Wake (Watersong Series #1)
By: Amanda Hocking
ISBN: 9781429956581
Length: 307 Pages
Reason: Received an ARC from work
By: Amanda Hocking
ISBN: 9781429956581
Length: 307 Pages
Reason: Received an ARC from work
Good Reads Summary:
Gemma seems to have it
all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next
door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken
their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back.
Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a
late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea
partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next
morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing
something is different.
Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets
Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets
Review:
With stories of mermaids and sirens on the rise I dove into
the opportunity to read Wake, not to mention the hype Amanda Hocking was
getting from her Trylle Trilogy. I was
expecting this book to have the main components of all young adult books; a
love triangle with sappy romantics. However, to my surprise, this book lacked
them both. Not to say that there was no romance. Gemma, the main protagonist,
still has a crush and acts much more like a real teenager, slowly getting
involved with another for the first time. Gemma’s sister, Harper, also has a
fun surprise romance. I was shocked at how natural the romances seemed and was
left cheering for them to work out.
The characters are easily relatable, and lack some depth.
Gemma loves to swim and is training to be in the Olympics. Harper is an
overbearing motherly type, from basically raising Gemma and taking care of their
father who works long days at the docks. Alex and Daniel are the main love interest
to the books leading ladies. Then there are the “Mean Girls”; Penn, Thea, and
Lexi. They are the typical popular girls and are perfection in every manner. The
boys in the town seem to swoon at every sight of them while the girls hate
them.
The main drama begins after Gemma spends time with these
three girls. After the first time they hang out, Gemma wakes up the next
morning and strange things begin to happen to her. This is the point in which
the story begins to take off.
I did have some issues with Wake. I found that the authors
POV seemed a little conflicted at times. Mid paragraph we would stop following
Gemma and switch to Harper. This bothered me a little because the transitions
seemed force and at times abrupt and more often than I would have liked. The
story also seems to be filled with people who look “perfect”. Everyone seems to
be beautiful and sculpted. Even the geek
Alex has a fit body. In my opinion this should not have been. When Gemma goes
through her transformation, she is supposed to hit the height of beauty,
however because she is already at such attractiveness it is hard for the viewer
to see a transition.
Overall I felt that the story was flat, the characters were
clearly taken from a model (maybe not Gemma), and that every move the book took
I was able to predict. Though the book
was a fast read I did not find myself clawing to get my hands on it every time I
set it down. With the beach aspect and the
overall lightness I think it would make a great beach read.
I will not be knocking down the doors for the sequels;
however, if I come across them I might think twice and give the series a second
chance.
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