---
product_id: 5629339
title: "The Wave"
price: "A$22"
currency: AUD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/5629339-the-wave
store_origin: AU
region: Australia
---

# Wave Theme Mass Market Paperback Published 1981 The Wave

**Price:** A$22
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🌊 Ride the Wave of Literary Excellence!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Wave
- **How much does it cost?** A$22 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.au](https://www.desertcart.com.au/products/5629339-the-wave)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Compact Design:** Perfectly portable for on-the-go reading.
- • **Cultural Impact:** Join the conversation around a book that shaped a generation.
- • **Timeless Classic:** Dive into a narrative that has captivated readers for decades.
- • **Affordable Access:** Enjoy a literary masterpiece without breaking the bank.
- • **Collectible Edition:** A must-have for any serious book lover's collection.

## Overview

The Wave Mass Market Paperback, published on September 15, 1981, is a celebrated literary work that has influenced countless readers and discussions. Its compact design makes it an ideal choice for readers seeking both quality and convenience.

## Description

desertcart.com: The Wave: 9780440993711: Strasser, Todd: Books

Review: A MUST READ - A fabulous book that should be required reading in every high school in America. I'm going to suggest reading it on my FB page and ask others to share that recommendation. It's about a lesson needed in today's America. Also it's a short story, only 138 pages, and well written.
Review: I still remember this after 30 years - I had to read this on middle school and that was 30 years ago now. I often thought of it over the years, it made such an impression on me. I recently bought it again as an adult. It's a short book, and contains references to smoking (just fyi) but is definitely worth a read. I'm glad I revisited it and will make my kid read it when he's about 12/13 I think.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #26,391 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #10 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Bullying (Books) #111 in Teen & Young Adult Dystopian #6,838 in Children's Books (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (2,162) |
| Dimensions  | 4.19 x 0.4 x 6.88 inches |
| Grade level  | 7 - 9 |
| ISBN-10  | 0440993717 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0440993711 |
| Item Weight  | 2.31 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 144 pages |
| Publication date  | September 15, 1981 |
| Publisher  | Laurel Leaf |
| Reading age  | 12 - 15 years, from customers |

## Images

![The Wave - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61QduWHqynL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A MUST READ
*by S***T on January 9, 2026*

A fabulous book that should be required reading in every high school in America. I'm going to suggest reading it on my FB page and ask others to share that recommendation. It's about a lesson needed in today's America. Also it's a short story, only 138 pages, and well written.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I still remember this after 30 years
*by H***S on February 8, 2025*

I had to read this on middle school and that was 30 years ago now. I often thought of it over the years, it made such an impression on me. I recently bought it again as an adult. It's a short book, and contains references to smoking (just fyi) but is definitely worth a read. I'm glad I revisited it and will make my kid read it when he's about 12/13 I think.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Blind Madness
*by F***Y on January 23, 2026*

You don’t have to be the brightest bulb in the box to immediately recognize the implications of the cover artwork of this book. Blank faces, hell… the same faces, standing in a rigid line with armbands that represent a group, in this case The Wave. It immediately dredges up images of the Nazis and the atrocities they and their SS goons forced upon the Jews and any other “undesirables” within their reach. Based on a true story that happened in 1967 (not 1969 as the book would suggest) in Palo Alto, California, this novel(la) is an almost exact play-by-play of the fated week in 1967 where a history teacher’s experiment to help his class understand how Nazi Germany could operate without much push back got out of hand and spiraled into something out of control. There it was called The Third Wave to mimic The Third Reich. Although the author changed the names, and it’s technically a work of fiction, the reality is that it’s an easy guise to fall into—the blind masses. The fictitious Ben Ross recognizes the typical lackadaisical mindsets of his teenagers, but as a good teacher he does his best to engage and employ their interests within the classroom. He, particularly, worries about Robert Billings, a heavyset and heavily bullied kid. As he attempts to give an overview of Adolf Hitler’s time and his subsequent atrocities while he was drunk on power, he discovers that the kids can’t understand how the rest of the Germans could just “go along” with Hitler’s regime. So, Mr. Ross designs an experiment called The Wave. Designed to be just his 30 or so students, responding to regimented and rote responses, complete with a salute, an emblem, and the idea of equality within The Wave, his students surprisingly eat it up! However, within the scope of a few days, lasting a full week, the experiment gets completely out of hand. Recruitment to The Wave outside 30 students in his class happens before Mr. Ross can suggest it. If you weren’t in The Wave, you were wrong. It spread to the football team in a weak effort to get on a winning streak. Its catchphrase and salute echo through the hallways and none of the kids realize it’s a reflection of the Nazi party with the exception of Laurie Saunders, a bright student who, even at first, gets wrapped up in The Wave. For students like Robert Billings, it’s a breath of fresh air. Equality. Family. Loyalty. He belongs. Although the ending seems a bit too tidy, the impact of this story is that it isn’t just a story. 1945 was a long, long time ago to some of us. And in 1967, when my father was seven years old, a mini Nazi party was birthed in Palo Alto. The impact is that it could happen again. It continues to happen again. The comfort of being guided by a stringent, enforcing leader who will take no wiggle room in their policies is seen every day. Whether it’s a strict boss at work or the leader of a nation, it occurs worldwide. That blind madness in any regard, where a human loses their ability to question and analyze, is the most dangerous of all weapons.

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Wave
- Fahrenheit 451
- Animal Farm: 75th Anniversary Edition

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*Product available on Desertcart Australia*
*Store origin: AU*
*Last updated: 2026-03-08*