4.75I read this book on the recommendation of some friends who praised it to high heavens. During the first few pages, it read somewhat slow if pleasantly enough, and I couldn’t help wondering what all the fuss was about. But then, bam, disaster hit, and I was hooked. Erik’s and Kerry’s winding, rocky road back to themselves and back to each other held me captive, not lastly because of Erik’s 1st person POV narrative voice. Internal and outward conflict, raw emotion, love, hate, despair and joy, all came vividly clear on the pages, always underlaid by Erik’s passion for his South African home, the sea and the creatures he feels so connected with, the great white sharks.I was equally impressed with the colorful, lifelike descriptions of locations and events in this book. The words took me right there into the shark cage, to the Suva market, to Van Dyks Bay and its hinterland and all the various places where the story is set.But the romance was really the most important thing about this story. Even though I didn’t particularly like Kerry, and even if he acted foolish and immature, I could relate to him and forgive him in the end. I rooted for him and Erik to overcome their fears and doubts and find their hard-won happiness together.Some minor problems came up too, unanswered questions for which I’d have liked clarification, for example why Kelle decided to stay with her brother instead of simply going on with her own life in the first place. At times, this read as if chunks of information were missing (perhaps edited out, or so it seemed). Notable niggles, but not enough to considerably mar the reading experience.If you mind angst in your reading, this book certainly isn’t for you. For all others, I’d recommend it as an intense, captivating pleasure trip.read the full review at www.reviewsbyjessewave.com
