By Jen Minkmam
Published: September 30, 2013
Synopsis:
The first memory I have of my grandfather is of a moment that we share together.
I’m sitting on his knee looking out over the harbor. Grandpa is smoking a pipe. He points at the horizon. “Look, Walt. Our ships are out there. And one day, another even more beautiful ship will appear at the horizon. A mighty ship to take us all away. And Annabelle will be at the front deck with open arms, inviting us all to join her on board.”
“Why don’t we sail to her ourselves?” I want to know.
“Because she promised she would come,” granddad replies. “And in that promise we trust. It’s only the Unbelievers who think they can do everything themselves. They have no faith in the Goddess.”
Walt lives in Hope Harbor, an island community that has put its trust in salvation from across the sea. The townspeople wait patiently, build their ships to sail out and welcome the Goddess, and piously visit the temple every week. Horror stories to scare their children are told about the Unbelievers on the other side of Tresco.
But not all is what it seems. Walt has questions that no one can answer, and when his best friend and cousin Yorrick is killed in an accident, he digs deeper to find out the truth about the origins of Hope Harbor’s society… and the secrets of the temple.
Return to the world of The Island and discover what Walt's life was like before and after he met Leia!
I've learned that when I get an email from Jen Minkman, I should just go ahead and start jumping up and down. I absolutely adored THE ISLAND, so when Jen asked if I would review THE WAVES, I didn't even have to think twice. THE ISLAND was wildly creative so I knew THE WAVES would be just as attention getting.
Book 1, THE ISLAND, is the from Leia's POV. It's her story. Leia and Walt live on opposite sides of the wall, which basically equates to opposite sides of the world. Each has grown up with a completely different belief system, and Leia provides her opinion of Walt's people, referred to as the Fools, in THE ISLAND. However, there isn't any actual glimpse into the world on Walt's side of the wall.
But THE WAVES is Walt's story, and I was so excited to get an inside perspective from him. It is not a retelling of THE ISLAND. Before he meets Leia, Walt has no knowledge of the world on the other side of the wall. The events of THE WAVES happen before and during the events of THE ISLAND. We do see some of the final scenes of THE ISLAND from Walt's POV in THE WAVES, but most of his story takes place before he meets Leia. In fact, his story basically shares how he came to meet Leia.
THE WAVES is creative in and of itself. It's an in depth look at how history can be rewritten without the people living it even being aware. It's full of corruption, devotion, and challenges. Walt truly becomes his own person with his own beliefs and he's an incredibly strong character.
I strongly recommend THE WAVES. It's a novella, so it's a great short read. It could potentially be read on its own, but it does contain significant spoilers for THE ISLAND, so I recommend reading book 1 first if you haven't already. (You'll totally love Leia anyway!). So what are you waiting for? Go grab your copy of this fabulous dystopian novella!
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