The Water Walls

by iLana Markarov

One island, dangerous on the outside, surrounded by walls of Tsunami turbulating in place, The Water Walls. Dangerous on the inside, wildlife beyond anyone's imagination, especially after sunset, the villagers lock themselves up in their tree huts. Their motto for anyone remaining outside after sunset? "Forgive, Forget, and Move On." One girl, Isla, questions whether she was born inside of a prison, especially with the village’s rulers, The Triple Force, always on her back about the wedding competition, a competition where both men and women fight to wed someone they don’t love. Isla looks for a way off of the island every day, not realizing that she is always a step closer to learning the truth behind "Forgive, Forget, and Move On."

A great fantasy and romance read for fans of The Maze Runner, Divergent, and The Hunger Games of a dystopian world mixed with a new element: philosophy, packed with philosophical messages that will have you transform your thinking by the end.

Genres: Fantasy, Dystopia, Mystery, Thriller, Adventure

470 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 14, 2022

Reviews

[Needbookrecsnow121 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been looking for a good dystopia read for WEEKS and then this shows up???? Wow I was so lucky to come across this book! The strong characters, plot twists, dystopia theme and some fantasy factors all make this one of my all time favorites. This book right here is the love of my life, TOTALLY RECOMMEND

[BA · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING! MOUTH DROPPING! I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting!
The Water Walls by iLana Markarov is a book about Isla, a strong female lead that goes through a lot of challenges to become even stronger. I felt so much for Isla the entire time and was always kept on my feet, wondering what's going to happen next! One giant rollercoaster ride! The philosophical elements in this just puts a cherry on top. The vibes and aesthetic that this book gives off wants me to re-read it all over again. It's a masterpiece, almost poetic without it being actual poetry. The whole time I was  reading it I felt like I was there the entire time. It opened my mind to many things  that I haven't even thought about before.  There are also many loveable characters. Definitely my top favorite!

I'd recommend it if you are interested in Dystopia, Fantasy, Psychology, Philosophy, Adventure, and so much more! If you've read The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner, Delirium, and The Knife of Never Letting Go.

I'd also recommend it to everybody because it is a really good mind opening book that would honestly change your mindset afterwards.

[〰️Beth〰️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me start with a Public Service Announcement:

At the time of this review this book has 72 ratings excluding mine. 64 are 5 stars. Approximately 90% of those reviews come from “GR Members” who have between 1-2 reviews ( one being this book) they have on average less than 3 books read and about that many average followers. Interpret that as you will.

This book reads like a disjointed first draft of a dystopian fantasy revolving around an 18 yr old girl. It is poorly written, littered with grammatical errors and disjointed sentences. The main character has little redeeming qualities and the secondary characters are one dimensional. The plot is all over the place and to top this train wreck off she throws in a potential SciFi twist cliffhanger. And yes even I was amazed I suffered through till the end. About halfway in was when I researched the reviews so I was determined to see how much better the second half had to be since these mysterious 64 people saw that I did not. My vote is with the other 8 reviewers. I might have bumped to 3 if ….

[Bookworm22 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m absolutely in love with this book so far. It’s everything I enjoy when I’m reading a book. Action, Adventure,and some romance. The Lead character Isla is my favorite. She reminds me of myself . She is strong willed, slightly stubborn, with a great sense of humor and great personality. I haven’t finished it yet, but I can honestly say it hard to put it down once you start reading. I highly recommend reading this book! 5 stars!!!😍

[Delese Reeveswhit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly do not get the 5* reviews. I'm not even halfway through and I've started skimming through, hoping to get to a good part. It's over descriptive. The characters are all one dimensional and the plot - I'm still not sure what's happening. I've given this a 3* as I think it's unfair to score lower when I've not finished this (and in all honesty, I don't think I ever will). Also, I wasn't sold after I read the preview but was taken in by all the 5* ratings. So, I think it's unfair to go lower when I knew early on this wasn't for me.

[Alexander Blinov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, the novel had excellent flow, and with the amount of detail, lack of plot holes, and real-world like themes/circumstances, I was immersed. Every chapter had something different and I never felt like there was too much time devoted to one time, place, or character. The world building and relatable characters had me feel like I was there when things were happening, and I was always looking forward to what would happen next, whether it was a thoughtful conversation with someone or an intense scene where characters' lives or well-being were at risk. You know you're reading something special when it feels like you're truly a part of the protagonist's journey and struggles.

[J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the ways it translated real life coming of age trials and experiences while setting up a unique story around this through its own universe. I found the characters to be really interesting and layered. There were definitely some unexpected twists. I personally can’t wait to see more from this universe, it was just fascinating spending time there as a reader, and the writing helped me feel like I was there as everything was happening. Would definitely recommend getting a copy!

[Rebecca Tepper · Rating 1 out of 5]

While the subject sounded interesting to me, the grammar and sentence structure are so bad that it became close to illegible. Also, I haven't finished the book, so it might get better later on, but so far the characters fall flat to me. Most of them have one defining characteristic (for the main character: "tough girl rule breaker") and no personality beyond that.

[Roxanne Blouin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a weird book. Not what I was expecting. It's very poorly written and the story not refined...

[Christina]

DNF 65%

[Samantha Tilo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a dystopia book with a refreshing female protagonist. Love all the characters and the originality of the plot, can't wait to see where this series will go.

Characters -10/5
Plot 5/5
Enjoyment 10000/5