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Rogue Wave
This book was previously published as The Palmyra Impact. Also published as THE TSUNAMI COUNTDOWN.
A minor seismic disturbance in a remote section of the Pacific causes barely a ripple of concern for Kai Tanaka, acting director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu. But when an airliner en route from L.A. to Sydney vanishes in the same location, Kai is the first to realize that a mysterious explosion has unleashed a series of massive waves destined to obliterate Hawaii. In just one hour, Kai will lose all he has ever known--including his wife and daughter-- unless he can save them from nature's most destructive force.
A minor seismic disturbance in a remote section of the Pacific causes barely a ripple of concern for Kai Tanaka, acting director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu. But when an airliner en route from L.A. to Sydney vanishes in the same location, Kai is the first to realize that a mysterious explosion has unleashed a series of massive waves destined to obliterate Hawaii. In just one hour, Kai will lose all he has ever known--including his wife and daughter-- unless he can save them from nature's most destructive force.
403 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2010
142 people are currently reading
2026 people want to read
About the author
Boyd Morrison
31 books456 followersBoyd Morrison is an author, actor, engineer, and Jeopardy! champion. He started his career working on NASA's space station project at Johnson Space Center, where he got the opportunity to fly on the Vomit Comet, the same plane used to train astronauts for zero gravity. After earning a PhD in engineering from Virginia Tech, he used his training to develop eleven US patents at Thomson/RCA. Boyd then managed a video game testing group in Microsoft's Xbox division before becoming a full-time writer. For non-fiction thrills, he enjoys white water rafting, skiing, scuba diving, and bungee jumping. Boyd is also a professional actor, appearing in films, commercials, and stage plays. In 2003 he fulfilled a lifelong dream and became a Jeopardy! champion. He currently lives in Seattle with his wife.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews
August 9, 2024
A low probability disaster is not a zero probability disaster! Just ask any dinosaur … oh, wait!
ROGUE WAVE is an improbable but realistic tale of the results of a mega-tsunami caused by the impact of an errant asteroid that makes it through earth’s atmosphere and lands in the Pacific Ocean.
Boyd Morrison puts the pedal to the metal and doesn’t let up for almost 400 pages. If you think of a hapless team of firemen trying to quench the blaze when the house was painted with the arsonist’s accelerant before the match was tossed in, you wouldn’t be far off the mark. It’s gripping to be sure but, frankly, it’s as tiring to read as it would be to live through. The plot is perfectly linear without a single turn or a moment’s respite. Somewhere around the three quarter mark ROGUE WAVE loses its appeal and it becomes obvious that Morrison ROGUE WAVE is a screenplay for a blockbuster special effects movie.
ROGUE WAVE is pure action with little to no characterization or motivation beyond the disaster itself. In fact, what little characterization occurred seemed improbable in the extreme and lacked any credibility. The main male protagonist, for example, ostensibly the acting director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and, under the given conditions, responsible for the lives of millions of Hawaiian citizens, abandons his post for entirely personal reasons. In the real world, this would have been tantamount to the captain of the Titanic scrambling in a self-interested venal grab for the first place on a departing lifeboat.
An effective and informative page turner that ultimately turned out to be less than entertaining and, in fact, quite unsatisfying.
Paul Weiss
ROGUE WAVE is an improbable but realistic tale of the results of a mega-tsunami caused by the impact of an errant asteroid that makes it through earth’s atmosphere and lands in the Pacific Ocean.
Boyd Morrison puts the pedal to the metal and doesn’t let up for almost 400 pages. If you think of a hapless team of firemen trying to quench the blaze when the house was painted with the arsonist’s accelerant before the match was tossed in, you wouldn’t be far off the mark. It’s gripping to be sure but, frankly, it’s as tiring to read as it would be to live through. The plot is perfectly linear without a single turn or a moment’s respite. Somewhere around the three quarter mark ROGUE WAVE loses its appeal and it becomes obvious that Morrison ROGUE WAVE is a screenplay for a blockbuster special effects movie.
ROGUE WAVE is pure action with little to no characterization or motivation beyond the disaster itself. In fact, what little characterization occurred seemed improbable in the extreme and lacked any credibility. The main male protagonist, for example, ostensibly the acting director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and, under the given conditions, responsible for the lives of millions of Hawaiian citizens, abandons his post for entirely personal reasons. In the real world, this would have been tantamount to the captain of the Titanic scrambling in a self-interested venal grab for the first place on a departing lifeboat.
An effective and informative page turner that ultimately turned out to be less than entertaining and, in fact, quite unsatisfying.
Paul Weiss
July 13, 2019
Dammit, dammit, dammit! I was just looking for a quick fun timepass read, I was NOT ready for so much heart-wrenching turmoil! Such an unexpectedly sad ending... :'(
Suffice to say, one of the best disaster stories I've ever appreciated either in movie or book or any other medium, and truly this is one of the most depressingly realistic humane disaster-suspense thrillers. Like me anyone who enjoys a great nailbiting, edge-of-seat, literally breathlessly thrilling, suspenseful disaster adventure thrillers will definitely eat this one up. It is undoubtedly better than most other large-scale Hollywood disaster movies out there. Most of all, the story had real impact and tragedies befalling the lives of our intrepid band of heroes, just like all other people beside them. Its not just another "most of the population are dead but our heroes are okay, so everything is alright!"-kind of cheap disposable thoughtless disaster-fun. I laughed, I (almost) cried, I experienced and I witnessed with my mind's eye every single "HOLY SHIT!!" life-or-death astounding moments alongside our heroes. And of course, for all of this the whole praise goes to the absolute BRILLIANCE of author Boyd Morrison. Just the perfect blends of masterful visual storytelling, detailed three-dimensional characterizations of each main characters, and brisk blistering fast-pacing using each and every words.
All in all, a MASSIVE, EPIC, OUTSTANDING one of a kind disaster thriller novel that I wholeheartedly enjoyed, and will remember that tsunami (pun intended) of emotional roller-coaster thrillride for a long, long time.
Suffice to say, one of the best disaster stories I've ever appreciated either in movie or book or any other medium, and truly this is one of the most depressingly realistic humane disaster-suspense thrillers. Like me anyone who enjoys a great nailbiting, edge-of-seat, literally breathlessly thrilling, suspenseful disaster adventure thrillers will definitely eat this one up. It is undoubtedly better than most other large-scale Hollywood disaster movies out there. Most of all, the story had real impact and tragedies befalling the lives of our intrepid band of heroes, just like all other people beside them. Its not just another "most of the population are dead but our heroes are okay, so everything is alright!"-kind of cheap disposable thoughtless disaster-fun. I laughed, I (almost) cried, I experienced and I witnessed with my mind's eye every single "HOLY SHIT!!" life-or-death astounding moments alongside our heroes. And of course, for all of this the whole praise goes to the absolute BRILLIANCE of author Boyd Morrison. Just the perfect blends of masterful visual storytelling, detailed three-dimensional characterizations of each main characters, and brisk blistering fast-pacing using each and every words.
All in all, a MASSIVE, EPIC, OUTSTANDING one of a kind disaster thriller novel that I wholeheartedly enjoyed, and will remember that tsunami (pun intended) of emotional roller-coaster thrillride for a long, long time.
September 25, 2011
Although I very much enjoyed this story and the anticipation that Hawaii was to be decimated in a matter of a few hours (and 400+ pages), it could have been written a little better.
The author has the habit of explaining every object, every incident, every acronym, etc. in great detail. Yes, the details give the readers more context and certainly help them understand things that aren't common knowledge, but the length of the details cause a hindrance to the suspense and adrenaline rush of what was happening or would happen next.
Perhaps this is a personal preference and others may find the extra details comforting, it certainly does not undermine the real story.
The author has the habit of explaining every object, every incident, every acronym, etc. in great detail. Yes, the details give the readers more context and certainly help them understand things that aren't common knowledge, but the length of the details cause a hindrance to the suspense and adrenaline rush of what was happening or would happen next.
Perhaps this is a personal preference and others may find the extra details comforting, it certainly does not undermine the real story.
July 31, 2015
Rogue Wave is a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueling disaster novel that is based on the very real possibility of a mega tsunami caused by a meteor impact. It reads exactly like the plot of countless disaster movies, meaning, there isn’t an action scene in here that hadn’t already featured in some or other natural disaster movie.
The story even has all the characters you’d expect from a decent disaster movie. There’s the husband and wife team – god complexes and all – that feels it their main purpose in life to save every single person from impending doom; even the ones who pointblank refuse to heed their call to get to safer, higher ground. There is also the two doe-eyed, boy crazy, giggling teenage girls, of which the one proves to be such a useless character she has to be dragged from one disaster to another. Then there’s my favorite characters who include Bilbo, the dog (yes, I put him first although he only has the tiniest part in the story), Reggie, the huggable giant, and Brad, the bigmouth brother whom you can’t stand at first, but who redeems himself in the end.
I really want to express how MUCH I disliked Mia and Teresa – the mother and daughter duo who are close friends of the main characters, Kai and Rachel. Mia served absolutely no purpose. Much of the running-for-their-lives disaster scenes took place because of boy-crazy Mia’s irresponsibility and patheticness (yes, I’m aware that’s not a word). Teresa was just plain irritating because she’s THAT character who would run TOWARDS the monster when she is specifically told to run AWAY from the monster. In fact, I’ll even go as far as saying she would make a great candidate for the tv series, 1000 Ways to Die. She’s not a very responsible parent either, although she thinks she is for not allowing thirteen-year-old Mia to have a cell phone, but she allows her to wander the streets, go shopping and hang out with strangers without her knowing where she is and with no way to contact her. Honestly, the story could’ve done without these two useless characters, but I guess then there wouldn’t be much of a story.
I said earlier on that Kai and Rachel have god complexes, and I stand by that. It was incredibly annoying how they endangered their own lives to save the lives of people who didn’t heed their warnings to get to safety in the first place. Others may find their actions heroic, but the time they wasted to get their own family to safety was unnecessary. Yet, they are characters I liked and I rooted for them, unlike Teresa and Mia whom I hoped would be swept away by the mega tsunami. I’ll concede that if the story played out the way I’d wanted it to, there wouldn’t have been much of a story.
What I absolutely loved most about this novel is the intense and relentless suspense with each countdown to the next wave, and Kai and Rachel’s mad scramble to find each other and get the people they felt responsible for to safety. A lot of the action scenes in this book have clearly been inspired by popular movies, but it still all adds up to make Rogue Wave a terrific read with a solid ending.
The story even has all the characters you’d expect from a decent disaster movie. There’s the husband and wife team – god complexes and all – that feels it their main purpose in life to save every single person from impending doom; even the ones who pointblank refuse to heed their call to get to safer, higher ground. There is also the two doe-eyed, boy crazy, giggling teenage girls, of which the one proves to be such a useless character she has to be dragged from one disaster to another. Then there’s my favorite characters who include Bilbo, the dog (yes, I put him first although he only has the tiniest part in the story), Reggie, the huggable giant, and Brad, the bigmouth brother whom you can’t stand at first, but who redeems himself in the end.
I really want to express how MUCH I disliked Mia and Teresa – the mother and daughter duo who are close friends of the main characters, Kai and Rachel. Mia served absolutely no purpose. Much of the running-for-their-lives disaster scenes took place because of boy-crazy Mia’s irresponsibility and patheticness (yes, I’m aware that’s not a word). Teresa was just plain irritating because she’s THAT character who would run TOWARDS the monster when she is specifically told to run AWAY from the monster. In fact, I’ll even go as far as saying she would make a great candidate for the tv series, 1000 Ways to Die. She’s not a very responsible parent either, although she thinks she is for not allowing thirteen-year-old Mia to have a cell phone, but she allows her to wander the streets, go shopping and hang out with strangers without her knowing where she is and with no way to contact her. Honestly, the story could’ve done without these two useless characters, but I guess then there wouldn’t be much of a story.
I said earlier on that Kai and Rachel have god complexes, and I stand by that. It was incredibly annoying how they endangered their own lives to save the lives of people who didn’t heed their warnings to get to safety in the first place. Others may find their actions heroic, but the time they wasted to get their own family to safety was unnecessary. Yet, they are characters I liked and I rooted for them, unlike Teresa and Mia whom I hoped would be swept away by the mega tsunami. I’ll concede that if the story played out the way I’d wanted it to, there wouldn’t have been much of a story.
What I absolutely loved most about this novel is the intense and relentless suspense with each countdown to the next wave, and Kai and Rachel’s mad scramble to find each other and get the people they felt responsible for to safety. A lot of the action scenes in this book have clearly been inspired by popular movies, but it still all adds up to make Rogue Wave a terrific read with a solid ending.
October 28, 2023
"Life never has a happy ending. It always ends in death. Death can be dignified or wretched, agonizing or painless, horrifying or serene, untimely or welcome. But it's always sad. Happiness comes from what you do with the time between the beginning and the end."
This book deserves a solid 4 stars! I really enjoyed it, even though it's quite a tragic book.
The story started with quite the slow crawl, which caused a growing anticipation from one event to the other. First it was the actually discovery of the tsunami, then my heart was racing for everyone to evacuate in time and then the nerve wrecking moment of when the tsunami finally hit, and then the disaster of everything that followed after that.
It continuously had me on the edge of my seat, and I definitely lost a few hours of precious sleep because I just couldn't put the book away. Even though the book was highly addictive, some things were just a tiny bit too much. The height of the waves, though maybe not entirely impossible, did feel unrealistic. As well as all the amount of luck everyone got.. Maybe just a bit too much. Other than that I had a great time reading it, and can definitely recommend it!
This book deserves a solid 4 stars! I really enjoyed it, even though it's quite a tragic book.
The story started with quite the slow crawl, which caused a growing anticipation from one event to the other. First it was the actually discovery of the tsunami, then my heart was racing for everyone to evacuate in time and then the nerve wrecking moment of when the tsunami finally hit, and then the disaster of everything that followed after that.
It continuously had me on the edge of my seat, and I definitely lost a few hours of precious sleep because I just couldn't put the book away. Even though the book was highly addictive, some things were just a tiny bit too much. The height of the waves, though maybe not entirely impossible, did feel unrealistic. As well as all the amount of luck everyone got.. Maybe just a bit too much. Other than that I had a great time reading it, and can definitely recommend it!
November 15, 2014
I'm a disaster junkie. By this, I mean that I cannot seem to resist disaster movies (to my husband's great chagrin) and novels as well. I think it may be due to the fact that I was born in '71 and remember watching too many made-for-tv disaster flicks to count. LOL Anyway, when I read the blurb on this one, I just had to give it a try. It was quite an interesting read, though I will admit that somewhere along the way, I got a bit distracted by the increasing unbelievability of the way the main characters seemed to continually avoid major injury and/or death. They just seemed to be leading charmed lives. This resolved itself a bit at the end, but by then I'd gotten used to everyone surviving against insurmountable odds and instead of lending a more realistic feel to the novel, it just annoyed me. Still, there is something to be said for how much time and energy the author spent in trying to help us get to know the characters as "real" people. The inner struggles and angst was perhaps more realistic than many other novels of this ilk, though in the end, many of them settled into cliched roles. It took longer than I expected for the "jerk who's only concerned about himself" character to appear, but sure enough, he did. The end of the book felt somewhat rushed, as though once the final wave struck, the author was through with the story and just tacked on a bit more to keep it from stopping cold. I would have liked a bit less of the "running for you life from each successive wave" and a bit more of how everyone coped with the aftermath.
In general, I enjoyed the book because I have always enjoyed this genre, but when it was all said and done, I was left feeling marginally disappointed. Still, I would recommend the book to anyone who likes this kind of story. I certainly have read worse.
July 9, 2011
I really enjoyed this book and it's not something that I would have chosen had I not read The Noah's Ark Quest. It's fast paced and very much like a disaster film so if you like that sort of film you'll like this book. The chapters are short so it's ideal if you don't have much time but I didn't find it easy to put down! Yes it's a bit over the top just like disaster movies tend to be but given that, the subject is something totally believeable, after the recent floods all over the world and the earth quakes and the tsunami in Indonesia, it is not a totally inconceivable plot. Boyd Morrison is a good writer from the two books I have read and I will certainly try his next one. The only thing I have to criticize it over is the number of acronyms used n the beginning of the book there were a couple of pages where I totall got bogged down with capital letters and a bit confused, they have been necessary but not in a short space! Thankfully though after the initial onslaught, they died away and I could get into the book. All in all, a jolly good read :o)
August 5, 2011
As I began this book, I found a review here that mentioned that the book is all action, all the time. There was no 'rest' for the reader and the events kept happening, one after the other. Now, I can see why. While Morrison writes a good story, there is no end to the madness, which piles one issue onto another.
The premise is good, especially after the Japanese tsunami this past Spring. The ideas are well researched and the plot is somewhat credible. I am so pleased to see that we are not off in some distant impossible realm with things that could never happen. That said, I think the book is too 'television movie' with one thing going wrong after another. I found myself wondering if this would be the last end-game for one of the characters, but the waves kept coming and the deaths along with them.
I suppose because my book library has some gems I wanted to read, I rushed the book, but I did not find it overly stellar. Then again, that is just my opinion!
The premise is good, especially after the Japanese tsunami this past Spring. The ideas are well researched and the plot is somewhat credible. I am so pleased to see that we are not off in some distant impossible realm with things that could never happen. That said, I think the book is too 'television movie' with one thing going wrong after another. I found myself wondering if this would be the last end-game for one of the characters, but the waves kept coming and the deaths along with them.
I suppose because my book library has some gems I wanted to read, I rushed the book, but I did not find it overly stellar. Then again, that is just my opinion!
December 21, 2015
Während ich den Roman las, wurde ich nie das Gefühl los, ich würde mir eine Kombination aus "Flammendes Inferno" und "Erdbeben" ansehen. Die Atmosphäre glich in der Tat jener Katastrophenfilme aus den 70er Jahren. Und so darf der Leser natürlich auch keinerlei Tiefgang erwarten, was nicht weiterhin stört, wenn er einfach eine spannungsgeladene Handlung konsumieren möchte. Denn kurzweilig und mitreißend ist sie durchaus. Die Charaktere bleiben jedoch oberflächlich und austauschbar, manche Szenen wirken zum Teil übertrieben an Zufällen. Und der Schluss ist letztlich genauso platt, wie die beschriebenen Orte nach den Tsunamis.
January 9, 2018
A thoroughly enjoyable, utterly gripping disaster novel - I wanted the world to stop while I read it. I've had my issues with Boyd Morrison's mystery thrillers but I have no problem with giving this the full five stars. It's difficult to imagine how a disaster novel could be any better than this. I'm not sure it will do much for Hawaii tourism, though. Better stick to the mountains...
October 29, 2021
Много добра,държи под напрежение,но имаше малко в повече задълбаване в детайлите,което отнема от удоволствието.
September 9, 2012
The Ark, Morrison's debut novel, was in my Top 10 last year, which is really high praise from me for a thriller, and I have been chomping at the bit to get to his sophomore publication. Rogue Wave was equally action-packed and scientifically-plausible but lacked that "something special" that the debut novel had.
Kai Tanaka is a tsunami scientist on Oahu with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center; as assistant director, his job is to monitor the submarine earthquakes along the Pacific Rim and determine which of them have the potential to cause tsunami. On Memorial Day, he is a part of a skeleton staff at the PTWC when a fairly small earthquake occurs, but it's not along the PacRim, it's coming from the middle of a continental plate which is geologically impossible! Not only that, but this relatively small earthquake has created a mega-tsunami reaching 300 feet in height! As Kai works to evacuate the shoreline of Oahu, the most densely populated shoreline in the United States, he must choose between warning the general public and saving his friends and family.
Ah, science, how I love you! This book, of course, made me research tsunami because, honestly, a 300 foot high wave seemed too far-fetched - especially considering the Asian tsunami of 2004 was about 60 feet high. However, these mega-tsunami have been happening even since 1950! There was a wave in Alaska that was over 1,000 feet high! The difference: no one lived in the part of Alaska it hit. Scientists believe that mega-tsunamis are not only plausible, but likely in the Hawaiian island. The PTWC: real place. The science of calculating the height of wave: real NOAA technology. I love the realistic nature of Morrison's books even if it is on the more extreme side.
So, what had me just a little less excited about this book than The Ark? While I liked the characters in Rogue Wave I didn't find them nearly as fascinating as the characters in The Ark; this is most likely because I tend to prefer to read about kick-ass single people who rock their career field than family-oriented characters (hmmm, could that be due to the lifestyle I lead?!). Also, while both books have lots of great science, I really liked the biblical implications in The Ark and kept hoping for another layer of the tsunami story. Overall, The Ark was the perfect storm of ingredients for me that made it phenomenal!
Rogue Wave is non-stop action from start to finish that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, and hesitant to visit Waikiki Beach ever again! I am already anticipating Morrison's next novel, The Vault, which comes out this summer.
Kai Tanaka is a tsunami scientist on Oahu with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center; as assistant director, his job is to monitor the submarine earthquakes along the Pacific Rim and determine which of them have the potential to cause tsunami. On Memorial Day, he is a part of a skeleton staff at the PTWC when a fairly small earthquake occurs, but it's not along the PacRim, it's coming from the middle of a continental plate which is geologically impossible! Not only that, but this relatively small earthquake has created a mega-tsunami reaching 300 feet in height! As Kai works to evacuate the shoreline of Oahu, the most densely populated shoreline in the United States, he must choose between warning the general public and saving his friends and family.
Ah, science, how I love you! This book, of course, made me research tsunami because, honestly, a 300 foot high wave seemed too far-fetched - especially considering the Asian tsunami of 2004 was about 60 feet high. However, these mega-tsunami have been happening even since 1950! There was a wave in Alaska that was over 1,000 feet high! The difference: no one lived in the part of Alaska it hit. Scientists believe that mega-tsunamis are not only plausible, but likely in the Hawaiian island. The PTWC: real place. The science of calculating the height of wave: real NOAA technology. I love the realistic nature of Morrison's books even if it is on the more extreme side.
So, what had me just a little less excited about this book than The Ark? While I liked the characters in Rogue Wave I didn't find them nearly as fascinating as the characters in The Ark; this is most likely because I tend to prefer to read about kick-ass single people who rock their career field than family-oriented characters (hmmm, could that be due to the lifestyle I lead?!). Also, while both books have lots of great science, I really liked the biblical implications in The Ark and kept hoping for another layer of the tsunami story. Overall, The Ark was the perfect storm of ingredients for me that made it phenomenal!
Rogue Wave is non-stop action from start to finish that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat, and hesitant to visit Waikiki Beach ever again! I am already anticipating Morrison's next novel, The Vault, which comes out this summer.
July 23, 2014
My version of this book was titled 'The Tsunami Coundown', and is the reason I was drawn to it. I have just graduated with a degree in geography and have always had an interest in natural hazards. If this book had still been called Rogue Wave I may not have bought it, but I'm glad I did!
The story follows Kai, assistant director at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, and the difficult decisions he has to make to try and save as many people as possible from an imminent tsunami, including his family.
Thanks to the events in 2004 and 2011, there is now a greater, if basic, awareness of tsunamis around the globe. Having just finished a geography degree I also have a little more in-depth knowledge. Part of me was a little cynical before reading this book, and I was expecting there to be a lot of gaps in the scientific knowledge. However I was pleasantly surprised. Morrison has clearly done a lot of research, and the scientific background and explanations are mostly accurate and based on fact. The cause of the tsunami in this novel could theoretically happen, but hasn't yet (thank goodness)! Although there have been predictions of what could happen in this scenario, nothing is certain, which allowed Morrison a bit of creativity in his story, whilst keeping it credible.
Although it's based on fact, it is like any typic disaster movie or novel. The main characters will get themselves out of a fatal situation, only to find themselves in another one in the next chapter. From start to finish the action never stops. This book is fast paced, and the countdown to the next 'wave' at the start of each chapter highlights the urgency of the situation.
The lead group of characters are likeable, and their (mostly) selfless actions makes the reader even more hopeful to see them survive the tragedy with every page turned. It is not hard to forget that people have had to live the horrors of these events in the recent past.
Although parts of it are over dramatised and perhaps a little unrealistic, the novel is rooted in facts and I enjoyed reading it.
The story follows Kai, assistant director at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, and the difficult decisions he has to make to try and save as many people as possible from an imminent tsunami, including his family.
Thanks to the events in 2004 and 2011, there is now a greater, if basic, awareness of tsunamis around the globe. Having just finished a geography degree I also have a little more in-depth knowledge. Part of me was a little cynical before reading this book, and I was expecting there to be a lot of gaps in the scientific knowledge. However I was pleasantly surprised. Morrison has clearly done a lot of research, and the scientific background and explanations are mostly accurate and based on fact. The cause of the tsunami in this novel could theoretically happen, but hasn't yet (thank goodness)! Although there have been predictions of what could happen in this scenario, nothing is certain, which allowed Morrison a bit of creativity in his story, whilst keeping it credible.
Although it's based on fact, it is like any typic disaster movie or novel. The main characters will get themselves out of a fatal situation, only to find themselves in another one in the next chapter. From start to finish the action never stops. This book is fast paced, and the countdown to the next 'wave' at the start of each chapter highlights the urgency of the situation.
The lead group of characters are likeable, and their (mostly) selfless actions makes the reader even more hopeful to see them survive the tragedy with every page turned. It is not hard to forget that people have had to live the horrors of these events in the recent past.
Although parts of it are over dramatised and perhaps a little unrealistic, the novel is rooted in facts and I enjoyed reading it.
October 12, 2011
This thriller starts out fast and speeds up. Kai Tanaka, loving father of thirteen-year-old Lani and equally loving husband of Rachel, finds he must risk his job with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center to save his family. An event unprecedented in human history, but one which has actually been predicted for some time, could throw his world into chaos.
Kai is acting director of the PTWC when strange events start occurring. Most of the staff is absent or unavailable. Kai and Reggie are alone in the center when an earthquake registers in the south Pacific where one has never occurred. Sensors meant to relay data from various islands then mysteriously fail. At first, they issue a tsunami bulletin—a minor notification that is ignored—as usual. If Kai orders an unneeded evacuation it will cost the islands dearly and Kai may lose his job as a result.
But if he waits too long, it could be too late for the the entire population of Hawaii. The warnings may not only be too late, the standard tsunami procedures may be useless in the face of the unbelievable gigantic rogue wave that he is beginning to suspect is on its way.
His daughter is out of reach and his wife, manager of the swank Grand Hawaiian Hotel, is staying there too long, trying to save her clients, including a group of disabled vets. Lani's best friend, Mia and her mother Teresa have not picked a good time to visit from Seattle. Kai's reckless and irrepressible half-brother, Brad Hopkins—part playboy, part Hell's Angel—refuses to get out of the say and stay in the background during the crisis. But he comes through in the crisis, in his own way.
Kai must choose between losing his job because of a poor decision and losing his wife and daughter as precious minutes tick by, leading to unimaginable catastrophe. This book had me on the edge of my seat, holding my breath in case a wave washed over me.
Reviewed by Kaye George, author of “A Patchwork of Stories” for Suspense Magazine
Kai is acting director of the PTWC when strange events start occurring. Most of the staff is absent or unavailable. Kai and Reggie are alone in the center when an earthquake registers in the south Pacific where one has never occurred. Sensors meant to relay data from various islands then mysteriously fail. At first, they issue a tsunami bulletin—a minor notification that is ignored—as usual. If Kai orders an unneeded evacuation it will cost the islands dearly and Kai may lose his job as a result.
But if he waits too long, it could be too late for the the entire population of Hawaii. The warnings may not only be too late, the standard tsunami procedures may be useless in the face of the unbelievable gigantic rogue wave that he is beginning to suspect is on its way.
His daughter is out of reach and his wife, manager of the swank Grand Hawaiian Hotel, is staying there too long, trying to save her clients, including a group of disabled vets. Lani's best friend, Mia and her mother Teresa have not picked a good time to visit from Seattle. Kai's reckless and irrepressible half-brother, Brad Hopkins—part playboy, part Hell's Angel—refuses to get out of the say and stay in the background during the crisis. But he comes through in the crisis, in his own way.
Kai must choose between losing his job because of a poor decision and losing his wife and daughter as precious minutes tick by, leading to unimaginable catastrophe. This book had me on the edge of my seat, holding my breath in case a wave washed over me.
Reviewed by Kaye George, author of “A Patchwork of Stories” for Suspense Magazine
February 7, 2017
Eigentlich wollte ich erst 4 Sterne geben, aber nur weil die Übersetzung zum Teil echt Mist ist, aber das haben das Buch und der Autor nicht verdient, daher werden es doch 5 Sterne. Auf das Sprachliche werde ich am Ende der Rezension noch einmal eingehen.
Schon zu Schulzeiten fand ich das Thema Plattentektonik und damit verbundene Naturereignisse wie Erdbeben, Tsunamis und Vulkanausbrüche total interessant.
Die Geschichte in Todesflut erinnert ein wenig an die Katastrophenfilme, die ich früher immer gerne geguckt habe. Todesflut verbindet Informatives mit einer spannenden Geschichte.
Zu der Handlung selbst kann man nicht allzu viel sagen, ohne zu viel zu verraten. Ich fand das Buch aber unglaublich spannend und haben sehr mitgefiebert. Das Buch hat mich sogar bis in meine Träume verfolgt, aber zum Glück war ich da eher ein stiller Beobachter.
Wie schon zu Beginn erwähnt hat mich an der Sprache einiges gestört. Ich hatte das Gefühl, dass die Übersetzer sprachlich noch im vorherigen Jahrhundert angesiedelt sind. Das Buch ist 2012 auf Deutsch erschienen und bin mir sicher, dass Zehensandalen auch vor 5 Jahren schon FlipFlops hießen. Außerdem wirkt vieles so als ob es sehr wörtlich übersetzt wurde. Ausdrücke wie "es tut mir so sehr leid" und "xy ist nicht mehr" benutzt man im Deutschen einfach nicht bzw. klingt es für mich sehr veraltet. In dieser Richtung gab es so einige Formulierungen über die ich mich nur wundern konnte.
Todesflut war für mich dennoch eine rundum spannende Unterhaltung, die ich irgendwann nur schwer aus der Hand legen konnte und führt einem die Macht der Natur wiedermal vor Augen.
Schon zu Schulzeiten fand ich das Thema Plattentektonik und damit verbundene Naturereignisse wie Erdbeben, Tsunamis und Vulkanausbrüche total interessant.
Die Geschichte in Todesflut erinnert ein wenig an die Katastrophenfilme, die ich früher immer gerne geguckt habe. Todesflut verbindet Informatives mit einer spannenden Geschichte.
Zu der Handlung selbst kann man nicht allzu viel sagen, ohne zu viel zu verraten. Ich fand das Buch aber unglaublich spannend und haben sehr mitgefiebert. Das Buch hat mich sogar bis in meine Träume verfolgt, aber zum Glück war ich da eher ein stiller Beobachter.
Wie schon zu Beginn erwähnt hat mich an der Sprache einiges gestört. Ich hatte das Gefühl, dass die Übersetzer sprachlich noch im vorherigen Jahrhundert angesiedelt sind. Das Buch ist 2012 auf Deutsch erschienen und bin mir sicher, dass Zehensandalen auch vor 5 Jahren schon FlipFlops hießen. Außerdem wirkt vieles so als ob es sehr wörtlich übersetzt wurde. Ausdrücke wie "es tut mir so sehr leid" und "xy ist nicht mehr" benutzt man im Deutschen einfach nicht bzw. klingt es für mich sehr veraltet. In dieser Richtung gab es so einige Formulierungen über die ich mich nur wundern konnte.
Todesflut war für mich dennoch eine rundum spannende Unterhaltung, die ich irgendwann nur schwer aus der Hand legen konnte und führt einem die Macht der Natur wiedermal vor Augen.
March 17, 2011
I started this book the morning of the Japan earthquake tsunami. I was a third through when the disaster struck and news started appearing. I was perplexed by this art imitating reality paradox. So unnerving were the circumstances, I set the book aside for almost a week before finishing it.
A fast paced thriller, Rogue Wave tears off to a start with an asteroid's impact in the Pacific Ocean. The shock wave it triggers tests the tsunami warning system to its limits, and equally strains the nerves of the books' characters and its readers as disaster looms for the Hawaiian Islands.
Boyd Morrison's taut prose propels the reader through a series of disasters, near misses and anguish for the fates of deftly drawn characters, some. As in all disasters, real or fictional, not all loved ones survive.
For sheer readability, thrills, plot complexity and plain old nail-biting fun, Morrison's book earns a place on the top shelf among thrillers of the year.
I am still a little creeped out.
A fast paced thriller, Rogue Wave tears off to a start with an asteroid's impact in the Pacific Ocean. The shock wave it triggers tests the tsunami warning system to its limits, and equally strains the nerves of the books' characters and its readers as disaster looms for the Hawaiian Islands.
Boyd Morrison's taut prose propels the reader through a series of disasters, near misses and anguish for the fates of deftly drawn characters, some. As in all disasters, real or fictional, not all loved ones survive.
For sheer readability, thrills, plot complexity and plain old nail-biting fun, Morrison's book earns a place on the top shelf among thrillers of the year.
I am still a little creeped out.
July 15, 2015
Starts well. Ends poorly.
Look, I knew from the get go that I wasn't getting great literature. Still, the first part of the book is very exciting. Asteroid strike in the Pacific causes an enormous tsunami; the main characters struggle to figure out just what they're up against and how best to deal with it. All good, and very engrossing.
But then the tsunami arrives in Hawaii, where our heroes are located -- and the book goes all pear-shaped. Morrison puts essentially all the main characters through the "danger yoyo": Drop 'em into an impossible situation, yank 'em out in the nick of time (often by a deus ex machina), then drop 'em back in again. Lather, rinse, repeat. The last third of the book was still readable on some levels...workmanlike prose and all that...but it made me positively embarrassed at having spent my time on it.
Look, I knew from the get go that I wasn't getting great literature. Still, the first part of the book is very exciting. Asteroid strike in the Pacific causes an enormous tsunami; the main characters struggle to figure out just what they're up against and how best to deal with it. All good, and very engrossing.
But then the tsunami arrives in Hawaii, where our heroes are located -- and the book goes all pear-shaped. Morrison puts essentially all the main characters through the "danger yoyo": Drop 'em into an impossible situation, yank 'em out in the nick of time (often by a deus ex machina), then drop 'em back in again. Lather, rinse, repeat. The last third of the book was still readable on some levels...workmanlike prose and all that...but it made me positively embarrassed at having spent my time on it.
July 22, 2016
This book got me from the very first chapter. I couldn't put it down because it was like reading a screenplay of a fast-paced disaster movie. It was easy to picture Kai, the protagonist trying to save his family against a mega-tsunami that threatens to wipe out Hawaii.
My only complaint would be with Rachel, Kai's wife who is apparently too busy worrying about evacuating her hotel to care about the fact that her daughter is missing on Waikiki Beach just minutes before the first wave is about to hit. She's all "I can't abandon my duties." Give me a break! What about your family, woman?
Anyway, I read this book cover to cover in less than five hours. A good beach read, as long as you are watching the coastline for tsunami warnings while you're engrossed in the tale.
My only complaint would be with Rachel, Kai's wife who is apparently too busy worrying about evacuating her hotel to care about the fact that her daughter is missing on Waikiki Beach just minutes before the first wave is about to hit. She's all "I can't abandon my duties." Give me a break! What about your family, woman?
Anyway, I read this book cover to cover in less than five hours. A good beach read, as long as you are watching the coastline for tsunami warnings while you're engrossed in the tale.
July 30, 2011
It was cheesy, unrealistic and cliched... and I loved every minute of it! This book is a disaster epic. For those of you of a certain age (and you know who you are), the best comparison I can give is that this is the "Towering Inferno" of novels. (By the way, how did they really get Paul Newman to star in that movie - I wonder who had pictures). The charater's narrative is a little unrealistic and the concept of using time countdowns as a plot device is a little old hat now (think 24 for novels), but I honestly couldn't put it down. It was a very quick and easy read with a relatively obvious outcome, but this one is definitely a guilty pleasure worth reading on a day at the beach.
July 29, 2011
My first Morrison book, and boy did I read this one in a hurry. I bought it on a whim shortly after the tsunami destroyed most of Japan--but not because of that--it just sounded like it had a great story line. And I was dead on.
Set in Hawaii and following a researcher who works for NOAA -- a great tsunami is headed towards Hawaii... and there isn't much time to evacuate, and even the ones that do may not make it.
Another book that felt more like a novella or short story with the length, details and great character interaction that you would want.
Set in Hawaii and following a researcher who works for NOAA -- a great tsunami is headed towards Hawaii... and there isn't much time to evacuate, and even the ones that do may not make it.
Another book that felt more like a novella or short story with the length, details and great character interaction that you would want.
May 29, 2015
A fast-paced novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. This reminds me of the old disaster movies like The Towering Inferno and Earthquake. You know some people may not make it because of the scope of the disaster, but you hope against hope that they all survive. As someone who has always lived near the coast of Florida, I have to say the idea of this wave is terrifying. The author did a great job of portraying the emotions of the characters as they faced huge obstacles in their race for survival. I could not put this book down!
August 30, 2018
This was a page-turner, from start to finish.
What do you do when you crunch the numbers and realise that a huge tsunami is heading your way, one that is larger than anyone has ever seen before, and you have millions of people to evacuate? That is the situation Kai Tanaka finds himself in. As well as the general public, he has to worry about his wife and daughter too, who are in different locations to each other.
I came across this book by chance, it sounded good so I grabbed it. I am very glad that I did because it was a heck of a read!!
I give this book 4.5 stars.
What do you do when you crunch the numbers and realise that a huge tsunami is heading your way, one that is larger than anyone has ever seen before, and you have millions of people to evacuate? That is the situation Kai Tanaka finds himself in. As well as the general public, he has to worry about his wife and daughter too, who are in different locations to each other.
I came across this book by chance, it sounded good so I grabbed it. I am very glad that I did because it was a heck of a read!!
I give this book 4.5 stars.
July 6, 2011
So I did read the Ark before I read the Rogue Wave. I was so in love with how Boyd Morrison tells a story that I wanted to read all his books. Rogue Wave was not as great as The Ark, but still very compelling. When I was finished, maybe a week later, was when the news came about Japan and the Tidal wave there, It gave me chills and made me relive the book again. I am excited to start his new novel "The Vault." I'm first in line at the library.
April 25, 2018
I love a good disaster novel - and Rogue Wave absolutely qualifies. The action moves fast, often not giving you time to process what just happened before the next big thing. I didn't want to put it down.
March 24, 2019
Plenty of action and suspense, in a story where the characters are amazingly perfect and conventional...
August 19, 2019
Superb book, I was so engrossed I read it in a day, on my day off - jobs be damned! Grips right from page 1, great characters, fast exciting plot, very good writing - intense! *SPOILER ALERT* I was also happy that the writer saved the dog, always upsets me when they don't. (I Am Legend I've not forgiven you). Will read the authors' other books after this, highly recommend
June 9, 2020
Outstandingly Written
Amazing details to the ways of describing human behavior.
I am grateful that this book was on kindle unlimited cause of my budget. I was sad that Rachael and his brother didn't make
it. But the epilogue helped me to understand why. Hopefully I will be able to read more from this author...
Amazing details to the ways of describing human behavior.
I am grateful that this book was on kindle unlimited cause of my budget. I was sad that Rachael and his brother didn't make
it. But the epilogue helped me to understand why. Hopefully I will be able to read more from this author...
January 26, 2022
Finished it in a day! That was certainly fast and furious. The only annoying thing was the danger one after the other, as if a tsunami wasn't enough. An interesting, or rather, fascinating stuff about tsunami. It was written factually but not a boring text book read. Kudos!
August 6, 2021
This reads like a natural disaster action movie. I couldn't put it down.
August 8, 2021
This was a fantastic read - so much action, it felt like I was watching a movie and I loved every minute of it!
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