Waves – Jared A. Carnie

There is something different between the covers of Waves by Jared A. Carnie, that I just really enjoyed. Not just the stunning location of Outer Hebrides but the story it is just so beautifully told. It is a simple tale of life as many of us have experienced.

The real beauty of Waves is not to expect any great drama to unfold not even any crime to solve. To be able to write a plot line that does not involve any great plot twisting writing. Just a pure delight to read.

We meet Alex a guy whose relationship has just hit the rocks when he believed this was steady, but now his life is just drifting like a rudderless boat in a storm looking for a port to hide away. For Alex this is a time of reflection as to where he sees his life heading. Alex even hates his current job. Basically Alex is drifting. Then one day his closest friend James decides it is time to get away for Alex to have a change of scenery and get away from Essex to the remote beauty that is The Outer Hebrides. This is a time for Alex to really understand himself and to find something in his life to give him that spark that he is missing. This becomes a tour of the Isle of Lewis and the remoteness helps Alex find the peace among the mountains the long beaches and castles as well as coming to terms about who he really is.

The thing about life is as we all know there are times when life can throw a curved ball at you and you find yourself taking one blow after another as well as feeling like the walls are just closing in around you. This is about understanding who we are and understanding that in real life things can and do go wrong sometimes without meaning. It is about how we manage ourselves and the situations. We pick ourselves up and we move on. We have to. This story is no roller-coaster of a thriller it is beautifully paced and for me having spent some time in The Outer Hebrides I can fully understand the reason for writing a book based here. The scenery is just spectacular. This is a story that will not take your breath away but it is a story of just one guy trying to find himself. I am delighted to recommend.

Thank you to Matthew at Urbane Publishing for the advanced review copy.

Waves by Jared A. Carnie is now available through Waterstones, Amazon and all good bookshops.

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