The Sea-Wave

Thank you to NetGalley, Guernica Editions and Rolli for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Sea-Wave is a flash fiction novel that describes the abduction of a mute severely disabled “wheelie” (wheelchair-bound) 12 old girl, by an old emotionally unstable man. The novel is narrated by the 12 year old girl, via the use of little vignettes into her diary. These vignettes contain stories about her life with her emotionally closed off parents, (who she feels do not love her) to her kidnapping and current life with the old man and the journey he has taken her on.

The narrator does an effective job in each vignette of stating her frame of mind: being unhappy, sad, trapped, feeling unloved, knowing that she is smart and feeling that that is all she has going for her. Feeling alone, friendless, and feeling ignored by her parents. All of those feelings ooze from the pages of this novella. Even though you don’t know her name, you can’t help but care.

While the narrator is scared of her captor, he speaks to her, not at her. Thus, she does not feel ignored and feels alive for the first time in her life and that is utterly confusing to her. Throughout, you cannot help but wonder why she was kidnapped, who this old man is and where he is taking her. You also can’t help but wonder if her parents are looking for her or if they care if she is gone.

While Rolli gives some of the peripheral characters in the book names, none of the core characters are named. I believe that this is the author’s way of trying to describe another facet of the main character’s relationships with her family (along with other characters) without having to continually overstate it. Due to the fact that the story is told in vignettes written by the 12 year old, there is no dialogue.

Rolli did a good job in writing well thought out characters; the narrator is especially compelling and my heart was breaking for her time and time again. I also thought the structure of the book was quite effective and do not recall having read a book without dialogue, told only in vignettes previously. I will say however, that the “Sea-Wave” was described on at least 3 occasions and I re-read it several times and still do not comprehend how that description fit with what happened to the narrator or any portion of the novella for that matter.

I did however, thoroughly enjoy this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for something different. Something that will evoke emotion.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 8/30/16.

** Will be published on Amazon on 9/1/16.

This is a very unusual piece of fiction both in the characters and in the writing style. The character of the old man is confusing and it never really makes sense to me why he abducted this disabled girl. It's obvious he is in pain and seems to feel a kinship with the girl. The practical side of me couldn't help but wonder why nobody noticed the old man pushing a girl in a wheelchair if indeed she was reported abducted.

The thoughts of the girl are eloquent and witty but oh-so-sad. My heart ached for this girl who longed for human touch and caring. The observations she made about people's reactions to a disabled person seem to be spot on. I would be curious to hear what a disabled, wheelchair-bound person thinks of this story. Is it just what the able-bodied think a disabled person would feel or is it accurate.

There isn't really a plot to the story as much as this is a character study of the girl and the people who surround her. For such a short piece of work, it packs quite a punch!

Beautiful and surprising. I will be reading more from Rolli.