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May 4, 2013

Review: Wake by Amanda Hocking


Fall under the spell of Wake—the first book in an achingly beautiful new series by celebrated author Amanda Hocking—and lose yourself to the Watersong.

Gorgeous. Fearless. Dangerous. They're the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Lexi and Thea have caught everyone's attention—but it’s Gemma who’s attracted theirs. She’s the one they’ve chosen to be part of their group.

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.




Every man would fall in love with their voice, their lovely appearance, but no man would ever get past that. They'd never really know the girls for who they actually were, never really love them. It would be impossible for any of the four girls to ever really fall in love and be genuinely loved in return.

Sirens. Could you imagine a life in which every time you spoke or sang or simply took up space in a crowd, people were enthralled? And not because of who you were, but because of what you were? The lack of real love over centuries of life would make me a nasty, spiteful, murderous bitch too, so I can't say I really blame the sirens for being the beautiful monsters that they are.

I've been a huge fan of Amanda Hocking since her Trylle trilogy was only available in digital format. Not only is she an inspiration to all aspiring writers, there's just something about the simplicity, fluidity, and wit in her writing that grabs hold of you. She creates these genuine characters and builds true-to-life scenes that allow readers to jump into her novels and become a part of them. Wake is no exception.

Gemma is a pretty amazing character. She's strong, fearless, and determined. All these admirable qualities get her into a bit of trouble, however, and she's forced to face the most difficult and painful decision of her life.

Her sister... To be honest, Harper got on my nerves. There were moments that I liked her and there were times that I wanted to slap her for being so controlling and judgmental. I could understand her situation and why she'd be so protective of Gemma, but that doesn't give her the right to be a total spaz, throwing accusations and insults at perfect strangers. Good thing Daniel (said stranger) has a perfectly intact sense of humor.

Alex, Gemma's newly acquired boyfriend, is a sweetheart. Love the geeky/sexy persona. I'm a sucker for the cockiness of bad boys, but they can be overdone, and Alex's shy, uncertain nature was refreshing.

And of course, we've got the sirens. Penn, Thea, and Lexi. Gorgeous but lethal. They are creepy as hell from the moment you meet them, and that factor rises as the story progresses. You begin to understand their predicament and why they are the way they are, but still, that doesn't make them any less nasty. I definitely do not envy Gemma's immediate future.

Amanda Hocking takes monsters that we've all grown up hearing about, and makes them her own. Sirens aren't creatures that I knew much about, except from what I've read in college about Greek and Roman mythology and art, but there was never a bright light shed on them. I actually had to do some research after I finished Wake, and Amanda nails it, bringing different aspects of the history of the siren into the modern world while adding a few of her own little quirks.

I really enjoyed Wake, and to be honest, I was a little hesitant to read it. (I kept thinking mermaids, and they just don't do it for me.) This is certainly not anything similar to Ariel and under the sea. We are offered darkness, impossible situations, and the struggle to decide whether fighting for what you love is worth putting it in danger.

Looking forward to reading Lullaby, the second in Hocking's Watersong series.




$2.99
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2 comments:

  1. I really like the idea of the book. Will check it out :) Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Reem Ibrahim Thanks! You really can never go wrong with Amanda Hocking.

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