Shaped by the Waves

Shaped by the Waves by Christina Suzann Nelson has Cassie George returning to Gull’s Bay, Oregon to care for Shasta. Cassie was working on obtaining her doctorate in marine ornithology when she received the call stating that her aunt, Shasta had a stroke and had Parkinson’s disease. When Cassie sees Shasta, she knows that it is time to move home with her daughter, Lark to care for the woman who raised her. Cassie received a package in the mail. It contains typed pages that are someone’s story. Cassie begins reading and soon becomes engrossed. As Cassie reads, she discovers that this story has ties to her life. Cassie’s life is about to change in more ways than one. Shaped by the Waves is not what I expected. I really wanted to enjoy the story, but I could never get into it. I found it slow going. Cassie is not a likeable character. She is stubborn, rude, and does not like to accept help even when she is overwhelmed. Cassie has a cute, precocious daughter named Lark. She is a smart cookie for four years old. I liked the humor that Lark added to the story. We get to meet various townspeople. Most of them are friendly and welcoming. They want to help Cassie with Lark and Shasta. They know they need to be creative since Cassie is bound to say no if they ask directly. Nora is the exception. She is Cassie’s high school nemesis. Nora is pregnant with her third girl, and she has been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I found Nora to be just as frustrating as Cassie. I enjoyed the descriptions of Oregon. There is a lot going on in Shaped by the Waves. It can be hard to keep track of the people and the various storylines. I thought the story lacked cohesion and the pacing was slow (I saw snails waving as they passed me by). I felt that some information was lacking (such as Cassie getting pregnant). Some items are overly detailed, and others are missing key points. I thought Nora’s story would tie in with Cassie’s, but it really did not (I wanted to see the stories intersect). There is romance in the story as well. Cassie finds herself attracted to a coffee shop employee. Shaped by the Waves is a Christian story, but you have to search to find the mentions of faith, prayer, and church. Shaped by the Waves is an emotional novel. You will definitely need a tissue handy for a scene or two. I read Shaped by the Waves, but I was never able to immerse myself into the story. It is a book that I could have put down and easily never returned to. It had a predictability to it (it is easy to figure out who authored the story sent to Cassie). Shaped by the Waves has an expected, feel-good ending. I am afraid that I was not the right audience for Shaped by the Waves. I suggest you obtain a sample to see if it suits you. Shaped by the Waves is an expressive tale with a clever child, an ailing aunt, delectable coffee, pretty paintings, a caring community, scrumptious cookies, and a moving manuscript.