The Waves Take You Home is the debut novel of a Columbian writer from the coastal town of Barranquilla about several generations of Barranquilla women and the restaurant that is the centerpiece of their lives. For the youngest, Violeta, she mostly is raised by her abuela, her grandmother, who constantly shoos her away from the restaurant’s kitchen, despite Vi’s strong desire to learn its secrets. Fearing her granddaughter is destined to follow in her’s and her daughter’s footsteps, Vi’s abuela insists that her long-term boyfriend isn’t good enough for her and that her only future lies in obtaining a higher education in and living in the United States. Ten years after complying with her grandmother’s wishes, Vi’s abuela dies, and upon returning home for the funeral, Vi learns that her grandmother left her a majority ownership of the restaurant, which is significant disrepair and significant debt. Vi then is torn between the life she created for herself in the states and the life she involuntarily left behind along the Caribbean coast.

At its core, this book is a love story. It’s about loves lost and found, loves that went awry, loves between mothers and children, and loves between chosen families and friends and loves for one’s home and one’s surroundings. María Alejandra Barrios Vélez does an admirable job describing the oppressive heat and humidity of Barranquilla’s climate, the freezing cold and wet of New York winters, the colors of tropical sunsets and the of fall’s changing leaves. She brings to vivid life the details of the decrepit restaurant and empty house that Vi returns to following her abuela’s death, the looks and feels of her lovers’ bodies and touches, the various sounds all around morning, noon, and night. It’s a satisfying book, where everything seems to work out well in the end. I don’t read too many of these types of books anymore, and it feels nice to do so every now and then.

Thanks to NetGalley, María Alejandra Barrios Vélez, and Lake Union Publishing for giving me a free advanced reader’s edition of this book. I’m leaving my opinions voluntarily.

What a beautiful story! Right away, you realize that Violeta is much stronger than she believes, though she struggles to see it herself. At the start of the book, she reluctantly leaves for New York City, where her life is busy but relatively stable. However, everything changes when her grandmother passes away, leaving her as the heir to the family restaurant back home in Colombia.

The rest of the novel follows Vi as she feels torn between the life she left behind and the one she’s built in the U.S. She navigates her family’s past, confronts her own identity, and questions what she truly wants for her future. And, of course, there’s a touch of magical realism—featuring some unexpected visits from beyond the grave.

A beautiful story of family in Colombia, weaving the threads of her grandmother's past into Violeta's present day experiences with a sprinkling of magic realism. While this debut novel could have used a little editing and some clarifications in certain parts, it was overall a very touching story by a talented new author.

The Waves Take You Home by Maria Alejandra Barrios Velez is a reflective and atmospheric story that explores themes of self-discovery, loss, and healing. The novel offers an intriguing premise, with its focus on a protagonist’s journey toward finding herself after experiencing a profound emotional struggle. While the book has some striking moments and beautiful imagery, it ultimately fell short in some areas, leaving me with mixed feelings.

The story follows the journey of Clara, who, after facing a personal tragedy, retreats to the coastal town of her childhood to find solace. Surrounded by the ocean, Clara reflects on her past and contemplates her future, trying to reconcile her grief and find peace. The waves, as a metaphor for change and healing, play a central role throughout the narrative, which is a lovely thematic element.

Velez's writing is descriptive and lyrical, creating a rich and vivid atmosphere. The descriptions of the coastal setting and Clara’s emotional landscape are compelling and transport the reader to the heart of the story. The ocean serves as both a literal and symbolic backdrop, reflecting the protagonist's internal turmoil and the potential for renewal. It’s clear that the author has a talent for setting mood and evoking emotions through her prose.

However, while the book has some beautiful writing, the pacing is where it faltered for me. The plot at times felt slow and meandering, especially in the middle of the book, which made it harder for me to remain fully engaged. There is a lot of introspection, but the action and events that push the narrative forward are sparse. For those who appreciate character-driven stories, this will likely be a positive, but I found myself wishing for more external conflict or plot development to keep the story moving.

The characters, especially Clara, are complex and layered, but I found myself wanting a bit more depth in their relationships and motivations. The emotional beats of Clara’s journey, while heartfelt, didn’t quite resonate with the same intensity that I hoped for. I wanted to feel more connected to Clara's transformation, and although her reflections are meaningful, they sometimes felt too distant to fully connect with her on an emotional level.

The Waves Take You Home is ultimately a story of introspection and healing, but it lacks the spark of urgency that would have made it truly gripping. The themes of grief, self-discovery, and renewal are important, and Velez's writing captures the poignancy of these moments, but the story at times feels too introspective to maintain a strong narrative momentum.

Overall, The Waves Take You Home is a gently-paced, atmospheric novel that will appeal to readers who appreciate introspective, character-driven stories. While the lyrical writing and emotional depth are commendable, the book’s slower pacing and somewhat distant character development left me feeling a bit disconnected.

**Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I first had the opportunity to read an excerpt of this book when it was published in Catapult as a piece of the author's novel draft, Cilantro Wedding Bouquet. This book has been on my radar ever since, and I was thrilled to get the opportunity to read it. The details in this book (the food!) are memorable and transportive, and the prose wove a beautiful tale of grief, love, and the meaning of home. I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters, and the bit of fairy dust sprinkled over the story, and its thread of magical realism.

This beautifully written novel captures the essence of longing, love, and the healing power of the sea.

The narrative flows like water, immersing you in the characters’ emotions and journeys. María Alejandra’s prose is lyrical and evocative, painting stunning imagery that transports you to the coastal landscapes. I felt every wave of joy and heartache alongside the characters, making their experiences so relatable.

The exploration of family, identity, and connection is masterfully done, highlighting the strength we find in our roots. The character development is rich, and I appreciated how each person brought a unique perspective to the story.

If you’re looking for a heartfelt, poetic read that captures the spirit of the ocean and the complexities of life, The Waves Take You Home is a must-add to your TBR!

This book was a good listen! I enjoyed the journey of a young woman trying to find her way and not realizing her life is at home! Grandma’s knows best!

There's nothing I love more than a novel about resilience, family, and a sprinkle of magic!
And how gorgeous is this cover?!

I really wanted to like the book, but it was slowly moving to nowhere. The idea good but characters, relationships were one dimensional, stuck in one place. I liked though elements of cultural context.

I was drawn into this coming of age story by the book's GORGEOUS cover and stuck around for the moving journey of a young woman grieving her grandmother's death. Inheriting the run-down family restaurant back in Columbia, Violeta Sanoguera journeys home with some guidance from her grandmother's ghost, Violeta finds a new sense of place, identity and even love. Great on audio and perfect for fans of authors like Patricia Engel. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

3.5 🌟

I love the messages in this book and how it re-signifies family history, however, I felt it was redundant on many occasions and that made it take me longer to read. Also, the change of language was something that made me uncomfortable and I don't know how it would be for a person who doesn't speak both (English and Spanish).

What I enjoyed most about the reading was the connection between the women in the family, the responsibility for their successes and failures, the support, and especially the desire and accomplishment of finally making a difference. Vi deserves the best. 💜

It seems to me an emotional and successful debut for the author.

Ps: thank you, netgalley for this ARC.

So captivating. A great story of women’s strengths and the heart felt love of coming home. It’s a simplistic twist of love and loss that pulls at the readers heart with each flip of the page. Love the writing style and the way the author has the ability to pull the reader into her world.

The Waves Take You Home follows Violeta a young Columbian woman who left her mother, grandmother, and first love behind to pursue a better life in the United States. When her grandmother dies Violeta returns to Colombia to take responsibility of her grandmothers restaurant. A place she always loved but was told time and time again was no place for her, now it seems she’s the only one who may be able to save it. This book was so relatable to me as a young Latinx woman myself you are always tiptoeing the line of following your path but also making your family proud. The expectations that are placed on you can put immense pressure on you but at the end of the day you have to make the decisions that will make you happy, Violeta does everything that is asked for her and it causes her to lose sight of who she is and her true feelings and wants. Returning home after being easy puts this into perspective and the possibility of reconnecting with her first true love. I enjoyed this story and I think many young women and first generation people will. This story is about Violeta finding her voice and making choices that will make her happy and isn’t that something we all strive for?

The Waves Take You Home by María Alejandra Barrios Vélez is a nice story but it didn't touch my heart as much as I had expected.

As a Spaniard, I love reading and learning about Latin American cultures and this book was the perfect opportunity to look into Colombian traditions. In a way, I could understand how family bonds and roles work there, but in my opinion it fell a bit short and shallow. I got the message and I enjoyed the book although I'm sure I won't remember it for long. That's probably what made me give it just 3 stars, it was okay but it won't stay with me because something -I'm not really sure what was it- didn't work for me.

I think one of my main problems with The Waves Take You Home is that Abuela's actions aren't coherent through all the book. When Violet is young, she does everything in her hand to get her out of Barranquilla, wanting her to have a future different from hers. But once Violet achieves it, when she finally has her own life in New York, Abuela decides to leave the restaurant -which Vi always dreamed of owning- for her to take care of it. What's the point of making her leave to the States if, at the end, you're gonna make her come back when you're gone? It doesn't make sense to me even after finishing it. I also didn't like how rushed the ending felt.

With that said, I want to put emphasis of all the things i enjoyed. This novel touched lots of topics: first love, intern conflicts between what you want and what is expected from you, family dynamics, business management... I also liked how the author included Spanish words and expressions through all the book, it made me feel more connected to the characters and the story itself. Another enjoyable point was seeing Vi standing up for herself, Caminito and working on her relationship with her mother.

In conclusion, The Waves Take You Home is an entertaining story about a girl caught between two lives: the one she's living in the States and the one she lived as a teenager growing up in Colombia.

In 'The Waves Take You Home' we follow the story of Violeta, a Colombian woman whose mind and aspirations reside in New York, where she's built a life as a graphic designer and has a relationship with a kind american, and her heart set in Colombia and specifically, in Caminito, her abuela's restaurant.

What I liked: I loved the Colombian representation, the spanish words and phrases mixed with the english, the food descriptions, their drive to save Caminito.

What I disliked: Violeta's infatuation with her 10 year old ex, and the love triangle.

My honest opinion: I'm really disappointed because I expected more. I understoon Violeta's struggles and the melancholy provoked by the ending of a relationship, still it disappoints me the way she handled things with Liam and Rafa.

Thank you to Netgalley for a DRC of the book.

Why did I force myself to continue reading this book when I knew from the get go that I was not going to like it?

I picked this up 1) for the gorgeous cover and 2) the synopsis sounded like it was going to be a great book. Unfortunately... I found myself dreading finishing it (if only I knew how to DNF books, I could have had a better time).

Vi is one of the most frustrating female characters I've ever read in my entire life. She has a fiancé in New York who loves her so fiercely and is so supportive, and she always says he makes her feel safe and that he feels like home. However, once her grandmother dies back in Colombia and she goes back for the funeral/to help with the family restaurant, apparently he is "unsupportive" even though she is the one who doesn't want him to come with her. She emotionally cheats on him the entire time she's visiting Colombia, and when he comes down, she gets angry that he wants to be there for her.

THEN let's talk about how she hasn't talked to her high school sweetheart since she was 18 and he proposed and she said no. AND YET, TEN YEARS LATER, SHE'S STILL IN LOVE EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVEN'T TALKED ONCE SINCE THEN!!! Girl, get up!!

All of the characters are incredibly annoying (except for Liam), the story is ULTRA repetitive, and most of Vi's process of saving the family restaurant is highly unbelievable to me. I appreciated what the author was trying to do with making the story about how even when you move away, family and the place you grew up can always call you back. But it just wasn't portrayed in a way to make me root for any of the characters whatsoever. Unfortunately, a major letdown.

There were parts of this story that were entirely authentic and others that fell flat. I think the story was good but it was just 3 of 5 stars for me.

Thank u netaglley for this book

Reading this was OK but I didn't connect with the characters and lost interest in the story half way though but I can see some people loving this book

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my review!

The Waves Take You Home is a story about returning back to the place you grew up, rediscovering yourself and how the bonds of family shape who you are. I think that the author did a fantastic job conveying the nostalgia of returning to your hometown and wondering how different your life would have been if you had never left. Both the town and the restaurant felt as if they were their own characters in the story and you couldn't help but fall in love with them and the rest of the cast of characters. Vi's bond with her grandmother was touching and it was a fun journey to watch her rediscover who she was and what she wanted. It was a slower paced book with a predictable ending but I enjoyed the journey and look forward to reading more by the author.

I started reading this months ago and put it down to read something else and haven't thought about since. I'm officially DNFing it. There is nothing really memorable about it which makes me sad since I was so excited to read this book.