Review of "Tsunami Blue" by Gayle Ann Williams

And I'm back! Finally! For a review of "Tsunami Blue" by Gayle Ann Williams. I was contacted a few weeks ago by Dorchester Publishing to see if I would be willing to review some of their new Urban Fantasy/Paranormal titles. Of course, I said yes - and "Tsunami Blue" was a great first experience!

First off, disclaimer: I received my copy of "Tsunami Blue" from the publisher, Dorchester Publishing. The copy was given to me for review purposes, and I have no received any money or anything else in exchange for a review.

From the back of the book: " With her badass rain boots, her faithful dog, and the ability to predict the monster tsunamis that have reduced the US to a series of islands, Kathryn O'Malley isn't afraid of much. Cut off from all society, she takes to the airwaves as Tsunami Blue, hoping to save something of humanity as the world around her crumbles. But Blue should be afraid - because her message reaches the wrong ears.
Now she's the target of ruthless pirates known as Runners who want to use her special talents for their own profiteering - as son as they can find her. Blue's only shot at survival lies with the naked stranger who washes up on her rocky beach. A man who might just be working for Runners himself. Torn between suspicion and attraction, the two will have to navigate a surging tide of danger and deceit if they hope to stay alive. "

So, as I said, this was definitely a good first experience with Dorchester Publishing. I absolutely loved this book. And I hated that it took me so long to finish it once I started. But I honestly think it would have been too overwhelming if I had tried to read it in one sitting. The story of Blue and Gabriel, and what has happened to the US and humanity, is so powerful, that I'm not sure I would have been able to handle it all at once. The idea behind this book - that tsunamis have ripped through the world, killing countless amounts of people, changing how everyone lives their lives, creating a whole horrifying class of people - Runners, is just so fascinating. And Blue has known so many hardships in her life, it's not a surprise that she has ended up such a hard character - untrusting, and yet so hopeful that she can use her gift to help people, even when so many call her the devil, witch, etc. I loved her characterization, as well as that of Gabriel, who was quite the enigma. Gabriel's character - you just wanted to trust him, for things to work out for him and Blue, even though his ties and his life weren't so reputable.

Speaking of enigma, the only issue I had with "Tsunami Blue" was that I wasn't sure of the characters' ages. I could guess at some of the side characters - the younger members of the group - but for Blue and Gabriel, I was clueless. Maybe their ages were given, and I missed it, but I, for some reason, kept picturing them as much younger than they should be. It wasn't until the end, when Gabriel made mention of a side character's father being his best friend before the waves came, that I realized Gabriel had to be older than what my mind was making him.

I'm a fan of the Anita Blake books by Laurell K. Hamilton (more so of the earlier books than the more recent ones, but..), and I found some parallels between the way Blue acts, her badass attitude, and the character of Anita Blake, at least from the first few novels in the series. She has the drive to stay alive, and people she wants to fight for, and she's willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. This is an excellent quality, and felt right for Blue's character. And I have to say, I loved Blue's snarky attitude. She never could keep her mouth shut, and I loved her running commentary of life, even in the worst situations.

From the acknowledgements in the beginning of the book, it mentions that "Tsunami Blue" is Gayle Ann Williams' debut novel. I have to say - what an entrance! Everything was so vivid, the characters so real, it was such a wonderful book. I do hope she chooses to write more.

And on to the rating - I have to give "Tsunami Blue" by Gayle Ann Williams a FIVE out of FIVE. I really liked it, I loved the (hopefully) alternate version of the future, and I loved Blue.

I hope you all get to check out "Tsunami Blue" - obviously I'm recommending it to everyone. I thought this was a great read, and I do hope to see more from this author in the future.

Happy Reading! And I hope you're all enjoying some wonderful weather! It's a perfect day to sit outside and read here in Ohio.
~!~ Morning Glow