Scan barcode
belacbooks's review
2.0
Within Boudel Tan's sophomore novel is quite the thrilling story. Unfortunately, the way said story is told (i.e., like a screenplay with most of the blocking already on the page) detracts from what could have been a much more compelling read. This novel falls victim to the sin of telling, not showing. Characters are said to be this or that, but neither this nor that will ever be examined with any depth. The reader is just expected to accept this as a truth. Action happens off camera and motivations are revealed post-hoc. Thus, this novel unfolds like an autopsy, not a compelling read.
This becomes all the more complicated due to the author's choice to omnisciently jump from POV character to POV character: sometimes in the same paragraph. This is a confusing choice for a thriller, especially when some of those heads are those of the villains once the masks are removed.
This compounds over the narrative to undermine the interesting story at the heart of this novel. Ultimately, what could have been powerful third act twists instead cause the reader to scratch their head, wondering why the narrator's omniscience decided to hide all of this pertinent information and motivation from them until after said information was important.
Finally, this novel hosts a top-tier example of why instalove is a trope best left in the Noughties. A simple sexual relationship was forced into a cloying (and heavy-handed) love story for no discernible reason other than a throw-away line at the denouement.
Overall, an interesting story that could have used some more editing in its early stages. Two stars.
***Note: I received an ARC of this novel from Dundurn Press and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.***
This becomes all the more complicated due to the author's choice to omnisciently jump from POV character to POV character: sometimes in the same paragraph. This is a confusing choice for a thriller, especially when some of those heads are those of the villains once the masks are removed.
This compounds over the narrative to undermine the interesting story at the heart of this novel. Ultimately, what could have been powerful third act twists instead cause the reader to scratch their head, wondering why the narrator's omniscience decided to hide all of this pertinent information and motivation from them until after said information was important.
Finally, this novel hosts a top-tier example of why instalove is a trope best left in the Noughties. A simple sexual relationship was forced into a cloying (and heavy-handed) love story for no discernible reason other than a throw-away line at the denouement.
Overall, an interesting story that could have used some more editing in its early stages. Two stars.
***Note: I received an ARC of this novel from Dundurn Press and Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.***
paxbillton's review
2.0
The Rebellious Tide is an interesting book in that its premise is solid and characters are well-drawn, but something still feels to be missing. The book clips along at a surprisingly brisk pace considering its introspective subject matter, and by the time the mystery kicks in, I already found myself lost a bit amongst all the moving pieces.
Tan is good at giving us shorthand to understand the wide cast of characters that fill the world on board the Glacier, but the character I found myself wanting to know even more about was Sebastien, our main character. By the time all of the pieces are filled in, the book is basically over, and I wished that we had learned some of the vital information revealed in the final third of the book a bit earlier.
Overall, it's a solid read, especially for folks looking for an LGBTQ protagonist whose entire story doesn't revolve around being queer (though there is a bit of angst when Sebastien is outed by a friend in a flashback, but he never seems to be concerned about his queerness, just something else that others him from his community).
Tan is good at giving us shorthand to understand the wide cast of characters that fill the world on board the Glacier, but the character I found myself wanting to know even more about was Sebastien, our main character. By the time all of the pieces are filled in, the book is basically over, and I wished that we had learned some of the vital information revealed in the final third of the book a bit earlier.
Overall, it's a solid read, especially for folks looking for an LGBTQ protagonist whose entire story doesn't revolve around being queer (though there is a bit of angst when Sebastien is outed by a friend in a flashback, but he never seems to be concerned about his queerness, just something else that others him from his community).
bookalong's review
5.0
*CANADIAN*
.
"He felt the rage seeping out of his lugs. It was so pure, white like his father's uniform. He wanted to let go, like he'd done before, but he fought it. There was still so much that needed to be done."~pg.133
.
~THOUGHTS~
I absolutely loved Eddy's debut novel After Elias, it gutted me so I was anxious to read his follow up and it didn't disappoint!
The Rebellious Tide follows Sabastian a half Singaporean half Greek, queer protagonist on a Mediterranean sea voyage. He has recently lost his mother and never met his father, who abandoned them thirty years earlier when his mother was pregnant with him. After a tough life his mother passes away leaving Sebastian with anger, questions and a need for revenge towards his father. So he poses as a member of the crew on the luxury liner his father is the commanding officer on. But he ends up discovering a unsettling secret hidden below deck that leads him to question everything he thought he knew about himself.
This novel was riveting! Eddy's lyrical and lush prose made this a fast read. This story has so many layers to it. I was so caught up in all the elements going on on the ship that I couldn't put it down! Homophobia, classism, power, family Eddy tackles big themes so seamlessly. I loved the mixed race, queer representation and all the nods to the Greek's. Eddy knows how to write vivid characters and setting so well. The suffocating, oppressed feeling of being on an ocean liner was such a great atmosphere for this story. Highly recommend this one and his other novel After Elias.
Thank you to the author for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review. For more of my book content check out https://www.instagram.com/bookalong
.
"He felt the rage seeping out of his lugs. It was so pure, white like his father's uniform. He wanted to let go, like he'd done before, but he fought it. There was still so much that needed to be done."~pg.133
.
~THOUGHTS~
I absolutely loved Eddy's debut novel After Elias, it gutted me so I was anxious to read his follow up and it didn't disappoint!
The Rebellious Tide follows Sabastian a half Singaporean half Greek, queer protagonist on a Mediterranean sea voyage. He has recently lost his mother and never met his father, who abandoned them thirty years earlier when his mother was pregnant with him. After a tough life his mother passes away leaving Sebastian with anger, questions and a need for revenge towards his father. So he poses as a member of the crew on the luxury liner his father is the commanding officer on. But he ends up discovering a unsettling secret hidden below deck that leads him to question everything he thought he knew about himself.
This novel was riveting! Eddy's lyrical and lush prose made this a fast read. This story has so many layers to it. I was so caught up in all the elements going on on the ship that I couldn't put it down! Homophobia, classism, power, family Eddy tackles big themes so seamlessly. I loved the mixed race, queer representation and all the nods to the Greek's. Eddy knows how to write vivid characters and setting so well. The suffocating, oppressed feeling of being on an ocean liner was such a great atmosphere for this story. Highly recommend this one and his other novel After Elias.
Thank you to the author for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review. For more of my book content check out https://www.instagram.com/bookalong
ninegladiolus's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
sunflowersandpomegranates's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
readingwithcec's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
sofietsatas's review
5.0
I think this is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. It really explores the binary of good and bad, which I appreciated, and added a lot of complexities to the characters.
lilyp7's review
4.0
Thank you so much, NetGalley and Dundurn Press, for the chance to read and review this book.
TW: assault, sexual harassment, violence, human trafficking, homophobia, hate crime
Sebastien has only heard stories about his mysterious father, a sailor who abandoned his pregnant mother and left them and when, after a life of struggles, his mother dies, he become obsessed with finding an explanation and maybe revenge too. Boarding a luxury liner where his father Kostas is the commanding officer and posing as a member of the crew, slowly Sebastien uncovers a dark reality and ugly secrets, hidden behind luxury and money. After a public assault triggers the crew's outrage and after joining a revolt against the ruling class of officers, Sebastien finds himself more and more involved in the fight, questioning himself and his own identity and anger.
I liked reading The rebellious tide and I found really fascinating how the luxury liner, the Glacier, replicated the society separations, separating rich from poor, powerful from powerless. In a complex and very relatable microcosm, where the high floors belong to the rich and officers and the lower ones to crew and staff and abused and oppressed workers, Sebastien slowly starts to realize the cruelty and unfairness aboard the ship, where his own father rules on them all, smothering and abusing them.
Sebastien is a complex and skillfully written main character. The story swings from past to present, slowly piecing his history, past and relationship and the reader gets to know him in his rage and shame, in his powerlessness and determination, in his desire to revenge and release. Intense and brilliant is his relationship with his mother and the wonderfully way the author described their struggles in a city where they couldn't manage to fit and be accepted, fighting against the people's stares and prejudices against a single mother and a poor family. Important is also Sebastien's relationship with Sophie, the way they connect and "use" one other and their growth and the relationship with Jerome and the hope for their future.
While the author focuses on Sebastian's search for this father, his revenge and his relationships, queer and hetero, important is also the ship microcosm, very similar to the society, in its "game" of oppressed and saved, hunted and hunters, rich and poor, violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence. In this situation, Sebastian and his friends move, fighting against oppression, to be free to be themselves and to love who they chose to love and not to be used and abused.
The writing style is captivating and the worldbuilding, the microcosm, the ship and the various references to the Greek mythology are interesting and fascinating.
While I really loved the references, the plot and the writing style, I have to admit I didn't like so much the characterization, because, apart from Sebastien, the other characters seemed a bit too flat and, above all, his relationship with Nikos and their reference to be Achilles and Patroclus left me a bit baffled, because their relationship wasn't the tragedy one as the original heroes.
Aside these two things I didn't fully liked, the book is really interesting and captivating and I was impressed by how a search for a father became something so complex and intricate, with a compelling worlduilbing, a thrilling mystery and important themes.
TW: assault, sexual harassment, violence, human trafficking, homophobia, hate crime
Sebastien has only heard stories about his mysterious father, a sailor who abandoned his pregnant mother and left them and when, after a life of struggles, his mother dies, he become obsessed with finding an explanation and maybe revenge too. Boarding a luxury liner where his father Kostas is the commanding officer and posing as a member of the crew, slowly Sebastien uncovers a dark reality and ugly secrets, hidden behind luxury and money. After a public assault triggers the crew's outrage and after joining a revolt against the ruling class of officers, Sebastien finds himself more and more involved in the fight, questioning himself and his own identity and anger.
I liked reading The rebellious tide and I found really fascinating how the luxury liner, the Glacier, replicated the society separations, separating rich from poor, powerful from powerless. In a complex and very relatable microcosm, where the high floors belong to the rich and officers and the lower ones to crew and staff and abused and oppressed workers, Sebastien slowly starts to realize the cruelty and unfairness aboard the ship, where his own father rules on them all, smothering and abusing them.
Sebastien is a complex and skillfully written main character. The story swings from past to present, slowly piecing his history, past and relationship and the reader gets to know him in his rage and shame, in his powerlessness and determination, in his desire to revenge and release. Intense and brilliant is his relationship with his mother and the wonderfully way the author described their struggles in a city where they couldn't manage to fit and be accepted, fighting against the people's stares and prejudices against a single mother and a poor family. Important is also Sebastien's relationship with Sophie, the way they connect and "use" one other and their growth and the relationship with Jerome and the hope for their future.
While the author focuses on Sebastian's search for this father, his revenge and his relationships, queer and hetero, important is also the ship microcosm, very similar to the society, in its "game" of oppressed and saved, hunted and hunters, rich and poor, violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence. In this situation, Sebastian and his friends move, fighting against oppression, to be free to be themselves and to love who they chose to love and not to be used and abused.
The writing style is captivating and the worldbuilding, the microcosm, the ship and the various references to the Greek mythology are interesting and fascinating.
While I really loved the references, the plot and the writing style, I have to admit I didn't like so much the characterization, because, apart from Sebastien, the other characters seemed a bit too flat and, above all, his relationship with Nikos and their reference to be Achilles and Patroclus left me a bit baffled, because their relationship wasn't the tragedy one as the original heroes.
Aside these two things I didn't fully liked, the book is really interesting and captivating and I was impressed by how a search for a father became something so complex and intricate, with a compelling worlduilbing, a thrilling mystery and important themes.
anitaxlit's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn press for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Rebellious Tide tells the story of Sebastien, a young biracial man who, after losing his mother, joins the staff of a luxury liner where the father he has never met works as a high ranking official. It is very much a story of found family and grappling with one's identity, with an element of mystery and the exotic setting of a cruise ship sailing the Mediterranean.
This novel looked very promising but I'm sad to say it fell a bit flat for me. When I picked it up I was expecting a reflective book that went deeper into Sebastien's journey of self-discovery than into the mystery plot, and that wasn't what I found. We do get a good amount of Sebastien struggling with his identity, his past actions and his growing self-awareness, and I think that was where the author's writing shone, but it was outstaged by the melodramatic antagonists and some elements (*cough* stun guns and tranquilizer darts *cough*) that seem taken from the most clichéd Hollywood action movies.
I enjoyed the interspersed anecdotes and the portrayal of Petit Géant, the town where Sebastien grew up. I think the author really captured the oppressive atmosphere of its small community while also letting readers know that Sebastien's unkind view, while justified, is incomplete. However, when it comes to life aboard the cruise ship, there was a lot of telling and little showing. For example we're often told that the members of staff and the crew think of each other as family, including Sebastien (even if he has barely been there for two weeks and for all we know most of his socialising has been limited to Ilya and Diya). I just couldn't believe the found family trope here because nothing had happened to justify these unbreakable bonds. Another problem I had was the big amount of secondary characters (although I must give the author props for the diversity), there are too many for any of them to feel fully developed. The exception would be Nikos, he was very interesting and solid.
All in all, The Rebellious Tide was entertaining and I believe it will be a good pick for people looking for a fast-paced mystery with a diverse cast of characters. It just wasn't for me!
The Rebellious Tide tells the story of Sebastien, a young biracial man who, after losing his mother, joins the staff of a luxury liner where the father he has never met works as a high ranking official. It is very much a story of found family and grappling with one's identity, with an element of mystery and the exotic setting of a cruise ship sailing the Mediterranean.
This novel looked very promising but I'm sad to say it fell a bit flat for me. When I picked it up I was expecting a reflective book that went deeper into Sebastien's journey of self-discovery than into the mystery plot, and that wasn't what I found. We do get a good amount of Sebastien struggling with his identity, his past actions and his growing self-awareness, and I think that was where the author's writing shone, but it was outstaged by the melodramatic antagonists and some elements (*cough* stun guns and tranquilizer darts *cough*) that seem taken from the most clichéd Hollywood action movies.
I enjoyed the interspersed anecdotes and the portrayal of Petit Géant, the town where Sebastien grew up. I think the author really captured the oppressive atmosphere of its small community while also letting readers know that Sebastien's unkind view, while justified, is incomplete. However, when it comes to life aboard the cruise ship, there was a lot of telling and little showing. For example we're often told that the members of staff and the crew think of each other as family, including Sebastien (even if he has barely been there for two weeks and for all we know most of his socialising has been limited to Ilya and Diya). I just couldn't believe the found family trope here because nothing had happened to justify these unbreakable bonds. Another problem I had was the big amount of secondary characters (although I must give the author props for the diversity), there are too many for any of them to feel fully developed. The exception would be Nikos, he was very interesting and solid.
All in all, The Rebellious Tide was entertaining and I believe it will be a good pick for people looking for a fast-paced mystery with a diverse cast of characters. It just wasn't for me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Trafficking and Confinement
Moderate: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Infidelity