This one was both weird and also grabbed a hold of me and didn’t let go. Filipino mythical creatures are my new worst nightmare.
I was unsure about the story initially, because of the way the FMC was portrayed. She just seemed to be blatantly disregarding her own well being and safety, and not being herself at all. Once the story started to really build though, we see how all of the other characters were effecting the way Malaya behaved and the choices she made.
When Malaya goes to the sea witch?! Man I lost it! I get the why of her choice, but there’s no way any of that actually sounded like a good idea! Unless danger and likely death were in the game plan, and then this is 100% the best route!
Solid storytelling, excellent narration, all around a really great book.

I received the audiobook version of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

Early on in this story, I thought that I was getting a Little Mermaid retelling. And although it eventually became clear it's not really that, it still had a similar vibe to it for me. And even though they aren't connected, this story actually made me relate more to King Triton for the first time ever.

As the parent of a teenage daughter, I really struggled to relate to Malaya and her choices, because so many of them are things I strive to protect my child from. But a part of me does remember being a teenager making questionable choices of my own, so I do understand how she got there. And I was happy when she saw what was going on in her relationship and tried to get away from it.

I'm not very familiar with Filipino mythology, so that aspect of the story was really intriguing to me. I cannot speak to its accuracy though.

Overall I give When Oceans Rise 4.0732 out of 5 stars.

When Oceans Rise is an engaging and heartfelt novel that explores resilience, self-discovery, and the power of overcoming adversity. The protagonist’s journey is inspiring, and the author does a great job of crafting emotional depth throughout the story. The themes of hope and personal growth are beautifully woven into the narrative, making it a compelling read.

However, while the novel excels in its emotional impact, the pacing occasionally feels uneven, with some sections dragging while others rush through important moments. Additionally, certain characters could have been developed more fully to enhance the overall depth of the story.

Despite these minor drawbacks, When Oceans Rise is a touching and thought-provoking read that will resonate with many. If you enjoy stories about perseverance and self-empowerment, this one is worth picking up.

This book was gorgeous, heartbreaking, breathtaking, and sometimes very hard to swallow. I loved it. It has been some time since I finished it and I really needed to sit with it and process it. A beautiful story about an ugly reality.

I had requested this book on Netgalley some time ago, but because I ended up DNFing the book I didn't leave a full review. I honestly don't think anyone would enjoy this book and for me it rates at a solid 1 star. It was an easy DNF and I won't be trying again in the future.

When Oceans Rise is a compelling and thought-provoking exploration of climate change and its impact on humanity. Alvarez masterfully crafts a narrative that is both gripping and emotional, drawing readers into a world that is both familiar and unsettling. The characters are richly drawn and relatable, their struggles and triumphs resonating deeply. The story is a powerful reminder of the urgency of the climate crisis and the importance of collective action. While it paints a stark picture of the potential consequences of inaction, it also offers a glimmer of hope, reminding us of the resilience of the human spirit and the power of love and community. If you're looking for a book that will challenge your assumptions and inspire you to make a difference, When Oceans Rise is a must-read.

This book is beautiful. From the writing to the narrating to the overall storyline. I absolutely freaking loved it. It was one of the best reads in Mer-May! The narrator’s voice definitely added to the written story.

Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to listen to the audiobook before it got archived!
I will make sure to get a copy or the audio version, myself to give a review on my socials.

I was fascinated by this book, it is so addictive. I loved it from the premise to the execution of the story. The characters are strong and very well constructed. The cover is beautiful. I highly recommend it!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded

We need to take a moment to appreciate that cover. Look at it. Go. Look. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful covers that I’ve ever seen.

As a fellow mixed-Filipina, I was thrilled to read this book and see more of the Filipino culture and mythology. Admittedly, I was triggered by some of the more personal qualms that Malaya encountered when it came to relationships and her upbringing. I too don’t speak Tagalog or any dialects. (Like, how rude, I read to escape).

The plot is very reminiscent of The Little Mermaid. I kind of like that it’s a modern retelling with some Filipino mythology.

I will say that the pacing of this book is kind of odd. At moments, it goes by really fast and then nothing important would happen for a moment. If anything, I think it should be reversed. For instance, Malaya’s first encounter with the sea witch could’ve been expanded or slowed down a bit and then her moments in the alternate universe could’ve been matched in a way (if that makes sense).

But the moments with her family and friends in the alternate universe were very touching and Malaya had such great character development.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Oceans Rise is a magical YA retelling of the Little Mermaid steeped in Filipino mythology. I loved the genuine connections between the characters in this novel. This is definitely a younger YA story, but I liked that — too much YA these days is decidedly more A than Y! Overall I would say that the story could have been trimmed down a bit, but it didn’t feel overly complex like alternate timeline narratives often do. A fun listen!

DNF at 25%.

The writing and story telling was not that great, at least not in my opinion. All of the things that were said, how characters were described and what not was so wild and seemed a bit too insensitive and too much of stereotyping.


For example the way the main character said and explained certain things such as:

“Is he Mexican or Filipino? Why? I don’t know, so I can figure out what our babies would look like. What is going on with me? It’s like I can’t get my hormones under control.”

This is such a wild sentence and thought process to me and was just the last straw for me and ultimately made me DNF it. There were several others things that were said that was in similar fashion but I can’t remember exactly.

The way the story was told was just kind of confusing and I was not able to get drawn into the story whatsoever. I didn’t like any of the characters to be honest. There were plot holes or the plot was just straight up confusing. I lost interest pretty early on in the book but I decided to try my best to finish since I received an audiobook arc from NetGalley. Unfortunately this was not for me.

🐚🪸 When Oceans Rise 🪸🐚
By Robin Alvarez

● FIRST IMPRESSION ●
A story of culture, superstitions, identity, love, betrayal, abuse & gaslighting.

⚠️ Trigger Warning ~ Sensitive topics that could be upsetting for some.
And I do not just say this. I myself had a physical reaction to the beginning of this book as I was in a similar first love relationship to the Main Character and it definitely brought up some old emotions for me.

● NARRATION ● by Jennifer Aquino
Jennifer perfectly fitted the characters. She did an exceptional job at separating them by changing her volume, pace, tone & accent.
Her talent truly brought it to life. I could picture the individual characters and see the story playing out in my mind. For me, this is very important when there is one narrator. There needs to be that separation for you to be able to follow along.

● FLOW ●
The "tick, tick, tick" is an excellent edition to add breaks & separation between timelines & events. It is also a very important key element that brings the cultural superstitions to reality. You 'watch' as they transform.
We are taken on a journey of a girl falling for her first love, slowly separated from her loved ones, gaslit and emotionally & physically abused, instilled with fear of no way out. Malaya feels she has no other choice but to escape, to seek help from a sea witch her 'Aunty' told her about, although she doesn't truly believe they exist. The pace picks up when she gives up her voice in exchange for a do-over, where she never got with her abusive boyfriend. Once the fear of old wives' tales becomes reality, events & elements are presented quicker.

I did find the transition between love & abuse to the supernatural elements a little clunky. The merge of these different genres could have meshed better.

● OVERALL ●
There is love, heartbreak, family, friends, supernatural beings & creatures, all in one. Malaya discovers new friends, love, and a closeness with family she missed in her previous life. She sees the dangers in magic and not taking responsibility for your actions. In the end, Malaya has to make hard decisions once she realises the sea witch did not truly give her a do-over, but instead, what she actually did means loss, heartache,and possibly the end of the ones she loves.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thanks to @netgalley & @tidescollide for an ARC (Audio). This review is 100% my own honest opinions.

All of this felt like too many ideas forced into one book. It jumped around from the toxic relationship to Filipino mythology and I couldn’t get a sense of what the genre was. The book felt very rushed and I’m still not certain of the major themes or what the book was supposed to be about. The narrator was very good at least.

Immersed in a toxic relationship, Malaya seeks solace in the sea, only to be thrown into the clutches of a sea witch. Cursed by her family's tragic past, Malaya must navigate a world where her first love is destined to bring death. With the help of the sea witch, Malaya attempts to rewrite her fate, but unleashes chaos in the process. Can she and her allies defeat the sea witch and save both timelines? Dive into this thrilling tale of myth and redemption.

Interesting Premise, unfortunately, this wasn’t my cup of tea, DNFed it at 50%
I might pick it up later

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I loved it. I will make sure to check out other books by this author. When I requested this I was just intrigued by the concept of it and I loved how it turned out. This story had a great plot and if you have read this and enjoyed it, This was so much. It was such a great story. I would say give this one a try. I will continue to follow this author. Way to go to this author for not letting me down.

I highly enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. Kept me listening.

I did not finish this book in time for release. The introduction to the story was very interesting, but a bit slow for me

When Oceans Rise by Robin Alvarez is a well crafted and refreshing story. Alvarez weaves intriguing lore into the story, alongside relatable and engaging characters. The main character, Malaya, is especially relatable to teens searching for their sense of self amidst toxic romance, and traumatic families. While Malaya's damaging decisions are somewhat attributed to a familial curse, by the end of the novel she has regained some significant agency over herself and her own identity. Through world building, Alvarez gives just enough without revealing her whole hand. My only complaint is that I didn't want some of the conclusion to be as rushed as it was. In general, really good book!

The premise sounded interesting, I’m getting more into retellings lately and it was available in audio format. What could go wrong? I tried and I tried but I couldn’t get myself to like it. This was already a lengthy audiobook so I was hoping for a good pace to keep the story moving, but it was so slow. This book handled a heavy topic but didn’t seem to explore it to its full potential. There were a few things I couldn’t wrap my head around, and it’s understandable, not being in the situation the main character was in, but still… Some things shouldn’t have been left to go on for so long. Then again, there wouldn’t have been much of a book, I guess. I struggled to place this book as a romance novel as well because of the themes used.

Before I get into the details, I want to tick off some minor thoughts. First, the cover is to die for! I won't say that the jacket is why I picked up this audio, but I will say it helped. I wasn't a fan of the narrator, Jennifer Aquino. Between the first quarter of the story and Aquino's storytelling, this book almost resulted in a DNF. Luckily, the novel won me over, and I could bypass Aquino's voice. I found her stiff and robotic. Thirdly, I applaud Alvarez for making a content warning paragraph in the Author's Note section. If not for that, I would have judged the main character harshly and viewed the outcome of this story way differently.

I have never felt this emotionally anxious and pissed off about a book until I read this one. I got angry. I got angry for Malaya, and then I got angry at her. But the story doesn't necessarily revolve around this abusive relationship. Once we meet the Ursula of the Philippines, Malaya's story changes. I did like the use of The Little Mermaid mixed with Filipino mythology in the tale. I also like how Alvarez spun the story so it wasn't about finding the right romance in another lifetime. It was about choices. Malaya got to see different friendships with different people, how well she got along with her family, and how she could find a love interest the right way in a different reality.

3.5 stars