Skip to main content

Distant Waves: A Novel of the Titanic


Distant Waves: A Novel of the Titanic is a YA supernatural historical novel by Suzanne Weyn.

Being the daughter of a famed clairvoyant isn't always a dream come true. This becomes more and more apparent to Jane as she and her four sisters grow up in the town of Spirit Vale, a place where their mother settled them at the turn of the twentieth century. The town is entirely inhabited by spiritualists, believers, and the tourists who come in seeking answers. When she was young, Jane was convinced of her mother's abilities - but her older, beautiful sister Mimi thinks otherwise. The twins, Emma and Amelie, further complicate matters by seeming to be the next in line to set up shop, since their strange bond and seemingly psychic connections hearkens to an inheritance of "the gift". But the youngest, Blythe, really couldn't care less - she just wants to be famous.

Jane just doesn't know. As she nears 1912 at almost seventeen, she tries not to worry much about what she believes to be true or not, but lets herself be caught up in the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and her impossible dreams of being a writer. But it seems her interest in the genius Nikola Tesla will bring Jane her own adventures - adventures that turn terrifying as the Taylor sisters, the famed inventor, and the great luxury ship Titanic converge fates...

My synopsis of Distant Waves feels weak to me, probably because the novel is so multilayered. I only want to give away so much, as it is full of unexpected twists from beginning to end.

And what a beginning it is! We start off in the middle of one of Jane's mother's seances, in which she was still pregnant with Blythe and all the other girls are very young. It is creepy and ghostly right off the bat! But instead of trying to be a ghost story, Suzanne Weyn brings to us an interesting, compelling tale of coming-of-age among the early 1900s fascination with spiritualism, with a medium as a mother. The question of whether or not her mother is a fraud is constantly intriguing - adding yet another human layer to the fascinating, page-turning book Distant Waves ended up being.

Jane is an excellent character to follow, quieter and more in the background among her more vivacious or odd sisters. The historical details vibrate to the point of feeling like you're there, without filling too many pages with paragraphs of mindless description. There is a strangeness, a wonder, that comes from Jane's unorthodox upbringing and the question of: are ghosts real or is it all a con?

There are revelations involving almost ever character in Distant Waves that are surprising and done with a surprisingly delicate tone. Suzanne Weyn presents identity issues, the pain of family love, and a sisterly bond that bends so much you wonder if it'll break. It is jarring, compelling, and wholly original!

Distant Waves gives us an entirely new story involving the Titanic tragedy that makes it something entirely romantic, heartbreaking, unabashedly spooky, frantically scary as it reaches the depths of survival, and an amazing read!!! I look forward to reading this intelligent novel again!

A great read!

***BIBLIOPHILE ALERT! I have been reading like an even crazier book addict than usual this year, and apparently three reviews a week can't keep up pace with me! Because of this, for the entire month of July I will be having FIVE reviews a week! That's right! Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday! So, please remember to check back here more often during July - and come August I'm planning on returning to three reviews a week. Keep the schedule change in mind, and don't miss any reviews! :)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

First Step: Admit You Have a Problem

Hi fellow Bibliophiles! I have been rather neglectful to this blog... instead continuing to stay buried in a book as I have during the holidays. I'm hopeful that most of you have been doing this too and can easily accept my apology. Have I been reading? Um, yeah! (Translation: duh.) Just haven't been able to pull myself away long enough to actually WRITE about what I'm reading. Lol. But that's me, a bibliophile, an addict, an addict who's fallen off the wagon and fully embraced her love of reading - especially with all this free time to do so!!! I've also been watching awesome holiday movies, eating yummy, but bad-for-me, food and hanging out with the people I love best! You too? I hope! ;) Anyway, I will return with a new book review next week, most likely on Monday or Tuesday. Thanks for your patience and keep reading!!!

Promotion Celebration for Maximum Ride!!!

Do you love the series Maximum Ride ? How about James Patterson? Are you a huge fan of action-packed books? Well, I’m thrilled to bring to you an opportunity to stock up on some awesome reading!!! ENTER TO WIN A SET OF JAMES PATTERSON PAGETURNERS! MAXIMUM RIDE – IF SHE LIVES, THE WORLD LIVES, IT’S THAT SIMPLE. Read “MAX” - the newest book in the bestselling Maximum Ride series. On sale in paperback 09/01/09! Still reeling from their most recent adventure, Maximum Ride and the rest of the flock must head out to sea to uncover the secret behind a brand new series of disasters—fish are dying off the coast of Hawaii, hundreds of ships are being destroyed. As if that weren’t enough, they’re also being tracked by a criminal mastermind with, oh yeah, an army of mercenaries. Can the flock save themselves and the ocean, and the world, from utter destruction? Now for the rules : The Maximum Ride: Max Promotion is open to legal US residents who are at least 13 years of age as of August 24, 200

Author Q & A - Jan Eldredge Stops By!

Next Wednesday y'all will be getting my oh-so-humble opinion of Evangeline of the Bayou , the Summer 2018 Kids' Indie Next List selection! (That means it was picked via booksellers at independent bookstores countrywide.) Until then, I have a Q&A with the Louisiana born and raised author herself: Jan Eldredge! (Don't forget to come back next week for my review!!) A Conversation with JAN ELDRIDGE Author of Evangeline of the Bayou 1) The glossary in the back of the book is so helpful! Where did you learn about all these creatures? Which creature from the book is your favorite? I have a small, but growing, collection of books about mythical creatures around the world. If I couldn’t find what I was looking for there, I researched library books, online websites, and the occasional documentary. Something that really surprised me as I started learning more about mythical monsters was the number of different cultures that share very similar