When Oceans Rise

by Robin Alvarez

Submerged in a toxic relationship and disconnected from everyone, she turns to the sea to decide her fate. Its decision? Toss her to the sea witch.

Seventeen-year-old Malaya is cursed. In her family, every girl’s first love ends in death after falling for someone evil. Good thing Malaya’s dream guy isn’t monstrous.

Except the curse is real and preventing Malaya from noticing how much he has gaslit and isolated her until she can’t be saved. With no other options, the sea witch is the only one to help her. Bartering her voice for a new life where she and her abusive boyfriend never met, Malaya accidentally swaps places with an alternate timeline version of herself who didn’t make her mistakes. As she tries to undo the switch, the sea witch uses Malaya’s voice to unleash Filipino mythological creatures into the worlds.

Can a champion, an alternate timeline sister, and Malaya fight these beasts and stop the sea witch before she destroys both timelines?

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Retellings, Fiction, Mermaids, Audiobook

332 pages, Paperback

First published May 23, 2023

About the author

Robin Alvarez is the author of the #1 New Release YA Ethnic Fairy Tale When Oceans Rise. Strong female characters, mythological creatures, and a mixed-race perspective are staples of her work. While she's spent the majority of her life in beach towns, having almost drowned several times, she currently resides in a desert where the waters are less likely to kill her.

Robin's work has been featured on OwlCrate, ABC, NBC, and CBS news affiliates.

Reviews

[Robin Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my book!!! Yay!! Is it alright that I love it? 😉

✨ What I'm really here to do is give CONTENT WARNINGS! ✨

This book is one that is so very personal to me because it was a story I ignored for over 15 years. It is a story influenced from my past experiences in a relationship in which I was gaslit, which resulted in mental, emotional, and physical abuse, though Malaya and I are not the same person. A couple years ago, I realized that because of the social stigma of "I would never let that happen to me," I didn't talk about what happened to me. I felt shame. Much like Malaya, I let myself be speechless. I don't want that social stigma to exist anymore, and I hope this story sheds some light on how one might be stripped of their power.

This story is ONE depiction of abuse. It cannot represent all the ways that a person is abused.

Content warnings:
Gaslighting. Mental, emotional, and physical abuse.

I get much more specific about what the abuse is like and on what pages in the physical book these events occur on my website: http://robinalvarez.com/content-warni...

This post is meant to be a living document. If you see something that is triggering, which I have not mentioned, please feel free to email me, and I will try my best to add it to the list.

I want you all to be safe. If you cannot take this journey, I understand 🖤

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
This story blends together elements of love, abuse, family, Philippine mythology, and The Little Mermaid.

Malaya's family has been plagued by a curse that has haunted them for generations—an ominous prophecy that predicts every girl's first love will end in tragedy. Adding to the horror, their first love is always someone wicked. Malaya didn't give this curse a second thought until it struck her own heart. Swept away by the waves of emotion, she found herself infatuated with a guy she encountered at the beach. Little did she know, he would gradually weave a web of isolation, abuse, and manipulation around her, escaping seeming utterly impossible. In her desperation, Malaya sought the assistance of the sea witch. From there, Malaya's entire reality was flipped on its head.

Great idea! I love the combination of the Philippine influence and the story's portrayal of abuse creates a compelling and impactful narrative. Regrettably, the story's style is too YA for my preference. All in all, it was a decent read that had its moments.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Robin Alvarez, and Tides Collide Publishing for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

[Wendy Parris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This debut is an exciting story with a lot of heart and emotion. I loved learning about Filipino culture and folklore, thought the action scenes were very well done, and the characters were compelling. Malaya's emotional journey rang true. Recommended!

[Zana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover is so obviously AI, yet here we are lol

Unethical use of AI art aside, this was actually a great story! I absolutely loved the Filipino mythology inclusion and the author's twist on the little mermaid story. The only Filipino mythological creature I knew about was the aswang, so it was great to learn about the tikbalang, sirena, etc. The buntot pagi weapon was pretty cool too.

The first 30% read very contemporary teen drama with Malaya dating a fuckboy and being gaslighted to all hell. At first, I was very frustrated with it and thought Malaya was being ridiculous and had no backbone, but then I realized that my reaction was very misogynistic. I've been in her exact position, so I can definitely empathize. Maybe it was making me uncomfortable to the point that I wanted that part over and done with.

Anyway...

After all that was over, the story really escalated and the stakes became much dire when Malaya is sent to the other multiverse and the creatures are unleashed. That was a fun and wild ride! I loved how the side characters were supportive and Malaya's relationships with her family and friends read very realistic. I don't care much about romances, but I really liked the contrast between Malaya's gaslighting boyfriend and her new potential love interest, Salvador, who was polite and respectful and an overall good guy.

I wasn't really a huge fan of the audiobook narrator though. She felt very stilted in her delivery. But it was still listenable.

I'd definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a great BIPOC YA contemporary fantasy.

Thank you to the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Audiobooks and NetGalley for this arc.

[Jan Agaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was SO close to 5 stars because it's truly the BEST/most accurate/most relatable Filipino rep I've ever read, and I learned so much about Filipino mythology as well. it just lost a star because it simply felt a tad too long and dragged out in the second half. I also highly recommend the audiobook because the accents are perfect; only part of the audio I wasn't a fan of was the narrator's voice for the character, Salvador because it sounded a little robotic and stiff for some reason.

[Sasa]

i've had this book on my radar since april 2023 but i'm looking at this cover and it's fucking upsetting. nobody on any platform where this book is being promoted has uttered the cover artist's name which makes me think this cover is stolen art generated by AI. i really wanted to believe it wasn't but there's too much proof otherwise. the awkward and scary-looking hand, the random cracks in the face, the uneven eyes, nostrils, lips, and random pockets of hair physically not making sense...i can't lie to myself anymore. i don't know if it was up to the author, but a real artist would never disrespect another like this. the use of AI for creative reasons is unethical because you'll always be stealing someone else's work to generate second-rate versions. art—whether it's writing books, music, drawing, etc—takes a shit-load of time and passion. if you wouldn't use chatgpt to generate your book, why would you use an artist's name to generate your covers?

whoever owns tides collide publishing needs to rectify this. i'm an illustrator and this isn't just unethical, it's heartbreaking. i really wanted to buy this book but i don't even want to read it anymore because now it's got me wondering if any part of the inside was AI-generated.

check out this list of artists i made who you can hire for your cover (or personal) projects: click here.

[Briar Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. The story is moving and Malaya is such a freeing character to read. The mythology is beautiful and the world(s) Robin writes about are absolutely breathtaking and sweep you away. I couldn't put the book down, which was a problem since I started it at ten at night.

[Diane Billas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher for an ARC.

This book, a Filipino Little Mermaid retelling, was amazing!

Malaya’s boyfriend is gaslighting her and she has no idea what to do. When she was surfing and got pulled by a riptide, she makes a deal with a sea witch to trade her voice for a new start where she meets a new guy much better than her ex. Little does she know the sea witch sticks her in an alternative timeline and the Mal from that timeline is now in Malaya’s timeline with her abusive ex. The sea witch also uses Malaya’s voice to release monsters into both universes. Malaya must fight the monsters and want to get back to her original timeline to put things right but that means never seeing her new guy ever again…

This book was fantastic! I loved learning all about Filipino folklore. The characters were all so real and my favorite was Salvador, Malaya’s new guy. I’m always a fan of books that have alternative universes and this book pulled it off very well! The writing was also really spectacular, I was pulled in from page one. I really can’t wait to read more books by this debut author.

[akacya ❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

2024 reads: 8/250

2024 tbr: 6/120

content warnings (provided by author): emotional and physical abuse, toxic relationship, gaslighting

the girls in malaya’s family are cursed to have tragic first love stories. malaya is sure her first love isn’t monstrous, but then finds out the curse is real and has been tricking her. desperate, malaya goes to the sea witch and trades her voice for a new life where she never met her abusive boyfriend. when she realizes she swapped places with a malaya from an alternate timeline, she wants to undo the switch. the sea witch has used her voice to release monsters, though, which makes everything more challenging.

i love retellings, so i was very interested in reading this one. i backed the kickstarter for the audiobook, and its production was great, so if you can get your hands on that version, i’d really recommend it!

this book was definitely a heavy one, but a good one. i loved the connection of malaya fighting off actual monsters (which came from filipino mythology, which i found interesting) to fighting off her internal monsters. at first, escaping into a world in which she was never hurt seemed perfect. however, when she realized she was subjecting another malaya to the aftermath of her own mistakes, she realized she needed to confront her feelings. this was a hard task, but she did it. i also loved that she found a new love because this is such an important message to send abuse victims, who are often manipulated into thinking nobody besides their abuser could love them.

overall, this was a powerful book, and i highly recommend it as long as you’re comfortable with the content.

[christinac_reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a Filipino American, who’s absolutely favorite Disney story is the Little Mermaid (my go-to Karaoke song is Part of Your World and I cried with happiness when I was able to finally ride TLM ride at California Adventure), and who has had quite the unfortunate past of DA/DV trauma, I was incredibly excited to be able to read a book that would speak to me and where I could hopefully see flashes of myself. It took me a very long time to pick this up because I had to prepare myself for the emotional turmoil that I would happen to experience in reading this book, as someone with the past that I have had. And yet, I do think this may be the absolute worst book by a Filipino author that I have ever read.

There will be spoilers in this review as I have listed things that happened as I went along my reading experience. While I did read via on ALC on netgalley, I already own a physical copy which I pre-ordered long before release day as I do my best to promote and support Filipino authors on my platform. Thus, receiving an ALC no way affects my thoughts on this, and any inaccuracies in quotations are my own fault as I was roughly transcribing the audio version. Perhaps one day I’ll crack open my physical copy and really break down the things that I found off about the text even further.

Starting with a couple of awkward writing choices by the author:

“Her sepia eyes are wide and glued to my face”

1. I’ve never quite heard eye color be described as sepia.
2. She compares tumbling into the ocean to a washing machine.
3. The non-abusive love interest is Internet Famous for falling asleep on the shitter. He is actually known as “The Sleeping Pooper” as he fell asleep on the toilet.
4. The FMC meets a guy for the first time and her first thought is

“Is he Mexican or Filipino? Why? I don’t know, so I can figure out what our babies would look like. What is going on with me? It’s like I can’t get my hormones under control”

This is such a disgusting first thought to have and the fact the author thought it was acceptable to write this…
5. Out of nowhere theres ONE sentence that the FMC has a third eye and suddenly has visions. The plot point isn’t followed or pursued.

On the portrayal of Filipino culture:

1. She lives in Texas and yet chooses to say “po” to random American strangers. That’s such a strange and weird choice. Not a single Filipino would say “po” to someone who isn’t even remotely familiar with Filipino culture. That’s seriously strange.

"I told you would become a TV star if you go to the Philippines. Your dance moves could use some work, but you have a wonderful voice.”

2. This was used to put down the FMC by her, as described “bitchy” aunt, and insult her for her life choices. Not only does this stereotype Filipinos, but also this is a terrible representation of Filipinos who do know how to sing. The stereotyping by this author in this quote and multiple quotes about the Philippines and Filipinos seems offensive at best and problematic at most.

“It also had a handle, which he’d carved with the Filipino star. My jaw drops because the Filipino star is not easy to draw, let alone carve.”

3. First and foremost, there’ no such thing as a “Filipino Star.” The ambiguity of this statement can either refer to a newspaper, Philippine Star (unlikely), a Christmas Parol in the shape of a star (also unlikely), or the beautiful and complicated, and hard to draw Sun and THREE individual stars that make up the Filipino Flag (more than likely). This misrepresentation is so disappointing as the THREE five pointed stars symbolize the major islands that make up the Philippine peninsula and the SUN represents unity, freedom, independence and signifies the dawning of a new era. The reason why the SUN is complicated to draw is because there are 8 major rays and 2 minor rays for each major ray at a specific distance, which represent the first 8 provinces that courageously defied and revolted against the Spaniards.

This misrepresentation alone of such an extremely significant part of Philippine culture alone is extremely insulting. And yet, this is one of many incorrect “Filipino” things referenced in the book.

4. The author also takes extreme liberties with the mythological creatures presented in the book. I wish the author added a caveat that she took extreme liberties with the portrayal of all the creatures and that while she used the name, they are NOT an accurate representation of Filipino mythological creatures. For example, why are there aswangs in the ocean? Aswangs are literally witches, werewolves, vampires, and ghouls – not this stingray creature that is in the ocean. Why not give them another name? Or at the very least adapt a Philippine mythological creature that ALREADY IS IN WATER? Like a syokoy – a humanoid mythological creature that actually drown humans. I feel like just because the author saw that aswangs can shape shift, it was used as a catch all to say that well, let me shapeshift this one mythological creature into whatever I want. I’m not too sure where this author got her information but so much of this seems so muddled and made up and not in a fantastical, writer-takes-acceptable-liberties kind of way. Evil Encanto chain? Duendes coming out from the bottom of the sea? There’s also a weird referenece to a “Fili-pedia folklore” website that she uses to look up creatures so she can battle them with video game magic (which came out of no where since they never even mentioned video gamed before) and FILIPINO SPAHGETTI BEING USED AS A WEAPON. WTF.

5. The wrong terms are also used multiple times. Life for example here:

“Looks like you’re stuck with this injury. You’re going to need a Mangkukulam to heal it. Fortunately, I know just the Mangkukulam to see.”

While the mangkukulam is of the same category as an arbularyo, THEY ARE DIFFERENT. The mangkukulam is a malevolent voodoo witch who tricks and curses others while an arbularyo is a witch doctor who heals people. They are two ENTIRELY different groups of witches.

On the ableism in the book

When the FMC loses her voice, the main adjective the author uses to describe her voice getting stolen by the sea witch is “SPEECHLESS”

“Silence spills between us like black ink on a rug, unwanted and permanent. Permanent because even though I don’t confirm what she’s saying, my utter speechlessness has done that for me.”

“Mom, who I’d thought had been distracted with a puzzle game on her phone, smacks Eric on the back of the head. “Bobo, can you not see she is speechless?””

“Tita holds the knife menacingly, which would have rendered me speechless if I wasn’t already.”

The FMC’s and her family’s reaction to losing her voice is the fact that she no longer can sing karaoke, her mom thinks shes DEAF, and that she needs medical help.

So, it’s true? You can’t speak?” Gabrielle asks.
Mom pulls away, and all three examine me like a science experiment.
I open my mouth with no clue what to say, but it doesn’t matter because Mom takes my indecisiveness as confirmation that I’m broken.
“She will never be able to sing karaoke again!” If I could laugh, I would for the ridiculousness of that statement, which Mom said with absolute sincerity. She always did like my voice though it wasn’t like I was going to be a professional or anything. Also, I find it humorous that she suddenly spoke about me in the third person, which suggests that she thinks I must not be able to hear just because I can’t talk.
“Oh, good.” Mom pushes me toward the nurse like I didn’t hear her. “Malaya. You. Have. To. Go. In. Now.”
I can hear you. I overemphasize my lip movements, using my hands to push the air down so Mom knows to lower her volume. She looks so confused.
“Mom.” Gabrielle jumps in. “She can hear.
You don’t have to yell.”
I nod, my eyebrows raised in amusement.
“Well, how was I supposed to know,” Mom replies. “She didn’t tell me.”

There’s also so much emphasis on how shes now weak and powerless and even more insignifant because she no longer has a voice,

“Turns out, the loss of my voice is a tragedy that breaks people’s hearts. If only they knew I willingly gave it away to overcome my broken heart."

More than that, the FMC fakes memory loss into the magic induced mutism while also implying that memory loss = instability.

“I scratch at an imaginary itch on my ear, guilt weighing down my limbs because I remember too much. I didn’t want to taint this life with lies as I’d done in the last life, but this was unavoidable. I mean, I didn’t want to come off as unstable. I don’t remember anything, I mouth.”

This casual portrayal of ableism by the secondary characters also does a huge disservice to the representation of Filipino culture. While I do understand that a lot of Asian moms and Filipino moms can be imposing and a little bit much, the way these characters are stereotypes is harmful. Not all Asian moms are bossy, ablelist, and yelling all the time. Not every single Filipino acts the way they ALL the Filipinos are portrayed in this book. In here, everyone’s a monolith. Everyone EXCEPT the main character sucks and everyone is at fault except her.

On the portrayal of DV/DA:

Starting off with the content warnings at the very beginning of the book:

“...Malaya undergoes mental and physical abuse from someone she loved. If you have never experienced this, you may think Malaya’s choices and behaviors are nonsensical”

While DV/DA victims are not a monolith, I do think that it is the authors duty to be able to adequately prove to the reader why certain choices are made through the thought process of the narrator and main character regardless of whether or not they have experienced similar situations. In this case, I feel like dismissing the gut reaction of the reader as “nonsensical” is a cop out and shows extremely lazy writing.

As someone with personal history of DV/DA, because the author failed to write proper character exposition on Malaya’s choices, her actions still very much felt nonsensical. I couldn’t understand why they were together in the first place or why she loved him so much. Unlike Kennedy Ryan’s Long Shot, where I myself nearly fell in love with the abuser in the first couple of chapters, this book offers no romance buildup or exposition to why she “loves” him beyond the narrator SAYING that she does. These characters don’t live together. She visits him. They have no children together. Even at the early stages of their relationship, there was no romance. He was barely attracted to her and she never even wanted him in the first place. He never seemed to show her even the smallest affection for her to cling on to so it really translated as nonsensical.

And yet it does seem that it was a combination of pride and virginity as virginity was presented as Very Important Point. It starts off with her mom starting a weird conversation saying

“Malaya, your virginity is something you can never get back. Once you give it away, it's gone. (…) You only get one chance to decide if the person you give it to is worth it. That is why you wait until marriage."

Followed immediately by Malaya using her virginity to rope her this guy who barely seems to care for her into a relationship

“I know I'll lose lan if I don't do this. If I've learned anything from the stories I'd read, it's that a person needs to feel like you're willing to fight for them.”

Then, later on at the end of the novel when she chooses to go back to her abuser, she thinks to herself,

“What comes to mind are his two hands wrapped around my neck until blackness crept into my vision. What was my life worth? What was my virginity worth? Not this. If I'd learned anything from Mom, it was my virginity was a commodity that couldn't be given without getting something eternally valuable in return. I was getting nothing.”

From the very beginning of the book, she never even seems to excuse his abusive behavior. She knows it's wrong. She didn’t like him when he was fine and she still didn’t like him knowing he turned abusive. And still she stays, with nothing tethering her beyond her virginity and pride. You may ask perhaps, was it the need to be needed? Unfortunately not, as he never, not once, needed her or showed any sort of desire to be near her. She, in fact, is always constantly irritated that he doesn’t want her.

The way things are also written don’t allow for any other interpretation. Readers are spoonfed and told how things are, secondary characters are used to expound on the authors’ view point and as world building devices, but the main character does whatever the opposite the prose dictates. This ends up making it look like the main character is ridiculous, frivolous, and completely obtuse as she doesn’t seem to listen and the prose and narrative doesn’t support her choices.

There's no self reflection. There's no intentional character growth. There are 56 instances of characters accusing each other of lying in this book.

On the romance and FMC in the alternate timeline

The FMC runs away to an alternate universe in exchange for her voice. This whole universe is implied to be sunshine and dasies and the “perfect and ideal life” and yet if you’re reading in any which way critically, the family is still ableist and horrible and the love interest is STILL abusive, while not intended to be presented as abusive! While he doesn’t lay a hand on her HE STILL IS ABUSIVE.

She lays eyes on him and immediately is imagining having his babies. She’s *already* in love with him when they haven’t talked at all – which is surprising cause she was still *so* in love with her previous partner and nursing a broken heart remember? She literally just met him and immediately says

“Salvador makes me feel alive.”

._.’ ok. And she does keep going on about it

“I feel alive when he’s near”

Oh but wait, a friend of hers kisses her on the cheek to say goodbye, Salvador sees, and tells her they cant even hang out at all anymore cause of that kiss. So now the FMC is freaking out about losing someone she never had in the first place. Salvador also flirts with other girls to make her jealous. He orders her around to serve him food and she literally does so without complaint. The author tries to play him off like he's the good guy, but... He's not much healthier than her first abusive ex.

Oh and in this life she’s totally the “IT” girl in this books. While she’s still chasing after this guy, just cause she’s no longer getting smacked around, she’s, and I quote,

"I’m so much more fun in this life!"

simply because she now goes to conerts, she’s part of the swim team, some random person on the street asks her to be a model, she gets to be an actress, oh and she’s also trying to be a social media influencer too. Please take note she’s still at school. And she’s totally the popular girl. While I get having so much more time now that she's not obsessing over a single guy who is abusing her, the way this is portrayed reeks of stylized Mary Sue.

Overall:

This book made me equally upset and uncomfortable. This entire book read as nonsensical – from shaming women and making the FMC a victim of absolutely everything except her own choices. As someone who has personal experience on DV/DA, while there are a handful of parts of it that can appeal to certain victims, the portrayal of the FMC as shallow, stupid, and playing the blame game left me wrongfooted

The fact that she chooses to go back to her own timeline so her alter ego isn’t stuck with an abuser, and after cheating on her abuser with Salvador, the first thing she does when she goes back to her own timeline is run straight back into her abuser’s arms AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED. The fact that both mothers, aunts, and the love interest in both timelines are all portrayed as terrible people make me upset. The fact that the Filipino culture and mythological creatures presented here are inaccurate and written with such liberties leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.

To me, nothing about this book was good or enjoyable. While you may have a different experience reading this book, I feel like this needed not only a heavy editorial hand but also sensitivity readers not only for the Filipino culture presented but also for the DV/DA written in the narrative. The representation of Filipino culture was insulting at best. Take a page from Dominic Lim, a Filipino American author who hired a sensitivity reader when he wrote his book, just to make sure that random bits of Filipino culture wasn’t completely off. Take a page from Kennedy Ryan, who wrote long shot with multiple DA/DV sensitivity readers. This was not just disappointing but also extremely disheartening.

[Marie Chalupová (Levitara) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

A heartfelt tale that revolves around reconnecting with family within the backdrop of Filipino culture and mythology.

Malaya has been warned of a family curse that predestines her to fall in love with a bad guy, but she dismisses it, believing it won't come true. When she finally realizes it has, it's already too late. She finds herself unable to leave the guy. Moreover, she feels alone in the predicament as her family has grown distant from her because of her boyfriend and his bad influence. Desperate, she listens to auntie's advice and seeks out the sea witch's help. She is promised to have her past altered in exchange for her voice, but instead finds herself in her parallel self's place and with Filipino monsters rampaging around the city.

This is the first book that I have read that introduced Filipino culture and mythology and I enjoyed exploring the new setting. We learn more about it through Malaya, who is forced by the events to reconnect with her Filipino heritage. I must say, Filipino mythology has some truly terrifying monsters. Also, the ways one fights them are unique, to say the least.

I think the part where Malaya starts reconnecting with her family is the best, especially once the mother comes in. She brought in the most emotional scenes as well as the most hilarious ones. There are a lot of characters in the story, but they each feel distinctive and well-developed. For example, Malaya's sister is self-described as a big coward, and that personality trait is taken into account in the story without her being judged for it.

Another thing the book does well is representing the mute people. It depicts the challenges they face, along with the biases some people harbor against them.

What I didn't enjoy as much was the romance part. Obviously, the initial abusive relationship was heartbreaking but my issue was that in my opinion, it wasn't so well portrayed. I don't know if it was done hazy on purpose but we see the more subtle red flag behavior only in retrospect. This made it a bit harder to believe at the time why it was impossible for Malaya to leave her boyfriend. I am not saying it was something unbelievable in general, I just think in this case it could have been portrayed a bit more convincingly. It wasn't the biggest issue for me but if I wasn't already aware of what goes on in the victim's mind, I might have been thinking she was acting unreasonable. Maybe that's why the author chose to put in a preface that explains her behavior.

I also had some issues with the actual "good" romance. The good guy was sometimes a bit of a jerk. I don't know if that was also done on purpose showcasing that there is no such thing as perfect guy or romance. It just made it a bit hard for me to root for them.

Finally, I had a bit of an issue with the ending. Without spoiling anything, I will only say that something happened that was left unexplained.

I consumed this book as an audiobook and I have been very happy with the quality of the narration. I cannot vouch for the Filipino pronunciation but it sounded right to me and it added to the cultural atmosphere.

I believe this is a good book that probably wasn't a complete fit for me. I have also been a bit caught off guard when contemporary daily life fiction switched to supernatural fantasy in just a few pages. I can definitely recommend it for the emotional and comedy parts, though.

I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Angela Y (yangelareads) ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by Tides Collide Publishing & IBPA.

Submerged in a toxic relationship and disconnected from everyone, she turns to the sea to decide her fate. Its decision? Toss her to the sea witch.

Seventeen-year-old Malaya is cursed. In her family, every girl’s first love ends in death after falling for someone evil. Good thing Malaya’s dream guy is not monstrous.

Except the curse is real and preventing Malaya from noticing how much he has gaslit and isolated her until she can not be saved. With no other options, the sea witch is the only one to help her. Bartering her voice for a new life where she and her abusive boyfriend never met, Malaya accidentally swaps places with an alternate timeline version of herself who did not make her mistakes. As she tries to undo the switch, the sea witch uses Malaya’s voice to unleash Filipino mythological creatures into the worlds.

Can a champion, an alternate timeline sister, and Malaya fight these beasts and stop the sea witch before she destroys both timelines?

When Oceans Rise offers an action packed book with magical elements and mythical creatures. This is definitely an aspiring book. Alvarez tackles so many things in this book, from abusive relationships to complicated family relationships to feeling like an outsider no matter what you do to wanting your culture to be seen. I really liked the Filipino aspect and learning about another culture. I also enjoyed the parallels to the Little Mermaid, but I do think the pacing of the story was a little off for me. Most themes that are brought up are not fully explored , which is a shame since I do believe this book had things to say and lots of potential. A lot of parts of the book also felt fairly rushed. Overall, this was a fairly unique read. I do not think it was exactly the best for me, but I can definitely see the appeal.

[Casey Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was among those lucky to receive an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


To preface, I want to start by saying that this book deals with some heavy topics head on right from the jump, so DON’T skip over those content warnings! At the end of them, the author notes that the journey ahead could be difficult, and she’s right on with that. Wading through those first chapters IS difficult, and it rouses emotions that you might not want to experience or be ready to face, but I think that makes the emotional journey of this story all that more significant.

Malaya’s growth throughout and by the end speaks for itself. She is such a compelling character, and her journey is nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, complete with those stomach in your throat moments when you’re suspended midair and you no longer feel your lungs.

This storyline is spectacular and engaging, with such vivid imagery, raw emotion, magic and sprinklings of humor throughout, and I could NOT put it down. Learning about Filipino folklore and culture was both interesting and fun. The action kept me at the edge of my seat on more than one occasion, and the ending left me with all of the feels and even more questions!

I will be crossing all of my fingers AND all of my toes, eagerly awaiting the answers that I seek, and looking forward to anything else this author puts out in the future.

HIGHLY recommend.

[Inés Molina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captivating, Magical, Retelling. It had been nice to read seeing as I love books with mermaids. This one's interesting, it really gives us the nothing is free with magic vibes and so many life advice. I found that I quite enjoyed listening to it and the ethnicity was really shining in it. The narrator also did fantastic to bring the story to life.

[Cyd Underwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written .. great characters. Very sweet book. I read it in one sitting!

[Lina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this audiobook.

I wish I liked this book more than I did.

For me, the main issue is pacing. The original relationship is the catalyst to all of the choices made in the rest of the novel, and we simply don’t spend enough time with them to understand: why she like him in the first place, what their relationship was like in day to day, and the effects it had on her regular life. It’s a crucial foundation that we are missing because it is far too quickly paced. This makes the rest of the story less impactful. When our main character starts telling us how different her life is, we just have to accept that, because we ourselves don’t see the difference since we never saw, in depth, what it was like to begin with.

This feeling of being rushed continued for me throughout the story. Most themes that are brought up are not fully explored and analysed in my opinion, which is a shame since I do believe this book had things to say.

I did like the way that Filipino mythology was interwoven in the story. I love getting to learn more about mythological creatures from other cultures!

Finally, just a small grievance I have, is when the character is unable to speak for the majority of the book, I am baffled by the fact that she doesn’t think to use sign language. Not once is sign language mentioned as a plausible option for her to communicate. Even if it wasn’t official sign language, at least creating signs within her close social network for common words would have been useful.

Overall I think the premise was interesting, but it didn’t live up to its full potential for me.

[Just Another Final Girl Review (Brittany) Levely-Connolly]

I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book, but as a female who has survived an abusive relationship in my early twenties, I truly wish I had read this book years ago. This young adults mashup story of a western fairy tale, with Filipino culture, folklore, mythology. When Oceans Rise is a modern day retelling of the little mermaid from a Filipino-American point of view, with a feminist twist. And I loved how she used this narrative to help the reader understand what it is like to be a young woman in an abusive relationship and the importance of retaining one's own voice. I found that although Alvarez tackles a triggering topic, she does so in a thoughtful and empathetic manner and delivers powerful positive messages for young women about; toxic/abusive relationships, the importance of family, connection to culture.

I got this book as an arc copy, and I'm so grateful I was sent a copy and I will definitely be reading future works by Alvarez. I highly recommend this book to anyone who's struggled with domestic violence, toxic relationships or friendships, any kind of abusive relationships. The hardest struggles is finding yourself again in the aftermath. It's uplifting, and I definitely think that this a good read for anyone over the age of 14 who's a fan of science-fiction, mermaids and other monsters and one hell of a kick-ass strong female protagonist.

[KD · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not want to put this book down from the moment I picked it up.

I first chose to read this book simply because I found the cover to be gorgeous. After reading the summary and discovering it was inspired by The Little Mermaid, I grew even more excited because I absolutely LOVE retellings. The majority of the story is significantly different than The Little Mermaid story we all know, but the similarities are definitely present.

I was absolutely in love with Malaya and the way the author drew me into her story and made me feel so emotionally connected with her. My heart ached for her as she struggled to free herself and faced many difficult choices. Balancing the line of too much detail and not enough is so difficult, especially when writing about topics such as an abusive relationship and I think Robin Alvarez did it very well.

What excited me the most was the Filipino mythology throughout the story. My knowledge of Filipino mythology is very limited, but I have always loved mythology and was giddy from the first moment an Aswang was mentioned.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Robin Alvarez, and the publisher for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. It was a joy listening to this story and I will definitely be purchasing the physical copy to read again.

[Esme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the change to listen to the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this story, I liked how the abusive relationship was handled it was very realistic. I adored the Philippine mythology and the little mermaid vibes we had going on. and it wrapped up really nicely in the end.

the writing was really nice. I did enjoy the narrator as well.

my only thing with this book is the use of AI art for the cover. Not only does AI art steal from real artists it also makes the image look very distorted like with her hand and the tentacle as well as her nose.

[Lydia Tinsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Robin Alvarez, NetGalley, and Creative James Media for letting me listen to this. At first I wasn’t sure how I would like it due to the toxic relationship the MC had to deal with. Once the story started developing, I couldn’t stop listening and when I had to, I found myself thinking about it wondering what was going to happen next.
Alvarez has created a wonderful story involving mythology, but not what you’re used to. It’s marvelous getting to learn about Filipino culture and watch a strong female character develop.

[Jen Dragons and Daggers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to start by saying it was truly a privilege to be chosen to read this book before it’s release. While, I understand the Filipino culture that is represented in this book may not represent all Filipino cultures, I truly enjoyed learning a little bit more about the culture and it’s mythology. I do want to say be sure to read any trigger warnings in the beginning of this book especially triggers of abuse and gaslighting. Robin does an elegant job of capturing real life struggles in this YA fantasy. I found many of the experiences of the main character relatable in the aspects of navigating life and healing from trauma. Overall, I found this book fascinating and it has inspired me to look more into some of the Filipino culture. Robin truly put her heart and soul into writing this book and it shows. My only critique of the book and the reason I did not give it 5 stars is that at time the book felt choppy and did not flow. This could have simply been my personal preference and others might find the transitions smooth. Overall, I really enjoyed it and look forward to seeing Robin’s future work.

[Christina Rybka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Malaya doesn’t believe in the supernatural so when her Tita Blessica says she’s going to meet a boy with no shirt when she meets him. That night her and her friends go to a party and she meets Ian. Her mother tells her about the curse that her first love will be cursed. A year later Ian isn’t a good person and Malaya has pushed everyone away. Her Tita Blessica says she can reset her life if she sees theSea Witch. What will Malaya do? Great characters and storyline Highly recommended Amazing book. Love Malaya and her family. Great supporting characters. I absolutely love this book. This is an amazing debut novel. I can’t wait for more from this author.

[Symone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Robin & your publisher, for the ARC. I remember hearing about this synopsis first, and it sticking with me. This book is an amazing debut. It focuses on Filipino folklore while also weaving in references of the familiar tale of The Little Mermaid. I enjoyed Malaya’s character so much. What I love most in When Oceans Rise is a realistic look into family life, heartbreak and sacrifice. I am so happy this is one of my first reads for the new year!

[Michelle Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if you were so very unhappy and making all the wrong choices? What if you had another chance? This book goes there and with an alternate timeline. A bit sad at times and very fast paced but definitely a good story!

[kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ rounded

We need to take a moment to appreciate that cover. Look at it. Go. Look. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful covers that I’ve ever seen.

As a fellow mixed-Filipina, I was thrilled to read this book and see more of the Filipino culture and mythology. Admittedly, I was triggered by some of the more personal qualms that Malaya encountered when it came to relationships and her upbringing. I too don’t speak Tagalog or any dialects. (Like, how rude, I read to escape).

The plot is very reminiscent of The Little Mermaid. I kind of like that it’s a modern retelling with some Filipino mythology.

I will say that the pacing of this book is kind of odd. At moments, it goes by really fast and then nothing important would happen for a moment. If anything, I think it should be reversed. For instance, Malaya’s first encounter with the sea witch could’ve been expanded or slowed down a bit and then her moments in the alternate universe could’ve been matched in a way (if that makes sense).

But the moments with her family and friends in the alternate universe were very touching and Malaya had such great character development.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

[Bookish_Aly_Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful and original reimagining of The Little Mermaid! I was highly invested in Malaya’s story, especially with how realistic it felt. As someone who has gone through similar experiences, I was rooting for her to come through on the other side. I loved how the storyline took unexpected turns, especially after such intense moments. I enjoyed learning about Filipino folklore and how that was woven into the story. The alternate realities aspect of the story was really interesting and kept me engaged. This was a truly a retelling unlike any I’ve read before and it was amazing!

[Gabriella Buba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this Filipino mythology filled fantasy

I really enjoyed this Filipino mythology filled fantasy! Plus finally Texas Filipinos Unite!! We don't All live in California 🤣 I found Malaya deeply sympathetic and loved how deep the familial relationships were

[Ashdeclet Audiobook Addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Oceans Rise is not a book I would normally listen to, but this year I am challenging myself to go outside my comfort zone, and I am glad that I did.

This is a young adult fantasy/mythology book about a girl trying to find herself. At the beginning of the book, you can see a young teenager who truly believes she wants something in life, but along way you can see her have revelations as to what is truly important to her-but what she has to give up in the process of this discovery.

I do not usually do the genre of mysticism, fantasy, romance, or young adult, so having a book with all these elements was a challenge for me at times. But let me be very clear, it was not because of the writing, the book itself, or any other aspects, it was because of who I am as a listener/reader. Even with this book having so many aspects that are usually a "no go" for me, I really enjoyed the message of this book.

Things that I enjoyed:
-Character and story development (some YA seem to lack good character development)
-Great depiction of choice, positive and negative effects
-I loved how the author explains at the beginning of book explains how abuse can change a person's choices/habits of behavior towards themselves and others
-This book has great depth of emotion, inspiration, and hope without being cheesy or unrealistic
-It was great at showing the difficulty of making decisions for the betterment of ourselves and helps visualize, in a sense, life's juxtapositions and realities of those choices.

Things that I didn't enjoy:
-Sometimes I felt lost along the way in this book, like maybe I had skipped a part, but that could be me and how I do with this particular genre.
-I struggled with the narrator of this book, but I understand why she was chosen. I also tend to be quite choosy with my narrators too
-The mythology became kind of convoluted and confusing to me, but again I think that is my issue and has little to do with the writing style of the book.

Even though this book was a challenge for me, I really did quite enjoy it and will recommend it to others, especially those who enjoy YA fantasy/mythology, or those looking for a challenge. I want to thank netgalley and TidesCollidePublishing for the opportunity to read this book. All my opinions are my own.

[raven ୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |

When Oceans Rise by @authorrobinalvarez is a Filipino folklore twist on “The Little Mermaid” and is now available in audio!

I thoroughly enjoyed “When Oceans Rise” by Robin Alvarez, a captivating young adult fantasy contemporary romance that artfully reimagines the Little Mermaid with a Filipino folklore twist. The author skillfully weaves the narrative around the protagonist, Malaya, navigating an abusive relationship and seeking refuge in the sea’s mystical depths.

Alvarez masterfully incorporates Filipino culture into the storyline, creating a rich and detailed backdrop for the characters. The depiction of abusive relationships is handled with care and authenticity, adding a layer of realism to the fantastical elements. The well-paced narrative, coupled with meticulous research, ensures a compelling and immersive reading experience.

A standout element was the stellar narration by Jennifer Aquino. Her performance breathed life into the story, making it feel like a cinematic experience. The ease of following the audiobook added to its overall appeal.

In conclusion, I unequivocally rate “When Oceans Rise” five stars. It’s a remarkable debut that not only offers a fresh take on a classic tale but also delves into important themes with sensitivity. I eagerly anticipate future works from Robin Alvarez, especially if they continue to explore folklore in such an engaging manner.

[Bryanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to be provided with an ARC of this book after following Robin on Tik Tok. I loved her as a content creator and looked forward to see what her debut novel would bring. I was pleasantly surprised! Not only was this book extremely relatable since I’ve been in a number of toxic relationships that I wanted to escape but it also kept me intrigued with its incorporation of Filipino mythology, which is something I’ve never be exposed to before.
I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Robin and her writing career!