Content levels
Trigger warnings
Positive tags
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Themes
Synopsis
"The haunting story of a family of dreamers and tale-tellers looking for home in an unwelcoming world. Traces one girl's migration from war to peace, loss to loss, home to home. Firuzeh and her brother Nour are children of fire, born in an Afghanistan fractured by war. When their parents, their Atay and Abay, decide to leave, they spin fairy tales of their destination, the mythical land and opportunities of Australia. As the family journeys from Pakistan to Indonesia to Nauru, heading toward a hope of home, they must rely on fragile and temporary shelters, strangers both mercenary and kind, and friends who vanish as quickly as they're found. When they arrive in Australia, what seemed like a stable shore gives way to treacherous currents."--Publisher description.
Is On Fragile Waves appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 13 and up.
A poignant magical realism tale following a refugee family's journey from war-torn Afghanistan to Australia. Contains war references, loss, and the hardships of displacement, but handles them with literary sensitivity appropriate for mature middle grade and teen readers.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include detention/captivity, death, and grief (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will connect with Firuzeh's journey as she navigates multiple countries and cultures while searching for a place to truly call home.