Beyond the Rising Tide

By: Sarah Beard

Narrated by: Dana Dae, Zachary Webber, Punch Audio

Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's Summary

Kai met Avery only once - in the moment he died saving her life. Now when he's not using his new healing powers to help people, he watches helplessly as Avery's life is unraveled by his death. To help her, he risks everything by breaking the rules, dangerously blurring the barriers between life and death.

©2016 Sweetwater Books, an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc. (P)2016 Sarah Beard

Unexpectedly good.

Kai died while saving Avery from drowning and now his spirit continues on, healing people where he is assigned to. During his down time, he watches Avery. In the many months since that day she nearly drowned, her life has been fraying at the edges. She’s obsessed with finding out the identity of the boy who saved her life, only to have his lost and his body never recovered. She feels she can’t move on with her own life until she can locate his family and let them know how his ended. Kai, seeing that her life is not so much of a life anymore, risks much to help her heal her frayed emotions and move on.

This was a very enchanting story that surprised me in several ways. First, I’m not usually one to venture into contemporary romance, but lately I have been dabbling my toes in it. So I was quite surprised to find myself really wishing the two main characters would find a way to have a happy ending, one where love conquers all. Second, I know nothing about surfing and that sport features heavily in this book, but it’s done in such an approachable way. Now, I want surfing lessons. Lastly, YA is not something I seek out. If it happens to be a component of the story, then that’s OK, but it’s not a label that I look for. For this book, the coming of age coupled with young love was perfect for these characters.

The author did an amazing balancing act with this tale. Her writing brings up my own recollections of teenage parties, friendships, anxieties, hopes, and first loves. Yet she never goes overboard with any one component. For instance, there’s just the right touch of teen angst here and there but not so much as to make me think it’s there for drama’s sake alone. Young love plays a critical role in the plot, but, again, it’s not over worked. It was a joy to read these parts instead of being something I felt I had to plow through to get to the real story.

Kai, who technically is an angel (though the word is not lightly used in the story), is a very interesting character, and not just because he’s dead. We don’t learn everything about him upfront. Like Avery, we have to pull one secret after another out of him as the story moves forward. Before his heroic act, he had big dreams, family, a rough past. However, we meet him when those things are no longer in his grasp. Through him we learn about the place in between the Briar and Elysium, where others like him take on assignments to assist those in the mortal world in one way or another. I really liked these parts of the story with all their imagery. Also, there is Charles, Kai’s mentor from real life and his mentor in the afterlife. Charles was key in showing young Kai how to be a good person in life and he continues to give Kai that love and support after death. I think we all need a Charles in our lives.

Now Avery is also an interesting character but in different ways. Her life is more open and her secrets don’t have to be gently teased out of her, at least not for us readers. To some extent, she has been part of the adult world for a few years now. Her mom suffers from mental illness and she’s been working a regular job at her dad’s chocolate store for several years. At this point, she keeps her own schedule so long as one parent or the other knows where she’s at. She’s been a competition surfer for years but since that fateful day where she nearly drowned, she hasn’t been back in the water. Also, her boyfriend Tyler, who she was serious about, broke off their relationship after the accident. Additionally, her parents have separated, though she still sees each weekly. She’s been through trauma and change in short order.

There was a delicious build up to the end. Quite frankly, I wasn’t sure how things would play out, but I had definite ideas about how I wanted things to end (because I cared about these characters). Kai has some serious things he has to do before he can move on to Elysium and Avery has some serious things she has to do before she can move on with her life. I was really hoping to see them end up together somehow, but I wasn’t sure until the very end whether that would be or not. Without giving anything away, it was a very satisfying ending. Indeed, this tale was a weight to it that I didn’t expect to find in a romantic surfer YA story.

The Narration: Quite frankly, when I saw that Punch Audio had a hand in the making of this audiobook, it heavily influenced me to give it a try. I have listened to several Punch Audio productions and they always put forth a quality story. Dana Dae was a great pick for Avery. She sounds like a young lady on the cusp of full adulthood. She did a great job imbuing the characters with emotion without making them sound overly dramatic. Zachary Webber was also great, a really good match for Kai. I loved his voice, being deep enough to evoke images of a man grown. He also did a very good Hispanic accent for old Isadora.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Amazing.

Kai died to save Avery. Since that day, he has been watching her and watching her life unravel because she blames his death on herself. She can't get over the fact that a stranger died to save her. She tried to find him but her memories of that day are hazy. All Kai wants to do now is help her move on but since she can't see him, he can't help. That is until his mentor shows him a ring that can make him corporal. What follows is a story filled with heartache, unconditional love and redemption.

This was such a surprising read! I tend to stay well away from teen romances because I find them either to eye rollingly sappy or they are filled with love triangles or insta love. This one though, was just....... gorgeous! So. Many. Emotions!!!

Kai is such an amazing character. He is just a genuinely nice guy. He saw Avery drowning and didn't think twice about saving her. Even though he died, he still felt compelled to keep track of her and make sure she is OK.

Avery was a daredevil before the accident but since she nearly drowned, she has become more introverted. She can't help but feel responsible for the boys death. and she doesn't even know his name! But when a stranger, who doesn't feel like a stranger, comes into her life, he changes everything. Just who is Kai, and why does he feel so safe and familiar?

This whole book was effortless to read. I think I experienced nearly every emotion while reading and didn't want it to end. It's a sweet romance but also so much more!! It's a gripping, heartbreaking, story dealing with loss, grief, redemption, love but overall, hope. A must read!

I think I loved this so much because, not only was the writing stunning, but the narrators made the story pop. I adored the fact we had both a male and female narrator as it really brought the whole feel of the book alive. Both of them gave their all and absolutely nailed it! Amazing!!!

I received this as part of the blog tour. This in no way affected my thoughts.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

AUDIBLE NARRATORS BRING AN EMOTIONAL BOOK TO LIFE

Was so good on every level from the author's writing to Zach & Dana's narration it bought the book to life! Very emotional listen. It's a paranormal YA book, but recommend for any age who wants more than just high sexual content, it has romance, sadness, funny moments, twists & if you're after something different and yet compelling then this is for you. This is a beautiful after-life love story! Had me guessing all the way right up until the end.. Thank you to the author Sarah Beard for releasing this on audible, It felt as if I was in there with both Kai & Avery in their emotional journey. Loved it so much it kept me awake all night, couldn't put it down!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Loved it!

This is one of my favorite books that I've read so far this year so I jumped at the chance to listen to it. I love it when an audiobook has a male and female narrator when the book is told from both a male and female point of view. These narrators did a fabulous job!

I loved listening to Kai and Avery's story come to life! Avery is struggling ever since Kai died trying to save her. She has no idea who he is, though, since he drowned and no family reported him missing. From the other side, Kai hurts for her and comes up with a plan to help her move on with her life. His plan takes some unexpected turns, though, and things might not end up the way he originally hoped they would.

I always feel like I get more out of a book when I both read it and listen to it. Even though I knew what would happen, listening to it brought just as much joy as reading it did. This is a book I will listen to again and again. The bottom line is: This book is fantastic whether you choose to read it or listen to it!

I received a complimentary audiobook, which did not affect my review in any way.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Not even death can stop love!!!

I purchased this book because Zachary Webber was the narrator and neither it, nor he, let me down! Such a beautiful tale of the power of love!!! Kai saves the life of a drowning girl (Avery) and in doing so he drowns. Avery is traumatized. She can't get over the pain and guilt she feels for this boy. She isn't living, but slowly dying more and more each day. Kai, a spirit being, watches over her and falls in love with her. He saved her from dying and now he knows he has to do something to save her emotionally. Sacrificing everything he finds a way to come back physically and knows he only has a short time to get her to live again. I loved every aspect of this story! I love stories that tell of the power of love and this one definitely does that. Nothing can hold back the power of love, not even death ❤️

Beautiful Story

The story line and characters are simply stunning and the narration pulls you in and makes it feel like two friends are sitting with you telling their story.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Something To Listen To Over and Over Again

What did you love best about Beyond the Rising Tide?

The author's creativity was outstanding. Her words were like listening to a never-ending song. When you get hooked on a song, you find yourself listening to it over and over again.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Kai had to be my favorite character. He made the ultimate sacrifice but fell in love at the same time. At times it was hard to believe that he was only 17. He made some very mature decisions for being so young.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to Ms. Dae before but was surprised that I had heard one previous book that was narrated by Mr. Webber. I can say that there is no way to compare the two books since one is YA romance and the other is an adult romance. But one thing that I knew before the first half hour of listening was complete was that I have to listen to more works by these two.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There was more than one moment that moved me. But one particular one that touched my heart was when Kai finally found his mother. It was a touching and tough moment to listen to.

Any additional comments?

When I listened to the very beginning of this story, the first word that came to mind was "Wow!". Then I questioned "Why have I not heard about this author before?". But then that reminds me that I haven't listed to a young adult read in a long time. This is one of those stories that would also be a great book to listen to for the adult audience - especially if you like a sweet read. I've never been to California before but I can picture sitting on the beach looking out at the Pacific Ocean, sitting with this playing while I close my eyes. The movie screen is in my mind and the author is the orchestra leader for the scenes that play out on that screen. If I read the book instead of listening to it, I don't think my experience would have been as good - the narrators helped to bring Kai and Avery to life.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

good ya book

Sarah Beard has written a great young adult romance here. She takes you through the various elements of loss and how that can impact the mind and soul. There were times that the book was predictable but mostly I could not put this story down. I am not big on YA anymore and this one was able to hold my attention, wondering where the story would go and how these two young people could get an HEA when one is dead and the other is very much in the breathing world.

The narrator did a good job of giving each character personality and kept my attention without a lot of the annoyances I often get with audio books.

1 of 3 people found this review helpful

Exceeded my expectations

I debated getting this book because I don't normally read this genre. I liked this author's last book so I thought I would give it a whirl to break up 40+ hour-long space opera or dystopian books I've been reading.

Good stuff. Enjoyed the characters and their emotional viewpoints. The dual readers really helped with this. Also liked the theme that rules will not stop love. Because-- screw the rules.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful

So good!

This was an excellent book to read, and I couldn't help but be worried that the audiobook would let me down. However, I'm happy to report that that readers were fantastic! They added to the wonderful, heart wrenching story instead of detracting.

I love all the heart in this story! There are some deep issues, and though they are a big part, it's not a depressing story. It's very hopeful and has a happy ending.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful