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Rory A. (Henderson, NV)
Better than copious caffeine at 6:30 in the morning!
Read "Every Anxious Wave" in disbelief. Read it in amazement. Read it in stunned silence, but please just read it and know that science fiction can be not only still accessible, but also one invigorating head trip that kicks out the usual boundaries of science fiction and hurls us through time just as fiercely as bar owner Karl Bender and his equally fierce and fiercely intelligent astrophysicist girlfriend Lena are hurled as well in their attempt to rescue Karl's eccentric friend Wayne from 980 Mannahatta (instead of ending up in 1980 Manhattan, where Wayne wanted to go to save John Lennon). It's time travel
…more for us, the average you and me, that we wish could be possible. (less)Every Anxious Wave is the story of slightly off kilter Karl, barkeeper and retired Indie band guitarist; Lena, punk astrophysicist; and Wayne, computer geek, and their pursuit of self-realization and emotional attachment using the vehicle of time travel. The vivid prose thoughtfully captures the pristine beauty of Manhattan Island in the year 980, the eccentric appearance of Lena and the humor of a rock band whose music celebrates the beauty of plus size women. Notwithstanding the laughter that the book sometimes provokes, however, there is a depth and seriousness to the story in its exploration of important
…more themes including the impotence of transformative scientific advancement in controlling the forces of the natural world and the insatiable need of humankind for love and purpose. Most poignantly, the novel speaks to the fragility of each life's trajectory which for Lena was powered by a dysfunctional relationship with an uncaring stepmother and the violence of rape. Using time travel to relive her life without these destructive forces, Lena set herself on a radically different course marked by self fulfillment, professional achievement and the bonds of love, friendship and compassion. The story brings to mind the millions of souls in our world whose lives are defined by poverty, violence and mayhem and causes one to consider the potential of time travel to change the course of these lives.
Every Anxious Wave rewards the reader with laughter, tears and greater insight into our world and the world that might be. (less)What an ambitious debut novel. Thanks to bookbrowse for this first impressions book to read and review.
I have to say this read has been a crazy trip between music (rock) and science. Ambitious, re configuring of lives by time travel, not through a capsule or a machine, but through worm-holes.
Underlying the love story that spins around the time-space continum, there is this insidious degradation of environment that is unavoidable with modern human life. The survival of the species with its adaptive, evolutionary resilience is pretty awesome.
Not necessarily a big literature high, but definitely a more pop sort of
…more gratification with a pretty good dose of physics and relativism thrown in!
if you love science, indie rock, and beer... go on grab this book! (less)Time travel through a personal wormhole in Karl’s closet sets the action in this quirky sort of punk rock novel. Karl’s friend Wayne devises a computer program that allows them to choose the year and place to which they travel, which is, by agreement, only past great rock and roll band performances. But when Karl accidentally send Wayne to 980 Manhattan instead of 1980, Karl must find someone who can help him retrieve his friend. Lena, an astrophysicist grad student from Northwestern answers his ad. She, too, is a punk aficionado, and Karl falls in love with her. They attempt to retrieve Wayne, only to learn he
…more doesn’t want to come back, having fallen in love with the simplicity of the Indian life when he’s at. There are some complications with the time travel that cause Karl to erase Lena’s half-sister, but overall the mechanics of how the wormhole and time travel work are handled in a way that makes them plausible. (less)
Viqui G. (State College, PA)
Every Anxious Wave
This is one of the most original novels I have read in a long time. It was hard to wrap my head around wormholes and time travel, but the character portrayals carried the story and kept me reading. The author fleshed out both Karl and Lena, the "odd couple" in this story so well that I feel like I could recognize them if I met them in a bar (in the present at least!). I also loved that Wayne, Karl's best friend found peace, happiness and acceptance in a totally different world. I strongly recommend this novel to adventuresome readers who are willing to suspend present reality for a possible future reality of
…more time travel and asteroid collisions. I would give this 5 stars except the ending got a little too confusing and funky to follow. In general though, an exciting and original novel! (less)I have read a fair number of time travel novels, but Every Anxious Wave had some unique features. I especially liked the quirky characters, both main and secondary, who seemed real to me and kept the book from getting too weird. I also liked how the author used Chicago and Seattle locations to ground the story. Only allowing the wormhole to take travelers back to favorite rock concerts was an unexpected twist which I enjoyed. I personally didn't like the author's portrayal of the future, but I guarantee that this book will result in some lively discussions.
Elizabeth G. (Cincinnati, OH)
Nineties Music and Love in the Time of Time Travel
I was captivated from the first page. This debut novel by Miss Mo, Mo Daviau, is a fun and creative read for the Generation X and Y crowd (and anyone interested in the alternative/modern music of the 1980s/1990s and the subsequent collapse of the radio and the music industries as they were with all the great labels that once existed catering to every kind of artist out there). It took me back in time to the days of good radio stations and college radio where you could discover interesting bands and then see them locally with your friends, like the fictional Axis. The music scene before everything came through
…more the internet. The title is actually taken from an early 1990s band's song lyrics. The author does well writing from a male perspective, I thought. It's fun and a bit nostalgic but then bam! Astrophysics comes into play. The protagonist is sweet and tries to keep a grip while a lot of crazy things go on around and because of him. The smart goth girl from the small town is also a character to relate to; one who has had a bit too much trauma in her young life--something women experience more than I think others are aware. A couple of characters are underdeveloped and the end needs to be flushed out more completely, but this was an exciting read that I felt had something for everyone like me. A bit of High Fidelity meets The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Afraid some other reviewers did not get it from the fact the author is a woman to being offended by the language. If the Hunger Games to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and other dystopian, violent books are ok, the language of this age group is what it is and is not bringing an end to our culture. Also, there is no indication the author wants to live in pre-Columbian America, but that is hilarious, especially this week! (less)I didn't think I would like this book..but I did. I am sure it isn't everyone's cup of tea, but the time travel, indie bands and asteroid came together to make a different kind of love story. If you want something off the beaten path, this is your book
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