the story and be so close to the ending that it felt cruel to choose between finishing the book or stopping immediately due to the content. Personally I have chosen not to read or consume content that involves animal (pet specifically) death but was blindsided here. Besides that, I found this tory to be reflective and important especially being relatable as my parents are around the same age as the Kenner siblings and having to learn to interact with their siblings and aging parents in similar ways.
Special thank you to Netgalley and Mariner Books for allowing me to read and review this book early!
The Float Test is a reflective story that offers a powerful insight into the influence of nurture on children growing up. The story shows the struggle of families as they grow, age and become extended families - siblings become more distant, small grievances pile up, and hurtful actions lead to estranged relationships. I found the relationships between the siblings in their adult years to be burdened by histories they never learned to cope with in their younger years leaving them all to carry baggage that was a disservice to their growth and happiness. I think this book would be good for readers who enjoyed Banyan Moon or are looking to read a story about changing family dynamics in relation to aging parents.
I will note that during my readings their were times I struggled with the stream of consciousness writing style - one that felt like we were living in Jude's mind. It was a powerful tool to present the story, but there were several times I had to reread to make sure I was understanding what was being said. I also think it would be important/beneficial to note that there is depiction on page of a graphic animal death that should be included in a content warning. In the case that I didn't miss a warning that was included I will say that I was disappointed to get to that part of the story and be so close to the ending that it felt cruel to choose between finishing the book or stopping immediately due to the content. Personally I have chosen not to read or consume content that involves animal (pet specifically) death but was blindsided here. Besides that, I found this tory to be reflective and important especially being relatable as my parents are around the same age as the Kenner siblings and having to learn to interact with their siblings and aging parents in similar ways.
Special thank you to Netgalley and Mariner Books for allowing me to read and review this book early!
June 20, 2025
Lynn Steger Strong's latest novel arrives like a humid Florida storm—oppressive, inevitable, and surprisingly cleansing. The Float Test plunges readers into the sticky aftermath of loss, where four adult siblings navigate the treacherous waters of family loyalty, personal betrayal, and the suffocating weight of unspoken truths. Set against the backdrop of a climate-changed Florida summer, Strong crafts a narrative that feels both intimately personal and universally resonant.
A Family Portrait in Fragments
The Kenner siblings gather in the wake of their mother's sudden death, each carrying their own particular brand of damage. Strong introduces us to this fractured family with surgical precision, revealing their dynamics through carefully observed moments rather than heavy exposition. Jenn, the eldest, channels her grief into obsessive control, organizing and cleaning with the manic energy of someone afraid to sit still long enough to feel. Fred, the writer sister, has stopped writing entirely—a creative paralysis that mirrors her emotional state. Jude, the middle child and former corporate lawyer, harbors a deep resentment toward Fred that threatens to poison any chance of reconciliation. George, the baby of the family, floats through life with the particular aimlessness of someone who's never had to grow up.
The genius of Strong's character work lies in how she reveals each sibling's essential nature through their smallest actions and observations. When George counts his father's drinks or when Jenn dumps her four-year-old's dinner in the trash after a tantrum, we understand these people completely. They are flawed, complicated, and recognizably human in ways that make their pain feel immediate and real.
The Weight of Words and Silence
The novel's central conflict emerges gradually, like a photograph developing in a darkroom. The rift between Jude and Fred stems from Fred's publication of a story in The New Yorker—a story that mine the intimate details of Jude's life, including a deeply personal abortion, for literary material. Strong handles this betrayal with remarkable nuance, avoiding easy moral judgments while exploring the complex relationship between art and ethics, between love and exploitation.
This conflict raises uncomfortable questions about the responsibility artists bear toward the people who provide the raw material for their work. Fred's defense—that she wrote from love, that fiction transforms reality—rings hollow against Jude's very real pain. The novel suggests that good intentions cannot erase harmful impact, a lesson that extends far beyond the realm of literature.
Climate and Character in Conversation
Strong weaves environmental themes throughout the narrative with a light but persistent touch. The oppressive heat serves as more than mere atmosphere; it becomes a character in its own right, pressing down on the siblings as they struggle to reconnect. The dying river, choked with algae blooms, mirrors the family's own toxic dynamics. When teenage Brooke writes her college essay about environmental destruction, her words carry weight because they emerge from lived experience rather than abstract concern.
The author's treatment of climate change feels organic rather than didactic. The vultures circling overhead, the mangroves that can't be replanted, the excessive heat advisories—these details accumulate to create a sense of a world under siege, perfectly complementing the family's own state of crisis.
Structural Brilliance and Narrative Voice
Strong demonstrates remarkable control over her material, alternating between present-day action and carefully chosen flashbacks that illuminate character motivation without feeling forced. The novel's structure mirrors its themes—just as the family struggles to stay afloat, the narrative itself moves between past and present like someone treading water, sometimes sinking below the surface before emerging again for air.
The author's prose style deserves particular praise. Strong writes with a deceptive simplicity that masks considerable sophistication. Her sentences have a musical quality, building rhythm through repetition and variation. When she describes Fred's relationship with David or captures the particular dynamics of sibling rivalry, her language feels both precise and emotionally authentic.
Where the Novel Falters
Despite its many strengths, The Float Test occasionally struggles under the weight of its own ambitions. Some plot elements—particularly the gun subplot and its rather dramatic resolution—feel slightly manufactured, as if Strong felt compelled to provide external action to match the internal turmoil. The symbolism sometimes becomes heavy-handed, particularly in the repeated metaphors around floating and drowning.
Additionally, while the novel excels at capturing family dynamics, some of the romantic relationships feel underdeveloped. Fred and David's marriage, crucial to understanding Fred's emotional state, never quite comes alive on the page. Similarly, George's infatuation with Maeve reads more as plot device than genuine character development.
Literary Lineage and Contemporary Relevance
Strong's work sits comfortably alongside other contemporary family sagas that explore the intersection of personal and political. Readers of Commonwealth by Ann Patchett or The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney will find familiar territory here, though Strong brings her own particular intensity to the material. Her previous novels, Want and Flight, established her as a writer particularly adept at capturing economic anxiety and family dysfunction, skills she deploys to great effect in this latest work.
The novel also engages with urgent contemporary questions about artistic responsibility in an age of social media and instant publication. Fred's betrayal of Jude feels particularly resonant in our current moment, when the boundaries between public and private have become increasingly blurred.
The Power of Imperfect Love
Ultimately, The Float Test succeeds because it refuses to offer easy resolution or false comfort. The Kenner siblings don't magically heal their relationships through shared grief; instead, they learn to navigate their complicated love with slightly more grace and understanding. The novel's final image—of the family helping their father float in the ocean—provides a perfect metaphor for this hard-won progress. They support each other tentatively, knowing that letting go means risking drowning, but understanding that true buoyancy requires both trust and courage.
Strong has written a novel that honors the messiness of family life without romanticizing it. The Float Test reminds us that love alone isn't enough to heal all wounds, but it might be enough to keep us afloat until we learn to swim on our own.
A Family Portrait in Fragments
The Kenner siblings gather in the wake of their mother's sudden death, each carrying their own particular brand of damage. Strong introduces us to this fractured family with surgical precision, revealing their dynamics through carefully observed moments rather than heavy exposition. Jenn, the eldest, channels her grief into obsessive control, organizing and cleaning with the manic energy of someone afraid to sit still long enough to feel. Fred, the writer sister, has stopped writing entirely—a creative paralysis that mirrors her emotional state. Jude, the middle child and former corporate lawyer, harbors a deep resentment toward Fred that threatens to poison any chance of reconciliation. George, the baby of the family, floats through life with the particular aimlessness of someone who's never had to grow up.
The genius of Strong's character work lies in how she reveals each sibling's essential nature through their smallest actions and observations. When George counts his father's drinks or when Jenn dumps her four-year-old's dinner in the trash after a tantrum, we understand these people completely. They are flawed, complicated, and recognizably human in ways that make their pain feel immediate and real.
The Weight of Words and Silence
The novel's central conflict emerges gradually, like a photograph developing in a darkroom. The rift between Jude and Fred stems from Fred's publication of a story in The New Yorker—a story that mine the intimate details of Jude's life, including a deeply personal abortion, for literary material. Strong handles this betrayal with remarkable nuance, avoiding easy moral judgments while exploring the complex relationship between art and ethics, between love and exploitation.
This conflict raises uncomfortable questions about the responsibility artists bear toward the people who provide the raw material for their work. Fred's defense—that she wrote from love, that fiction transforms reality—rings hollow against Jude's very real pain. The novel suggests that good intentions cannot erase harmful impact, a lesson that extends far beyond the realm of literature.
Climate and Character in Conversation
Strong weaves environmental themes throughout the narrative with a light but persistent touch. The oppressive heat serves as more than mere atmosphere; it becomes a character in its own right, pressing down on the siblings as they struggle to reconnect. The dying river, choked with algae blooms, mirrors the family's own toxic dynamics. When teenage Brooke writes her college essay about environmental destruction, her words carry weight because they emerge from lived experience rather than abstract concern.
The author's treatment of climate change feels organic rather than didactic. The vultures circling overhead, the mangroves that can't be replanted, the excessive heat advisories—these details accumulate to create a sense of a world under siege, perfectly complementing the family's own state of crisis.
Structural Brilliance and Narrative Voice
Strong demonstrates remarkable control over her material, alternating between present-day action and carefully chosen flashbacks that illuminate character motivation without feeling forced. The novel's structure mirrors its themes—just as the family struggles to stay afloat, the narrative itself moves between past and present like someone treading water, sometimes sinking below the surface before emerging again for air.
The author's prose style deserves particular praise. Strong writes with a deceptive simplicity that masks considerable sophistication. Her sentences have a musical quality, building rhythm through repetition and variation. When she describes Fred's relationship with David or captures the particular dynamics of sibling rivalry, her language feels both precise and emotionally authentic.
Where the Novel Falters
Despite its many strengths, The Float Test occasionally struggles under the weight of its own ambitions. Some plot elements—particularly the gun subplot and its rather dramatic resolution—feel slightly manufactured, as if Strong felt compelled to provide external action to match the internal turmoil. The symbolism sometimes becomes heavy-handed, particularly in the repeated metaphors around floating and drowning.
Additionally, while the novel excels at capturing family dynamics, some of the romantic relationships feel underdeveloped. Fred and David's marriage, crucial to understanding Fred's emotional state, never quite comes alive on the page. Similarly, George's infatuation with Maeve reads more as plot device than genuine character development.
Literary Lineage and Contemporary Relevance
Strong's work sits comfortably alongside other contemporary family sagas that explore the intersection of personal and political. Readers of Commonwealth by Ann Patchett or The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney will find familiar territory here, though Strong brings her own particular intensity to the material. Her previous novels, Want and Flight, established her as a writer particularly adept at capturing economic anxiety and family dysfunction, skills she deploys to great effect in this latest work.
The novel also engages with urgent contemporary questions about artistic responsibility in an age of social media and instant publication. Fred's betrayal of Jude feels particularly resonant in our current moment, when the boundaries between public and private have become increasingly blurred.
The Power of Imperfect Love
Ultimately, The Float Test succeeds because it refuses to offer easy resolution or false comfort. The Kenner siblings don't magically heal their relationships through shared grief; instead, they learn to navigate their complicated love with slightly more grace and understanding. The novel's final image—of the family helping their father float in the ocean—provides a perfect metaphor for this hard-won progress. They support each other tentatively, knowing that letting go means risking drowning, but understanding that true buoyancy requires both trust and courage.
Strong has written a novel that honors the messiness of family life without romanticizing it. The Float Test reminds us that love alone isn't enough to heal all wounds, but it might be enough to keep us afloat until we learn to swim on our own.
April 27, 2025
My new favorite thing is picking up books that take place in Florida. ☀️
The way this book was written, it read like a memoir. All the references to the political climate in Florida were current, or as current as they can be when writing a novel and it’s making its way through the publishing process.
Despite the lovely writing, this book was heavy. The characters are all a mess, as a family they’re a mess, they’re relationships are a mess, it appears they’ve always been a mess and they have all these very kind people around them, people trying to be their best and grow, and they just mess everything up.
And I’m sorry the horrifying moment near the end?! COMPLETELY uncalled for. Dog lovers be warned 😂.
I had a hard time when reading this trying to figure out where it was going. The ending was sort of sweet, but after that scene, like I cannot get over it why would you put that in there 😂😂😂.
You need to make sure you’re in the right mood to pick this one up. Like in the middle of the summertime sads and you want to be more sad maybe. Also if you love messy families and lots of family and relationship drama. And Florida.
Thank you @netgalley and @marinerbooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
The way this book was written, it read like a memoir. All the references to the political climate in Florida were current, or as current as they can be when writing a novel and it’s making its way through the publishing process.
Despite the lovely writing, this book was heavy. The characters are all a mess, as a family they’re a mess, they’re relationships are a mess, it appears they’ve always been a mess and they have all these very kind people around them, people trying to be their best and grow, and they just mess everything up.
And I’m sorry the horrifying moment near the end?! COMPLETELY uncalled for. Dog lovers be warned 😂.
I had a hard time when reading this trying to figure out where it was going. The ending was sort of sweet, but after that scene, like I cannot get over it why would you put that in there 😂😂😂.
You need to make sure you’re in the right mood to pick this one up. Like in the middle of the summertime sads and you want to be more sad maybe. Also if you love messy families and lots of family and relationship drama. And Florida.
Thank you @netgalley and @marinerbooks for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
May 1, 2025
Thought this might be a crime/mystery book but it was more a family drama (but I don’t read the inside cover so it’s always a mystery lol) Realistic family dynamics with a happy ending, kinda cute and positive. Author painted an in depth picture of a huge family in a creative way that grew richer as you read. I love any book set in Florida. This had a lot of the Floridian ecology and climate change undertones that I like.
The random sex scenes felt awkward in a book about a family narrated by the sister…. Did we need that?
Overall take away: I love a comma, like really fully utilizing the power of a comma…. But even for me this writing style was hard to get used to. Interjections in interjections. Who are we talking about again… where did this thought drop off and pick back up later in the sentence? Thankfully the comma overuse tapered off later in the book.
The random sex scenes felt awkward in a book about a family narrated by the sister…. Did we need that?
Overall take away: I love a comma, like really fully utilizing the power of a comma…. But even for me this writing style was hard to get used to. Interjections in interjections. Who are we talking about again… where did this thought drop off and pick back up later in the sentence? Thankfully the comma overuse tapered off later in the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2024
A stunning accomplishment. This book succeeds on so many levels. I loved how the writer evoked memory, how she managed so many storylines in such a compressed way, all of them intersecting at the exact right time. This is a novel full of feelings about family and the meaning of 'where we are from,' but it also weaves a complicated discussion of the writing life–what is lost and gained when writers write from experience.
May 13, 2025
Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book. Each member of the family which is brought together by the death of their mother is more sad, depressed and dysfunctional than the next. I struggled to get into a rhythm with the story or any one character. At times I felt the book was unnecessarily vulgar and the use of the F word overdone and lost its impact. Under all of that, I thought there was a story and some touching memories reflected upon. But, just not an enjoyable read for me
May 29, 2025
Love a complicated family. Nothing really happened but I couldn’t put it down regardless
May 19, 2025
The Float Test was crazy in the best possible way. Of all the family dramas I've read, I think this was the least likeable group of people I've come across so far. But everyone in the Kenner family was extremely interesting to me, and their soap-opera like lives were riveting.
The Float Test was similar in a way to Strong's other family drama (Flight) in that she so skillfully depicts this family in such a short period of time that I came to understand everyone in a way that usually only comes in a 400+ page epic.
Everything I've read from Lynn Steger Strong has been stellar and I think this is her best book yet.
The Float Test was similar in a way to Strong's other family drama (Flight) in that she so skillfully depicts this family in such a short period of time that I came to understand everyone in a way that usually only comes in a 400+ page epic.
Everything I've read from Lynn Steger Strong has been stellar and I think this is her best book yet.
May 23, 2025
Beautifully flawed characters who are treated with care by the author. Family dynamics are such a powerful foundation for a novel. This one hits all the marks.
March 4, 2025
The Float Test
: Lynn Steger Strong's Best Work Yet
You know that feeling when you're forced to spend time with family members you've been avoiding? Lynn Steger Strong's new novel The Float Test nails it.
Strong dumps us into the sticky heat of a Florida summer, where the Kenner siblings have gathered after a family death. There's Jude, the ex-lawyer with secrets. Fred, the once-favorite sister who's now on the outs. And George, the baby of the family who nobody's talked to in years. It's a powder keg waiting to blow.
What makes this book special isn't just the family drama (though there's plenty of that). It's how Strong weaves in bigger questions about climate change and responsibility without getting preachy. The environment isn't just window dressing – it's a mirror for the Kenners' own meltdown.
Strong's writing hits different here. She's always been good at family stories, but this time, she's operating at a new level. The second half of the book, told through court testimonies, is particularly brilliant. It's like watching a family unravel through a kaleidoscope – each turn shows you something new and unsettling.
If you loved The Dutch House or The Most Fun We Ever Had , you'll feel right at home here. Sure, keeping track of all the plot threads can be a bit like herding cats, but isn't that exactly how family drama works in real life?
The Float Test doesn't give you neat answers about how to fix a broken family. Instead, it does something better: it shows you that your own messy family might not be so weird after all.
4.5/5 stars – Strong's fourth novel proves she's only getting better with age.
You know that feeling when you're forced to spend time with family members you've been avoiding? Lynn Steger Strong's new novel The Float Test nails it.
Strong dumps us into the sticky heat of a Florida summer, where the Kenner siblings have gathered after a family death. There's Jude, the ex-lawyer with secrets. Fred, the once-favorite sister who's now on the outs. And George, the baby of the family who nobody's talked to in years. It's a powder keg waiting to blow.
What makes this book special isn't just the family drama (though there's plenty of that). It's how Strong weaves in bigger questions about climate change and responsibility without getting preachy. The environment isn't just window dressing – it's a mirror for the Kenners' own meltdown.
Strong's writing hits different here. She's always been good at family stories, but this time, she's operating at a new level. The second half of the book, told through court testimonies, is particularly brilliant. It's like watching a family unravel through a kaleidoscope – each turn shows you something new and unsettling.
If you loved The Dutch House or The Most Fun We Ever Had , you'll feel right at home here. Sure, keeping track of all the plot threads can be a bit like herding cats, but isn't that exactly how family drama works in real life?
The Float Test doesn't give you neat answers about how to fix a broken family. Instead, it does something better: it shows you that your own messy family might not be so weird after all.
4.5/5 stars – Strong's fourth novel proves she's only getting better with age.
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