When Oceans Rise
by
Robin Alvarez
Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Creative James Media
Publishing Date: May 23, 2023
Page count: 382 pages
SYNOPSIS:
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?
Content Warning: gaslighting, one paragraph with physical abuse
| Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indigo |
| IndieBound | Kobo |
REVIEW:
5 stars!
Fast-paced, action-packed, and suspense-filled with engaging and highly relatable main characters.
When Oceans Rise is a new contemporary young adult fantasy by author Robin Alvarez that tells its compelling story by building on elements from the fairytale, The Little Mermaid, and Filipino mythology. This fresh and creative combination is riveting, and I didn’t want to put it down once I started the book. And while it is an action-packed, suspenseful, magical adventure, important lessons are revealed about family, relationships, self-worth, and self-esteem. The story will resonate with young adults or anyone who has ever been victimized by someone they love.
The author deftly places the reader inside the head of the main character, Malaya, so you are privy to her thoughts and feelings. It was plain to see how she became so emotionally entangled with her abuser she was unable to break free of his influence. The author also shows how this toxic relationship affects many other aspects of her life.
I greatly enjoyed the descriptions of Filipino culture, food, and the incorporation of folklore in creating a vivid setting for its exciting plot. Filipino mythology was new to me and resulted in a fresh and unpredictable story. I couldn’t help but Google some of the creatures and other cultural references. (I even had to look up Mom’s broom.)
The messages regarding relationships, abuse, and the importance and value of family are clear and easy to understand. Delivered within the framework of Malaya’s magical adventure and her fight against the evil sea witch, the ideas are demonstrated in a realistic setting rather than as a lecture and are more likely to make a memorable impact. The story is well-told, landing this title firmly in the page-turner category.
With its engaging and relatable main characters and fast-paced, suspense-filled plot, I highly recommend WHEN OCEANS RISE to readers of contemporary young adult fantasy, especially those who enjoy fairytale retellings and stories featuring mythologies from different countries.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robin Alvarez is the author of the #1 New Release YA Ethnic Fairy Tale When Oceans Rise (May 2023). Strong female characters, mythological creatures, and mixed-race perspective are hallmarks 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, and NBC news affiliates.
| Website | Twitter | Instagram |
May 22nd
Boys’ Mom Reads! – Review
Pages & Plots – Promotional Post
May 23rd
The Book Dutchesses – Interview
Charli’s Book Box – Review
May 24th
Never Hollowed By The Stare – Promotional Post
PopTheButterfly Reads – Review
May 25th
Betwixt the Sheets – Interview
Midsummer Night’s Read – Review
Phannie the ginger bookworm – Review, Playlist
May 26th
The Caffeinated Rareder – Review, Journal Spread
Confessions of a YA Reader – Promotional Post
May 27th
Stuck in Fiction – Interview
Merlin’s Cove – Review
May 28th
The Clever Reader – Review
Cindy’s Love of Books – Review
May 22nd
writingrosereads – Promotional Post
ablueboxfullofbooks – Review
thebookwebb – Promotional Post
pagesplots – Content Creator’s Choice
May 23rd
raquelinabook – Review, Favorite Quotes
whisperingprose – Review
charlisbookbox – Content Creator’s Choice
May 24th
ninebookishlives – Promotional Post
808bookdr – Review, Favorite Quotes
popthebutterfly – Content Creator’s Choice
May 25th
belle.bookcorner – Promotional Post
theink.slinger – Content Creator’s Choice
phanniethegingerbookworm – Content Creator’s Choice
May 26th
tbrandbeyond – Promotional Post
infinite_bookworm86 – Review
thecaffeinatedrareder – Content Creator’s Choice
May 27th
cozybooktraveller – Review
lisashelves – Review, Favorite Quotes
merlinscoveblog – Content Creator’s Choice
May 28th
bookdemonio – Promotional Post
theenchantedshelf – Review
littlehopebigworld – Review, Favorite Quotes
thecleverreader – Content Creator’s Choice
Boys' Mom Reads! 
Pingback: TOUR SCHEDULE: When Oceans Rise by Robin Alvarez – TBR and Beyond Tours