WILD WAVE, by Rodman Philbrick, Scholastic Press, Aug. 6, 2024, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 8-12)
Two kids try to survive in the aftermath of a tsunami in Wild Wave, the third book in Rodman Philbrick’s The Wild series.
When a tsunami heads for the coast, Nick Chase and Jess Hardy must run. They make it into the woods above the bay—only to witness the sea flooding their neighborhood along the shore. Destroying everything.
In the broken landscape that’s left behind, the two must try to find their way to safety. But when they come across a stranded elderly couple, it’s up to Nick and Jess to work together and get help so that they can all make it out alive. —Synopsis provided by Scholastic Press
I haven’t read the first two books in Rodman Philbrick’s The Wild series — Wildfire and Wild River — but if they’re anything like Wild Wave, then they’re nail-biting adventures, too.
While Wild Wave is about Nick and Jess, the story is told from Nick’s point of view. Because it’s told in first-person, you get an inside look at his fear and courage as the two work together to escape the Tsunami’s wild wave and the ensuing chaos caused by it.
Philbrick does an excellent job setting the scene. You immediately feel as if you, too, are buried under a forest of uprooted trees. He quickly sets the stakes as Nick and Jess move from one dangerous situation to the next, providing both characters and readers moments of rest while never allowing them to completely let their guard down.
Wild Wave is perfect for fans of the I Survived or Survivor Diaries series. At approximately 175 pages, it’s an accessible length, and the short chapters provide for natural stopping points. The book is full of adventure and tension and Philbrick allows his characters to work out problems on their own. This would make a great addition to a classroom library.
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