When Oceans Rise

Thank you to NetGalley and Tides Collide Publishing, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks for this Audio ARC of When Oceans Rise by Robin Alvarez.

This slightly Little Mermaid retelling is well done and sits well for the Young Adult genre. We learn early on through MFC Malaya’s mother that the women in her family are cursed to always have a first relationship with men that are bad. The MFC Malaya is in an abusive relationship, a first relationship at that, and feels trapped. This relationship is slightly rushed and we don’t see most of the trauma but are told it happens in most situations. I can see why this is done as it is YA. To escape her situation she goes to the sea queen and trades her voice for a life where she never meet the abusive boyfriend. This obviously doesn’t work out exactly how she expected with the sea witch obviously having ulterior motives.

The plot is character driven. We see a beautiful Filipino culture and folklore through out the book. The MFC has character growth and development throughout learning from her choices and mistakes. This is a wonderfully done coming of age YA story.

The narrator took me a few chapters to get used to but I overall enjoyed her rendition. I will definitely be recommending this to readers.

This novel is intense. I was not prepared for how intense the plot would be. Trigger warning: this whole novel is an allegorical retelling of the Little Mermaid: it's an allegory for abusive relationships which take voices away.

This novel is woven with Filipino mythology and it's beautifully tragic. I absolutely love this Little Mermaid retelling.

Malaya is in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend Ian. Ian is controlling, manipulative and physically abusive. Malaya is drowning and can't see any way to escape the weight of this relationship. She grows so desperate that she makes a death wish which leads her to the sea witch. Auntie Maggie offers Malaya a deal: trade her voice for a restart in which she never dates Ian, never falls for him, and the pain will be like years have past: there, but not as powerful or deep. The only hiccup: sea witches are not to be trusted and a surge of mythological beasts have been unleashed on the earth.

What I loved: the Filipino mythology - I need to read more of it in my life, this retellings of Little Mermaid has a more powerful message and a more positive ending, I love how much Malaya grows in this story

This novel is poetic and beautiful. I highly recommend it.

This book was such a beautiful showcase of filipino culture and mythology. The plot was creative and had me racing to find out what would happen next, and the audiobook narrator did a wonderful job adding to my reading experience. The characters were unique and well written. I appreciated that the depictions of abuse were described in minimalistic terms while maintaining believability. The only negative of this book for me was that I didn't feel like enough time was spent building the characters emotions; Because I wasn't pulled into celebrating or grieving alongside the characters, I didn't feel the strong emotional connection to the story that would have me picking it up for a reread down the line. The redeeming moment for emotional connection came to me during the epilogue.

Overall, this was a good YA book. I would recommend it for teens, tweens, and adults who enjoy YA.

This is an absolutely STUNNING novel that is not only fantastical in nature but also takess the time to incorperate Fillipino culture and folklore into the storyline in a way that feels natural, believable, relevant, and special.
I have read so many "Little Mermaid" type retellings and my favorite are always the ones that tell the story in a more unique way and weave somethiing new into the tale. Robin Alvarez did so beautifully.
I think I now class this as one of my favorite versions.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook.

When Oceans Rise follows 17-year-old Malaya, struggling in an abusive relationship, who acts on a death wish and ends up in an alternate timeline.

I enjoyed this read. The combination of Filipino mythology and an interesting twist on The Little Mermaid made a great story.

I appreciated the warning at the start of this - while I've never been in an abusive relationship, giving a reasoning behind Malaya's actions, which may seem unnatural to someone who has not been in the situation allows people to go into the story with a differing perspective.

The fact this story mainly centred on the female characters, such as Malaya, her sister, and mother and male characters fell more to the wayside was a breath of fresh air compared to some of the books when I was growing up. As this is aimed at young adult, I think it's important for girls coming of age to have those strong characters featured in books and their stories told, when so many stories can have male leads.

The first 25-30% was tough to listen to at times, purely because of the subject matter, but once we got into the other side of things, it was well-paced and an interesting story, with plenty of action. The final 20% was great, although that ending almost killed me - it ended so abruptly!

A really good read, recommended to readers of all ages.

“When Oceans Rise” by Robin Alvarez a fantasy YA about Malaya. Malaya, struggling to get along with her family and her toxic boyfriend, seeks help from a sea witch. Trading her voice for a world where her and her boyfriend have never met Malaya ends up in an alternative reality. Even though her new reality is better in almost every way, the deal she made has created a curse of Filipino mythological creatures being let into the worlds.

I loved this book so much. It is a great YA book that was unique in the way it was a retelling unlike any other I’ve read. The aspects and vibes I got from the book right away was it’s the Little Mermaid retelling but Filipino and has aspects that reminded me of Lilo and Stitch because of the surfing family vibes. I liked that the abuse was not very graphic so younger readers could also read the book. I liked pretty much all of it, the families, the friends, the love interest, the story, the action, and especially the main character. I liked how Malaya was selfish and not selfish at the same time so very realistic. I really liked how the book ended and it was not necessarily all is perfect but more realistically lessons were learned. I gave the book a 5 out of 5 stars.
-Little Mermaid Retelling
-Abuse/Gaslighting
-Filipino Culture/Mythology
-Family Struggles
-Cheating

Incredible read! Fast paced, quick read, and very interesting subject matter. Realistic fiction about abusive relationships intertwined with folkloric monsters.

my relationship with this book stems from a me problem. Everything about it was good, promising storyline and characters, important themes, great twist on the Little Mermaid and Philipino folklore. However, it was too YA for me and I am not enjoying YA as I used too, it often feels too childish and shallow which is my feeling on this story. 3 stars

I thought that this was such an enjoyable read. It was culture, it was family, it was finding oneself, it was coming of age, it was learning one's value, and coming to love yourself. I loved Malaya's character and I was rooting for her throughout the entire novel. I love the incorporation of Filipino culture that gave me a glimpse of their worldview, gods and monsters, myths, and folklore. I loved that aspect of the story and I loved the commentary and how the author addressed perceptions of Filipino culture and the desire to be seen differently and in a better light. And this was a perfect coming of age story, while layering in the added dynamic of abuse. It was an important topic to incorporate because I think its a topic of teen/late teen relationships that definitely goes unnoticed and as a teen at odds with a family, there really isn't anyone for them to turn to. And for Malaya to lose her voice to find her voice was so poetic and symbolic. We use our words as a shield and when we lose that shield, it allows for so many more avenues of, vulnerability, communication, and perspective to enter a relationship. Great novel!

This story is an alternate take on The Little Mermaid where a seventeen year old Filipino girl named Malaya, runs off to the sea witch and exchanges her voice for a different life away from her gaslighting, abusive boyfriend. In her life she realizes the sea witch wasn’t exactly truthful about the exchange and Malaya must now do whatever she can to save everyone she loves from an onslaught of Filipino monsters.
The use of Filipino folklore was intriguing and kept the adventure going, however the flow of the story was very disjointed and made it hard to follow and at times I was anxiously waiting for the story to be done. The story had a lot great ideas, it just seemed to trip over its own feet at times.
The audiobook narration was just ok for me. I’m not a huge audiobook fan overall but here I found the voice style to drag the action out even more than necessary and the characters felt lackluster at best. 3.5 stars

I never thought that a fantasy book would feel that real to me, given that isn't my favorite genre. Reading about Malaya brought back memories of my time being a "Malaya". A sad and hopeful reading at the same time. I don't think that this book feels the same to everyone but I wish I would've read it 5 years ago.

The story follows Malaya who is in an abusive relationship but doesn't acknowledge it. She pushes away everybody to be in this relationship. One day she makes a deal with a Sea Witch and her life changes for the better, until she starts to see monsters.

The character development was strong and I really liked that when she gets back to her timeline she struggles to make the change even though she knows it's for her own good, making the last few chapters plausible once again.

If you are looking for a book about abusive relationship that isn't "it ends with us", you found the right book.

This book is a very loose retelling of the little mermaid, with fillipino folklore.

The book deals with heavy topics like generational trauma and abusive relationships, so I recommend checking TWs before reading.

A little mermaid retelling with Filipino folklore? Yes please.

Mayala is a teen Filipino American girl that is constantly being compared to her younger sister and is told that she is cursed to have a disastrous first love and the only way out is for part of herself to be killed. She starts dating Ian who quickly becomes manipulative, gaslight-y and then physically abusive. She turns to a sea witch for help to reset her life to remove this curse of a terrible first love. The sea witch makes a bargain: Mayala’s voice for a life reset.

I really enjoyed the Filipino folklore and all the different creatures. I also really like the growth of Mayala’s family and how well they worked together once they started communicating in more healthy ways. My main issues with the book were personal reading preferences. The author did a great job in showing the ways the relationship was horrible so I wish later we didn’t have to be constantly reminded. Just like a classic show don’t tell type thing. I think most YA readers won’t take issue with it. Just a personal pet peeve. I would love to read more from this author especially more folklore.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tides Collide Publishing for an advanced listening copy.

When Oceans Rise dealt fearlessly with difficult topics while also being a genuinely heartwarming and exciting read. If you enjoy deep character development, action/adventure, romance, drama, or cultural folklore, this book has it all!

Loved the Filipino folklore and FilAm representation. Loved the storyline and the emotional roller coaster it had me on. It was very entertaining. However, there seemed to be some plot holes and other things that never came full circle or made much sense.

The narrator did an astounding job to bring out the characters and their emotions to life. Absolutely loved it!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this audiobook.

I wish I liked this book more than I did.

For me, the main issue is pacing. The original relationship is the catalyst to all of the choices made in the rest of the novel, and we simply don’t spend enough time with them to understand: why she like him in the first place, what their relationship was like in day to day, and the effects it had on her regular life. It’s a crucial foundation that we are missing because it is far too quickly paced. This makes the rest of the story less impactful. When our main character starts telling us how different her life is, we just have to accept that, because we ourselves don’t see the difference since we never saw, in depth, what it was like to begin with.

This feeling of being rushed continued for me throughout the story. Most themes that are brought up are not fully explored and analysed in my opinion, which is a shame since I do believe this book had things to say.

I did like the way that Filipino mythology was interwoven in the story. I love getting to learn more about mythological creatures from other cultures!

Finally, just a small grievance I have, is when the character is unable to speak for the majority of the book, I am baffled by the fact that she doesn’t think to use sign language. Not once is sign language mentioned as a plausible option for her to communicate. Even if it wasn’t official sign language, at least creating signs within her close social network for common words would have been useful.

Overall I think the premise was interesting, but it didn’t live up to its full potential for me.

When Oceans Rise by Robin Alvarez was a decent book, and I liked the narrator Jennifer Aquino, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations. The plot had potential, but it felt like it was lacking depth and complexity. The characters were also underdeveloped, making it difficult to connect with them on a deeper level. Additionally, the pacing of the story was inconsistent. There were moments where the action was intense and gripping, but then it would suddenly slow down and lose momentum. This made it hard to stay fully engaged throughout the book. Furthermore, the writing style felt a bit amateurish at times. The dialogue was often stilted and unrealistic, which made it hard to believe in the authenticity of the characters' interactions. The descriptive language was also lacking, leaving me wanting more vivid and immersive descriptions of the setting and atmosphere. Overall, When Oceans Rise had potential, but it fell short in several areas. While it may appeal to readers looking for a quick and easy read, and audiophiles may enjoy the narration, I personally found it to be lacking in depth and execution.

3.5 Stars
This story blends together elements of love, abuse, family, Philippine mythology, and The Little Mermaid.

Malaya's family has been plagued by a curse that has haunted them for generations—an ominous prophecy that predicts every girl's first love will end in tragedy. Adding to the horror, their first love is always someone wicked. Malaya didn't give this curse a second thought until it struck her own heart. Swept away by the waves of emotion, she found herself infatuated with a guy she encountered at the beach. Little did she know, he would gradually weave a web of isolation, abuse, and manipulation around her, escaping seeming utterly impossible. In her desperation, Malaya sought the assistance of the sea witch. From there, Malaya's entire reality was flipped on its head.

Great idea! I love the combination of the Philippine influence and the story's portrayal of abuse creates a compelling and impactful narrative. Regrettably, the story's style is too YA for my preference. All in all, it was a decent read that had its moments.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Robin Alvarez, and Tides Collide Publishing for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

This was one of those books that was un-put-downable. I had the audio book and didn't want to stop listening, basically binging it. It follows Malaya who is in a toxic relationship and has made a lot of bad choices, feeling like she has nowhere to turn she swims out into the sea one night and ends up being claimed by the sea witch and ends up in an alternate timeline of her life that changes everything. Tied together with Filipino mythology, this story is both action-packed and emotional. I loved and felt for the characters and especially enjoyed seeing all the personal growth in Malaya throughout the story. This is perfect for any fans of YA fantasy, mythology, or retellings.

Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with the audiobook in exchange for a review!

I remember hearing about this book a few months ago and was SO excited for its release. When I spotted an audiobook available on Net Galley, I knew I just HAD to listen to it. Unfortunately, it didn’t exactly live up to the hype I had for it.
Don’t get me wrong: it wasn’t bad at all! The story is compelling and fairly unique… it just wasn’t anything amazing in my opinion. Again, it could be awesome for you; it just wasn’t for me and that’s okay!

I felt like it was a little bit too metaphorical for me, like the connections between the waves and her abusive relationship. While a little bit was nice, it felt a tad overdone by the end of the story.

Regarding the Filipino aspect, I really enjoyed getting to learn about another culture in this unique way! However, as someone who is fairly unfamiliar with this culture, I do wish that certain aspects were explained a little bit better, such as what each monster looked like. I had to use a lot of context clues in order to picture the events, which sort of took me out of the story.

Overall, this was a fairly unique read! I don’t think it was exactly the best for me, but I can definitely see the appeal.

This audiobook journey was so insane. Heed the warnings and enjoy the journey of growth of Malaya.

Malaya gets into her first relationship after Tita Blessica gives her a love fortune and her mother tells her of a family curse involving first romances. Ignoring this, she persues her first boyfriend. The curse quickly becomes true, and she looks for a escape. All of this is incredibly early on but starts her fantastic journey of self growth and realizations of what she actually wants in her life.
Drama, fantasy and humor intertwine. I enjoyed every minute listening. How the differences between the lives lined up and entwined, the folklore, the Filipino parties... Even the humor of her view of balut made me laugh. (BTW try it if you haven't, it's tasty)

Even the tension around her solution to the major conflicts caused by her decisions was well crafted. I would definitely listen again or maybe pick up the text version to read. I highly recommend this book, this journey. The ending was satisfying even before the epilogue.