This book had a strong start: the trope of a young man going in search of his absent father after the loss of his mother is made more interesting by the initial rage and Sebastien's disposition. However, I feel there's a desire to avoid "real villains" , particularly regarding Nikos and Kostas. Their ambiguity went from extreme coldness to extreme vulnerability, which made it hard to connect with them as characters, since the "victims can become abusers" discourse was rather heavy-handed. I did love the way Sebastien's sexuality is treated through the book, though, particularly his fluidity and how his identity is not the lynchpin of his character/personality. It's a mystery/coming of age book that has queer characters all across the range of morality and I really appreciated that. We definitely need more books in that line! Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this E-ARC.

Sebastian half Greek, described with dark eyes and unruly hair. He lived with his Mom, Ruby, in a small town in Quebec called Petit Grant: they were never accepted in the town. Ruby had arrived there young and pregnant with no man in sight. She cleaned houses to support them. Sebastian is quite the character, he struggles with wanting to know more about his Dad, he develops a hate for him for abandoning his mother when she was pregnant. He also has quite the temper! Ruby is tight lipped about his Dad, and he is only provided snippets. When she dies he goes in search of him, not knowing what it would lead to.
The story is well developed as are the characters, I recommend reading it.

what an absolute thrill ride! i was expecting more literary fiction, but i was pleasantly surprised by the mystery/thriller elements. simply put, i couldn't stop reading. while sebastien was an excellent main character, the supporting cast was also fantastic. fleshed out, exciting -- i loved every bit of it. i clutched my chest, i exclaimed, i gasped. the melodrama of it all... in the best possible way.

This book is good. I'll start by saying that. I enjoyed the story, I think it has a great idea behind it, but the execution is sadly, imho, lacking.
I think the reason for that may be that the author is still a bit inexperienced. I feel like I really wanted to get into the story but it just wasn't there. It's like the person who wrote this wanted me to relate to these characters, see their depth and wanted to build them with character, but didn't make it. This book is telling you things instead of showing them to you.
The first romance scene for me felt like it came out of nowhere, I didn't get the feeling the characters were even vibing well enough to be friends and suddenly they were on top of each other and it felt like it was so sudden. Also, the fact he waits until the last possible moment to reveal his identity to the Captain is super confusing because it was the entire permise for this book, finding him and confronting him... and there were more.
This story has a lot of potential to be good, but ended up a bit messy for me.
Maybe it's just me, but I think with a little more editing and rewriting some scenes it could've been a greater book

*Thank you to Netgalley and Dundurn Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

"The Rebellious Tide" is the story of a young man's journey to find the father who abandoned him and his mother before he was born that morphs into a mystery about the dark secrets hidden onboard a luxury liner. While the book has its moments, I didn't love it as I thought I would. The characters were one-dimensional and the dialogue seemed stilted at times, making it hard for the characters and their relationships to resonate with me. Some of themes of the book - good vs. evil, the powerful vs. the powerless - also felt a little heavy handed to me. That said, I was captured enough by Sebastien and the secrets of the officers to keep reading. Ultimately, this was a quick and entertaining read, but lacks real substance and depth.

This is my second novel by Eddy Boudel in the last month, and it did not disappoint. While this novel is quite different from his debut, After Elias, it was similarly driven by a physical journey towards finding the truth and uncovering secrets. The first part of the novel is a bit more slow paced and plot building but the last 30-40% of this novel kept me on my toes. As the author said, “it’s a wild ride,” and that it is. Highly recommend to those who are interested in a well crafted mystery.

I went blind into this book. I mean, I knew what it was about, but not what to expect. The storyline really was excellent. It was a well-invented story, with interesting twists and turns. I am a sucker for Greek mythology so the way this was waved into the story was so interesting and even satisfying.
It was a quick-moving story, something I wasn't sure about at first, but it turned out to be great. The development of the story was great. I needed the first 70 pages though to really get into it.
It was interesting to see Sebastien's relationship with his mother, and his home town, through these flashbacks. They were really captivating and gave me really a sense of knowing Sebastien. It made me feel like I have known him and his mother forever.
The characters in this book were immaculate. They all had their own interesting, and heartbreaking backstories. I loved how they all stood up for Dominic, the friendship between Sebastien, Ilya, and Diya. But what I loved the most was the relationship between Sebastien and Nikos. So, I have to admit, the plot twist really hurt my feelings.

Review Posted Publicly / Positive Elements:

The first thing that sold me onThe Rebellious Tide (and remains my favorite part of the whole story) is the main character, Sebastien. From the git-go, Sebastien's character is conveyed with sharp passion and dynamism--he's kind and charming, but conceals a level of darkness and fury that gives his character both an irreplaceable complexity and a keen sense of humanity. As the book develops, the reader is drawn deeper and deeper into Sebastien's character--as if the very "rebellious tide" within Sebastien is gradually rising. The reader finds themself transfixed by his ardency, his courage, his desires, and his ever-shifting, dichotomous sense of self. Likewise, Sebastien is flanked by a cast of characters who are all self contradictory (as real people are) and complex, with well fleshed out backstories.

The Rebellious Tide is also very strong in plot--there is a genuine sense of mystery, suspense, and danger. I wanted so badly to know what secrets were being kept on the luxury liner where Sebastien works, as well as what would ultimately happen between him and his father. Sebastien is a very active character and drives the plot with the same passion that fills this entire story. Yet, his flawed decision making and darkness also add another level of tenseness to the plot--unlike a simple, commercial mystery (i.e. a whodunnit or "What's gonna happen?") this story is far more realistic. The characters are permanently faced with difficult decisions and sacrifices; they must decide how much to sacrifice to find out the truth, whether or not to ignore the ugly truths they find, and--perhaps most of all--if they can face the truth of themselves.

Another thing that impressed me about The Rebellious Tide were the devices Tan utilized. This story is told in occasional flashbacks and multiple points of view; both of these are very easy to do very bad. When poorly done, they can completely ruin a story, distract the reader, or just fall flat. But Tan utilized both expertly--especially the flashbacks. This book has a rhythm to it, again mirroring the sea. The reader is gradually submerged and drawn deeper into the mystery, the characters, and the darkness beneath the surface. The flashbacks are employed to create this effect, revealing "secrets" to the reader about Sebastien and his past while the dark secrets in the present day (on the ship) are revealed. This deepens both the characterization and the emotion in the book, heightening everything as the story nears its climax. The Rebellious Tide is also told from a semi-omniscient point of view (i.e. third-person and not limited to one character), which--to be completely honest--I usually hate. Since characterization is my favorite part of every story, I generally prefer an intimate first person point of view, like in Song of Achilles. Yet, in The Rebellious Tide, the third-person point of view only intensifies the sense of secrets and mystery. In conjunction with the flashbacks, this device ultimately makes the story more dynamic, cohesive, and hard-hitting.

I also loved the setting of The Rebellious Tide. As I said before, I'm a sucker for ships and the sea--and also for Greek and Mediterranean settings. But you can't deny that the claustrophobic opulence of a luxury liner adds something special to a novel, and gives it a distinct aesthetic.

The Rebellious Tide also conveyed a moral grayness that I greatly appreciated, and which ultimately allowed the book to pull off its theme of "fighting for the oppressed" with grace. Tan conveyed even the "bad guys" in this book with complexity and depth, and this realistic complexity was one of the things I loved most about this book. It adds a sense of realism to the "fighting for the oppressed" theme, which otherwise could be a bit on-the-nose. There were moments in this book that genuinely gave me cold chills, and felt incredibly powerful. I think the main reason this book is able to utilize this theme ("fighting for the oppressed"/"revolution") with more tact than, say, a YA novel, is because Sebastien is the perfect character to lead this crusade. He isn't too much of a "hero;" Sebastien's darkness is one of the most important and skilled elements of this book, and I greatly appreciate its inclusion. Too often, books utilize a 100% kind or "perfect" hero/heroine, or rely wholeheartedly on a reluctant one. To use two YA books as a contrasting example, Tris in Divergent had next to no complexity of emotion; she was just "good." Katniss in The Hunger Games (even though I adore this book) wasn't emotionally invested in the revolution or fighting for the oppressed--she just wanted to survive. But Sebastien reflects a more realistic modern crusader; he's deeply angry at how the world has treated him, and his emotions regarding oppression often get the better of him. Even just being a bisexual woman (but white and cis), I relate to this. Sebastien's darkness and the mistakes he makes add a layer of depth to this novel, and greatly endeared him to me. The use of flashbacks to reveal more of Sebastien's character was also incredibly clever, as it allowed the reader to be gradually introduced into the truth of who Sebastien really is, making the eventual effect much stronger.

(Hopefully) without giving away any spoilers, I'll also say that the ending was subtle and suiting; it didn’t go overboard in some massive, splashy, soap-opera-style way. It was hopeful, quiet, and reflective of real life—and I really, really appreciated that.

Ultimately, I greatly enjoyed reading this book. If you aren't into it so much in the beginning, keep going--this book really is a "rebellious tide," and you'll be sunk gradually deeper into it. By the last third of The Rebellious Tide, I was reading during the day (I can usually only focus enough to read at night), and I absolutely had to find out what happened. The Rebellious Tide is a quick and lovely read--if the idea of the setting and themes interest you, pick it up!


Concerns (not shared on blog):

- Because of the "gradually submerged" method, it is initially slightly more difficult to connect with the characters; there is a distance between characters and reader that may result in loss of interest during the first half of the book. However, changing this would also negate some of the impact of this effect.

- Occasionally, the prose itself was somewhat lacking, though the mystery of the story, the setting, and the characters ultimately made up for it. Two things I always look for in good writing are little details and rhythm. I.E. The author is 1) invested and placed in the world, giving them an eye for the smallest, most reflective of things—those little moments we all notice in life, like a fly between windowpanes. And 2) the writing “sings.” (Like this: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EQPOXikVUAEfpqt.jpg) This is something I especially look for in literary fiction. I want to be struck by the sentences and swayed by the syntax—as in a poem, or a modern classic like Song of Achilles. The writing in The Rebellious Tide occasionally lacked rhythm or detail, or the dialogue was a little stiff. I think this something most readers could easily overlook; personally I’m just very picky and hard on prose. Luckily, my worries about the writing itself were soon dispelled by the rhythm of the story. This reminds me of something author Maggie Stiefvater once discussed: the difference between a story teller and a writer (https://maggiestiefvater.com/critique-partners-story-telling-people-looking-over-your-shoulder/). I am distinctly a writer—I live for the prose. I could write nonfiction, poetry—it doesn’t matter. The story of a novel is just a lovely side effect. But it seems to me that Tan is a story-teller—the STORY was exciting, suspenseful, and ultimately touching.

- One thing to note is that, very occasionally, The Rebellious Tide was a bit on-the-nose with the “fighting for the oppressed” theme. However, for the most part this was pulled off in an enjoyable, impactful, inspiring, and (in my, admittedly limited, opinion) realistic way (for the reasons discussed above).

'The Rebellious Tide' was a fun, entertaining read, but not one that will stick around in my memory for a long time.

The story starts well. We meet Sebastien as a guy struggling with who he is, what his place in society is, and what direction to take with his life. As the only son of a struggling single immigrant mother in a small town in Canada, he feels he was never really accepted there, and when his mother dies, he loses his only anchor.
He decides to go find his father, a man he only knows by name and from what he learned from the internet. Sebastien enlists on the cruise ship his father has a commanding position on.

I really liked the first descriptions of life on the ship. I liked the characters Sebastien becomes friends with, each with their own background story that made them decide to leave their lives behind and find a new one on board. I liked how at first sight this new life is a big improvement for all of them, how the ship seems to be a refuge for those who experienced oppression of all kinds in their previous lives. And I liked how things took a dark turn once Sebastien discovered a secret that involved the ships commanders, including his father.

But then things started to go a little downhill for me. The descriptions that at first helped me form a clear picture in my head became repetitive. The main storyline, even though it took a few less expected twists and turns en route, was overall pretty predictable. The deliberate choice to seduce the security officer in order to get him to help turned into a less than believable and for the story unnecessary case of insta-love. (This felt like the 'love' aspect was added to 'soften' the apparent use of sex to get something the protagonist needed.) And suddenly, parts of Sebastian's past appeared as flashbacks, that painted a more detailed picture of him. They added interesting aspects, but it felt a bit unnatural that no hints about them were dropped in the earliest chapters where we first met him, as they would have been very important factors in his decision to leave his home.

Despite all this, I never stopped wanting to read on, and I did enjoy how the story unfolded. I enjoyed it like I enjoy an action-movie or a crime-series episode. Even though the right ingredients where there (interesting characters and setting, social issues), I missed depth and emotional involvement, though.

The Rebellious Tide is an interesting book in that its premise is solid and characters are well-drawn, but something still feels to be missing. The book clips along at a surprisingly brisk pace considering its introspective subject matter, and by the time the mystery kicks in, I already found myself lost a bit amongst all the moving pieces.

Tan is good at giving us shorthand to understand the wide cast of characters that fill the world on board the Glacier, but the character I found myself wanting to know even more about was Sebastien, our main character. By the time all of the pieces are filled in, the book is basically over, and I wished that we had learned some of the vital information revealed in the final third of the book a bit earlier.

Overall, it's a solid read, especially for folks looking for an LGBTQ protagonist whose entire story doesn't revolve around being queer (though there is a bit of angst when Sebastien is outed by a friend in a flashback).

In Eddy Boudel Tan's sophomore novel, we follow Sebastien on a journey to find his father which soon explodes into a protest for workers rights and an investigation on what's really happening in room A66. This book has plenty of threads, revisiting Sebastien's past and present to tell the complete story. At about the 80% mark in the book, I worried that there were too man threads, and that a satisfying ending would be hard to pull off. Tan's writing was beautiful, and by the end of the book, every plot thread was answered in a meaningful way.

One concern I had for the book early on was the main character's seemingly black and white perspective on the world around him, as I felt it lacked nuance and would be used as an excuse to avoid development on the antagonists in the story. While Sebastian remains mostly hard-set in his ideals, it was great to see some of his decisions waver as the story went on. There were undoubtedly some characters he wanted to believe more than the evidence he was gathering, and it added a great sense of tension to the story. When other characters started revealing their own views on morality--many of which were more grey--I found myself enjoying the sharp juxtaposition they shared with the protagonist.

While the protagonist is always fighting for ideals which readers should easily emphasize with, such as friends, worker's rights, and transparency, there are moments where Sebastian goes too far. His relationship with the ship's captain
Spoilermeans that early on, many of the protagonists decisions seem self-serving. Later on, Sebastian goes to certain extremes in his own investigation, such as
Spoiler. These are all meaningful for the plot, and are used to compare the similarities between two characters on opposing sides.
SpoilerIn the end, the protagonist does reveal the mystery of Room A66, the worker's right protest is resolved, and Sebastian gets the answers he had about his father in the beginning of the novel.

My favorite aspects of this story, beyond the cinematic writing style and strong themes, was definitely the character interactions. Despite being a flawed protagonist, it is clear that Sebastian cares for and loves those he swears to protect. In an adventure to find out more about his father, he gains an entirely separate family and rekindles past friendships in the process. While most of the characters are Greek, there is plenty of LGBT representation, with some POC representation in the book (Asian-Canadian, Hispanic, Asian) as well. Racial background and sexual orientation enhance the plot, but are not at the center of the story, which is refreshing compared to other modern LGBT literature.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts are my own. If this review seems interesting to you, the book comes out on July 13th, 2021.

This was an interesting, well-paced page-turner. You feel fully immersed in the world the author creates, and it is a story I felt I hadn't heard before. The protagonist is a complicated, fully-formed character whose sense of purpose is understood as he journeys to find answers about his father and his past on the ship. I had a little trouble understanding some of the motivations of some of the secondary characters, particularly the at the end when the mystery is revealed and the true nature of everyone is uncovered. However, overall, I would recommend this book to fans of mysteries and LGBTQ stories.

Within Boudel Tan's sophomore novel is quite the thrilling story. Unfortunately, the way said story is told (i.e., like a screenplay with most of the blocking already on the page) detracts from what could have been a much more compelling read. This novel falls victim to the sin of telling, not showing. Characters are said to be this or that, but neither this nor that will ever be examined with any depth. The reader is just expected to accept this as a truth. Action happens off camera and motivations are revealed post-hoc. Thus, this novel unfolds like an autopsy, not a compelling read.

This becomes all the more complicated due to the author's choice to omnisciently jump from POV character to POV character: sometimes in the same paragraph. This is a confusing choice for a thriller, especially when some of those heads are those of the villains once the masks are removed.

This compounds over the narrative to undermine the interesting story at the hear of this novel. Ultimately, what could have been powerful third act twists instead cause the reader to scratch their head, wondering why the narrator's omniscience decided to hide all of this pertinent information and motivation from them until after said information was important.

Finally, this novel hosts a top-tier example of why instalove is a trope best left in the Noughties. A simple sexual relationship was forced into a cloying (and heavy-handed) love story for no discernible reason other than a throw-away line at the denouement.

Overall, an interesting story that could have used some more editing in its early stages. Two stars.

The Rebellious Tide is the story of Sebastien, a man in his late 20s who, upon the death of his mother, decides to find and seek revenge on his father, who abandoned them before Sebastien was born. After a brief search, Sebastien finds his father working on luxury liner in the Mediterranean, and joins the ship's crew in order to gain proximity to his father. However, in his quest for both revenge and answers, he also becomes galvanized to fight against the ship's rigid class system, which leads to a number of revelations.

I thought the book was good, but I ultimately had trouble connecting to some of the storylines and characters. While I understood Sebastien's rage, I also did not feel like I fully understood or knew his character, even by the end of the book. However, I did find the plotline regarding his mother and his family's story to be very emotional and engaging.

You can definitely tell the author has done their research on cruises and luxury liners, and I found it be informative and interesting. And while I have no doubt that there is an unofficial class system present among these types of crew, I ultimately had mixed feelings regarding the staff's rebellion against the officers. There's also some cheesy and even cinematic moments that made it difficult for me to connect with the story.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, but I did find myself wishing for a bit more emotional depth and a more grounded storyline. I am happy that this book has introduced me to Eddy Boudel Tan, and I do plan to read the author's other book, After Elias.

Rebellious Tide is a story of a man who, after the death of his mother, seeks out the father that never stuck around in his life. The book attacks some heavy topics that aren't always seen within current day books. The author spoke from a well of truth, and I greatly appreciated that.
Such a premise had me yearning for emotional depth and character progression, but sadly, I didn't get much of that. The plot of this book felt rushed, throwing me from one situation to another, not giving me enough realistic dialogue or character progression. I'm not sure if I just didn't connect with the characters and the plot didn't hold my interest.

2 ½ stars (rounded up to 3)

This is one of those rare cases where I actually feel bad for not liking a book. The more I read The Rebellious Tide, the less I liked it. Yet, I really tried to pretend otherwise. Having loved Eddy Boudel Tan's debut novel (it moved me to tears, something that does happen often to grinches like moi) I had high expectations for his sophomore novel and I can't help but be disappointment by it. If you are thinking of reading this novel I recommend you check out some positive reviews out as this review won't be particularly 'rosy'.

The Rebellious Tide follows Sebastien, a young man who is grieving the death of his mother. He resents his hometown as he believes that the townspeople have always treated him and his mother like outsiders (his mother was originally from Singapore). We learn of his on-off again relationship with Sophie and of his hatred towards his father, a Greek man who allegedly abandoned his mother when she was pregnant with Sebastien. So, naturally, Sebastien decides to take revenge on his father. Lucky for him, he manages to get himself hired as a photographer on a luxury cruise ship monstrosity (as a former Venetian I abhor cruises) which happens to captained by his father. He makes fast friends with two other members of staff and decides to make inquiries about his father, wanting to learn what kind of person he is. Soon Sebastien realises how rigid the hierarchy among staff members is, and his resentment towards his father makes him start a 'rebellion'.
There were elements of the story that I liked, such as the cruise as microcosm of society. The 'confined' setting augmented the already brewing tension between the ship's crew and the staff (who are deemed 'inferior' or 'expandable'). But...I just could not believe in any of it. I couldn't suspend my sense of disbelief, and I never bought into any of it. The characters were painfully one-dimensional, the female ones especially, and yet the storyline tried for this serious tone which...I don't know, it just didn't work for me. As I said, I wanted to like this so bad but the more I read the less I liked what I was reading. The story is very on the nose. The 'Greek myth' connection was jarring and out-of-place. While I could have bought the whole 'lower decks=Hades', 'passageway in the lower decks=Styx', okay...we get it, lots of Greeks work on this ship. But the whole thing between Sebastien and his supposed 'love interest' where they call each other Achilles and Patroclus? Come on! The two men barely know each other, their relationship struck me (and yes, this is once again my personal opinion) as just sexual. And there is nothing wrong with that! But why present it as a tragic love story? Bah!
The characters did not sound like real people, the dialogues were clunky, and the writing...I don't know, I guess I preferred the author's prose in After Elliot because it was in the 1st person (making the whole thing much more 'intimate') whereas here we have a perspective that is all over the place and yet it doesn't really delve beyond a character's surface level.
And the whole storyline is so damn cheesy and gave me some strong soap opera vibes. Convenient coincidences and clichés abound! And don't get me started on Sebastien's father (and that done to death line, "you remind me of myself when I was your age").

As I said (or wrote) I do hate myself a little bit for not liking this novel. While I am of the opinion that this novel is in desperate need of an overhaul, I hope that it will find its audience and that readers will connect to Sebastien in a way that I was not able to.

4/5

***Special thanks to NetGalley and Dundurn Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review***

This book is about Sebastien as a tries to track down his father after he had left Sebastien and his mother (it had been over 30 years). Sebastien becomes obsessed with finding his father and is filled with strong emotions, especially after his mother dies, suffering from years of hardship. This dark novel follows Sebastien as he stalks his father in his own workplace and Sebastien's eventual recognition of life-changing secrets.

I would recommend this novel, it was highly entertaining and left me at the edge of my seat

After his stunning debut ‘After Elias’ Eddy Boudel Tan delivers another powerful novel covering themes like suppression, dominating (white) men, homophobia and being good or bad, black or white and all the grey in between. His writing reminds me sometimes of Fredrik Backman’s Beartown, so if you liked that one, you might like this one too.

Eddy Boudel Tan’s writing is rich and captivating once again; the descriptions, the characters, the surroundings, they are all so vibrant. This kind of writing keeps me hooked to the pages:
<i>Emotion is like water. Some people keep it in a well, drawing from it by the bucket. Others put it behind a dam. But you - you are an ocean.</i>

The dominating (white) men are visible throughout the story and I loved how Eddy Boudel Tan describes men time after time:
<i>It’s not enough for men to take something away from another. They must make it their own. Brand it for themselves. Leave their mark.</i>

And:
<i>They were simply men - imperfect, impulsive, helpless men. That didn’t mean they deserved to be pardoned, though.</i >

The first half of the book we’re immersed into Sebastien’s life and his friends on the ship, his understanding of the different classes on the Glacier and injustice done to others. The second half of the book slowly reveals more of the darker secrets the Glacier harbors. I love the way Eddy Boudel Tan throws snippets around, like he also did in ‘After Elias’, connecting the dots later in the story and revealing more and more of the past and the present.

While Sebastien is on the ship incognito to get to know his father, other characters fled their homes because of mistreatment or homophobia, hoping to find refuge on the Glacier. It turned out otherwise though, life on the ship being so much darker and uglier than they could have known in advance. In ‘After Elias’ the author made references to the Mayan culture, in this book to Greek mythology. In both books those references and metaphors are spot-on.

Whereas ‘After Elias’ was sad and tender and intimate, ‘The rebellious tide’ is powerful and dark and more distant. ‘After Elias’ will always have a special place in my heart and is one of my favorite books of 2020 but ‘The rebellious tide’ is a great second novel by a talented writer.

4.5 stars rounded up to five.

I received an ARC from Dundurn Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed the book. I thought the bones of the story were really strong, but it lost me a bit in the campiness of the cruise ship. I think a little more subtly would have gone a long way. That being said, I thought the plot twists were smart and I certainly wanted to see where it ended up. There's always something so enticing about Europe, regardless of the context. I definitely found myself engrossed enough to find my way into caring about Sebastian and his choices.