Wave
by Diana Farid (Author) Kris Goto (Illustrator)
A coming-of-age novel in verse set in 1980s Southern California, about a Persian American girl who rides the waves, falls, and finds her way back to the shore
Thirteen-year-old Ava loves to surf and to sing. Singing and reading Rumi poems settle her mild OCD, and catching waves with her best friend, Phoenix, lets her fit in--her olive skin looks tan, not foreign. But then Ava has to spend the summer before ninth grade volunteering at the hospital, to follow in her single mother's footsteps to become a doctor. And when Phoenix's past lymphoma surges back, not even surfing, singing, or poetry can keep them afloat, threatening Ava's hold on the one place and the one person that make her feel like she belongs. With ocean-like rhythm and lyricism, Wave is about a girl who rides the waves, tumbles, and finds her way back to the shore.
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Gr 5 Up--Ava's eighth grade year goes with the tumble of the waves she loves to surf as the young Persian girl battles the weight of her mother's expectations against her love for music and her best friend, Phoenix. When Phoenix's cancer comes back, Ava's grief takes over as they fight against the odds and for every moment with each other. Farid's poetry rides the page like a wave, charting the ups and downs of Ava's emotions. Small, thoughtful illustrations are peppered throughout--a beating heart, a wave, a mixtape--further making this tale feel fully devoted to Ava's consciousness. The verse format makes this text extremely accessible, and readers will be delighted to find elements of Ava's Persian heritage and 1980s childhood also woven throughout. VERDICT A lyrical novel in verse bearing the weight of childhood cancer and loss, but also with the lift of coming into one's own as an early teen and finding the right wave to ride. A solid addition to middle school libraries; encourage older readers to take a chance on it, as well.--Aryssa Damron
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
YAF059130 - Young Adult Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Water Sports
YAF014000 - Young Adult Fiction | Diversity & Multicultural
Friendship
20th century
Novels in verse
Young adult fiction
Cancer
Best friends
California, Southern
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Hospitals
Iranian Americans
Belonging (Social psychology)
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Sports & Recreation / W
YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Diversity & Multicultur
