Wavehouse

by Alice Kaltman

Overview

Sixteen-year-old Anna Dugan is a super surfer who feels most at home when taking off on a ten-foot wave. But surf culture bores Anna big time. While other surfers follow trends and speak the lingo, Anna harbors a secret desire to be an artist, drawing houses made of waves. It’s not the most practical dream for the shy daughter of a single mom living in Kendall’s Watch, a beach town where most kids are so surf-centric they think "Current Events" have something to do with ocean tides. It is shaping up to be the worst summer ever, and Anna is in full-fledged panic mode as she hides out from a surf scout, a YouTube video gone viral, and a serial-dating mom. But Secretspot, her secluded surf retreat, becomes treacherous in ways Anna never could have imagined, and the danger has nothing to do with waves. When a gorgeous stranger paddles out, smiling a bewitching smile and surfing like a god, their chemistry is impossible to ignore. A series of events are set in motion that will change Anna’s life forever; events that raise difficult questions about love, honesty, betrayal, and family ties.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780998839882
Publisher:	Regal House Publishing
Publication date:	06/01/2018
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

The daughter of a Merchant Marine and a Rockaway beach babe, Alice Kaltman’s life has always been ocean-centric. Now when she’s not in the water she writes about surfers, mermaids, and other odd balls. In addition to Wavehouse, Alice is the author of the short fiction collection Staggerwing. Alice’s work can also be read in numerous journals, magazines and fiction anthologies. She splits her time between Brooklyn and Montauk, New York where she swims, surfs and writes; weather and waves permitting.

Editorial Reviews

"Wavehouse captures the twists and turns of growing up with sensitivity, humor, and heart-pounding surfing adventures. Fans of Sarah Dessen’s beachside novels will enjoy Kaltman’s seaside setting peppered with quirky and unforgettable characters. Warning: you may be tempted to grab a board and paddle out to Kendall’s Watch once you’ve finished."

– Diana Gallagher, author of Lessons in Falling.

"Wavehouse is a much-needed addition to young adult fiction as it centers on a powerful yet painfully shy female athlete holding her own in the male-dominated sport of surfing. Alice Kaltman is able to put readers alongside Anna on her surfboard in a way that only an author who is a surfer herself could. In her descriptions, I can feel the wind through my wet hair, the acceleration of the surfboard beneath me, and the ecstatic terror of entering the shimmering barrel of a wave twice my height.

Delightedly, Wavehouse also contains a heart-melting love story and readers will fall hard for the thoughtful and mysterious Men’s Junior World Surf Champion Chris Kahimbe. I especially liked how this budding relationship forces Anna to face her disapproval of her mother’s over-dependence on men and find her own balance in the feeling of being in love without losing herself to it."

– Megan Westfield, author of Leaving Everest

"A super shy teen surfer braves ten foot waves, a stormy relationship with her single mom and the tumultuous tides of first love in this poignant debut YA coming-of-age story. I cheered for Anna aka The Surfing Siren and readers will too as she faces down her inner demons and overcomes her fears to let her gifts as an athlete and artist shine. A stirring exploration of the sustaining power of a young girl’s growing trust in herself, her friendships, and her unconventional family portrayed with honesty, wit and true grit. Bravo!"

– Laura Geringer Bass, author of The Girl With More Than One Heart

From the Publisher

05/01/2018
Gr 7 Up—Anna is extremely shy, much to her mother's dismay, but when a video of Anna surfing goes viral, she is forced to face her fears. This novel is set in the small beach community of Kendall's Watch where Anna lives with her single mother, whom she seems to always disappoint. Sara wants her daughter to flaunt her surfing talents and embrace potential fame; however, the 16-year-old is an introvert and would like nothing more than to surf and draw her "wavehouses" in solitude. With the help of her sophisticated best friend Myra and a new surfer boyfriend Chris, Anna is pushed to find independence and deal with her extreme shyness and performance anxiety. This is a slow-paced, character-driven novel in which the protagonist faces many hardships typical of a coming-of-age story. As the plot unfolds, readers are privy to Anna's thought process and childhood flashbacks. These help teens gain perspective while adding realism and depth to Anna's character. Kaltman uses the stagnant secondary characters to flesh out Anna's character development. Through self-discovery, fights with family and friends, and a first romance, Anna matures and gains self-confidence. VERDICT This leisurely read about family, friends, and surfing is recommended for fans of sports and realistic fiction.—Haley Amendt, Hinton Municipal Library, Alta.

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