I’m so excited to finally be back with another book review! Towards the end of the school year, I told myself that summer would be great because I would have so much time to read…and then I found out that a summer internship plus an English summer class took up a tad more time than I thought. The professor for my summer class has us reading six “short” stories a week (I’m a slow reader to those who think that’s a piece of cake). Anyway, while I’ve been settling into this hectic routine, I have also been slowly but steadily progressing through Home by the Waves by Anderson Park, and I’ve recently finished reading it! Huge shoutout to Anderson Park for giving me a free copy of the book, and I’m sorry for the late review (the author graciously gave me a copy in January…).

A few years ago, I probably would not have been ready to read a book about a guy in his mid-20s. It was just always easier for me to connect with people my age, so most of the books I’ve read in the past have been set in high school. It’s almost a bittersweet feeling because it reminds me I’m getting old haha (I know I’m not actually that old, but I remember the first day of high school like it was yesterday). This book made me feel more sentimental and warm and fuzzy than I thought I would.

Home by the Waves is about a business guy named William Cho, and he’s cruising through life just fine on his own. However, the only thing in his life that’s really happy is his wallet. He has practically no self-esteem, and he’s cut ties with his friend group from high school. He would much rather be by himself in his room. One day, he stumbles upon Kohola Bar, and the mural outside the bar is just as interesting and eye-catching as the staff. Will basically gets adopted by this fun-loving, caring group. This whole novel reminds me of a documentary or someone recording their daily life. It kind of has Good Luck Charlie vibes haha. It’s also kind of difficult to review because I don’t really know what would count as a spoiler or not.

When I was reflecting on this book, I realized that I do really enjoy the characters in this novel. I got to know all of them pretty in-depth. I don’t know if I could really picture all of them physically, but their personalities were each very prominent and unique. It made the ending even more sentimental and heart-touching. I absolutely love the Asian American representation as well. It was interesting because the novel didn’t necessarily solely focus on race, but it focused on life. The Asian characters in this novel weren’t there to prove anything or to make a stand, which I have no problem with if a book does do that. The Asian characters were just there because that was their life, and they were just living.

I feel torn about whether I liked the pacing of this novel or not. I’m not kidding when I’m saying this book is literally just life. Just like in life, there are big events and there are times small events in between, but a lot of the time, these phases of your life sort of blend into each other. The book is similar, so it’s hard for there to be a definite resolution or end, which may be what the author wanted. In the same sense, the book wouldn’t necessarily drag, but sometimes I would question how the book could even end. Even so, I think it’s interesting to experience a novel that kind of fits into the slice of life genre. All of the characters have made a special place in my heart, and I think I’ll kind of miss them being a part of my daily routine (I read every night before I go to bed…well, I try my best).

Rating = a loving 3.75/5

Thank you all for checking out my blog! I’ve had a fun time reviewing this book, and I recommend it to those who may feel like they’re going through the motions every day. This book may also be enjoyable to those who want a slower-pace novel for the sake of consistency and who want a steady feeling of contentment while reading. Thanks again to the author for giving me a free copy of Home by the Waves! I hope y’all enjoyed reading, and I’ll see you all in the next post!