Every Seventh Wave has strong echoes of Fiona Mozley's Elmet and Evie Wyld's All the Birds, Singing. Strongly lyrical, the novel also serves as a literary thriller, with a suspenseful pace that builds to its redemptive finale. People-trafficking, fraternal love and violence are the fulcrum the novel turns on, the latter rippling outwards, sparing no one. Every Seventh Wave is a literary tale of the fates we tether ourselves to, how seemingly benign encounters can provoke both hope and devastation.
Tom Vowler is an award-winning novelist and short story writer living in the UK. His debut story collection, The Method, won the Scott Prize and the Edge Hill Readers' Prize, while his novels What Lies Within and That Dark Remembered Day received critical acclaim. He is an associate lecturer in creative writing at Plymouth University, where he completed his PhD. His second collection of stories, Dazzling the Gods, was published in 2018. More at www.tomvowler.co.uk
Title: Every Seventh Wave
Author: Tom Vowler
ISBN: 9781784632397
Binding:
Publisher: Salt Publishing
Publication Date: 2021-04-01
Number of Pages: 208
Weight: 0.1801 kg
I could describe Vowler's latest book as a literary thriller about people trafficking. But the plot is merely a backdrop to the book's themes: the precariousness of life; the legacy of trauma; what is fated for us or what we believe to be fated; and how easily this can all change ... A diverting read, compact and eloquently written.
-- Brigid O'Dea * Irish Times *
Every Seventh Wave is a tenderly written and tense exploration of the shadowlands of the heart. Those on the margins of society are written sharply into lamp light and readers find themselves engaging with loss, betrayal and the complexities of lives lived out amongst the morally corrupt. This is a novel for now, a literary call for action as well as an unforgettable narrative bright with hope and redemption.
-- Rachael Smart * London Grip *
It was this that made me appreciate more deeply the scenes where Anca faces the prospect of drowning. Each of the characters is, in a way, caught in the riptide of the life they have ended up with. The author is uncompromising in his portrayal of the consequences of choices made; the waves keep coming whatever breakers are built. A disturbing yet satisfying tale that both appals with its harsh truths and engages the reader. An impressive and affecting story that I recommend.
-- Jackie Law * Neverimitate *
