I couldn't get through this title. It ended up not being for me, but I hope it finds a hope with other readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

On Fragile Waves is not for people who are looking to disappear, to escape into books and forget about our world. This is a story for people who are searching for solace and solidarity, who believe—as Firuzeh eventually does—that stories keep us afloat and dreaming when the world is collapsing, and that the path towards social justice and collective liberation is one that we pave together, each choice and each tale a brick laid on the road to a brighter, kinder future.

Zhui Ning Chang

DNF - Did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style or plot and will not be finishing this title. Thank you, NetGalley and Publisher for the early copy!

I 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.

I liked this very much. The story was heartbreaking but I felt that Firuzeh and the magical realism aspects added lightness to an otherwise dark story. I did think that some of the other povs were unnecessary. Overall this was an amazing book through a different lens..

This experimental novel is written in verse. It follows our family of characters who must leave their home country for another. This book is not for the weak of heart; it's heartbreaking and gut wrenching. Peppered with unforgettable images, this book is an epic tale of migration.

It was difficult to read both due to the topic and the style of the writing. I probably should have been ready for it to be drk, but still, it was a bit too heavy for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC digital copy. I have not been compensated for my opinion and this is an honest review.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish reading this ARC digital copy before needing to switch to other books that were being archived. The book is no longer on my Goodreads "want to read" list because I am avoiding certain topics, but I will update my review to reflect an updated opinion if I decide to finish at a later date.

A heartbreaking story about a family of refugees and their long and arduous journey to Australia. Filled with war, loss, and a lot of heartbreak, On Fragile Waves is an illuminating read both on life of refugees but also on the immigration situation in Australia.

This book has just a pinch of magical realism, which is just enough to make it a powerful, touching read, certain to reach into one's heart, and make you sit back for a while and take your time processing the deep meaning of this beautiful prose.

What a beautiful book, clearly a labor of love on the part of the author, who’s an academic, a poet, and who went to great lengths with her research in order to do justice to the subject matter. I listened to her talk at an online event earlier this year and she really impressed me with her thoughtfulness. The book itself deals with issues of immigration in Australia which I was not familiar with prior to reading. Despite the difficult subject matter and the somewhat experimental style, this novel remains accessible and draws the reader in easily. Yu has a unique, beautiful voice that I’m looking forward to hearing more of!

Vivid voices narrate this journey of refugees and how story telling both strengthens and distracts. It’s not an easy story but it’s one that draws you in.

A searing story of a family of refugees making their way to Australia. A tale of war, loss, family, and magic written in poetic prose.

It started out really strong. I loved the writing, it flows rather effortlessly. I think it is kind of dragging after the second half and would love more plot than internal musings but I appreciate the author for telling the story of Afghan refugees and their struggles. I noticed the many research and interviews she did to create this novel to give it a more accurate voice.

“Okay, so she was happy. Except for the loneliness. Who needs friends when you have all that?” “A safe country—can you imagine?”

On Fragile Waves is a story about war, racism, and the harsh world faced by refugees trying to survive their life. It tells about Daizangi family, a small family trying to leave Afghanistan's chaos of war to protect the safety of the little ones. The story then delved on their journey trying to reach the shore of Australia. 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.

Everything about this book was amazing. The flow of the words was beautiful and I could not put the book down because of it. Even though it took me a while to get used to (especially since the author didn't put quotation marks when there was dialogue), I really enjoyed the way it was written.

As for the writing, the prose in this book is captivating, it enhanced the magical realism feeling of the book. It's also vivid and emotionally breaking. For those who are not used to it, it can be jarring at first. It takes time but after few chapters it get easier to accustomed to it.

The story itself was told from the point of view of Firuzeh Daizangi, a little girl at the start of the storyline. It's hard not to fall in love with Firuzeh. She's smart, hard willed, and understanding. Throughout her eyes we see the grief, traumas, and struggle her family has to suffer just to get to somewhere peace. It is through her eyes that we could also see even in darkest night, there will always be a dot of hope.

Overall I think E. Lily Yu did excellent job writing a story that will tug at your heart. This is very recommended book to read. It could be a bit heavy so I advise reading it not when you're in the mood of light read.

This book is heart-breaking and beautifully told, and it has stuck with me long after the last page. An excellent novelization of an ongoing injustice, with superbly detailed characters.

DNFed. Had I been aware that the book used more non-traditional prose and sentence structure, I likely wouldn’t have requested it. Perhaps as a result of my dyslexia, I really struggle with reading books that have non traditional formats.

✨🌟 8.75 out of 10 🌟✨
Lyrical and also heartbreaking at the same time.

Keywords: novel, magical realism(?), refugee detention camp, Afghanistan, Australia, author of color
Trigger warning: violence, racism, death of loved ones, misogyny

REVIEW
On Fragile Waves is a story about war, racism, and the harsh world faced by refugees trying to survive their life. It tells about Daizangi family, a small family trying to leave Afghanistan's chaos of war to protect the safety of the little ones. The story then delved on their journey trying to reach the shore of Australia.

As for the writing, the prose in this book is captivating, it enhanced the magical realism feeling of the book. It's also vivid and emotionally breaking. For those who are not used to it, it can be jarring at first. It takes time but after few chapters it get easier to accustomed to it.

The story itself was told from the point of view of Firuzeh Daizangi, a little girl at the start of the storyline. It's hard not to fall in love with Firuzeh. She's smart, hard willed, and understanding. Throughout her eyes we see the grief, traumas, and struggle her family has to suffer just to get to somewhere peace. It is through her eyes that we could also see even in darkest night, there will always be a dot of hope.

Overall I think E. Lily Yu did excellent job writing a story that will tug at your heart. This is very recommended book to read. It could be a bit heavy so I advise reading it not when you're in the mood of light read.

I receive a digital arc of this book in exchange of honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Erewhon Book publisher.

An emotional read following a family of Afghan refugees making their way to Australia. I think this book was really well done, clearly well researched, and nailed a lot of the immigrant experience in Australia.

The experimental prose was also interesting, and overall well done. Admittedly, I still would've preferred a more typical style—the minimal use of punctuation was hard for me to adjust to, and impeded some of my ability to immerse myself in the story. But there were plenty of lines that were brilliantly executed, and I liked the moments where the format went intentionally wonky to deepen the emotional experience..

It didn't really grab my attention, I did get bored at times and had a hard time following the story. But it was a touching story and it's always interesting reading about other cultures. It might have been the way the book was written that didn't suit my taste.
I would recommend it though because I think it's important to read about other cultures and their struggles.