A Mini Book Review of Shaped By The Waves by Christina Suzann Nelson
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to post a positive review. Also, this blog post includes affiliate links. You can view my affiliate disclaimer here.
About This Book:
Cassie George is barely staying above water as she works to get her doctorate and raise her daughter. But she stubbornly keeps swimming to prove a few bad decisions haven't ruined her forever. Plus, it's all a great excuse to stay away from the small Oregon town she fled in shame years prior. But when she receives a call that the aunt who raised her has had a major health crisis, she knows it's time to return.
Cassie is surprised to be more welcomed by the quirky seaside community than she expected, even if there's still tension between her and her former classmate Nora Milford. But she still can't help feeling unsettled and is mystified by a mysterious package that appears, full of typed pages that tell the story of an anonymous woman's life. As her curiosity sends her on a journey toward truth, Cassie will discover that who she thought she was and what she wants for her life are both about to change.
MY REVIEW: ★★★★★/5
What a powerful story of family, love, grief, loss and motherhood! I dearly loved the story tucked within the pages of Shaped by the Waves. Christina Suzann Nelson has a beautiful way of softly unfolding her masterfully crafted novels, intertwining multiple characters lives and stories in a way that is profound, deep and extremely relatable.
Highlights:
Motherhood + Family
Romance
Multiple simultaneous, intertwined stories
Trauma
A mysterious manuscript
Small, coastal town
What I liked:
Throughout the entire novel, I found a connection with each of Nelson’s characters. I loved how she gently presented bits and pieces of the manuscript Cassie found over the course of the entire novel. This added layer created a deeper connection with the story and gave it a bit of mysterious element.
Cassie’s relationship with her young daughter, Lark, had me chuckling out loud at times, knowing well what it is like to raise a little one. I also enjoyed Cassie’s growing relationship with Marshall and how they didn’t rush into a relationship. Their slow connection was sweet and rewarding.
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Cassie’s relationship with her Aunt Shasta was truly precious. I thoroughly enjoyed them together and deeply felt Cassie’s trials and pain.
Additional Thoughts:
Nora’s story was a bit different for me, as a reader. I didn’t connect with Nora and found her to be closed-off and judgmental. As her story began to unfold, I found myself rushing through those portions of the story. In the end, I felt that her portion of the story didn’t really add anything to this novel, in my opinion.
Summary:
Overall, however, the ebbs and flows of this story as a whole were rich, detailed and kept me highly invested. There were beautiful threads of motherhood, romance, grief, love, trauma, a subtle faith message and the bonds of a close-knit community. Simply put, this story was wonderful and one that I do recommend if you’re looking for an emotional, rich story to soak up on a quiet afternoon.
P.S. I enjoyed listening to this book as an audiobook as well and thought the narrator did a lovely job.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Photo Credit: © Katey Tryon | Image Courtesy of Baker Publishing Group
