melodyseestrees 's review for:

Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala

4.0

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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It is difficult to rate such a personal book. Any criticism one could hope to give could very easily be likened to a personal attack by way of tone policing. Readers who already struggle with nonfiction and who do not hold a similar vein of personal loss will likely have trouble sympathizing with the author on the deeply personal tragedy. There are multiple moments where the author takes the reader back in time with memories of their lost family and many are well done. Some distracted from what the author was going through in that present moment- which is likely realistic as the memories were written about as the author distracting herself from her loss.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Car accident

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Alcohol

Minor: Fatphobia, Stalking

There is a moment where the author is very fat phobic towards a child survivor, it is understandable that a lot was happening and the author was truthfully reporting her thoughts and feelings but it was not nice to read.

You only survived because you are fat. That's why you didn't die. You stayed alive in that water because you are so fucking fat.