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ktlee_writes's review against another edition
5.0
ON FRAGILE WAVES by E. Lily Yu is a gem of a novel chronicling a refugee family’s flight from Afghanistan through Indonesia to the island of Nauru, where they are detained in a camp while awaiting the Australian government’s decision regarding their asylum claim. Even after they arrive in Melbourne, 10-year-old Firuzeh and her younger brother, Nour, as well as their parents, Atay and Abay, struggle to build a life that holds more than barebones subsistence.
Yu has crafted a wondrous treasure of a book in these pages. Her writing is exquisite, haunting, gorgeous, and precise. She manages to depict the horrors of the refugee camp on Nauru and the desolate despair of life in Australia through the eyes of children, and the voices she gives to Firuzeh and Nour feel realistic without being too childish, a difficult balance to strike. Yu pulls off incorporating experimental prose, folklore/storytelling, and a touch of magical realism (in Firuzeh’s imaginary friend, a girl named Nasima) seamlessly. The short chapter length kept me turning pages, and the few tangents into the lives of side characters enhanced the tapestry she creates of the refugee community.
The questions raised in this book are pressing and essential: What is home? Who is responsible for the thriving of immigrants and refugees? How do we process trauma while just trying to survive? What is a child to do with the weight of her family’s burdens? When others try to help, what does more harm than good?
Read this if you adore good writing, stories of refugees, and are ready to have your heart appropriately broken. ON FRAGILE WAVES is part WHAT STRANGE PARADISE (Omar El Akkad - another slim novel about a Syrian refugee boy’s flight to Greece and attempts to evade authorities), part THE NAKED DON’T FEAR THE WATER (Matt Aikins’ non-fiction account of an Afghan refugee’s journey to slip into Europe). It’s a poignant, heart wrenching book that is somehow also a joy to read.
Yu has crafted a wondrous treasure of a book in these pages. Her writing is exquisite, haunting, gorgeous, and precise. She manages to depict the horrors of the refugee camp on Nauru and the desolate despair of life in Australia through the eyes of children, and the voices she gives to Firuzeh and Nour feel realistic without being too childish, a difficult balance to strike. Yu pulls off incorporating experimental prose, folklore/storytelling, and a touch of magical realism (in Firuzeh’s imaginary friend, a girl named Nasima) seamlessly. The short chapter length kept me turning pages, and the few tangents into the lives of side characters enhanced the tapestry she creates of the refugee community.
The questions raised in this book are pressing and essential: What is home? Who is responsible for the thriving of immigrants and refugees? How do we process trauma while just trying to survive? What is a child to do with the weight of her family’s burdens? When others try to help, what does more harm than good?
Read this if you adore good writing, stories of refugees, and are ready to have your heart appropriately broken. ON FRAGILE WAVES is part WHAT STRANGE PARADISE (Omar El Akkad - another slim novel about a Syrian refugee boy’s flight to Greece and attempts to evade authorities), part THE NAKED DON’T FEAR THE WATER (Matt Aikins’ non-fiction account of an Afghan refugee’s journey to slip into Europe). It’s a poignant, heart wrenching book that is somehow also a joy to read.
christynhoover's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
amydavid's review against another edition
5.0
This was so good, and even more poignant given the rapidly-developing situation in Afghanistan. The author does a phenomenal job using the "magical" pieces to build tension and heighten the emotions throughout the book, making it immensely readable, even as the plot lingers in the tedium of a refugee camp.
am_phigory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
iirreeaadd's review against another edition
3.0
The first half of this book didnt really grab me but I liked the second half and felt more engaged in the story at that part. Overall the story didn't sweep me away. I did find it a compelling and solid character study about a truly difficult situation though.
mfahey27's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
morathornton's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0