Waves

‘'Sometimes we drown drinking in the sea. A sea as red as a heart that's stopped beating. We look up from an underwater crossroads - return to the surface or let go.''

A young woman is trying to have a baby. Things don't go as she planned, her wife is her rock, her loyal supporter, her hope. But she cannot chase away the nightmares that have been hunting our narrator, the images of a lone boat, the images of drowning. Of suicide. When tragedy strikes, the couple will need each other more than ever but all the love in the world won't help the young woman recover unless she believes in hope and in herself.

In this extraordinary graphic novel by Ingrid Chabbert, a young woman tries to cope with grief and hope. With the need for a child and the strength to move on. Her wife and her great love for writing are the pillars that she can lean on and find security. The novel is based on the writer's personal experience and I cannot even begin to fathom the ordeal she must have gone through. I admire her, I am in awe in front of her courage, her bravery, her decision to turn the back on the nightmare that refuses to leave her in peace and her determination not to let go. It is exactly these stories that give us the strength to overcome dark moments of despair. If all else fades, books can save our souls.

I don't think technicalities have any meaning here but on an artistic level, this graphic novel is perfection. In my opinion. The dialogue is realistic, the illustrations are vivid, poignant and quietly beautiful. The depiction of the changing of the seasons is extraordinary and the ability of the artist to capture the feelings of the mother is awe-inspiring. On a personal note, I was excited to see Chania, one of the most picturesque cities in Greece, being beautifully illustrated by Carole Maurel.

This is a graphic novel, a work of Art, that should be read by everyone. A sad but beautiful, haunting hymn to love, inner strength and hope.

Many thanks to Archaia and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com

Wow, just wow. I put this on my TBR after seeing Destiny post about it and finally picked it up recently. This is the incredibly devastating, partially autobiographical account of a miscarriage and its aftermath. Even though I went into it knowing this would be an emotional read, I did not expect to sob through most of it – but I did.

This story was beautiful – both visually and in its message. My only real complaint was that it felt a little rushed and abruptly short. It was difficult to connect on a deeper level than “fuck, this was sad” because of that. Chabbert notes after the story's conclusion that she had intentionally not written very much about her attempts to conceive, lest they take over the story, but I found this to be a weakness. While the story was obviously quite emotionally impactful, helping readers to fully understand the context of this loss would have added a lot and allowed more connection to the characters.

I definitely recommend this, though. In fact, I texted a friend just after finishing to recommend it to her. If you can handle the sensitive content, this is a quick read that packs a lot of punch.

I had no idea how devastating this book was going to be. What an incredible and powerful story.

I received this as an eARC from Netgalley and the publisher Archaia in exchange for my open and honest review.

We all have that moment where we are storm-tossed and sheltering in a proverbial dingy clinging for safety. A moment where we look upon the future, and it seems like nothing more than waves crashing against the boat. Miscarriage, but really infertility in general, is one of those things that can toss you among the crashing waves and cause you to have to find your way back home. It is damaging, brutal, heart wrenching and prompts you to question everything you have ever held dear. It is also one of those things that are rarely discussed but affects so many. In Ingrid Chabbert graphic novel, Waves” she speaks of the before, during, and after of miscarriage and heartbreak after suffering miscarriage. It is poignant and painful, and she broke my heart as she stood in her little boat and faced a future among the crashing ways after a miscarriage. She is fierce in the most real sense of the world, and she broke my damn heart...


This story is a true story of Ingrid Chabbert and her partner's struggle with infertility, pregnancy, and miscarriage and then the struggle back to the light of life afterward. Anyone at all who has dealt with infertility can tell you how devastating it can be on every aspect of your life. Pregnancy is everywhere from the woman at the grocery store to adds on TV. It is such an important book to write and create because no one wants to talk candidly about it. With pregnancy rates as they are 1 in 10 women are infertile or have problems staying pregnant. This is such a real struggle, and that is 6 million women out there that have to contend with this every day.


No one wants to tell stories like this; it is as if our collective culture thinks something like infertility is a catchable disease like cooties or chicken pox. But Chabbert does, and she tells it beautifully. Not only is it a gripping and emotional read, but it is also beautifully rendered by Carole Maurel. Each page is done in a kaleidoscope of soft and beautiful colors and the images Maurel created of Chabbert being lost among the sea's waves are so right and so real.
Readers and people appreciative of graphic novels should read this. She put her heart out there and her journey with this story, and this is an incredible work of art.

As someone who batch-requests ARCs, I rarely remember what the book is about should it arrive on my Netgalley shelf. So I got sucker-punched once I got past the pretty, dreamy imagery of the first few pages and into the reality of a woman trying to conceive numerous times, and maybe this was the start of a new journey for her and her wife.

Despite not relating on a personal level, Waves was unexpectedly emotional. We learn that the dreamy seascape was an escape from reality, we are taken on a ride as the young couple goes through stages of coping with another loss.

I love the artwork and the use of colour to express the character's stages of grief. I love that someone tackled this difficult topic based on their own experience, and that this centres around a lesbian couple.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley.