Lovely feel good story. It was well written and flowed well. Easy to read and hard to put down. Perfect on these summer nights

Great read. The author wrote a story that was interesting and moved at a pace that kept me engaged. The characters were easy to invest in.

An amazing and heart-stopping read. This writer knows how to create an atmosphere without a doubt. Such amazing writing style and it really makes you feel as though you are there in the heart of the moment. Will definitely be checking out this author's other reads.

The Wave is an apocalyptic thriller with a tonne of heart and explores philosophical questions surrounding life and death and what you would do if you knew you would die at a set time. After a violent volcanic eruption, a tsunami is heading for the Cornish coast and there is no time for all residents to escape. So Sophie puts on a brave face and posts on social media for people to join her at her favourite place: the beach, usually the last place you would go if there is a tsunami on its way. Slowly but surely a steady stream of diverse people join her; each with different regrets and aspirations, political and religious views which they share with the group.

I loved that each character gets to tell their story with a chapter that is dedicated to each of their backstories — it's a sad and moving experience seeing all these very different lives coming together and ruminating over current global issues. Knowing the end is near they bare their souls to one another and share intimate moments. It's a riveting tale which is very believable, and I couldn't get enough of it. Moffatt has struck the perfect balance between profundity and thrills but she also provides much-needed wit in contrast to the dark, affecting and emotional plot. Although it does have aspects of a thriller this is a profoundly moving and bittersweet read. I hope it gets the readership it deserves. Many thanks to Killer Reads for an ARC.

Having read the synopsis, i knew i had to read this book. It brought back memories of a film i once saw year's ago, where there was a tsunami in the storyline with father and daughter waiting for the waves to take them. It made my heart stop back then, as it did in reading this book. I did enjoy reading this book and hope to read more by this author.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy.

Interesting concept, interesting setting, less interesting than I'd hoped as a read. While the concept of each character- and there are multiple here- giving his/her own perspective on an event is a good literary device, there was more repetition here than was necessary, at least for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Not really sure what to say about The Wave by Virginia Moffatt. I was sucked in by the blurb, the plot sounded unique and like something that I was really going to love. For me, this book did not live up to expectations at all. The story was slow and repetitive and did not hold my interest. There were also things that felt unrealistic in the story that I could not get past.. one being that their phones never ran out of battery despite being on them all the time Andy having no way to charge them on a beach.

A tsunami is headed for the Cornish coast, with very little warning. The roads are gridlocked, the trains have stopped and people are trapped with no way to escape. Poppy posts on Facebook that she is going to spend the time she has left on the beach. She is soon joined by a few other people who feel the same way that she does. Strangers connect and share their stories and secrets. I found it very hard to believe that there wasn't more panic.

Thanks to Harper Impulse and Killer Reads via NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are no way biased.

I ran the whole gamut of emotions while reading The Wave. It is definitely bittersweet to get attached to the characters while knowing full well that they won’t make it. Moffatt does a superb job weaving their stories together in the span of a single night, without it seeming rushed or trite. This would be a great book club pick!

The Wave by Virginia Moffatt

Poppy knows that tomorrow morning at about 8am she will die. A volcano is expected to collapse far out in the Atlantic, setting off a tsunami a 100-foot high that will devastate the coasts around the ocean, including Britain and Ireland. Poppy lives in the far west of Cornwall. The peninsula is gridlocked, the warning too brief. And so, preferring to meet her end as she chooses rather than sitting in a traffic jam, Poppy writes a Facebook post saying that she will spend her last day and night on the beach at her favourite place, Dowetha Cove, and anyone is welcome to join her. The post captures the imagination of people, whether safe and morbidly fascinated in what is going to happen or whether they’re trapped in Cornwall, too. A few of those travel to join Poppy on the beach and there they have what could have been the perfect day, if not for the shadow of the wave rushing so fast across the ocean to end their lives.

As soon as I received a copy of The Wave to review, I read it. I’m a big fan of disaster thrillers but this also has the appeal of a small group of people coming to terms with their own imminent mortality in such a beautiful place. I know Cornwall well and I can understand why people would be drawn to it at such a time, although Cornwall is now not a place of safety but a place of danger.

The Wave is not so much a novel about the tsunami itself but about the lives of the people who gather together, most of them strangers, on the beach: Poppy, Yan, James, Nikki, Margaret, Shelley and Harry. They’re all ages and, as they spend this time getting to know each other, they discover that they are each very different indeed but, while they have heated discussions or arguments about life, a couple of them form life-changing bonds. If only it weren’t too late.

The novel’s narratives flickers between all five in sections named after some of the prayer events that divide the spiritual day and night, such as lauds, prime and compline. This reflects the book’s at times contemplative nature as one character at least finds comfort in religious faith. The book isn’t overtly religious at all but religion is an important theme. As is, to a lesser extent, politics. I’m not sure I’d want to waste my last night on Earth debating party politics and Brexit, but this lot do. Mostly, though, these people do what you’d imagine – reflect on their lives, regret their mistakes, phone their families, cling to those with them, as well as drink wine and cook over an open fire, build sandcastles and enjoy the feel of the sun and sea air on their faces.

I must admit to some conflicting feelings about this novel. I found it utterly engrossing and couldn’t put it down but there is something about the book, and the people, that I didn’t completely get along with. Firstly, these people are obsessed with social media – and with the comments that people leave on their Facebook posts. It hardly seems any time at all to be worrying about trolls. Also, their phones and tablets never run out of battery, even though they’re camping on a beach for a day and a night and never off them. There’s a lot of time spent thinking about ex partners as well as, as mentioned before, arguments about politics. All of this combined, for me, to make the characters feel a bit vacuous and uninteresting.

And then there’s the matter of whether to try and escape from Cornwall or not. We’re told that the government has decided not to evacuate Cornwall but to focus on the northern coastal areas instead and trains are diverted up there. I don’t know about this… Also, when people are driving out of Cornwall and get stuck, they give up and just drive back again – as if only one side of the road is being used when lives depend on it. It feels as if everything is being set up to enable the situation of these people choosing to spend their last hours on the beach. Which is fine, but I did find myself nitpicking a little with the book.

Having said all that, there are moments of exquisite emotional agony here, especially in phone calls to family and in quiet moments of reflection and affection. The Cornish beach is beautifully described. The tension is maintained throughout, the mood of foreboding increases, and there were moments when I cried. It also made me think about my own life. It is such a thought-provoking scenario. So to sum up – although I did have my issues with the book they didn’t stop me reading it. In fact, I couldn’t put it down.

Simply Amazing. This book takes a couple of different narrative structure stylings that I'd never seen used before and makes them work very well. For one, the progression is based on the Catholic Night Prayers. For two, rather than just a couple of narrators, we get seven separate yet linked narrators. As each person tells their own story, we see the various intersections with each of the other characters, sometimes jumping back and forth time wise a bit to show what one character was doing when the other character saw them at a given location. Even better for this reader personally was finishing the book at sunrise on Summer Solstice 2019 at the beach at Jacksonville Beach, FL - one of the regions that would have faced the same wave that the people in this book face were it real. Excellent book, very much looking forward to more from this author. Very much recommended.

The Wave was a bit up and down for me to be honest.

In the plus column, the premise is compelling and the idea behind the group dynamic narrative is sound and also the general flow of the story is that of a proper page turner

The downside was it was all a little light on emotional layers. A bit of a cliche group in the end what with the men eyeing up the women and just a lot of really shallow stuff. The immediacy of most decisions to not try and escape is super fast. I guess it didn't seem that likely that if nothing else you would just walk and keep on walking to at least give yourself a chance. The one character who did end up at least making an effort was pretty unlikable even given the bland nature of the overall characters.

I can't say I didn't enjoy it because I did. I read it in one go and yes for the time I was reading it, it was fun. But in hindsight it was a bit popcorn. Great in the moment but nothing to resonate afterwards.

Recommended as light summer reading.

I really enjoyed this book. It was obviously quite sad at times but still managed to find humor in an unimaginable situation. The characters were interesting and relatable. The only thing I didn’t care for as much as other parts were how many characters the book flip-flopped from being the narrator—that got a little confusing at times. Overall, I’m very glad I read this book and I appreciate the opportunity!

WOW!!! I read this in under 24 hours, I NEVER do that. What a Plot!! One of the BEST books ever. Thank you Net Galley, Harper Impulse/Killer Reads and Virginia Moffatt for a Phenomenal book!! Will stay with me for a long time, this is one I will tell people about over and over.

WOW! One of this year's best reads!!!

With only a day of warning, people in Europe and America are warned of a massive tsunami that will follow a volcanic eruption. The story is centered in Cornwall, England, where there is a broad zone of tsunami danger. Panic encompasses everyone in the peninsular area as people have a short amount of time to get to a zone of safety. Poppy weighs the odds of getting out by any means and decides to spend the rest of the 'time allotted to her' to do what she wants. She posts this on Facebook. She will be at the beach in Cornwall and invites all who would like to join her to meet up there.

The first person to meet Poppy at the beach is Yan. (They are both in their upper 20's - lower 30's). He tells her that after the BBC announced the tsunami's arrival time that there were too many people exiting the area and statistically there was no way they could make it out (in time). Anyone with a boat would use it. Not enough airstrips, airplanes or staffing available. Driving was already timed, per the news, as an almost impossible means to escape within the short timeframe left.

The two are later joined by Margaret (60 years old) and soon after James (a friend of Yan) with Nikki who James picked up on the way there. Everyone works together gathering food, beer wine, tents and warmer clothes. Eventually, Harry (a sourpuss in his 40's) and Shelley (20) also join them. They all sit around a campfire and talk about the best and worst things in their lives and more...

Ms. Moffatt does a brilliant job with character portrayal and in motivating the reader to read on! The plotline is excellent and believable to the point where the reader understands the reason that it is most likely better to stay than attempt to escape the area.

What a riveting story it is! The reader continues to wonder how this will end! Truly, Ms. Moffatt had me enthralled as the characters continued to reveal themselves.

A MUST read !!!

Many Thanks to Harper Impulse / Killer Reads and NetGalley for a real winner!

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Another one where the concept was intriguing but the book itself seemed to go nowhere fast. You love, you learn.

Okay so let’s start with that synopsis...wow oh wow! What a brilliant idea for a plot! I was reading an article a few months ago about Cumbre Vieja and the tsunami it could produce and was fascinated so I knew I had to read this!

...and then I started reading it, I kept thinking oh it’s got to get better. Every chapter is a different character and it’s the most irritating format for books, one or two characters I can deal with but this has seven! Each new chapter goes over half of the last chapter but from a different point of view and Jesus Christ this is the type of book that makes you never want to read again.

Add in some terrible writing (Virginia got confused between hole and whole at one point), characters that all have the same tone and inner monologue and I’m done.

I wanted this book to be so much more and I’m left regretting that I didn’t put it down 18% through like I originally wanted to.

Tsunami. The word conjures up images of devastation on tropical beaches on the other side of the world. But in this story, the tsunami is headed for Cornwall, and there won’t be enough time for everyone to escape. What would you do? One woman decides to meet her fate head on, and invites others to join her on her favorite beach to face whatever comes. When a small group of people join her, they take solace in each other and in baring their souls of the secrets they have carried around so long. This book made me do some soul searching. What would I do if I knew death was inevitable? Who would I want to be with and what would I say. A profound and provocative book at life and death