Book Review: Wake
Wake
(Watersong #1)
By: Amanda Hocking
Published By: Tor
Publication Date: August 7, 2012
Page Count: 309 pages
Buy it at: Amazon
Source: Purchased by Reviewer
Audience: Young Adult Paranormal
Wake
by Amanda Hocking had a good basic premise; a group of scarily pretty
girls turn out to be a bit paranormal and evil, and follow around a
girl, Gemma, who they need to join their group and make their lives
complete. Gemma is happy(ish) in her life, training to be a top swimmer
with Olympic dreams, and would really rather be left alone to swim and
flirt with her big sister's friend who happens to live next door.
The main problem
for me with this read was that I found the style of narration far too
removed from the characters; I felt like I didn't know much about any of
the main characters for quite a lot of the book. I also found it
distracting when the narrative cut and switched to following a different
person. It did mean I got to 'see' more of the story, but I felt like
it was a more superficial experience than reading a first person
perspective narrative and it really wasn't for me. Others who would be
less bothered by that would no doubt find this book more gripping.
I found the story
quite exciting though, once I got over my issues with the narrative
style, and it wasn't really hard to follow at all, without straying into
the realms of the predictable. The pages flipped by as Gemma became
more and more sucked into the thrall of Penn, Lexi and Thea, and their
specific paranormal origins were revealed a little more. Gemma's
burgeoning romance with the boy-next-door was sweet, but not
particularly enthralling. I much preferred the developments between her
older sister, Harper, and Daniel - a scruffy boy who lived on a boat at
the docks, and seemed to just hang out nearby, shirtless and
oh-so-understanding, exactly when Harper needed someone to talk to about
the changes in Gemma.
I did enjoy the
particular slant of the paranormal genre that Wake took, but I don't
think I will be reading the sequel as I disagreed with many of the
central character's choices and I just didn't gel with the narration
style.
Summary:
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.
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.
I enjoyed reading this book as well. I agree with you on Harper and Daniel, i preferred their development than Gemma and Alex.
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