Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. The following opinions are my own.

I thought the narrator for this book did a great job and I enjoyed her ability to make the story come to life. Although I think this book wasn't as developed as it could be. I felt like parts were skipped over and not fully explored which made it hard to commit to the characters journey.

Not for me, Dnf at 40% was very confused and had no idea what was going on. It all felt very rushed to me and I was having a very hard time following along.

Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Malaya is a seventeen and has been cursed. Her family has been cursed that the girls will fall in love with someone who is evil and dies. Malaya has a great boyfriend, Ian, so she figures the curse does not apply to her. Too late, she notices that Ian is gaslighting her and he becomes more and more abusive.

Malaya connects with a sea witch, who offers a deal. The sea witch will take Malaya’s voice in exchange for a life where Malaya ever met Ian. But things go sideways and she ends up in an alternate universe where she has made very different choices, leading to her making very different choices. This affects her various relationships, for example she is much closer with her mother in the alternate timeline. The sea witch uses Malaya’s voice to release a multitude of monsters in both worlds. Can Malaya defeat the monsters, end the sea witch and make it back to her “real” life?

I liked this book because it is very different from the type of books I usually read. I learned a bit about Filipino mythology, which was really interesting. There was a lot of action and energetic scenes throughout the book, but really there was also just as much focus on relationships. Malaya’s choices, especially those relating to Ian, affected all of her relationships. I listened to the audiobook version, and I really enjoyed the narrator. This book was a good read. It covered many varied themes and topics and the author did a great job layering complex characters with a fast paced story line.

Trigger warnings for When Oceans Rise include: physical, emotional & mental abuse, physical violence, manipulation and gaslighting.
☆
☆
This is my second time trying this book, just in a different format. The first time I got an ARC of this, it was an ebook copy and I really struggled reading it. I think I possibly ended up DNFing the book actually. But this time I'm having a better time with it. Though I'd say that 'better time' is relative since the subject of this book isn't happy or positive, but I'm find it less of a struggle to read in the audio format.
~
It is described as a Little Mermaid retelling, and I would definitely agree with that idea, to a degree. It fits with the the Disney tells the story of Ariel, or the Little Mermaid, however it doesn't match up with the way the original fairy tale goes.
~
Unlike when I tried to read this book the first time, I actually enjoyed it this time. I liked Malaya as a character, because she's flawed, she makes mistakes, some of which are worse and more dangerous than others. I also really liked how her relationship with the various characters was different across the arc of the story.
~
I feel as though if I say too much more I'm in danger of spoiling the story, though the ebook and the physical book have been out for a while, but the audiobook has only just been released.
•
Thank you to NetGalley and author Robin Alvarez for sending me an ALC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review..

I have previously read the ebook for this book as an early reader and loved it. To hear it be brought to life was amazing and moved me in ways i hadn’t expected.

I’m just being honest when I say that this audiobook just wasn’t for me. It started off strong but it was just a little too slow for me.

This dark Little Mermaid retelling is packed full of Filipino mythology and folklore, and of course all the different monsters that come with that. I did find it got off to a slow start focusing on Malaya’s relationship with Ian, which was fraught with domestic abuse in different forms. It was certainly difficult to read this, as you would expect, and Malaya’s reactions seemed realistic and though this relationship is a driving force for decisions Malaya has to make and changes in her personal relationships and the way she interacts with the world, I don’t necessarily think it needed to be as long a part of the book as it was. I was beyond ready to dive into the fantasy parts of this story and watch Malaya discover a different life for herself, growing in confidence and becoming more self-assured as she learns more about her Filipino culture and fights to save people from the monsters now plaguing the city. This was a very intricately woven story with a lot of difficult themes, fraught family relationships, and the struggles of teenage years and though it was a little confusing at times, and could have perhaps been half the length, I enjoyed seeing how Malaya’s perspective changed and how much she grew during the time since her interaction with the sea witch. She’s a strong and inspirational character and one with experiences nobody should have at her age. All that being said, it was an interesting story and I enjoyed the folklore elements especially but it was also a very sudden ending that left me befuddled and asking ‘How??’. The narrator was a great choice for Malaya and really brought her to life.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

Captivating, Magical, Retelling. It had been nice to read seeing as I love books with mermaids. This one's interesting, it really gives us the nothing is free with magic vibes and so many life advice. I found that I quite enjoyed listening to it and the ethnicity was really shining in it. The narrator also did fantastic to bring the story to life.

Be careful what you wish for, really! Magic always comes at a price. This Little Mermaid fractured tale reminds us that things can always get worse. Our next choices determine if things get better or worse. Alvarez artfully weaves in Filipino culture, mythology, toxic relationships, and dual universes. As time works against Malaya, can she set things right in the worlds her wish is destroying?

I thoroughly enjoyed “When Oceans Rise” by Robin Alvarez, a captivating young adult fantasy contemporary romance that artfully reimagines the Little Mermaid with a Filipino folklore twist. The author skillfully weaves the narrative around the protagonist, Malaya, navigating an abusive relationship and seeking refuge in the sea’s mystical depths.

Alvarez masterfully incorporates Filipino culture into the storyline, creating a rich and detailed backdrop for the characters. The depiction of abusive relationships is handled with care and authenticity, adding a layer of realism to the fantastical elements. The well-paced narrative, coupled with meticulous research, ensures a compelling and immersive reading experience.

A standout element was the stellar narration by Jennifer Aquino. Her performance breathed life into the story, making it feel like a cinematic experience. The ease of following the audiobook added to its overall appeal.

In conclusion, I unequivocally rate “When Oceans Rise” five stars. It’s a remarkable debut that not only offers a fresh take on a classic tale but also delves into important themes with sensitivity. I eagerly anticipate future works from Robin Alvarez, especially if they continue to explore folklore in such an engaging manner.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Robin Alvarez for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC audiobook for When Oceans Rise coming out December 19, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I read a couple books featuring Filipinos, and I really enjoyed them. So I was excited to check this out. I also really love mythology and ocean-based stories. I enjoyed the parallels to the Little Mermaid. I think the pacing of the story was a little off for me. The beginning felt a little rushed, and it was hard to tell from the audiobook what was so miserable about her life. It’s seemed like it was a typical teenage life. Her mom seem to love her and wanted to look out for her. There didn’t seem to be a lot between her and her boyfriend. It was supposed to be a toxic relationship, but it also felt like she was instantly liking other guys. So it is a little confusing to understand her motives and personality. I thought the narrator did a really good job. I would check out other books by this author, but this one wasn’t all that I hoped for.

When Oceans Rise has a concept that really drew me in. A twist on The Little Mermaid with Filipino mythology also in there? I was sold! Not to mention a teenager struggling through a toxic relationship and learning how to navigate that, I was curious to see what the author was going to do. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with this read like I would have liked too.

The story starts off fast. I felt plumeted into the middle of Malaya's life. We hear about how she's going to meet someone, her family curse and then we are speed run into how the relationship she is in is toxic and she doesn't really know how to get out of it. While on one level, I did feel some sympathy towards her, I was also so spun around trying to keep up with everything that was being thrown at me that the sympathy and connection wasn't as strong as I would have liked.

This pacing is continued throughout the story. One thing to another is being thrown at the reader. For me, this made me for a sort of disconnection to the story. I was still a little curious, but also wouldn't have cared if someone had given me their version of the story and what they liked about the book.

What I did enjoy was how the Filipino mythology was weaved into the story. I thought the author did an excellent job of weaving that in and making that part exciting. That part left me eager to find more stories about Filipino mythology to see what else is out there.
A narrator can make or break a story and while I don't think the narrator for this one did a bad job, she also didn't keep me engaged. Everything for me felt a little monotone, so even the action scenes didn't feel like this life or death situation.

Overall, When Oceans Rise was a miss for me. For a teen, I could see them enjoying this or anyone else into YA and mythology. As always, if it sounds interesting, give it a shot. This just wasn't for me.

Thank you Netgalley for the change to listen to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this story, I liked how the abusive relationship was handled it was very realistic. I adored the Philippine mythology and the little mermaid vibes we had going on. and it wrapped up really nicely in the end.

the writing was really nice. I did enjoy the narrator as well.

my only thing with this book is the use of AI art for the cover. Not only does AI art steal from real artists it also makes the image look very distorted like with her hand and the tentacle as well as her nose.

This is written in a way that reminds me of very young YA. I didn’t like it, I just couldn’t get into the story. I also had a lot of issues with the religious shame in the book but that was a personal hate thing. The narrator was good but she did sound like a grown woman not a 17 year old if that is an issue for you. The characters were mostly voiced really well.

4.5/5 stars!

When Oceans Rise is a reimagining of The Little Mermaid, wrapped in a story of love, family, friendships, and how abuse affects all of the above. This story involves parallel worlds that diverge from the choices that were made that affect all kinds of relationships, family and friends coming together to go monster hunting, and Philippine paranormal creatures coming out to play!

I had two favorite highlights from this book: 1) Malaya’s realization of what her relationship with her sister could be, and 2) the roller coaster of Malaya’s rocky relationship with her mom. It’s clear that Malaya is doing everything she can for her parallel world’s family, especially her sister, and it felt raw and realistic—seeing the dichotomy of her lives from when she was previously isolated from her loved ones from the influence of her boyfriend versus this other life where her friendships looked healthier but still suffering from the constraints of being the role model older sister. However, Malaya’s mother’s absolute reassurance of love and loving call out for the growth of Malaya’s own world’s relationship with her sister had me crying (in a good way lmao). Reading the effort that comes from trying to be the one to break generational trauma by healing her relationship her mom, *chef’s kiss.*

Also, shoutout to Salvador <3

As a Filipina American lifelong reader who now actively seeks to fill the gap in Fil-Am literature that I was deprived of from traditional publishing while growing up, there was something healing about reading and learning about Filipinx mythological creatures alongside these characters. I grew up in a Catholic household to Filipinx immigrants who never really took the time to discuss the Philippine paranormal with me. Most of what I learned of the subject came during college and beyond, and even as I learned about Filipinx mythology, my friends and I certainly never looked into how to defeat said creatures. LOL So despite the emotions and the heavy topic of abuse, it was still fun reading all the Filipinx paranormal creatures and learning how to beat the tikbalang and berberoka.

My only two gripes with the book were the narrator’s inconsistent pronunciation of Malaya’s name (bouncing between Mah-lay-ah and Mah-lie-ah so much that I doubted the phonetic pronunciation that I know the Filipino language to be to the point of asking my parents the right way of actually saying the name, which is the latter— like!! Be proud to have been given such a name!! It could definitely have been a *choice* to pronounce her name a certain way that deviates from the original pronunciation due to acclimating to a different language, culture, and environment, but the narrator never sticks to one pronunciation, not even for specific characters speaking to or from Malaya herself!!) and the demonization of balut. It’s one thing to have two characters express their disgust for balut if there was another character talking positively about it, but leaving the only mentions of balut as something disgusting and used as punishment as it’s only representation gives outsiders to the Filipinx culture permission to continue to disparage this Filipinx cultural street food (which is already constantly happening!! Look at the food challenges for the tv show, Survivor!!). Listening to the description of balut in this book felt like the immigrant’s child lunchbox moment of shame and bullying but coming from inside the house.

Besides that, I’m looking forward to reading more books by Alvarez! Thank you, Tides Collide Publishing and Netgalley, for the audio ARC!

This book is EVERYTHING I didn’t know I needed. There’s gods, magic, Filipino myths and legends, romance! It’s a little mermaid retelling that gives a HUGE message about toxic/abusive relationships and reminds us all that we have the power to not only speak up for ourselves, but to change and fix the relationships that we want to hold dear.

It reminds us that it is okay to let go of people that we care about if they are not what we need. I cannot write a long enough review to talk about the messages I received from this book. I could not stop listening to the audiobook and I CANNOT wait to purchase the physical copy.

I loved the storyline and how easy it was to follow. I feel like I personally know Malaya with how well her thoughts and emotions were written.

I almost gave this 4 stars because of the ending, which I hated. I hate the quick wrap up. I hated the epilogue. I hated that it read like the conclusion to a thesis statement. It didn’t even feel like the same writer. Which was wildly disappointing. The entire book was so good. It was culturally and magically rich and provided socio-political commentary without seeming preachy. The Filipino folklore/mythology was done well and facts and explanations were strewn through in a way that felt organic and non-forced (even the times when they were things I already knew). I did not like how Malaya could so easily communicate and everyone could read her lips at almost all times even sometimes when no one should have been able to see her. Lip reading is just not that simple, and it sometimes left me confused and hyper focused on figuring out how people knew what she was thinking. But that may be a me problem due to my natural inclination to fixate, so I did my best to suspend my disbelief.

Thank you to Tides Collide and NetGalley for the ARC

What an incredible debut by Robin Alvarez. This is a YA fantasy Little Mermaid retelling with a Filipino folklore twist in which Malaya visits a sea witch to get away from Prince Charming.

Heavy topics were covered but Robin Alvarez used a lot of care when discussing topics of family trauma and abusive relationships. I think it’s important for YA authors to tackle intimate partner violence because these types of relationships can start much younger than we like to think.

My only complaint was the brief mention of “wasting virginity” on someone unworthy. I wish we could get away from the concept of virginity in general but I know it’s seen as a milestone for young people.

I got the free audiobook

This 'The Little Mermaid' retelling was a really good read. I'm more afraid of Aswangs than the Boogieman.

I really enjoyed this book but the ending left me with more questions than answers and I needed to know 'how'.

I honestly didn't really like this one and was going to dnf it 10% in but I hate doing that so I continued. I will say it gets better at about 30% but it just wasn't for me. The beginning had very little substance and was repetitive, rushing time to lead up to Malaya's life being miserable and starting the real conflict of the book. Also there's a lot of instalove with the love interests, especially the second one, which while I understand they are young just didn't make sense to me. I think it could have been condensed with more original dialogue and deeper delving into the filipino legend and traditions of her family. There's not much in the way of descriptions for the setting which is fine but probably could have been better for the scene with the sea witch. The mother's warning in the beginning was confusing to me because she obviously was doing just fine herself, married with 3 children and the way the conversation goes felt like it could have definitely been handled better. The author gives content warnings at the start of the audio which is great because there's a lot of gaslighting, references to cheating, and general domestic abuse in the beginning. Many people are calling this a Little Mermaid retelling, and there are definitely similarities but I personally wouldn't recommend it if that's all you are looking for. Based on the description, there was a lot of potential and I think teens might enjoy this book but it fell flat for me.

I voluntarily listened to and reviewed an advanced copy of this audio from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.