On Fragile Waves
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- Create Date：2021-02-06 04:16:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：E. Lily Yu
- ISBN：9781645660095
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Editor Reviews
★ 02/01/2021
Yu’s outstanding debut opens with an enticing work of visual poetry that sets the stage for a story built of stories about the hopes of a family searching for a place where they can feel safe。 Firuzeh and her family flee Afghanistan in the middle of the night， trusting hearsay that the people smugglers escorting them are honest。 As they travel by land， air， and boat， the family endures cramped quarters， a waning food and water supply， and a storm that takes refugees’ lives， but Firuzeh fills even the tensest moments of their journey with fantastical stories of what their lives will be once they’ve reached Australia。 Unfortunately， once they do reach their destination， the dream of freedom， safety， and comfort remains elusive in the face of poor living conditions and xenophobia。 In flowing， lyrical prose， Yu showcases the power of folklore and the pain of displacement。 This is a knockout。 Agent: Markus Hoffman， Regal Hoffman & Assoc。 （Feb。）
Reviews
tthompson
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On Fragile Waves is the most compelling book in recent memory。 This book kept me up way past my bedtime on more than one occasion because I didn’t want to stop reading。 But be warned， this book will break your heart many times over。 In On Fragile Waves， we are guided by young Firuzeh， as she flees a war-torn Afghanistan with her brother and parents。 Their final goal is a new life in Australia， but their journey is by no means an easy one。 Firuzeh’s parents tell the children fairy tales to distract from the horror of the journey， but there is only so much protection they can provide。 The family bounce from location to location， and as they struggle to stay together， others disappear， or are torn away。 One particular tragedy sticks with Firuzeh in a supernatural way， proving a gorgeous sense of magical realism to the story。 On Fragile Waves is an absolutely harrowing story， but E。 Lily Yu’s simple poetic language somehow conveys a constant sense of hope。 I became emotionally invested in Firuzeh and her family very quickly， and longed for a happy ending。 I was consistently frustrated by the unnecessarily complex bureaucracy of immigration， and the inhumanity of it all。 There are a lot of cold-hearted characters in this book， who appear only briefly， but leave a big impression。 On Fragile Waves was nine years in the making， and the work， heart， and research absolutely shines through。 Not a word is wasted， and the story always feels authentic。 While some situations are brutal， they are， unfortunately， completely believable。 As soon as I finished reading this book， I wanted to start it all over again。 I was not ready to leave Firuzeh’s world。 I just wanted her to be okay。 I have not been moved by a book like this in a long time。 On Fragile Waves is an incredible achievement， and an astounding debut novel。
halla ♡
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oh this was A LOT！！！ it was so real and so powerful and i am literally shaken rn！ rtc。
Beachy & Co。
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On Fragile Waves reminded me a lot of Christy Lefteri’s The Beekeeper of Aleppo。 The writing is the same mix of lyrical and poetic。 However ， I think it is going to be something that falls through the cracks for a lot of people， myself included。 I had really wanted to enjoy this book more than I did， and I can’t help but be saddened that this book did not live up to expectations。The book is told from the perspective of a child。 Because of this， the author writes dialogue without distinction in t On Fragile Waves reminded me a lot of Christy Lefteri’s The Beekeeper of Aleppo。 The writing is the same mix of lyrical and poetic。 However ， I think it is going to be something that falls through the cracks for a lot of people， myself included。 I had really wanted to enjoy this book more than I did， and I can’t help but be saddened that this book did not live up to expectations。The book is told from the perspective of a child。 Because of this， the author writes dialogue without distinction in the lines。 By this I mean any dialogue is within the same lines as the other text with no grammatical or structural change between that which is narrated and that which is verbally spoken， or by whom。 I understand the mechanics behind this。 As a child， we often are privy to a multitude of conversations where we have no true understanding of。 Our innocent and innocuous nature leaves us on the fringes of any conversations around us。 We may or may not understand the words that are spoken， but， more importantly， we don’t understand their purpose or context。 For me， the writing format was incredibly frustrating to follow。 I often found my mind wandering off which is something I find immensely bothersome。 Reading this book and attempting to stay focused was like trying to have a conversation with someone who is profoundly dull。 。。。more
Lata
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A gorgeous， deeply sad story of a family that manages to escape from war in Afghanistan。 They end up in Australia， by way of Jakarta then spend many dreadful months in Nauru in a prison camp for refugees， before they finally arrive in Australia on five-year visas， with the constant threat of deportation hanging over them。There are moments of such beauty throughout the book amidst the terror， loneliness， anger， helplessness and unease that suffuse Firuzeh's and her family’s experiences。 Their hop A gorgeous， deeply sad story of a family that manages to escape from war in Afghanistan。 They end up in Australia， by way of Jakarta then spend many dreadful months in Nauru in a prison camp for refugees， before they finally arrive in Australia on five-year visas， with the constant threat of deportation hanging over them。There are moments of such beauty throughout the book amidst the terror， loneliness， anger， helplessness and unease that suffuse Firuzeh's and her family’s experiences。 Their hopes are gradually ground down and destroyed， while they face governmental and personal animosity and indifference at every turn。 Mentions of the sea and water occur frequently in the book， as the ocean plays a pivotal part of Firuzeh's travels， and her friendship with Nassima。 I loved the colours and feelings of beauty and fear that the author evoked in her scenes of the two girls together， showing Nassima adorned with reminders of the deep， while she conversed with Firuzeh about the family’s dashed hopes and Firuzeh’s nightmares。 I could hear water trickling around the girls， and feel the presence and pressure of the water in these moments。 And the ending！ I love the circle back to the story Atay told Firuzeh at the beginning of their escape。 It’s a sublime and fitting resolution to Firuzeh’s gruelling journey and a gives the already beautiful book a lyrical end。 。。。more
Brianna
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On Fragile Waves is a startling， shining， poetic work of magical realism， with fantastical elements that blur the line between reality and imagination， a critique and a reflection， and a story of one family finding hope， terror， joy， tragedy， and love。 My full review。 On Fragile Waves is a startling， shining， poetic work of magical realism， with fantastical elements that blur the line between reality and imagination， a critique and a reflection， and a story of one family finding hope， terror， joy， tragedy， and love。 My full review。 。。。more
Kayla Boss
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read this book ‼️ 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️this book has easily made its way to my top 10 favorite of all time。 it’s SO good。 On Fragile Waves is about humanity， and love， how we so easily manage to overlook someone else’s suffering for our own comfort。 this is the story of what it is like to be a young girl， fleeing her home country with her family， to find refuge in a country that doesn’t want her。 this is the story of family， friendship， survival， loss， death， sacrifice， feminism， girlhood， guilt， choos read this book ‼️ 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️this book has easily made its way to my top 10 favorite of all time。 it’s SO good。 On Fragile Waves is about humanity， and love， how we so easily manage to overlook someone else’s suffering for our own comfort。 this is the story of what it is like to be a young girl， fleeing her home country with her family， to find refuge in a country that doesn’t want her。 this is the story of family， friendship， survival， loss， death， sacrifice， feminism， girlhood， guilt， choosing to not see， suffering， depletion。 oooh and the use of storytelling is really beautiful and magical。 it is the saddest book i’ve ever read。 “i tried， Nasima said， but they didn’t see me。 like when i was alone。 i was a daughter-shaped space in the universe。 you feed it。 you put shoes and dresses on it。 you raise it properly， like a sheep， so you can take it to market someday。 but you don’t see her， you don’t see your daughter， not really。 not the way you see your sons。 who are with something。 who’ll work someday。”thank you so much @netgalley & @ErewhonBooks for the ARC！ happy publishing day！ 。。。more
Nelda Brangwin
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Born into a family of storytellers and dreamers， Firuzeh and Nour。 Born in Afghanistan， they follow their parents as they move from Pakistan to Indonesia to Nauru。 Always hoping， always storytelling， the family finally settles in Australia。 But their new homeland is not the welcoming place they hoped it would be。 Neighbors， classmates， and the government make it challenging。 Firuzeh’s fantasy dreams of the perfect life shatter and she is forced to find her way in the real world。 It took me a whi Born into a family of storytellers and dreamers， Firuzeh and Nour。 Born in Afghanistan， they follow their parents as they move from Pakistan to Indonesia to Nauru。 Always hoping， always storytelling， the family finally settles in Australia。 But their new homeland is not the welcoming place they hoped it would be。 Neighbors， classmates， and the government make it challenging。 Firuzeh’s fantasy dreams of the perfect life shatter and she is forced to find her way in the real world。 It took me a while to figure out which family member was telling the story as I moved from chapter to chapter， but the pattern became clear for person’s voice。 Once the reader understands the rhythm of the writing， On Fragile Wings is a strong， poetic story about the search for hope even when things around you are fracturing。 。。。more
Madeline
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On Fragile Waves tells the riveting and raw refugee journey of an Afghan family of four: Omid， Bahar， Nour and Firuzeh Daizangi。So much praise for this book！ I really enjoyed the imagery as scenery changed from one country or geographical area to the next--and not just as in places but also in that of figments of imagination of Firuzeh and Nour。 Throughout the grueling voyage towards becoming permanent refugees， Yu places bits and pieces of two different tales are told by mother or father to the On Fragile Waves tells the riveting and raw refugee journey of an Afghan family of four: Omid， Bahar， Nour and Firuzeh Daizangi。So much praise for this book！ I really enjoyed the imagery as scenery changed from one country or geographical area to the next--and not just as in places but also in that of figments of imagination of Firuzeh and Nour。 Throughout the grueling voyage towards becoming permanent refugees， Yu places bits and pieces of two different tales are told by mother or father to the children。 I saw this incorporation of mysticism as something so realistic and inherent to parental nature。--that is: these tales are used to draw on the courage or other characteristics the characters within had， and to be used as encouragement for the difficulties Firuzeh and Nour were facing。 In addition， I was glad to read from the position of different characters。 For that of Firuzeh especially， it was lovely to read her self reflection。 For others， such as the Nauru refugee camp workers， I much appreciated the juxtaposition of such a perspective next to that of the asylum seekers themselves。 It highlighted the frivolity of the workers complaints about their own lives。。。they have jobs and loved ones and choose to be separate for days by choice， whilst the migrants have only each other， poor quality of food， etc。 The former complains about the nature of the job。 The latter are just happy that their loved ones are alive。 For me， this added depth and meaning to the story， but also allowed me to connect better with Firuzeh and her family as characters。I enjoyed Yu's style of writing， though I will admit that it took a few pages and occasional re-reading to get used to。 For me， it seemed like a mirror of the chaos that existing within the reality of migrating。 Words coming from here and there; interjections--not only of words but of actions--as others speak。。。it was as if it the writing symbolized the abrupt changes in the scenery and the people in and surrounding the lives of Firuzeh and her family。Lastly， a thank you to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for the free eARC。 It was truly a pleasure to read。5 stars for On Fragile Waves！ 。。。more
Rowena Andrews
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This was a stunningly beautiful book that told an important story， and didn't shy away from the emotions behind it。 In many ways the lyrical way that this book was written only heightened that， and this is a book that will wrap itself around you until you can't help but feel everything， and it's important that it is felt。 However， on the other hand it is not the easiest prose style to get into， and as vital as it was to conveying this story， it was also the reason why I struggled to get into and This was a stunningly beautiful book that told an important story， and didn't shy away from the emotions behind it。 In many ways the lyrical way that this book was written only heightened that， and this is a book that will wrap itself around you until you can't help but feel everything， and it's important that it is felt。 However， on the other hand it is not the easiest prose style to get into， and as vital as it was to conveying this story， it was also the reason why I struggled to get into and continue with this book。 Overall， I am glad that I continued though， because it is a fantastic story of family and home， and all the feelings that come with that。 。。。more
Jason
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“Okay， so she was happy。 Except for the loneliness。 Who needs friends when you have all that？” “A safe country—can you imagine？”Damn。 That was one h*ll of a journey。 Firuzeh。 Nasima。 Jawed。 Khairullah。 Nour。 Holy damn i love these characters so so much it aches me。This book was a rollercoaster of emotions。 It took me through sadness， happiness， fear， indifference， anger and all that’s in between。 The story follows the journey of an Afghan family leaving their homeland behind in the hopes of seei “Okay， so she was happy。 Except for the loneliness。 Who needs friends when you have all that？” “A safe country—can you imagine？”Damn。 That was one h*ll of a journey。 Firuzeh。 Nasima。 Jawed。 Khairullah。 Nour。 Holy damn i love these characters so so much it aches me。This book was a rollercoaster of emotions。 It took me through sadness， happiness， fear， indifference， anger and all that’s in between。 The story follows the journey of an Afghan family leaving their homeland behind in the hopes of seeing peace， not having to fear for their lives every second they breathe and the author does such a great job in detailing the struggles they had to go through。 It deals with loss， and grief， and hope and what exactly entails in being a refugee; and one thing i found so well done was the response and attitude that Australian locals showed Firuzeh and her family。 It included the hatred， inhumanness， the indifference， the kindness， and also the pity and sympathy that gets thrown at their situation。 This paired up with the beautiful writing style， there were moments that had me in tears and gave me the chills。 The book focusses a lot on the family dynamic; the sibling fights and rivalry between Firuzeh and Nour， the very relatable overprotectiveness of the parents and the son-daughter discrimination and the author portrays this really well throughout the book and all in all i just enjoyed reading this book so much。 I recommend this to all historical fiction readers and i hope people love this as much as i do😭。Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for granting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 The book releases on February 2nd。 。。。more
Mark Alpheus
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What a story this novel contains。 Told through a strange， but nonetheless interesting verse。 I did have problems familiarizing myself eith the writing style， this would have probably worked better for myself had I listened to an audio version。I specifically got interested with the family dynamics of the book， their progress as they go through hardships of fleeing war， how it affects their relationship， and what awaits thrm at the end。It also reminded me of the book Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini， What a story this novel contains。 Told through a strange， but nonetheless interesting verse。 I did have problems familiarizing myself eith the writing style， this would have probably worked better for myself had I listened to an audio version。I specifically got interested with the family dynamics of the book， their progress as they go through hardships of fleeing war， how it affects their relationship， and what awaits thrm at the end。It also reminded me of the book Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini， and I related to it better because of it。 It's a good book， so I'll still recommend it。 Look out for the trigger warnings （death， blood， etc。）Got the e-arc from Netgalley。 。。。more
Jordan Shiveley
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In On Fragile waves E。 Lily Yu has woven a story of shattered lives and the pieces that spiral out into galaxies of their own self-contained traumas and the people and things they pull into those orbits。 With liltingly lyrical prose and razor-sharp insight into the lost forest trails grief can lead those who stumble into it mapless Yu cuts the reader to the bone repeated and then holds up a mirror for them to see it all from yet another angle， another echo， another lost possibility that only rem In On Fragile waves E。 Lily Yu has woven a story of shattered lives and the pieces that spiral out into galaxies of their own self-contained traumas and the people and things they pull into those orbits。 With liltingly lyrical prose and razor-sharp insight into the lost forest trails grief can lead those who stumble into it mapless Yu cuts the reader to the bone repeated and then holds up a mirror for them to see it all from yet another angle， another echo， another lost possibility that only remains as a bitter aftertaste of a draught long run dry。 On Fragile Waves is a story that is haunted just as much by the corpse of a denied future as it is the ghosts surrounding the protagonists。 Each page is a lung-searing gulp of air that doubles you over but also gives you what you need to go on living in this world， a world where war and death are not the ends to dreams but just one more shard of a shattered windshield that we as well as the protagonists must learn to navigate through if there is ever to be any hope of arriving home。 I cannot recommend this book highly enough。 CW: Abuse， Self Harm， Depression 。。。more
Annie
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Stories like E。 Lily Yu’s wrenching novel， On Fragile Waves， help explain why home is so often a sacred concept。 Home—as opposed to just a place to live—is where we feel safe。 It’s where we feel comfortable and understood。 It’s where things smell right and where our stuff is。 Firuzeh has lost her home and， although she finds a place to live， is still seeking a place that can be a new one。。。Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type。 I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Ne Stories like E。 Lily Yu’s wrenching novel， On Fragile Waves， help explain why home is so often a sacred concept。 Home—as opposed to just a place to live—is where we feel safe。 It’s where we feel comfortable and understood。 It’s where things smell right and where our stuff is。 Firuzeh has lost her home and， although she finds a place to live， is still seeking a place that can be a new one。。。Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type。 I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley， for review consideration。 。。。more
Fernanda
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Although it took me a while to get used to writing style， by the end I really liked how the story was told by weaving the fairy tales in the dialogue and in the whole narrative。 It's really moving how it shows the hard reality of the situation whilst gives the reader a glimpse of hope and joy in the saddest moments。 It's not an easy story to read but it's really well crafted。 I really liked the ending of the book。Thank you Netgalley， author， and publisher for the ARC。 Although it took me a while to get used to writing style， by the end I really liked how the story was told by weaving the fairy tales in the dialogue and in the whole narrative。 It's really moving how it shows the hard reality of the situation whilst gives the reader a glimpse of hope and joy in the saddest moments。 It's not an easy story to read but it's really well crafted。 I really liked the ending of the book。Thank you Netgalley， author， and publisher for the ARC。 。。。more
The Book Gawdess
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On Fragile Waves focuses on the immigrant crisis in Australia。 The story is told from the perspective of Firuzeh。 She and her brother， Nour left Afghanistan with their parents， Omid and Bahar， who are fondly known to the children as Atay and Abay。 To comfort herself， Firuzeh narrates various fairytales to herself and spends nearly all her time daydreaming。 Eventually， their worsening family life demands that she come out of her dreamland and focus on finding a way for herself in this new countr On Fragile Waves focuses on the immigrant crisis in Australia。 The story is told from the perspective of Firuzeh。 She and her brother， Nour left Afghanistan with their parents， Omid and Bahar， who are fondly known to the children as Atay and Abay。 To comfort herself， Firuzeh narrates various fairytales to herself and spends nearly all her time daydreaming。 Eventually， their worsening family life demands that she come out of her dreamland and focus on finding a way for herself in this new country。This was not a beautiful story。 It was a tale full of tragedy。 But it certainly drew me in from the beginning and it didn't let me go until it was completely spent。 The place which horrified me the most was the detention centre。 The author described it so well that I felt just as depressed as Atay and Abay。The writing style was not what I was used to and sometimes it frustrated me。 That was my only issue within these pages。 The character development was also a bit lacking and I was left frustrated when I got little snippets of information about the lives of secondary characters with no follow up。My favorite character was Abay。 She was a strong woman and she was right about not being able to make it if they were deported。 Her strength would have been her downfall there。This story was real。 Real stories are horrifying but necessary。 I heard stories about Nauru detention centre but this story illustrated it so well I felt as if I was within its walls。I would definitely try other books by this author。This book should be read by older teens and adults。 There is some disturbing content such as suicides and drowning which would frighten younger readers。 。。。more
Maria
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This is not a beautiful book。 Because truth is not beautiful。 Reality is not beautiful。 This book shows you the hard， sharp truth until you bleed inside and turn pale and gray outside and hurt inside and try to stifle tears outside。Like I did。This book is painful because the life of a refugee， an immigrant is painful。 I won't label the ending as tragic because reality is not poetically tragic。 It's tragic in the sense that you cannot sense it's tragic and painful until some time has passed and t This is not a beautiful book。 Because truth is not beautiful。 Reality is not beautiful。 This book shows you the hard， sharp truth until you bleed inside and turn pale and gray outside and hurt inside and try to stifle tears outside。Like I did。This book is painful because the life of a refugee， an immigrant is painful。 I won't label the ending as tragic because reality is not poetically tragic。 It's tragic in the sense that you cannot sense it's tragic and painful until some time has passed and the numb shock has subsided。Before reading this book， I prided in the fact that no book has ever made me cry， or at least almost made me cry。 E。 Lily Yu is the first author who almost made me cry。 She came the closest， I swear。 "Telling stories is difficult。 Even when you know how they should end。 And living's harder。" Truly， I did not expect this book to hit me so hard。 I've gobbled up books in 1-2 days before， but they were always books that gave me such immense pleasure， I was baited and hooked and pulled through。 This book did not give me pleasure。 It made me hurt with the characters and race through the book until 4:04am because I wanted to see a comparatively happier ending for them。 Do they get happy ending？ You， the reader， decide。 But this book sheds upon us a story not many books dare to attempt; or if attempted， don't capture the realistic pain and sorrow and the ugliness of it all。 The refugee camps。 The long journey across treacherous waters on a boatload of people。 The struggle to fit in and the hate from the "citizens" of the new country and the gaping hole inside you when you realize you belong nowhere， not even inside your family。 No land wants you。 No land takes you。 You're forever stranded on treacherous waves where typhoons of grief and sorrow try to drown you again and again。 Survival， you don't get good at。 Survival， you attempt again and again until you eventually drown。 Water may not be what drowns you， but you do drown。 E。 Lily Yu drowns her readers， with a sharp deftness uncommon in refugee stories， and while you're drowned， you see with bitter bright clarity how ugly survival is， yet you cling to it。 When you can't do anything else other than holding on， you hold on。 That's what Firuzeh and Nour and Abay and Atay do。 They grit their teeth and hold on through actual typhoons and waves and expired TPV and piles of unpaid， overdue bills and threats of deportation and threats from angry white racists on streets and shunning from classmates and fights at home and struggles for money and death of a family member。 They grit their teeth and just hold on and push through。 Because if they let go， they'll drown。 They know they'll drown at some point， but they try to prolong it， to survive and last one more day， or six more months。This is not an easy book to read and love。 Truth and reality never are。 But they're the truth and the reality and so you accept them， little by little， after shouts and cries and curses are out， but you do。 Part of the reader me didn't think I'll like this story but I eventually loved it。If you want a fictional story of refugees and immigrants not sugar-coated or glossed with melodrama and unrealistic hope， this is the book for you。 I'd heartily recommend it to you， only if you're truly seeking to read a book like this。Thank you， NetGalley and Erewhon Books， for the eARC in exchange of my honest opinion。 。。。more
Jacqie
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Popsugar 2021: a book set in multiple countriesI wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book。 The blurb suggests that it has a speculative fiction element， but after reading it I wouldn't call it science fiction or fantasy。 This was sort of a literary/magical realism sort of thing。 It's told almost entirely from the point of view of Firuzeh， an Afghani teen girl。 There are no quotation marks around any speech， so if you don't like that sort of thing you won't like this book。The idea of the b Popsugar 2021: a book set in multiple countriesI wasn't quite sure what to expect from this book。 The blurb suggests that it has a speculative fiction element， but after reading it I wouldn't call it science fiction or fantasy。 This was sort of a literary/magical realism sort of thing。 It's told almost entirely from the point of view of Firuzeh， an Afghani teen girl。 There are no quotation marks around any speech， so if you don't like that sort of thing you won't like this book。The idea of the book is to illustrate the plight of the many migrant refugees that are desperately trying to flee the dangers of their past， only to run aground on pitiless bureaucracy。 Firuzeh's family （her father， mother and little brother Nour） use all of their resources to get to Indonesia and from there sail on a rickety boat toward Australia， only to end up in one of the island refugee camps。 Along the way， Firuzeh begins to have ghostly visitations from a young girl that she befriended on the journey who drowned。 The refugee camps are just as horrible as you can imagine， and I think that the author might even have pulled her punches a bit。 In the end， the family gets a temporary work visa to Australia， but their lives are still precarious because this visa can be revoked for any or no reason。 Firuzeh struggles with adjusting to all that has happened to her。 She no longer has a home or any privacy。 She must attend a school where she struggles to speak the language and somehow fit in with girls that she has nothing in common with。 Her parents don't understand this new place either， and Firuzeh is placed in the common position of immigrant children， explaining new customs， translating documents， taking on more responsibility because there's no one else to do it。 Part of how the family has bonded in the past is through storytelling。 These stories distracted the children from unpleasant realities， entertained them when they were bored， and gave them a framework to discuss character and decision making。 As time goes by， the adults in the family tell stories less and less and Firuzeh and her brother retell the stories to themselves or make up new ones。 Before reading the book I had the impression that these stories were going to have a greater role than they did， and I was a bit disappointed that there weren't more of them。The true story of refugees is most often tragic， and this family also experiences a lot of tragedy。 It's not a light read。 But the author does an excellent job of illuminating the lives of those that we often choose to look away from。 As climate change accelerates， we will see more and more of these refugees and the solution is not to stick them in camps or have them wait upon our dubious merciees。 。。。more
Liv Sol Lilith Oschlag
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On Fragile Waves took me right back to 2015， to what has been referred to as "the migrant crisis"。 The daily news stories of strife and death upon the sea。 The iconography of human suffering ever present in the media - the images that have forever burned into our retinas of dead children and grieving parents。 The boats， always too small， too many people crammed into them， huddled together。And， of course， the camps。 This is a story that takes us on a journey from Afghanistan to Australia via the On Fragile Waves took me right back to 2015， to what has been referred to as "the migrant crisis"。 The daily news stories of strife and death upon the sea。 The iconography of human suffering ever present in the media - the images that have forever burned into our retinas of dead children and grieving parents。 The boats， always too small， too many people crammed into them， huddled together。And， of course， the camps。 This is a story that takes us on a journey from Afghanistan to Australia via the infamous detainment camp of Nauru。 There are many news articles detailing how Nauru broke people in every way possible - broke their bodies， crushed their souls， smothered their hopes and dreams。 I will quote Betelhem Tibebu， in a Vice article titled Life After 4 Years of Detention Hell on Nauru:“It’s like heaven and hell。 I don’t have any words to explain it。 It was a beautiful place， but Nauru is a horrible place。 For me， it’s a place where we lost our dreams， our health， our time and our identity。 And we lost a lot of friends。 I don’t think we were alive in that place， I don’t say we lived。 I prefer to say we were dead。”I have found it hard to write anything about this book。 I think it is because of how deeply its story saddened me。 Not that I did not already know about the horrible conditions that so many migrants live through in camps - I was well aware。 But a story experienced chiefly through the eyes of a child， who doesn’t fully comprehend what is happening and why， becomes so much more impactful。The choice to tell its story with a strong focus on the experiences of a child is one of this novel’s greatest strengths， in my eyes， but it does make for a more difficult read， emotionally。 A child might， for example， not know the meaning of the phrase “survivor’s guilt”， but they may experience it nonetheless。 They may suffer through extensive trauma and then， being utterly unprepared for it， have that trauma emerge in unpredictable ways。 If the entire family is traumatized， and the adults are laid low by their burdens， to whom can the children turn for support？ Will society be there to catch them when they fall？This novel ultimately succeeds in turning an unflinching eye on the painful reality that being granted asylum or a temporary residence visa is not necessarily the end of a migrant’s troubles。 A temporary visa can， after all， be revoked， the threat of being forced back home to a warzone ever present for those lucky enough to get out of the detainment camps。 Furthermore， integration can of course be an issue - the learning curve for a new language can be steep， and cultural differences can make it hard to feel at home in a new country - especially for people suffering from trauma。 It is not easy finding normality in a new life after - as the quote from Betelhem Tibebu describes - having lost so much of oneself… building a future with broken bricks， on a shattered foundation。This story of one family’s fate， similar to so many others， is a powerful and painful call to arms against the inhumane treatment of refugees。 Its poetic， beautiful language envelops the story in a dreamlike shroud and， in its beauty， defies the horrific subject matter。 You will not feel good reading this book， but just as you should not turn away from the news just because they are upsetting， you should not ignore this important and impactful story for fear that it may be painful。 。。。more
Kahlia
，
I should preface this review by saying that， in some aspects， my feelings about this book are essentially 'it's not you， it's me'。 I'm not the biggest fan of experimental prose， and if I'd known that I might have thought twice about requesting an ARC that doesn't involve standard punctuation and sentence structure。 I'm also a little confused about the decision to market this book as 'magical realism': while the genre should invoke a sense of fuzziness about whether something is "real" or superna I should preface this review by saying that， in some aspects， my feelings about this book are essentially 'it's not you， it's me'。 I'm not the biggest fan of experimental prose， and if I'd known that I might have thought twice about requesting an ARC that doesn't involve standard punctuation and sentence structure。 I'm also a little confused about the decision to market this book as 'magical realism': while the genre should invoke a sense of fuzziness about whether something is "real" or supernatural， this book never really raised that question for me。 The speculative elements were a very minor part of the story to the point it almost could have been told without them， and it felt clear to me that they were really just a manifestation of Firuzeh's imagination and a way for her to process her trauma and grief。 Having said that， this book tells an important story about the heartbreaking treatment of refugees in Australia， and the horrifying consequences of those decisions。 It really emphasises the sheer impersonalness of the system: the endless waiting on paperwork， the seemingly arbitary nature of the decisions， the way Firuzeh's family are constantly required to defend their need for the basic human right of safefy。 It doesn't shy away from the horrors that have occurred on Nauru。 And it also nails the symbotic relationship between policy and community attitudes - Firuzeh's family experience racism every day in Australia from those who support Australia's tough stance on refugees， which then enables the policy to be continued with little opposition。 But the abstract style meant I never connected with the characters or their journey in the way I would have liked。 I couldn't get a good read in Firuzeh as a person， how old she and her peers were meant to be （do ten year olds routinely wag school and use the 'c word' these days？） or what her dreams were for her better life。 I also didn't really appreciate the random interludes to tell us the stories of some of the other side characters （such as Nasima's brothers， or Grace， the family's English tutor）; the stories themselves had potential， but our glimpses of these characters' lives were too fleeting to really capture the true diversity of the refugee experience and distracted from Firuzeh's story。I still recommend reading this book to get a better understanding of Australia's refugee policy and to prompt further discussions about the current approach， even if the storytelling itself didn't live up to my （admittedly lofty） expectations。 Note: I received an ARC of On Fragile Waves from Erewhon in exchange for a review。 This book will be released on 2 February。 。。。more
Fran
，
"Kabul was growing inexorably grave by building， stone by stone， swelling with the living and the dead"。 "I don't know where Australia is。。。but it's safe。 The children will go to good schools。 No one will attack me in the street or leave threatening letters， or insult you"。Firuzeh， six years old and Nour， four years old， were born in Kabul during rounds of mortar fire。 Atay was hopeful that Australia was "a safe country。。。no bombs。 no checkpoints。 No soldiers"。 A seemingly trustworthy man， Abdul "Kabul was growing inexorably grave by building， stone by stone， swelling with the living and the dead"。 "I don't know where Australia is。。。but it's safe。 The children will go to good schools。 No one will attack me in the street or leave threatening letters， or insult you"。Firuzeh， six years old and Nour， four years old， were born in Kabul during rounds of mortar fire。 Atay was hopeful that Australia was "a safe country。。。no bombs。 no checkpoints。 No soldiers"。 A seemingly trustworthy man， Abdullah Khan， had been paid to provide transport， passports and tickets。 Atay， a master storyteller， weaves a tale to prepare the children for the trip to Australia。 The tale was about Rustam， a brave Persian warrior。 "Every steed buckled under his warrior weight。。。" until he found a beautiful colt named Rakhsh。 "Rustam and Rakhsh would "go forth and defend the country。 Rakhsh kept Rustam safe as your Atay and I will keep you safe，" said Abay。 Abdullah Khan informed the family of four that they could not go directly to Australia。 They could be caught and deported。 Instead， they were brought to a compound in Peshawar and given their passports and tickets。 Firuzeh， the novel's narrator， met Nasima and her family who also awaited transport。 Despite being from different walks of life， the young girls become fast friends。 Nasima asked Firuzeh to promise that wherever she goes， they will stay in touch， even if on opposite sides of Australia。Onward to Jakarta， then picked up by a utility truck and brought to the sea。 "[About] forty people loaded into a fishing sloop。。。the boat was riding low enough in the water that a rogue wave might have tipped them over。。。trapped by each other's legs and shoulders， prickly with splinters and salt flakes that stung"。 On the sixth day， the typhon came， the head count revealed a terrible tragedy， and the food supply dwindled。 Abay reminded Firuzeh and Nour that "Rustam was hungry and thirsty， too。。。Heroes sometimes are"。Arriving in Nauru。。。a canvas tented detainee camp。 Abay said， "Let's think of this as a vacation-like we are rich- on holiday。。。but Atay grew hoarse in his declarations of impeding departure"。 Firuzeh talked to her absent friend Nasima who she envisioned sitting on the edge of her bunk。 "Nauru [was] the blackest of curses。。。rage and betrayal。。。promised freedom and the Australian dole， not tropical heat and tents and endless fences"。 The journey of hope descended into uncertainty， despair and despondency。 Firuzeh， at times， would parent "her parents"。 Finally Australia！ Australia would be "cruel， but a different kind of cruelty。 Lonely。 Harder that you could ever imagine。。。unwelcoming。。。calls of 'queue jumper' and difficulty finding employment due to visa status。 This world was a harsh place。"On Fragile Waves" by E。 Lily Yu is a heartbreaking glimpse at families fleeing a country fractured by war。 It is a brutally honest look at the despondency and despair of refugees and asylum seekers whose journey of hope might become one of fractured dreams。 This new country did not seem welcoming。 Many hurdles made daily life a monumental struggle。 This novel is a chilling， eye-opening look at refugees in flux， trying to overcome traumatic life changing events while embracing an unfamiliar and unkind new cultural world。 I highly recommend the heavy， haunting read。Thank you Erewhon Books and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Malex
，
Thanks to Erewhon and Netgalley for sending me this ARC against an honest review。The writing in this book took some getting used to， at first it felt very dry and I was a bit thrown off by the unidentified dialogues （there are no quotation marks） and the brutal time jumps。 The more I dived in though the more it felt true to the story as told by a child whose sometimes only understanding glimpses of what's happening。We follow a family fleeing war in Afghanistan， trying to make it to Australia， na Thanks to Erewhon and Netgalley for sending me this ARC against an honest review。The writing in this book took some getting used to， at first it felt very dry and I was a bit thrown off by the unidentified dialogues （there are no quotation marks） and the brutal time jumps。 The more I dived in though the more it felt true to the story as told by a child whose sometimes only understanding glimpses of what's happening。We follow a family fleeing war in Afghanistan， trying to make it to Australia， narrated through the eyes of the young daughter Firuzeh。 It is a work of fiction but it resonates really hard with the situation of a lot of refugees， making this a particularly heartbreaking read。 After the sheer terror of the boat ride and the hopelessness of the detention camp， Australia seems like a promised land but the story doesn't shy away from the racism and discrimination that so often prevents refugees to build a new home where they feel accepted and safe。A side note: this seems to be marketed as magical realism but it did not feel quite like it， the only "magical" elements in here could just be filed under "Firuzeh has an imaginary friend" for me。Overall I really appreciated On Fragile Waves， it's a short read packing a roller-coaster of emotions and a bittersweet ending。 。。。more
Claudia Fernández
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[I got to read this book ahead of its publication because I was provided an arc copy through NetGalley]This book is a bit complex to review because as much as its characters may be fictional， the things that happen to them， the events that take place in its pages， are incredibly real。 This book packs a punch， it is not long， but every single page of it is important。 Every single page made me think about how lucky I am to have the life I have。 This book deals with a family that has to flee their [I got to read this book ahead of its publication because I was provided an arc copy through NetGalley]This book is a bit complex to review because as much as its characters may be fictional， the things that happen to them， the events that take place in its pages， are incredibly real。 This book packs a punch， it is not long， but every single page of it is important。 Every single page made me think about how lucky I am to have the life I have。 This book deals with a family that has to flee their home country （Afghanistan） and their arduous journey to Australia， where they hope to find a new home。 It depicts the horrors of being a migrant， the difficulty and dangerousness of the trip but also what happens once you reach the place you struggled so much to get to。 There were many things in this book that were difficult to read， for me the hardest were the chapters in the detention camp， but like I said before， they are difficult to read because they are very real， and that makes it important for them to be read and known。 I think， aside from the realness of this story， the thing that made my heart break the most was seeing the innocence leave Firuzeh and Nour little by little， hardship by hardship， but see them still fight， still hope。 Because， after all， I think this book is also about that， about growing up and not believing in the stories of your childhood anymore but eventually realizing you need them to endure the injustices of life。 I really appreciated the chapters that changed perspectives， seeing how many people cared or at least thought of this family who seemed to be so alone against the world。 E。 Lily Yu's prose is enchanting and captivating （in some ways - the best ways- it reminded me of Helen Oyeyemi's）， her characters are so real it made me think this was a true story。 Firuzeh and Nour and Nasima and Abay and Atay and everyone else in this book are fictional but sadly there are many people in the world with stories too similar to theirs。 I think everyone should read this book， more so if you think it is easy being a migrant， or that the reason they come to your country is to steal your job or live off of your help。 I think if you read this story and your heart doesn't break even the slightest bit for the real people behind it then that is because you don't have a heart and so it could never break。I do want to add some trigger or content warnings for this book， as some very difficult topics are brought up: death， racism， self-harm， violence and abuse， there is also some mentions of blood。 。。。more
Opal E
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This is a book about illegal immigrants coming to Australia - putting their trust in the wrong hands， risking their lives to run away from horrors， being welcomed like criminals in detention centres where they are stripped from their last shred of dignity and then after endless suffering from the nation they sought asylum from they are expected to integrate seamlessly。 It is a heart wrenching， sad， very humane tale。 It deserves to be told。 I can't believe people think they are allowed to bar peo This is a book about illegal immigrants coming to Australia - putting their trust in the wrong hands， risking their lives to run away from horrors， being welcomed like criminals in detention centres where they are stripped from their last shred of dignity and then after endless suffering from the nation they sought asylum from they are expected to integrate seamlessly。 It is a heart wrenching， sad， very humane tale。 It deserves to be told。 I can't believe people think they are allowed to bar people from safety just because they have the privilege of having being born into the right country。。。 and never known anything else。 The system is deeply flawed， the suffering is ignominious。 People don't leave their home and everything behind if they have a choice。 In fact people often endure a lot to stay in the familiar no matter how tough。 The book is necessary for Australia's growth， an eye opener for many I would guess， but I am a little taken aback by the format。 While the writing is very lyrical， almost poetic， I find that it takes away from its approachability。 This is not an easy book to read， it has a specific pace forced on the reader by the very way it is written and instead of taking you into the lives of the family it portrays， the style， a bit like an epic tale poem， kept me alienated the whole time。 I think this is the type of important and emotive subject where readers should be put in the boots of the characters， and not kept at bay。 I seem to be in the minority not having liked the book。 I guess I enjoy things that are more direct and the beauty of the use of language here kept me from really experiencing the book。 I am one of those readers that likes to be immersed， thought I suppose in this case it wouldn't be too nice of an experience。 I liked the magical realism， I'm a sucker for that kind of thing， and the main character， the daughter was wonderfully sympathetic。 The book addresses topics that interest me， particularly in Australia， so I really wanted to love that book。 I felt instead that the novel was too intellectualised and more of a stylistic experiment。 But this is a very personal opinion。 I do believe lots of people who love language， poetry and experimental writing will love it， but while I do believe it is worth reading， I could not enjoy it myself and think a more straightforward writing style would support the cause a lot more。 。。。more
On the Same Page
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ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 TW: self-harm， suicideThe world had bruised and gone soft， and now impossible things teemed and wormed out of it。 Here were monsters， the most monstrous being daily life。 I'm honestly finding it hard to write this review because I don't know how to put my feelings for it into words。 I was completely blown away by this book。On Fragile Waves follows a family of four as they leave their home in Afghanistan behind in se ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 TW: self-harm， suicideThe world had bruised and gone soft， and now impossible things teemed and wormed out of it。 Here were monsters， the most monstrous being daily life。 I'm honestly finding it hard to write this review because I don't know how to put my feelings for it into words。 I was completely blown away by this book。On Fragile Waves follows a family of four as they leave their home in Afghanistan behind in search of safety。 Their journey takes them across treachorous waters， sent from one piece of land to another， unwanted， ignored， abused。 They arrive on Nauru and wait as their fate is decided by people who don't know what they have suffered。 Firuzeh and Nour watch as their parents give into despair and are helpless to stop it。 And even when they do finally make it to Australia， their hardships are far from over。The book is being marketed as magical realism but it honestly didn't feel that way to me。 I'd say this is literary fiction with no SFF elements other than a child's imagination。Everything about this book is exquisite。 The writing is absolutely beautiful and I was swept away in the flow of the words from the very first page。 The author chose not to use quotation marks for the dialogue for 90% of the book so it takes some getting used to at first， but I found that this only added to my enjoyment of it once I'd adapted。What about you？ Nasima said， hopping over outstretched feet。 Why’s someone like you on this ugly old boat？ You are little girls， Mr。 Hassani said。 Why do you ask about these things？ You’ll have bad dreams。 Firuzeh stammered until Nasima clapped a hand over her mouth。 I have nightmares already， Nasima said。 So， where are you from？ Iraq。 And why was Mr。 Hassani， Iraqi， on this boat？ He had held political opinions。 Dangerous ones？He’d been sent a warning。 Of what kind？ A threatening phone call？ An angry letter？ Mr。 Hassani’s brother。 His brother？ Most of him， anyway。 The story deals with refugees so the themes are definitely heavy。 I loved how it started off hopeful， with the parents telling stories to their children。 It almost gave it a fairytale vibe。 But the more you read， the more this hope drains away， as they are forced to suffer through uncertainty and mistreatment， all because they left their home， because they didn't feel safe there。 Even though the part of the story set on Nauru is gruelling， the part that hit me the hardest was definitely the boat ride to get there。 It reminded me of all the stories from not that long ago about Syrian refugees crossing the water in numbers too large for the boats they were using， of children drowning， and of how prosperous countries reacted to that: not with compassion， but with more restrictions to keep them out。Regardless， the Afghani family does eventually reach their destination， but once they do， the world doesn't treat them any kinder。 Firuzeh and her family are faced with discrimination time and time again， and it was honestly painful to read because it's so relatable。 The author didn't try to make it look prettier than it actually is。 Because of racism and xenophobia， refugees may not actual feel completely safe， even when living in countries that should protect them。I strongly recommend reading this book。 It's definitely one that will stay with me。And they stayed on that side of the water， and we on this。 。。。more
Anika
，
i dnf-ed a book that i thought would be 5 stars || January Wrap-Up （Lore， The Poppy War， and more）i received an arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review。beautifully written and exceptionally hauntingthe prose in this book was so wonderful。 there were so many good quotes that sit heavy on your heart。 this book leans very heavily on magical realism， so if that's your genre， then you will probably love this book！ i dnf-ed a book that i thought would be 5 stars || January Wrap-Up （Lore， The Poppy War， and more）i received an arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review。beautifully written and exceptionally hauntingthe prose in this book was so wonderful。 there were so many good quotes that sit heavy on your heart。 this book leans very heavily on magical realism， so if that's your genre， then you will probably love this book！ 。。。more
Lady Amanda
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Editing to say happy publication day to E Lily Yu！！！！ This book is now available！！！ :）4 Stunning， lyrical， heart aching starsOn Fragile Waves was stunning， heart breaking， and difficult。 It is an important experience to immortalize on paper， and I loved that I was able to read it。 As a story of a family who of dreamers and story tellers， the lyrical prose really fit the bill for this。 It gave off a light magic touch， on brand with the magical realism in the story。 It was really cool to see the p Editing to say happy publication day to E Lily Yu！！！！ This book is now available！！！ :）4 Stunning， lyrical， heart aching starsOn Fragile Waves was stunning， heart breaking， and difficult。 It is an important experience to immortalize on paper， and I loved that I was able to read it。 As a story of a family who of dreamers and story tellers， the lyrical prose really fit the bill for this。 It gave off a light magic touch， on brand with the magical realism in the story。 It was really cool to see the prose match that story telling so well！ Also， I'm not sure if this was just me， but it felt like the prose felt a little more grounded toward the end when everything was resolving， and they didn't need to rely on stories to surive anymore。 I could be imagining that， but I really liked that！！ 💝That being said， I think because of the way the prose is written， this story lost my interest somewhere in between 50-65%， but luckily won back my attention the next time there was a time jump。 😅"Anyone can suffer。 But joy -- that's hard。 Ask about joy。" Even though the middle got a little slow there， the ending completely broke my heart。 The solution that Atay sees in the end is just。。。 so hard。 So devastating。 Way too real of a solution。 My heart ached the entire time reading this book， but the end was causing me real pain。 Amazing work， E。 Lily Yu！ Big TakeawayOn Fragile Waves has stunning prose that matches the dreamers and storytellers of this incredibly undertold experience of a family。 Though it dragged a bit in the middle， it ties off with a beautiful solution filled with tragic love that broke my heart。 💔**I received an ARC of this title for free and am leaving this review voluntarily** 。。。more
eriophora
，
This review and others can be read on my blog， Black Forest Basilisks。I initially picked up On Fragile Waves due to the publisher: Erewhon Books。 Erewhon has been picking up interesting new voices， and is a major up and comer in the small press world。 Recently， they released The Midnight Bargain by C。 L。 Polk， a novel I’m looking forward to digging into。In On Fragile Waves， the fantastic elements are blended seamlessly into reality， creating a magical realist narrative steeped in cultural herita This review and others can be read on my blog， Black Forest Basilisks。I initially picked up On Fragile Waves due to the publisher: Erewhon Books。 Erewhon has been picking up interesting new voices， and is a major up and comer in the small press world。 Recently， they released The Midnight Bargain by C。 L。 Polk， a novel I’m looking forward to digging into。In On Fragile Waves， the fantastic elements are blended seamlessly into reality， creating a magical realist narrative steeped in cultural heritage。 It follows a family of Afghani refugees attempting to make their way to Australia， where they hope to start a new life。 Yu unflinchingly depicts the hardships refugees face both during the journey and while waiting for approval in refugee camps。 Firuzeh finds herself haunted by those she lost along the way， and faces challenges that are foreign to those of us fortunate to have been born into stability。While I had minor quibbles with the writing style and sometimes felt as though it was a little on the nose， this is an important story that rarely finds its way into mainstream media。 Even rarer is to find a story that is so perfectly equipped to tug on your heartstrings and help you not only know the facts of life as a refugee， but also understand the emotional journey each and every seeker of shelter embarks upon。 。。。more
Phoebe E
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On Fragile Waves is a stunning and thoughtful book that crosses oceans with its lyrical prose。 It's a story of immigration， of pain， of love， of growing up， and of the stories we tell to others and to ourselves， set between Afghanistan and Australia。 Yu's writing is stunning and her story is heart-wrenching and beautiful， weaving the tale of a family escaping war only to find new pain in the country they wish to call home。 All the characters of this book are haunting and complex， and Firuzeh was On Fragile Waves is a stunning and thoughtful book that crosses oceans with its lyrical prose。 It's a story of immigration， of pain， of love， of growing up， and of the stories we tell to others and to ourselves， set between Afghanistan and Australia。 Yu's writing is stunning and her story is heart-wrenching and beautiful， weaving the tale of a family escaping war only to find new pain in the country they wish to call home。 All the characters of this book are haunting and complex， and Firuzeh was an amazing main character to follow。 I loved this book so much and it's definitely a story that will stay with me for a long time。 I highly recommend。** Many thanks to Erewhon Books & NetGalley for providing me with an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Julie • bujo。books
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I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher， Erewhon， for allowing me to read this early as an eARC。TW: death， death of a loved one， racism， xenophobia， self-harm， suicide， references to war and bombings。 Firuzeh is a young girl when her family decides to make the danger ous trip from their native Afghanistan to hopfully make a new， safer life in Australia。 They endure many trials to make it there， including watching a girl Firuzeh's age， Nashima， drown on the boat trip to the refugee camp。 Wh I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher， Erewhon， for allowing me to read this early as an eARC。TW: death， death of a loved one， racism， xenophobia， self-harm， suicide， references to war and bombings。 Firuzeh is a young girl when her family decides to make the danger ous trip from their native Afghanistan to hopfully make a new， safer life in Australia。 They endure many trials to make it there， including watching a girl Firuzeh's age， Nashima， drown on the boat trip to the refugee camp。 While they do make it， their life is still full of strife， with money tight and persistent xenophobia， but all the while Firuzeh keeps seeing Nashima， the drowned girl， follow her and talk her through her difficult young life。The first thing I want to say about this book is that it is being shelved as fantasy incorrectly both on Goodreads and on NetGalley: this is a literary fiction novel with a hint of magical realism in the form of Nashima occasionally having conversations with Firuzeh。 There is nothing else fantastical about the story。 However， I don't think anyone going in with wrong expectations will be disappointed by the way Nashima is incorporated in the story; in fact， it was my favorite part。 Using Nashima as a coping mechanism for Firuzeh's trauma and fear was brilliant and well-done。 It also fit in well with the storytelling motif of the book， where first her mother and then later she tells stories inspired by folklore to bring hope to their situation。 I thought that the prose was written in such a way to be lyrical but not overly flowery， which I believe will be a middle ground that most people will love。 As much as this book was written beautifully and told an important story， I could not possibly give it five stars for one reason specifically。 I'm unsure if my copy was final so this may not be the case when the book releases， but every chapter from Firuzeh's point of view is lacking quotation marks even though there is dialogue。 This seems to be done intentionally and stylistically， since when there is an occasional chapter from a side character， there are quotation marks。 I also felt that the book could have been longer; more time with these characters would have greatly strengthened the reader's existing connection with them。Overall， this was a nice short read to round out the year with。 This brings my count up to 93 books this year with just a hair over 100 pages a day， a goal I never thought I'd reach。 Thanks so much to everyone who reads my reviews and have a lovely New Year！ 。。。more
Ola
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I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley。4。25 stars - On Fragile Waves by E。 Lily YuOn Fragile Waves is a lovely， heartbreaking book about a family of refugees and the people they meet along the way。 Although we enter many POVs， Firuzeh， a precocious girl of about 12， is our anchor。 We follow her， her younger brother， and her parents across countries and continents as they flee war-torn Afghanistan in search of a better life。 It's written in a dreamlike style， with no dialogue tags and a I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley。4。25 stars - On Fragile Waves by E。 Lily YuOn Fragile Waves is a lovely， heartbreaking book about a family of refugees and the people they meet along the way。 Although we enter many POVs， Firuzeh， a precocious girl of about 12， is our anchor。 We follow her， her younger brother， and her parents across countries and continents as they flee war-torn Afghanistan in search of a better life。 It's written in a dreamlike style， with no dialogue tags and an often wibbly-wobbly sense of who's speaking--which befits a family that uses stories to express itself and survive。I spent a long time debating how to score this book。 For its language and the emotions it evokes， it's certainly a 5; Yu has a gorgeous style that's easy to follow in spite of its dreamlike/ambiguous qualities。 She's also a master of haunting turns of phrase and raw yet understated emotion; the ending left me sobbing。 It's a truly beautiful book。 I read it in two sittings， unable to tear myself away， and I'll hold the characters in my heart for a long time。There are two "buts" for me， though。 The first: my own expectations。 While I loved the ghost accompanying Firuzeh， I expected a deeper fantastical element since the book is descibed as magical realism。 The ghost felt more like grace notes illustrating a grief-stricken imagination than something deeply intrinsic to the story。 I think I wouldn't have felt a bit disappointed about this if my expectations had been different。The second is something that the book mentions: who the author is vs。 whose story it is。 There's an American character in the novel who comes to Australia to learn and write about the refugees; she is later told that she asked the wrong questions， that she should have focused on joy and not pain。 I read this as a self-insertion by the author; while there is joy and victory and love in the story， it is fundamentally a tale about grief and loss。 None of the three refugee families that first come to my mind have a happy ending， without huge loss or tragedy--they all suffer， and continue to suffer even when they should be safe。 The story holds the sense of an outsider teaching other outsiders about the pain of being a refugee。 None of that makes the book any less beautiful or any less real， but it does make me wonder if the author could have told a similar story through a different frame more effectively。 I don't think I have the answer to that question。 I also don't think it makes it any less worth readingIn all， I recommend this book， especially for those who want something beautiful and sad with a touch of the fantastical。 Yu is an incredibly talented writer and I'll certainly be seeking out more of her stories in the future。This review and others available on my website: https://www。goodreads。com/book/show/4。。。 。。。more
Leah
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