Book Review: The Waves (The Island #2) by Jen Minkman.

The Waves by Jen Minkman

Paperback, 174 pages

Published: October 4th 2013 by Jen Minkman
Review Copy: Provided via NetGalley
Purchase: Amazon -- Smashwords -- B&N

Description from Goodreads:
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!

My Review:
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read the first book, The Island, last year and although I enjoyed it, I didn’t love it. In my review for that book, I’d stated that I felt like something had been missing since the story had been on the shorter side. That wasn’t an issue with The Waves. This book not only kept my interest from the very beginning, but it felt like a complete story.

What I liked most about The Waves was that we got to see the other side of the island from Walt’s POV long before he met Leia, while also being able to see the story from his view after he’d met her. It really helped to develop the story, and to allow for readers to connect with what these characters had felt – betrayal, curiosity, hope. Seeing how Walt has changed over the years, and how he comes to question his own belief in Annabelle, makes it even more enjoyable when he finds himself fulfilling a promise his made to his grandfather – when he finds something to believe in.

For me, The Waves is a story about hope and faith. We all question what we believe in at some point or another, and that’s essentially what Walt and the residents of Hope Harbor are forced to do in this story.

I definitely enjoyed The Waves. Even though it’s technically a novella, it is a complete story, one that also offers us another view on the events in The Island.

Would I recommend this series? Yes. The books are short enough to tear through in a couple of hours, and they are different from most dystopian stories you’ll come across. (Plus, the Star Wars references are a nice touch.) I am interested to see what Minkman has planned for the next installment, The Deep.

View all my reviews

You can download the first book, The Island, for free on Amazon right now!