Wake (A Watersong Novel)

I have to say I really enjoy amanda hockings work. She knows how to grab your attention and hold on to it. Plus I love the fact that she writes about the types of supernatural species that aren't commonly written about.

I would not recommend this book to kids under ten, but I loved it! It was a great book that related to Greek mythology and their culture. There was cussing and it had a few romance moments, but overall, I think it was a great work of penmanship.

This book is great for the people who are interested in mythological books. I chose to give this book a five-star rating because it was so adventurous and suspenseful. I can't wait to read the next few books!!!

Loved the Trylle Trilogy but I've tried reading several of Amanda Hocking's other books and find that the writing is mediocre and the plots are weak and predictable. She tries too hard to modernize the books in an effort to relate to young readers. I could barely get through this book and will probably just give up on her books as ever being comparable to the Trylle Trilogy.

I love Amanda Hocking's work thus far, however Watersong was a huge disappointment. The book felt remedial in writing and reading. The characters were a bit cheesy and not well developed. The story truly fell flat. I kept waiting for the book to get better, but it never did. Doubtful I will be reading this series. I truly hate saying that because I have been really excited about this author's work and couldn't put her other books down! From Zombies to trolls to vampires, her storytelling really reels you in ...but this book??? What happened Amanda Hocking???

Gemma Fisher is sixteen and loves swimming. She practices every morning and swims for fun in the bay every evening. Her mom is in an assisted living home due to an accident years ago. Her dad works hard everyday and her older sister Harper is about to leave for college.

When a group of girls come to town, Gemma gets the creep factor. Although the girls are beautiful, there's just something about them that seems off. Then there are the teenage boys who have been discovered missing lately. Is there a serial killer on the loose or did the boys just runaway?

When Gemma begins a romance with nerdy next door neighbor Alex, she is happy. She has her family, her boyfriend and her swimming. But something beckons to Gemma and she can't escape the lure of the water. The girls are determined that Gemma will join them, or die. However, she is convinced that there is another way and she's willing to die trying.

I expected a mermaid story but was delightfully surprised with the turn of events. This is no mermaid novel but it is fast-paced and set in today's world. Cliffhanger ending? Definitely, as so many young adult novels seem to be these days. However, I did enjoy the characters and the unique storyline twist and will definitely be looking for the next book in this new series. Great read for the beach this summer!

This was actually the first book about mermaids that I've ever read and I'm actually surprised to say that I enjoyed it. It was so good! I especially liked how they were just "mermaids", they were sirens. Sirens are a type of mermaid that are immortal. They are absolutely beautiful and they lure people into the water by their singing. They actually feed off the people that they lure into the water. I enjoyed how mythology was incorporated into the story.

We follow Gemma in her little town where not much ever happens... until recently. Three girls showed up in town and a few people have gone missing, or worse, turned up dead. Gemma finds it strange, but it seems as if no one else does. Gemma used to be the prettiest girl in town until these girls showed up. Boys seem to follow them everywhere. These 3 girls seemed to have developed an interest in Gemma.

Gemma has been swimming for as long as she can remember. She hopes to go to the Olympics one day. Every night she goes to the lake for a midnight swim by herself, until one day the three girls ask her to join them at their party in the cove. Gemma doesn't exactly accept, it seems as if she was told she must accept. She joins the girls and ends up drinking something suspiscious. We later find what this drink really was.

Gemma's next door neighbor, Alex, really likes her. You can tell right from the beginning that there was going to be some sort of romance. The only problem was that Alex is Gemma's older sister's best friend. So of course, Harper (Gemma's older sister), is quite concerned when they start dating. I found Harper to be annoying at times, although I think she really cared about Gemma and she always wanted what was best for her. She felt as if she had to protect her ever since her mother's accident.

I found this book to be filled with twists and turns. I loved how there was a real mysterious aspect to this story. I felt like the beginning of the story dragged on a bit, but the pacing later definitely made me forget about the beginning. I just couldn't stop reading it.

I liked how it was kind of like a dark, mysterious novel although it wasn't at the same time. I'd highly recommend it.

WAKE is the first novel (August 7, 2012 release) in Amanda Hocking’s new Watersong series. A Young Adult paranormal storyline, Amanda once again delves into the fantasies of many young minds and the results are something new and different. WAKE follows the life of 16 year old Gemma-a beautiful young woman on the verge of finding her way in life. A champion swimmer, Gemma dreams of one day making the Olympic swim team, but it is the call of the ocean, that pulls at Gemma’s soul. Every night Gemma heads to Anthemusa Bay to commune with the sea. But it is not only the water that calls to Gemma.

Living in a seaside resort town, the appearance of strangers is nothing new during the summer months and an unlikely trio of beautiful women, is making their presence known. Most of the residents find the women eerily creepy which adds to the already nervous environment when the reports continue to build about the missing local men and women. And when one of the missing is one of their own, the headlines are no longer just a story.

Gemma and Harper are sisters. Following an accident that claimed their mother’s mind, Harper has felt the need to mother both her sister Gemma and their father Brian. But Harper’s overprotective nature was in overdrive. Gemma’s nightly swims were becoming more frequent and stretched beyond the normal time, and now that their neighbor Alex was interested in Gemma, Harper felt it necessary to curtail Gemma’s excursions. But when Gemma does not return home after a midnight swim, Harper fears the worse.

We are introduced to Daniel, a 20year old man with interests in Harper. Daniel lives on a boat in the harbor and tries to warn Gemma that the sisters are not what they appear. Alex is Harper’s long time friend and Gemma’s new boyfriend. But as the summer months will soon lead to college, Harper isn’t thrilled that her younger sister is now involved with the young man. A summer romance can lead to a broken heart-and the heart that will be broken is not necessarily Gemma’s. But there are bigger and scarier things ahead for Gemma than preparing for college.

WAKE is an interesting storyline and the premiere novel in Hocking’s Watersong series. There is some graphic content as is pertains to the eating habits of the beautiful ‘women’. A different look at the paranormal, which borders on the side of fantasy, Wake will introduce a recent paranormal newcomer to the young adult fictional world of characters. Like most YA storylines, our heroine must make a choice to save the boy she loves and with that choice a few tears. Congratulations to Amanda Hocking on another successful Young Adult series. Lullaby is the second storyline in the Watersong series-release date November 2012.

This is a story about Gemma and her sister Harper.
Gemma is a good swimmer,she can't really explain it but Gemma has always found being in the water relaxing and calming. On top of swim practice for her high school she also goes out late at night to swim at the Bay in the cover of darkness.
Harper has always been the most responsible of the two, even when she was younger she would always stay on top of her school work and watch her sister Gemma. Things changed for Harper after the accident which left her in the position of mother figure for Gemma while her father worked long hours on the docks.
Though this is a strange family setting things aren't so bad for Harper and Gemma but the Summer that Penn,Thea,Lexi, and Arista show up in the small town of Capri.

Penn,Thea,Lexi, and Arista followed the warm weather and the tourist to the little town of Capri. Everyone of course noticed them as soon as they showed up. All four of them are abnormally beautiful and have guys hanging on their every word and sometimes even girls. Rumors start to go around town about the girls and the rumors get worse when one of them vanishes. No one really knows much about the girls they have no clue where they came from or what they are there for and to make matters worse locals are starting to vanish without a trace.

Gemma and Harper continue on with their normal activities until the three strange girls start to show up everywhere they are. The leader of the girls Penn seems to have taken a liking to Gemma and tries several times to get Gemma to swim with them. Gemma is cautious of the girls so turns them down each time they ask. Gemma thought it was just a normal night for her late night swim in the ocean until she doesn't come home. Harper freaks out and forcing her father to go to work telling him she would find Gemma teams up with a male friend named Daniel in the hopes of finding her sister alive.
Harper and Daniel succeed in finding Gemma but she is hung over and covered in scratches and bruises with no memory of what happened to her. Little does Gemma and Harper know that life as they know it is about to change.
Gemma begins to show signs of supernatural powers. Gemma also begins to find green fish scales around the house. Memories start to surface of the night spent swimming and Gemma starts to remember being with Penn and the others. Could they have something to do with her new found powers? Things become even stranger when Penn tells Gemma that she must leave behind everything she knows including her family to join them or die...What will Gemma do? What are these new powers? Is this a blessing or a curse?

My Thoughts: I have never read anything like this book before. I didn't really know much about it when I started to read it but by the second chapter I was hooked. I LOVED this book so much and I am very happy and willing to continue the Watersong series. There were times in the story when I would laugh out loud and the wonderful characters and the story line was Amazing! Amanda Hocking all I have to say to you girl is DAMN you can write!
My only problem with the book and this comes with a warning is the very detailed way in which the blood and gore is described. Though this book is a YA novel I would like to warn people now that if they are bothered by that sort of thing then read this book with caution!

My Favorite Quote from the Book:

" Come now,weary traveler, I'll lead you through the waves. worry not, poor voyager, for my voice is the way"

I read Hocking's Trylle series and overall wasn't impressed. I decided to give her another shot and try another one of her books, and I loved it.

I wasn't grabbed instantly, but by the time I got to the second chapter I was hooked. I finished this book within a matter of three days and had trouble putting it down. The characters are more fleshed out, and they feel more real. Harper and Gemma both have very real, authentic emotions and are relatable but not to the point where I feel like they could be any average girl like Wendy was in Trylle. They both have separate, distinct personalities and the background characters have a little more oomph, as opposed to being just part of the scenery. I like how Hocking takes her time to really explain things and drag some things out instead of rushing into the plot. The description is a lot better in this book and the backstory is much more developed.

It's hard to understand why a lot of Hocking's fans don't like this book. I feel why a lot of people have trouble with it is because it goes deeper than many of Hocking's other novels. We aren't constantly rushing towards some sort of climax, and the next tragedy isn't pounding on our doorstep every time we turn a page like it is in Trylle. Hocking dives under the surface here and uses more description, gets under the character's skin so you can see how they really feel. We aren't consistently facing another problem, but it doesn't matter because there's more going on behind the scenes. The complex relations between Gemma's distant father and brain-damaged mother is enough to carry the book itself. It might not be as popular, but it's a better developed story, and it shows when standing next to Trylle. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book.

Let me start with the good. Wakes cover is absolutely gorgeous in person. I love the blues and the island in the background. It is beautiful. Now, onto whats between that cover.
I am very confused by Wake. On the one hand, I read this book so stinkin fast. In about 3 hours tops. Usually it takes me longer to read a 300 page book. It moves along at a super fast pace, and that kept me reading it even when I wasn't really interested in what was happening. The writing, like I said in my status update, is very simplistic and a little naive. There weren't any editing issues that I noticed, so that is one good thing. It felt more like I was reading a Middle Grade book instead of YA. There wasn't much in the way of character development or world building, and the plot, which had some serious potential, just didn't hook me. I tried really hard to get into Wake, to get involved with Gemma and what was happening with her, but I just couldn't. The only characters that seemed semi developed were Harper and Harper's budding love interest, Daniel. But only at times. There were situations in the book, like what happened to the girls mom, and the disappearing guys, that should have felt emotional. Things that normally would make me cry, or at least feel sad, but my emotions just didn't connect. As a whole, I feel like the book was to rushed and a little confused. Gah, I feel like I am doing a craptastic job of explaining this. Me and Wake, we just didn't jive. There ya go, very easy.
I feel a little let down with Wake. I have heard Amanda's name so many times, with so many wonderful things about her books, especially the Trylle trilogy, and I went in expecting a lot more out of this one. I hate reading a book I wasn't into by an author first, because it makes me wary about their other works. I don't know if I will come back to the world of Wake for the next book. Most likely, no. But I will definitely try the Trylle trilogy, albeit warily, because I would really love to say something nice about one of Amanda's books. Being that I wasn't able to say anything positive about Wake, I will say that the things that this author has been able to accomplish, how amazing those accomplishments have been at such a young age, is extraordinary and incredibly impressive. She pretty much blows me away! If you read this review, please know that I am sorry Wake wasn't my cup of tea, but I am going to try again with another book, and I still think you are amazing either way!

Wake / 978-1250008121

I thought I knew what I was getting into with "Wake": I figured the book would be "Twilight but with Mermaids". And, well, I was wrong. But in a good way.

"Wake" starts out like your standard YA supernatural novel; within the first two chapters, we've quickly established a pretty heroine, a sexy love interest, a broken down car, an absentee father, and an infantile mother. Check, check, check. But the establishment is done pretty quickly and not too awkwardly and I have to say I like the pacing; none of this mooning over details for chapters on end. And I *really* like that when the supernatural monsters move into town, everyone notices that they stand out and rumors start flying. That adds a very genuine feel to the novel.

Somewhere along the way, though, the novel stops being a YA supernatural novel yearning for love and awesomesauce and starts being something else entirely, and in a very good way. As protagonist Gemma has to cope with the changes being forced into her life, she undergoes some really compelling character growth and the ride is pleasantly rocky and surprisingly delightful to read. I guess it's worth pointing out that I'd initially planned to read one chapter a day, and instead read *two* chapters on Tuesday and then the entire thing on Wednesday. I'm not sure how chapter three turned into "okay, I'll just read the whole thing and why does the phone keep interrupting me", but it did. So I can honestly say this book held my interest!

So. Things I liked about this novel, hopefully without being too spoilery. The descriptions are lush and gorgeous without being overwrought. The feel of the book takes me to the same place as the Percy Jackson books; there's a very visceral mix of mythology and modern day. All the characters, even the ancillary ones, seem real and genuine and true to life. The "small town" feel comes across really well in the book. The protagonist is genuinely likable without being perfect, and there's zero sneering at people who fail to meet her expectations. Her sister, though slightly more judgmental, stole my heart entirely as she remains open to learning new things about people. The love interest is sexy without being sexual; I don't know how to clarify that further except to say that this book is chaste without being what I would call "abstinence porn". And the supernatural is treated from a really interesting angle, with the pluses and minuses laid out neatly for the reader to agonize over. The conversations, one of the hardest things to write, are superbly realistic and very humorous.

If there are things I didn't like about "Wake", it would perhaps be that some of the flashbacks and fleshing out of the characters felt a little clunky, especially near the beginning. But, you know, I'd almost rather a quick-and-clunky establishing paragraph than a four-chapter drawn-out ordeal just to convey the precise nature of, say, Harper's romantic past. Hocking gets to the point, and I won't fault her for the road having a bump or two.

"Wake" is the first in what looks to be a four-part series, and it definitely ends on a cliffhanger that will leave you wanting more. I'm already eying the back-of-the-book notice telling me to wait until Winter 2013 and wishing time would hurry up. So if you can handle the wait, take this as a recommendation.

NOTE: This review is based on a free Advance Review Copy of this book provided through the store Vine.

~ Ana Mardoll