Wake (A Watersong Novel, 1) Paperback – April 16, 2013

Something evil has come to the town of Capri.First there were the missing boys. And now something has happened to Gemma Fisher.Something that changed her. Something that made her more powerful, more alluring... hungry.She knew she shouldn't have trusted those girls. But it was almost as if she couldn't resist. There was just something about them.And now she has a choice to make. A choice that really isn't a choice. Because no matter what she chooses to do, there will be a price. It's only a matter of who will have to pay it.***Wake is an imaginative, captivating and delightful first book in author Amanda Hocking's Watersong series. With a few unexpected twists, dark secrets and grisly discoveries, and an opening that hints at all that is to come, this story will immediately engage and entertain.Combining fantasy and myth, Wake introduces readers to Gemma Fisher, a girl who is confident, beautiful and determined. A girl who loves being in the water more than anything. A girl who is driven and focused on making her dream of swimming at the Olympics a reality. A girl who isn't about to let anything stand in her way of her dreams. Until, that one night that changes everything.Wake sets the stage for this series, gives readers a bit of a mystery to solve, puts a character in an incredibly difficult predicament and leaves things wide open for the next book. And it gives them just a taste of some of the darker elements that are sure to come.This story is told from Gemma and her sister Harper's perspectives. Both are strong female main characters with very different personalities who lead very different lives. So, having this dual perspective gives readers a rather interesting look at the events as they unfold. But it does at times become a bit confusing when the perspective switches back and forth too rapidly.In Wake readers will learn what happens to Gemma after her encounter with the three terrifying but stunningly beautiful girls that have come to the town of Capri. They'll find out just what sacrifice's she'll have to make. And they'll learn whether love will be strong enough to overcome the lure of something darker, more powerful and far more deadly.Amanda Hocking has once again written a story that is awash with her creativity and inventiveness. She has taken a tale that has been told and brought her unique style to it. She has created characters that are easy to relate to. And she's mixed in both a sweet simplicity and a dark complexity that makes this story interesting and will make readers eager for the next installment.And with its quick pace, easy flow and not one but two budding romances, Wake will appeal to readers who are fans of mermaid stories with a bit of a darker feel, fans of the author and readers just looking for a fast, fun and engaging story.

First of all, I'm a HUGE fan of Amanda Hocking with capital letters. I've bought all of her books (including the numerous editions of the Trylle Trilogy), and loved every single one of them. I had high expectations for Wake, but it just didn't impress me as much as the other books. But, I still loved it, never the less!The book isn't written in the first person, but we read the story in both Gemma's and Harper's point of view, which means double romance!What was great about this book is that the plot isn't the same old Vampire/ Werewolf/ Fallen Angel based story. I mean, everyone loves those kinds of books, but we need a tad bit of change now and then. Don't you think? This book is about Sirens, not mermaids, Sirens. Amanda Hocking has put some Greek mythology in it. And I loved it! There were several plot twists in the book, which I really enjoyed.There are two love interests going on here: Gemma and Alex ( I cute couple, I'd say) and Harper and Daniel ( another cute couple). Alex is the shy boy who is funny and cute. He is 'supposed' to be Harper's best friend, but they have fallen appart over the years. Daniel is a boy who lives in a boat, and has made his frist impression on Harper very strong. The first time Harper saw Daniel, he was going to take a wee wee, and she accidentally saw his *cough* man parts *cough*, if you know what I mean. Both boys are likable, cute and funny, but I wouldn't write them down on the 'Heartthrob' category.The romance in this book is cute, nothing dark or heavy, which I think is a perfect summer read.A real bummer was that I couldn't connect with the characters much. What does that mean? Well, it means no butterfies in the stomach, and no I-want-to-punch-the-pillow-because-I-hate-that-character feelings. Most of Amanda Hocking's books were easy to connect with all characters, but obviously, it wasn't that great in Wake. Also, the character development was a real problem here. It seemed unlikely that Gemma was such a down-to-earth girl when she is, supposedly, the prettiest girl in the beach town. Harper, her older sister, took the mothering role. Uh, problem there. Harper is only two years older than Gemma. If Harper were to take the mothering role, she should;ve been a bit older than that. But, I understand she loves her sister and wants to take care of her.Overall, I think Wake is a great book with an awesome plot which you'll enjoy reading now that it's summer time. Even though there were a few flaws (I remember one editing error where two words where written together, nothing big). I really enjoyed reading it-- it was entertaining, different. I'm totally looking forward for the next book in the Watersong series!

I really enjoyed this book although it almost seems to be written as a prologue to the events of the other books in the series than an actual stand-alone. I wasn't massively enthralled with the actual writing but I did for sure fall in love with the ideas and plot hence the 4 stars. I think this story is more to appeal to niche audiences who want to read through and imagine themselves in the fantasy side of things as opposed to just being written as a good story, and there's honestly nothing wrong with that - I mean who doesn't want to be surrounded by dangerous supernatural secrets? - even as a frequent reader of high-quality adult and young-adult books i still found this an enjoyable read. The first half of the novel is quite slow to progress and the characters do feel a bit flat and *perfect*, although again, I really enjoyed the premise and will continue to read the other novels in the series. My advice is; don't read this for the quality, read it for the premise.

Having read and enjoyed the Trylle Trilogy I was looking forward to this new series from Amanda Hocking and as with the previous books that I've read by Amanda, I found myself absolutely racing through Wake, intrigued and gripped by the world Amanda creates and the mysteries of the story.I'm a bit of a water-baby at heart so was drawn to the premise of Wake and lead character Gemma right from the start. Hocking sets up the story and characters very well and I felt like I knew Gemma and her sister Harper and what made them tick almost immediately. Gemma is a dedicated swimmer, hoping to be an Olympian one day and only truly at home when she is in the water. She came across as sweet and dedicated at the start of the story and quite a contrast to bossy older sister Harper who has assumed a motherly role in the family due to the absence of their own mother. I also liked Harper and as the novel progressed I found that her character really grew on me, particularly as she tries to figure out what is going on with her little sister and why she's acting so out of character.The mystery element of the novel is set up from the start with a chilling prologue involving the enigmatic Penn and Thea. Hocking maintains the intrigue surrounding the girls for a large part of the novel as they register increasingly on Gemma and Harper's radar building to the fateful night that Gemma joins the girls for one of their beach parties. From this point the plot accelerates fast and I don't want to give away any spoilers but I will say that I loved the mythology surrounding the story and I think Hocking has framed it well into a contemporary fantasy novel.The romance element to the story is also well done. I liked that both sisters have potential romantic interests and I particularly enjoyed Harper's relationship with loner Daniel. I'm sure there's much more to come from him as a character and hopefully from their relationship. Gemma's budding romance with boy next door Alex is also sweet and I liked the twist that the story put on their relationship.With a dramatic ending that left me wanting more I enjoyed the new world that Hocking has created and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

Before reviewing this I have to declare that I'm probably not atypical of the readership expected for this novel, being middle-aged and male!I read the Trylle trilogy a while ago, which were quite entertaining. Better than a lot of YA fiction, but not up to the standard of (say) the Hunger Games trilogy, for example.This book is the start of a new series, and certainly ends leaving the reader wanting to know more, which is clearly a good idea if you're writing a book 2! It revolves around two sisters, one of whom is caught into a supernatural nightmare. I don't want to give away any of the plot, but there's some good interplay between the characters who are quite well drawn for a novel of this type. There's a smattering of romance, some mildly gruesome scenes, and a plot which encourages that 'I'll just read the next chapter' thing.All in all, a good start to a new series, and whilst it wouldn't make my favourite books of all time list, I'd not be telling people to avoid it either. Worth a punt if you've not tried the author before.

The thing I immediately noticed about Amanda Hocking's new book Wake is that it is written in third person, which actually took me a little by surprise. I've read all of her other titles, and enjoyed them all mainly because she does so well at using first person to make the characters come alive. She makes me feel something for the characters. In Wake, however, her use of third person seemed to make the characters fall flat. I didn't really get a sense of who Gemma really was, apart from the fact that she loves swimming and doesn't have any friends. I liked Harper even less, as her character just didn't really seem to make any sense. It wouldn't even have made a difference to the story if she were taken out of the book altogether.It also slightly aggravated me that almost every character was so stereotypical and 'perfect'. Gemma is a great swimmer with her sights set on the Olympics, Harper is a straight A student going to college. These girls are both described as pretty (Gemma even describes herself as one of the prettiest girls in town, yet she's only had one boyfriend and seems to have no friends?) Alex and Daniel are both described as hot, muscly, tanned and toned, in so many words, and become the sisters' love interests. I just failed to see any real depth to the characters, and as a result, I didn't really care what happened to any of them. The only interesting character was Marcy, but she didn't contribute to the story in any way either.Through the first half of the book I was pretty much bored to tears. The chapters were repetitive, with pretty much the same thing happening over and over again. I've read other reviews that say Hocking was building up the the action in the later chapters of the book, but would you really describe the beginning of Wake as a build up? Personally, I'd call it a bore. Nothing that happened was particularly important to the story line (unless it becomes important in the sequels, but I doubt it). I carried on reading through the waffle because I'm such a fan of Hocking's work, and eventually I was glad I did. Once the main story line starts to kick in, there are some interesting parts. and the story really starts to come into itself. Nevertheless, parts of it still felt unrealistic or unbelievable, and even though I finished the book, I did so without ever really caring about what was happening to each of the characters.All in all, this isn't one of Hocking's greatest books, and if you're picking this up with expectations of another Trylle series, then you'd be wrong. In most of her other books, the action starts immediately. Wake is a much slower starter, but that's not to say it isn't a good book. I did enjoy reading it, and I will probably be picking up the second one, but I'll be doing so with the hope of a little more character development, and hopefully something that will make me care about what's happening.

As part of my quest to go outside my reading comfort zone I decided to buy this book.I have to say i was pleasantly surprised by it. Although the writing is a little immature in places, I recognise that the author is trying to get inside a young girls head, and speak from that POV.Having said that the story, the characters, the pace and a little mythology thrown in made it an excellent read.I will be buying the series and look forward to reading more from the author.