Chen is enjoying a day of fishing with his young son, Kai, when the water suddenly recedes before the onset of the 2004 tsunami off the coast of Thailand. Strange beings appear in the sand as he races desperately towards the shore, warning him to hold onto young Kai to keep both of them safe. The story is a tribute to the amazing events that occurred in the wake of the terrible tsunami and the reports of supernatural phenomena throughout the region.

The creators of Whispering Sands and the companion story, In the Forest of Scorched Trees, present two simple stories about seemingly diverse topics: the Thailand tsunami on December 26, 2004, and the aftermath of a woman’s involvement in a controlling cult; however, I see one major theme that ties to the two plots together, a sense of hope even at the lowest points of despair. At the same time, I don’t want to reveal anything about the endings (I know I’ve been doing this a lot lately, sorry!), because the reading journey to the conclusion is a major part of the appeal.

The artwork for the Whispering Sands graphic novel is clean and colorful with an almost cartoony feel. Initially, I thought it might not fit with the somber subject matter, but it somehow helps to simplify the horror into something accessible to more readers. It’s not photo perfect, but it helped me visualize everything in both stories including some truly shocking scenes in In the Forest of Scorched Trees.

Whispering Sands isn’t an adventure story or full or grandiose, world-sweeping events if you ignore the background setting. Both tales focus on the lives of individuals touched by hope after horrors and how magical the world truly can be. It may not be the most obviously dynamic graphic novel, but it touched something inside me as I read it. I definitely look forward to more works from the creative team!

4 Disturbing Messages about the Tsunami as a Woman out of 5