Review Detail

Guess what? I’m a total Amanda Hocking newbie. That’s right—I have not yet delved into her Trylle series, but their wide acclaim definitely upped the excitement for me as I began her newest book, Wake. The first in her new Watersong series, Wake centers around two sisters, Gemma and Harper, a pair who instantly grabbed at my heart with their sisterly affection and woes.

I’ve gotta say—this story connected with me more than I expected due to the fact that the MC, Gemma, is a competitive swimmer with Olympic dreams, who has felt a lifelong pull to the water. Um, yeah—that was the story of my teenage years. Although Hocking doesn’t quite get the swimmer lingo down (I had to laugh at her phrasing at some points), she accurately describes what it is like to be the kind of person who just can’t get enough of the water. She and her sister live in Capri, a seaside town, and their story begins in the summer before Harper goes to college, with Gemma at a point in her life where she is entering a relationship with the now-hot neighbor, Alex (her sister’s best friend!) and finds herself blossoming in looks and talent. Harper is the over-protective older sister, who, though she has some good reasons for it, has an inner struggle that I TOTALLY relate to. Oh my GOSH, seriously, this was the OTHER story of my teenage years—looking out for my budding little sister who got into too much trouble. I completely connected with every feeling, even though Harper is a lot better of a person on the inside than I was. She loves her sister and has her best interests at heart, and I was almost teary-eyed remembering those strong emotions. I have no idea if Hocking is an older or younger sister, or if she even HAS a sister, but let me tell you, she NAILED this relationship. Talk about tugging my heartstrings. So, in a huge way, their relationship and love for each other really is the driving force behind the book.

The catalyst is when Gemma begins to attract the attention of three powerful, beautiful, and strange girls who have descended upon the town for the summer months. We get to see a little bit of what is going on behind-the-scenes with them, but overall, the story unfolds as Gemma gets pulled further and further into their nasty web of manipulation and cunning. At times, these villains seemed not scary, but rather reminiscent of the way Goosebumps (R.L. Stine)villains could end up being—just gruesome and gross. But, in spite of the almost-silliness, I still totally HATE all of them. As I read I just was screaming at Gemma to GET AWAY. In the end it becomes evident that there’s a lot more than meets the eye with these three (Transformers reference=intentional).

Add to the mix some great chemistry between not only Gemma and Alex, but Harper and a new boy she is not sure she likes, plus a family history that just makes your heart ache, and you’ve definitely got a recipe for a fantastic new series. It only took me a couple of days to read this, and I am attached enough to this bunch that I am anxious for the next book to come out next year. Get your hands on this now!