Wake Review

Title: Wake
Author: Amanda Hocking
Series: Watersong #1
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 7th August 2012
Source: Pan Macmillan South Africa
Format: Paperback
Pages: 309
Rating: 3.75 Stars
Reading Timeline: 29 May 2018 - 04 June 2018

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

Book Review:

Pre-reading Thoughts:

I am a huge fan of Amanda Hocking and for the past year or so, I have been making my way through her books. The Watersong series has been on my radar for a while now so I am really excited to start the series. 

Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan South Africa for providing me with a copy of this book. Just a small disclaimer for those reading this review. I have received this book for free. Please note that this does not affect my opinion in any way. All thoughts are my own.

Writing Thoughts:

I felt like the writing in this book was a little different. It felt like it still needed to undergo so development which makes sense since this book was published in 2012. The writing felt like it was heavy and lacked flow. The dialogue was a little odd in some places but overall it wasn't too bad. I definitely felt as though Hocking told us the story more than what she showed it to us. I struggled to see the characters or the world.

Plot Thoughts:

The plot did take a while to develop. I think that there was a huge focus on showing the difference in behaviour in Gemma but also to show us how drawn she is to the water. The plot took a while to get to the tipping point but once it did, the story improved a lot. I really enjoyed the ending and as a reader I could feel Harper's emotions through the writing in this situation.

Character Thoughts:

Gemma is painted as this gorgeous girl who is sweet but to me, her actions seemed a little selfish at times. Harper seemed a little too overbearing and like she didn't want to a live a different life. There wasn't a lot of character development in the story. However, characters like Alex and Daniel really sweetened this book for me. I wanted to read more about them.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was definitely not perfect but it was still an entertaining read. I was intrigued to see how it would end. The writing wasn't what I was used to from Hocking but this is also one of her early works. The plot was slow to develop but it ended on a powerful note that made reading through the tedious bits worth it. The characters didn't see much development but there were some characters that really helped the story. Overall, it wasn't a bad book and I can't wait to see what happens in the second book. Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan South Africa for providing me with a copy of this book.

Yours in Reading,

Melleny

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