Beyond the Waves

by Elizabeth Marek

Psychologist Abby Cohen is still reeling from the loss of her beloved daughter when another young girl arrives in her life-twelve-year-old Miranda, who appears at Abby's hospital mute, terrified, and completely alone. In her struggle to connect with this deeply disturbed child and unravel the mystery of her past, Abby must grapple with her own frozen self.

Numbed by grief and on the verge of losing her relationship with both her husband and little boy, Abby finds herself tempted to leave behind what is left of the family she once cherished. But something about Miranda and the bond that has begun to form between them awakens Abby's capacity to feel, and reminds her of the power-and the limits-of love.

256 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2004

Reviews

[valentina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It definitely kept you hooked and feel a connection towards the characters but I didn't like the ending, I feel like it just ended very suddenly and not everything was wrapped up.

[Denise Gobble · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tough book. Almost gave up on it, but managed to get through it. Left me wondering what the point of this book really was.

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the unique perspectives and flowery language. I would have given this a much higher score if it weren’t for all of the F bombs !!! so unnecessary!!! Do people really talk like this in real life ? none of my friends do! It messed up the story for me I kept having to try to look past the bad words.
Also would have liked to have had more details about Miranda’s recovery and progress.
And the truth of what happened to her real mother.

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book. I don't understand what the point was, the ending felt rushed and very unsatisfying. The language was unnecessarily crass and at times I skipped multiple paragraphs because they didn't seem to add anything content wise. I would not recommend it.

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I keep going back and forth between whether or not I want to give this book a full 3 stars or 3.5 stars. On one hand, I really enjoyed the story. Miranda and Abby have two completely different lives and backgrounds but have so much in common that it makes sense for them to find solace and safety in each other. The writing is just ok. It's easy to follow but often uses metaphors that fall a little too short or imagery that isn't half as exciting as it thinks it is. And the characters are just ok, as well. The novel is told from three people's points of view: Abby, Miranda, and Jack. Abby and Miranda both bring something to the table with their stories, but I had no idea why Jack's was relevant. On top of that, his chapters read more like a Golden Age comic where the villain is so stereotyped it's ridiculous and hard to take him seriously. I wish there'd been some more substance to Michael as I would've like to care about him, but he just felt like a background character. I also wish that there would've been some more substance to Tom. Most everyone who wasn't Abby or Miranda seemed to be a two-dimensional face value character who was just eh and kind of flat. Also, Ben was so annoying. When Abby was thinking, "I don't love you, either," I couldn't even be mad at her because with an annoying brat like that, I can't blame her.

Overall, an entertaining afternoon read. It was interesting enough to make me want to finish it, but I don't think I'd read this again and will be passing it on to the Little Free Library near my house.

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can one love a child too much? Want to protect her too much? Apparently so. Written by a psychologist, the novel explores how major events in our lives influence the way we parent our children. Psychologist Abby Cohen has lost a daughter and continues to grieve for her, jeopardizing her relationship with her husband and young son. Twelve-year-old Miranda comes to the hospital in which Abby works in a fragile state. Her father, who wanted only to protect her from the bad things in the world, has been horribly overzealous in his protection. I liked the way the writer put us into Miranda's mind. It made for some compelling reading. Abby's story was less so. I also thought that there were too many unanswered questions at the end of the book. For me, it was not a satisfying ending.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars! (Oh I want that option!)