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waves crashing just like meGenre: Contemporary YA
Topics: Mental Health, Self-Esteem, Self-Discovery, Romance Recommended age: 12+ Fifteen-year-old Elyse Kaywood struggles to get out of bed every morning, knowing each day will only bring more feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. The medications haven’t been helping. The psychiatrist has admitted there’s no fix-all. Elyse is sure that even spending a summer at the beach won’t be able to help her overcome her depression.
Fifteen-year-old Mariana Kaywood is ecstatic about spending the summer on the beach. She’ll get to spend all day catching rays, waves, and cute guys. And she’s determined not to let Elyse’s cloudy mood ruin her vacation. |
Mariana begins taking steps toward a romantic relationship with a cute, kind, fun-loving guy named Ryan. Convinced that Ryan won’t want to be with her if he finds out certain truths about her life, Mariana vows to keep everything secret—from her turbulent previous relationship to the fact that Elyse exists. It should be easy, given that Elyse rarely ever leaves the house. But Elyse’s frame of mind has been improving, through the help of her eight-year-old autistic neighbor with whom she has developed a close bond.
When Elyse finally meets Ryan, she can’t deny the strange feelings of attraction she has for him. She knows it’s foolish to keep in touch with him, especially given the unintentional role she played in dismantling Mariana’s last relationship, but she can’t help being flattered by the fact that Ryan actually seems to enjoy spending time with her.
As the summer progresses, both Mariana and Elyse need to decide what’s important… and how much they’re willing to risk to obtain it.
When Elyse finally meets Ryan, she can’t deny the strange feelings of attraction she has for him. She knows it’s foolish to keep in touch with him, especially given the unintentional role she played in dismantling Mariana’s last relationship, but she can’t help being flattered by the fact that Ryan actually seems to enjoy spending time with her.
As the summer progresses, both Mariana and Elyse need to decide what’s important… and how much they’re willing to risk to obtain it.
Waves Crashing Just like me playlist: |
These songs all remind me, for one reason or another, of Waves Crashing Just Like Me. Some of them have lyrics that make me think of a certain character or part of the book. Others are songs I listened to a lot during the time period in which I wrote the book. Click on a song to listen to it on YouTube!
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Fun fact: Waves Crashing Just Like Me takes place at Hampton Beach, which is a real place in New Hampshire. Most of the specific places mentioned in the book -- Cristy's Pizza, Sal's Pizza, Patriot's Corner, Sweet Hannah's, The Sea Shell, The Goat, and the RV area -- are actual places at Hampton Beach, and the series of streets connecting to Ocean Boulevard actually are named after letters of the alphabet. The actual house that Mariana and Elyse are staying in, as well as Ashlynn's house and Ryan's family's store, are fictional. The sand sculpture contest mentioned toward the end of the book is a real Hampton Beach event, but it takes place earlier in the summer (usually toward the end of June). |
Above is a map of the Hampton Beach area, with the pin on Cristy's Pizza, since that's on the same street as the house where Mariana and Elyse are staying. Enjoy looking around and familiarizing yourself with the setting of the story!
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I love to hear what readers have to say about my books! If you have any questions or comments about Waves Crashing Just Like Me, please email me at [email protected]. I will get back to you within 1-2 weeks!
