Thirteen-year-old Max has already faced down a huge wave of change in his young life. It’s been just months since his dad passed away, and now their landlord is selling their house. It isn’t just Max’s family who are getting priced out of the island they call home by investors wanting to set up Airbnbs – his best friend, Billy, had to move away too. His mum’s working too hard at the hospital on the mainland, his uncle Ed won’t stop being weird and awkward, and it feels like the only one left who understands Max is his dad’s dog, Ralph, who is now Max’s.

But when Max goes for his regular sunrise surf – a ritual he used to think would keep his surfboard-maker dad healthy – Ralph starts acting strangely. Within hours, the whole island and Max’s entire life are completely underwater, and he’s thrown together with two total strangers. He’ll have to learn how to face his fears, see past his anger and believe in his own abilities if he’s going to survive.

The Wave is so gripping and compellingly readable that this reviewer devoured it in less than a day. The engaging storytelling, drama and complex social and interpersonal dynamics will have fans of Sarah Armstrong’s exceptional Run and the I Survived series completely hooked until the final page. For ages 10+.