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82nd out of 328 books
—
1,426 voters
Distant Waves
by
Suzanne Weyn
From the author of REINCARNATION, another historical, supernatural romance, this time focusing on five sisters whose lives are intertwined with the sinking of the Titanic.
Science, spiritualism, history, and romance intertwine in Suzanne Weyn's newest novel. Four sisters and their mother make their way from a spiritualist town in New York to London, becoming acquainted with...more
Science, spiritualism, history, and romance intertwine in Suzanne Weyn's newest novel. Four sisters and their mother make their way from a spiritualist town in New York to London, becoming acquainted with...more
Hardcover, 330 pages
Published
April 15th 2009
by Scholastic Press
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This book was probably one of the worst I've read. Probably because my expectations were fairly high, but none the less, it was a disappointment.
I was hoping for a good book focusing the the voyage of the Titantic. When I opened the book and skimmed the first view pages, I was a bit intrigued by the spiritualist-aspect part of it. So I made the mistake of buying it.
I am about 115 pages in, but I am close to dropping it into the trash.
The beginning is very jumbled, like the author wanted to creat...more
I was hoping for a good book focusing the the voyage of the Titantic. When I opened the book and skimmed the first view pages, I was a bit intrigued by the spiritualist-aspect part of it. So I made the mistake of buying it.
I am about 115 pages in, but I am close to dropping it into the trash.
The beginning is very jumbled, like the author wanted to creat...more
3 likes · like · see review
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First off, I'm just going to say that the title is VERY MISLEADING! If you are thinking about picking up this book to enjoy a story that takes place on the Titanic, you will be dissapointed. The Titanic does not come into the story until the last hundred or so pages and by then, the story is nearly over.
Now, after I got over being upset with the book because of the lack of involvement with the Titanic, I realized that I actually enjoyed Distant Waves. It turned out to be a very interesting hist...more
Now, after I got over being upset with the book because of the lack of involvement with the Titanic, I realized that I actually enjoyed Distant Waves. It turned out to be a very interesting hist...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
2 likes · like · see review
Distant Waves
Lexile: 790
I liked this book because I enjoy historical fiction and am curious about the Titanic. This book included many characters who were actually real people on the Titanic; for example, W.T. Stead, John Jacob Astor and Madeline Force, Molly Brown, and Benjamin Guggenheim and his girlfriend. Although the author imagined the actions and dialogue for her invented characterizations of these real people, it was still fascinating to imagine what they may have been like. On the other...more
Lexile: 790
I liked this book because I enjoy historical fiction and am curious about the Titanic. This book included many characters who were actually real people on the Titanic; for example, W.T. Stead, John Jacob Astor and Madeline Force, Molly Brown, and Benjamin Guggenheim and his girlfriend. Although the author imagined the actions and dialogue for her invented characterizations of these real people, it was still fascinating to imagine what they may have been like. On the other...more
I received Distant Waves three years ago as a gift from a friend who was not a reader at the time. Those of you who are still suffering through it or recently finished it can be assured, your view of this tree-waster will not improve with time, if you're anything like me. That said, I resold my copy to a (very, very popular) local used bookstore over a year ago and it is still sitting on the shelves.
3 Reasons I hated this book:
1. Extreme plot contrivances to let the ending work. It seems as if M...more
3 Reasons I hated this book:
1. Extreme plot contrivances to let the ending work. It seems as if M...more
WOW! I really loved this book! It's "A Novel of the Titanic" but the Titanic doesn't happen until near the end of the book. It's a book that's interwoven with history, the paranormal, and a great story of five sisters and the events that lead up to them being on the Titanic on its maiden voyage. I loved the name dropping and the important people that Jane, the main sister heroine, meets. This includes the crazy inventor Nicholas Tesla, who fascinates me, the financier John Jacob Astor, author Si...more
REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.
This book saddened me.
And not even because it was sad. How could that possibly have been the reason if I couldn’t even muster an inkling of emotion to invest in the flat characters?
No, this book saddened me because it had so much potential – all gone to waste. I chose this book because the summary seemed promising – no glaring Mary-Sue indicators, no cliched plotline, and no mention of a dark, brooding, beautiful yet painfully unattainable love...more
This book saddened me.
And not even because it was sad. How could that possibly have been the reason if I couldn’t even muster an inkling of emotion to invest in the flat characters?
No, this book saddened me because it had so much potential – all gone to waste. I chose this book because the summary seemed promising – no glaring Mary-Sue indicators, no cliched plotline, and no mention of a dark, brooding, beautiful yet painfully unattainable love...more
I am not usually a fan of historical fiction as I have trouble connecting with the characters and their situations, but I quite enjoyed this one. This novel is based on a lot of actual historical events, but the main crux of the story takes place during the il--fated maiden voyage of the White-Star Liner The Titanic. But this is a far cry form the story of Leo and Kate.
This story takes a long long LONG time to build to any kind of conclusion. The first two hundred pages are merely a set up to th...more
This story takes a long long LONG time to build to any kind of conclusion. The first two hundred pages are merely a set up to th...more
I went into this expecting a novel about the Titanic since that's what the cover says. It's mostly a book about the supernatural and spirit worlds. The Titanic actually plays a very small role in the book. A few parts felt awkwardly written, as if trying to shovel historical information onto the reader (I love historical fiction, but this book seems to try to shove in your face the fact that it's trying to justify itself as being slightly historical). Anyway, this story follows five sisters and...more
Even though it takes about 21 chapters before the sisters in this story (with the subtitle A Novel Of The Titanic) finally get on the Titanic I really enjoyed this book.
Most books that use the Titanic either do not use it enough or can't stand on their own, but this is an intriguing story all of its own while also using the Titanic in a way that I could admire.
To be honest: It wasn't the Titanic that stole the show in this book. It was Tesla, the scientific genius who seems to be an influentia...more
Most books that use the Titanic either do not use it enough or can't stand on their own, but this is an intriguing story all of its own while also using the Titanic in a way that I could admire.
To be honest: It wasn't the Titanic that stole the show in this book. It was Tesla, the scientific genius who seems to be an influentia...more
Booklist starred (April 15, 2009 (Vol. 105, No. 16))
Grades 8-11. Plenty of fiction has been set aboard the Titanic, but Weyn’s take on the infamous disaster is wholly original. For starters, the doomed ocean liner doesn’t appear until the book is two-thirds finished. Instead of using the tragedy as a plot engine, Weyn employs it as but one of the historical forces she juggles to propel her unusual story. Most central is the turn-of-the-century spiritualist movement: Jane is one of five daughters...more
Grades 8-11. Plenty of fiction has been set aboard the Titanic, but Weyn’s take on the infamous disaster is wholly original. For starters, the doomed ocean liner doesn’t appear until the book is two-thirds finished. Instead of using the tragedy as a plot engine, Weyn employs it as but one of the historical forces she juggles to propel her unusual story. Most central is the turn-of-the-century spiritualist movement: Jane is one of five daughters...more
I decided to take a break from all the nonfiction I've been reading as of late and read this book that I borrowed from my niece. This is one of those novels that was fine to read once, but is completely forgettable. There is not a whole lot of Titanic in this book. It is mostly about five girls and their relationship with their medium Mother. I probably would have given it two stars because the storyline and the characters were undeveloped, there were too many plot threads that were never follow...more
I will be honest in saying that the cover and the hint of The Titanic is what captured my interest in this book. Before I had even read the summary, the cover sucked me into the deep story of supernatural tales weaved into the historical tale of the Titanic.
Even with warnings of sinking of the famous ship Titanic, the sisters and mother still risk their life on sailing the seas in the hopes that someone will be watching over them. With famous names that you read about in the history books, you...more
Even with warnings of sinking of the famous ship Titanic, the sisters and mother still risk their life on sailing the seas in the hopes that someone will be watching over them. With famous names that you read about in the history books, you...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Distant Waves was an interesting read, but did not make much sense at times. It was not the kind of book where you would keep flipping the pages because you were interested in the book. It was the kind of book where you had to interest yourself in flipping the pages, and finish the book.
What I did like about the book though was how it has a different flow of themes, mood, and patterns than regular books do. For example when Jane thinks she is in Love with Thad she doesn't run off and get marrie...more
What I did like about the book though was how it has a different flow of themes, mood, and patterns than regular books do. For example when Jane thinks she is in Love with Thad she doesn't run off and get marrie...more
1 like · like · see review
Oct 12, 2010
Whitney
added it
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
A more accurate subtitle would be A Novel of the Victorian and Edwardian Struggle Between Science and the Supernatural. Readers looking for a shipboard romance ala Jack and Rose will be disappointed. But those looking for historical fiction or a slightly skeptical dip into the paranormal will enjoy this brisk read. Our narrator is Jane, the second of five daughters of a potential clairvoyant, telling her life story two years after the fateful sinking. Suddenly widowed in 1898, her mother uses th...more
I’ve never read a fictional story based around the Titanic, this one was wonderful. It was well written and inventive. Weyn seems to have done a lot of research on the actual even of the Titanic sinking and is well versed on those traveling aboard the ship. She combines reality with fiction throughout the entire story, blending the two seamlessly. Two of my favorite “real people” to make appearances are Nikola Tesla and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
The first half of the book focus on the mother, the f...more
The first half of the book focus on the mother, the f...more
This book is about a girl named Jane and her family is into speritalisum. Her sister mimi think they fake it but they may not be. Soon Jane's sisters Emma and Amy are older and begain to share dreams togeather and Jane think thats because they are twins. But soon Emma began to sleep walk and it is harder to walk her up wial she is in her dream. Next they have vitions that tell the future and the perdicted sinking of the great Titanic. Next thing Jane knows is when she was little she meet a famou...more
Why I read this book:
This is one of the books I got at the ALA Conference in Chicago. Honestly, I think I bought it because it was inexpensive. There were many $1 or $3 book deals and the cover caught my attention. Plus, the Titanic is an interesting piece of history for me so I thought I would enjoy it.
Summary:
This story is not so much about the Titanic as it is about 5 sisters and their mother. The mother has some psychic abilities and capitalizes on them to make a living. The book follows the...more
This is one of the books I got at the ALA Conference in Chicago. Honestly, I think I bought it because it was inexpensive. There were many $1 or $3 book deals and the cover caught my attention. Plus, the Titanic is an interesting piece of history for me so I thought I would enjoy it.
Summary:
This story is not so much about the Titanic as it is about 5 sisters and their mother. The mother has some psychic abilities and capitalizes on them to make a living. The book follows the...more
Oct 08, 2009
Dee
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone who's a sucker for love stories... like me!
What do you get when you cross stories of love, science, heroism, mediums, and the worst martine tradgety of all time--the story of the "Titanic"?
You get "Distant Waves".
"Distant Waves" is quite unlike anything I've read before. Sure, I've heard the story of the "Titanic" many times--but this book focuses on more than just the tradgedy. The book is narrated by the main character Jane, a young, aspiring journalist who had survived the "Titanic" two years before. Her mother and twin sisters are me...more
You get "Distant Waves".
"Distant Waves" is quite unlike anything I've read before. Sure, I've heard the story of the "Titanic" many times--but this book focuses on more than just the tradgedy. The book is narrated by the main character Jane, a young, aspiring journalist who had survived the "Titanic" two years before. Her mother and twin sisters are me...more
Five American sisters have different paths that lay before them, all beginning from their mother, who claims to be a psychic and medium for communication between the living and the dead. Mimi, the oldest, yearns for fashion and adventure, hoping to escape boring Spirit Vale, the spiritualist town where her family lives. Jane, the narrator, is second-oldest and an aspiring journalist whose path is affected by true love and great investigations. The mystical twins, Amelie and Emma, are perhaps the...more
Five sisters, daughters of the famed psychic Maude Taylor, grow up in unusual circumstances. They make their home in Spirit Vale, a small and unique town in which a high concentration of clairvoyants and those with the “gift” also reside. Despite their shared last name, the five sisters are quite different. Beautiful Mimi, the oldest, yearns to claim a place in high society while also internally struggling with the truth of her heritage. She, along with her youngest sister Blythe, believes their...more
Reviewed by Amber Gibson for TeensReadToo.com
What would you do if you had foreseen the sinking of the Titanic?
DISTANT WAVES is one of many re-tellings of the mysterious happenings surrounding the greatest shipwreck of all time, but Suzanne Weyn's version stands out with its breadth of historical research and, most importantly, with its allusions to the paranormal.
Maude Oneida Taylor is a famed psychic, one of the most respected clairvoyants in Spirit Vale, a small liberal town teeming with spiri...more
What would you do if you had foreseen the sinking of the Titanic?
DISTANT WAVES is one of many re-tellings of the mysterious happenings surrounding the greatest shipwreck of all time, but Suzanne Weyn's version stands out with its breadth of historical research and, most importantly, with its allusions to the paranormal.
Maude Oneida Taylor is a famed psychic, one of the most respected clairvoyants in Spirit Vale, a small liberal town teeming with spiri...more
This was a just okay historical novel that centers around a family of spiritualists around 1910. The mother and her five daughters move to Spirit Vale, a village full of mediums after their father dies. The mother becomes a famous medium after an encounter with Tesla, the scientist, inspires her to talk about "spiritual vibrations". The daughter at the center of the story, Jane, is not sure if she believes that her mother and her twin sisters can really contact the spirit world. She is more inte...more
The book was really interesting and is a great book to read for people who like history, romance, and adventure. Suzanne Weyn, the author of Distant Waves: A Novel of The Titanic, is the oldest of four siblings from Long Island, New York. Which might have inspired her to write a story about five sisters. Suzanne is a bestselling author of multiple young adult novels such as, "The Invisible World: A Novel of Salem witch Trials," "Reincarnation," "Diamond Secret," "The Night Dance," and many more...more
Actual Rating: 2.5
Distant Waves is a Titanic story, and thus a historical-fiction novel. Suzanne Weyn did a very good job with the research. It was thorough and I have a lot of respect for her because of it. The voice of her MC had the right tone for the world of 1912, and did not sound too modern. Also a plus.
But while the historical side of the book was spot on, I regrettably say that I could not get into her characters. I didn't care. I don't know exactly what it was about them that I didn't...more
Distant Waves is a Titanic story, and thus a historical-fiction novel. Suzanne Weyn did a very good job with the research. It was thorough and I have a lot of respect for her because of it. The voice of her MC had the right tone for the world of 1912, and did not sound too modern. Also a plus.
But while the historical side of the book was spot on, I regrettably say that I could not get into her characters. I didn't care. I don't know exactly what it was about them that I didn't...more
Okay, the story for this book was really cool. I think the author could've built on a lot of things, but she kept her description of circumstances pretty brief, but not TOO brief where you always feel like your missing something. It honestly could've been a series or atleast a trilogy with the amount of material involved.
DISTANT WAVES is mainly told in Spirit Vale, a small town in New York where the majority of the population are 'spiritualists', people who believe they can communicate with ghos...more
DISTANT WAVES is mainly told in Spirit Vale, a small town in New York where the majority of the population are 'spiritualists', people who believe they can communicate with ghos...more
This book is about five sisters who travel on the Titanic, as well as their journey to that point. They were raised in a small town in New York which is something like a commune for spiritual people - fortune tellers, palm readers, and more. Jane, the 2nd oldest sister and narrator, is more rooted in science than her mother and their neighbors, but is never quite sure what she believes in the spiritual realm. Jane's younger twin sisters, one who never speaks, are able to see into the afterlife i...more
Distant Waves revolves around the women of the Taylor Family who are known for their air of clairvoyance. The mother of the family runs a service at a spiritualist camp. She and her five daughters travel to Europe to a spiritualist convention and through occurrences and predictions, they end up aboard the great TItanic. Through psychic mediation and mad science, each sister realizes her fate as the events of the Titanic unfold.
This book definitely held my attention and it was unlike any book I h...more
This book definitely held my attention and it was unlike any book I h...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Did anybody else feel that this book could have gotten more to the point? | 13 | 38 | May 04, 2013 03:58pm | |
| Do YOU believe in spiritualism? | 1 | 3 | Jul 24, 2012 08:40am |
Suzanne Weyn grew up in Williston Park, Long Island, New York. She has three sisters and a brother. As a girl she was very interested in theater and in reading. Louisa May Alcott was her favorite author, but she also read every Sherlock Holmes story. Suzanne lived pretty close to the ocean and going to Jones Beach was one of her favorite activities Even today, if she goes too long without seeing t...more
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