This was one of the most beautiful books I’ve read in such a long time. I wrote about it on Goodreads and will write about it on Amazon. I also posted it to my Instagram and will write a blog post later today. Thank you to the publisher, author, and illustrator. This book made me cry and was just a completely perfect graphic memoir. I will read anything else that this author puts out and this illustrator. So, so impressed. Please let me know the ways I can support this book further. I am currently in an MFA program and we have visiting writers every year, I would love to have Ingrid Chabbert come as there a few graphic memoirist in the program. It is a paid gig and I can suggest her name.

In the graphic novel, Waves, Ingrid Chabbert tells the story of the attempts by her and her wife to conceive, the joy they felt when she became pregnant, their heartbreak when she loses the baby, the effects this has on them and their marriage as they struggle to accept this tragedy, even learn to enjoy life again without feeling guilt, while never losing the memory of their child. This is a beautiful, heartbreaking, and, in the end, hopeful story. The lovely art by Carole Maurel works perfectly with the writing, depicting the waves of emotion crashing and then receding as the story unfolds.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Boom! Studios for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review</i>

The book deals with topics like abortion, infertility, depression etc. So be aware before picking it up.

The book is also filled with brilliant illustrations accompanying the story. The illustrations expresses certain emotions where even words could fails.

This was such an emotional read to me. It's a very short read so I would recommend this to everyone who likes illustrations, webtoons etc.

I loved, loved, loved this and while I can't say I "enjoyed" reading this story it definitely moved me very, very much.

I don't tend to gravitate towards graphic novels very often, but I do if the artwork appeals to my personal preference and if the blurb is gripping enough. I had almost forgotten about requesting this one but I'm glad I got the chance to read and recommend this to whoever will read my review.

The artwork is absolutely stunning and I love how the use of color (or absence of color) beautifully complements the narrative and the current mood/atmosphere in the storyline.

I also thought that the structure and plotline of the story was excellently done. While the dramatic event, unusually enough, happened almost at the beginning of the storyline, it quickly became very clear that the story was not going to focus on that event alone. This story was so much more than just a story about two women trying to have a baby. It was about the grief, the sorrow, the bigger consequences; it was about the returning, the rebuilding, and the reclaiming of one's life after such a traumatic event as the one in the story.

I'm more of a long review type (well, at least in german), but this will probably be one of my shortest., because I don't want to tell to much about the story.
"Waves" is a quick read with beautiful art and a serious topic. It's about the journey of two women and their wish to become a family. On the path lies joy... and then despair.
All of this is portrayed through the colours, which made the story feel even more personal and consistent.
I also really liked the relationship between the women. Their love and support for each other made reading this a lot easier.
Anyway, I highly recommend this book.

Review to be posted at all sources mentioned on my profile closer to release date.

I received this graphic novel from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

I was in love with the cover, I believe I may even have seen this book on Twitter, so I just needed this book in my life now. And boy, it was just absolutely gorgeous. I will be trying my best to write a review however it may be quite chaotic as I am still full of emotion due to this book. This book made me cry (in happy and sad ways), this book made me root for the characters.

Our MC is trying hard to make a baby with her wife, but so far it seems they are having problems. In this book we see them try again, and it seems to all go well for a while... but then things end up badly. I was crying, I was just so happy that they had the baby, that it all seemed so well, and then something happened and they lost the baby again. I am at least happy they had the chance to take that photograph together. It makes me happy that these things are possible these days. At least they have something to remember them of their tiny little baby.

Throughout the book we see that our MC is falling down further and further in a deep pit. Her wife tries to help her, and it seems she also has the help of her notebook, her story. The parts with her struggling with her life and the loss of her baby are often seen with her on a boat in a sea.
Also, She apparently lost colour in her life during these hard times, but we see colour slip in bit by bit as she talks to counsellors, her wife, and when she writes down her story. I love how the artist/author made this happen. It wasn't instant colour, it was really bit by bit. Slowly, as she recovered and found her footing in life again.

I loved her wife, how our MC was worried that she may not want her, and how her wife comforted her and talked to her.

The art was absolutely gorgeous, I adore the style.

All in all, this was one gorgeous book, and I would recommend having tissues at hand. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

The ebb and flow of grief… Archaia still puts out some of the most beautiful graphic novels and Waves is no exception. The story quietly chronicles a young mother’s heartbreaking journey back to a new normal after she and her wife lose their long wished for baby. The moments of despair, guilt, and the relaxing of pain are all visible and moving in Carole Maurel’s beautiful illustrations as color slowly but surely comes back into her life.

I haven't read many graphic novels as an adult, but Waves has definitely become one of my favorites. The illustration is beautiful and the writing is poetic. The story is a tragic one and yet it's not at all uncommon, though not often talked about. I think this graphic novel can be helpful for people who are going through similar situation, so they know they're not alone.

A powerful graphic novel about a woman and her wife dealing with the loss of a baby born too early. This is such a heavy and emotional subject handled beautifully. I was crying along with the characters remembering my own miscarriage pain. I was struck by the depiction of waves and how it’s hard not to feel wrapped up in their emotion.

A book that I highly recommend with a warning of the subject matter.

Thank you to NetGalley and BOOM! Studios for an advanced reading copy of this book.

This book is absolutely beautiful. Personal, thoughtful, revealing, and heartbreaking, it explores two women's ongoing attempt to have a child of their own - despite facing a series of obstacles, including multiple miscarriages. One I'm going to have to buy both for myself and for my library.

Beautifully rendered story - heartbreaking and gorgeous artwork. The author's feelings about her personal experience with losing a child were evident on every page.

Painful but so beautiful and really important. This graphic novel follows a woman and her wife as they try to have a baby. I love the metaphor of waves and all of the parallels it provides throughout the piece.. a baby growing between two waves of blood was a new way of looking at pregnancy for me, and I thought that was cool.

The marriage was especially sweet to me in this one, I really fell for the pair of them as a unit and how they cared for one another, especially the main character’s wife when things were not going well. I cant imagine and it seems so incredibly difficult to depict the heartbreak of miscarrying, plans made, dreams had etc.. I thought Ingrid displayed her process of grief with impressive vulnerability, where she found her strength when she was ready, and how the experience and the heartbreak will never really leave her personally.

While I know this topic is heavy heavy and wish it wasn’t so, I also know that this story and others are WAY more common than we are taught to think.. and I so appreciate thoughtful work that pushes to normalize, care for, and grieve with women albeit the ways everyone processes something like this will be their own.

This one packed a punch.

4+ stars
At first, I thought this was going to be another story about loss during pregnancy and the resulting depression, but really is so much more. Extremely impactful, true life story gets quickly to the traumatic event and then spends a lot of time on the journey of healing, recovery and personal change that occurs.
A beautiful book – graphics are excellent, pacing of story pitch perfect and the narrative compliments the illustrations and is just right.
Highly recommend.
Thank you NetGalley and publisher, Boom! Studios, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

This is a story of two lesbians journey of losing a child. Regardless of the gender of your spouse (or your own gender) this story of miscarriage is very poignant. The use of colour (or lack thereof) to demonstrate times of grief and depression is really well done. Especially when the colours slowly start to show up in the panels of this graphic novel.

Based on writer Ingrid Chabbert’s true story of losing a baby; there is no denying that this is a story that is difficult but important to tell. Even today in modern healthcare countries there is still an approximate 30% pregnancy loss rate. And 1 in 5 woman are infertile. They either cannot have a child or carry to term successfully. With these kinds of numbers you’d expect our society to be so much better at handling this kind of loss; but instead we often hide these stories of grief and despair, which is of no help to anyone.

As a woman who cannot carry a baby to term and who (it is believed) lost a child early on as a teenager; Waves invoked an emotional response in me. I don’t often regret that I can’t have children. If one in five women are unable to; I’m glad to be one of the five so that my friends who were desperate to have children have been able to. As my age reaches the inevitable “point of no return” to try to have a child (I’m 35) there is an odd sense of leaving something behind even if I don’t want a child. Damn biology.

I felt like the illustrations of being lost at sea in Waves really captured the feeling many women have that they are floating or drowning alone with no one to help them. Whether you mourn a child that you never saw, a child that was fully formed, or a child that took only a few breathes; I think you will find some comfort in Waves.

Graphic novels can tell a story so eloquently sometimes without needing to have the right words, or any words at all. Carole Maurel has illustrated the emotions felt when words are not enough to explain. The strong story boarding, use of colour and select words at just the right time make Waves a truly special book and one that will hopefully help others feel like they are not alone.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

An incredible story of loss that needs to be told. Beautiful, ethereal illustrations set the somber tone of the book.

A very sad but beautiful story about a lesbian couple recovering from the loss of their unborn child. The art is perfect, very dreamy and expressive. It's a short read (only about 100 pages) but it packs a serious punch. Ends in a hopeful place.

Waves is a beautifully written exploration on the concepts of pain, loss, and recovery. It’s based on true events and emotions…which makes it all that much more heartbreaking to see. This is one of those stories that will always hit readers hard, but especially so when they’re dealing with their own loss. It’s something we can all sympathize with, and something we’ve all had to learn to cope with in our own way. In that sense it really doesn’t take much effort to connect with the narrator of this sad story.
This is the tale of love and loss. Of one couple who desperately wanted a child, only to face hardship and heartbreak. It’s not an uncommon experience in this world, but it is one that isn’t talked about enough. I give the author so, so much credit for being able to be open about her experiences, and I wish her all the best in life.
I am grateful for the opportunity to read this, and even more importantly; I hope this gave Ingrid Chabbert and her family some sense of closure.

A very moving and touching story about loss, hope, resilience, and love.

It’s very beautiful how not only the drawings and the use of colours help the reader to move throughout the story and to understand how the characters feel.

As someone who has experienced miscarriage, I can truly relate to the pain this main character felt. It truly feels like drowning. I’m glad that her world started to brighten again over time.

A powerful, moving, heart wrenching story about loss and healing. The illustrations of waves used throughout the story capture the ebb and flow of emotions experienced on the journey to heal.. Waves is a story of a woman and her partner's struggle to have a child. Sadly, there is a miscarriage. The rest of the story illustrates the internal pain and struggle the woman endures and her relationship with her loving partner. The two eventually find peace. A very important read for those who are struggling with loss.