Wake by Amanda Hocking

 Wake

by Amanda Hocking

 Please check out the following link for an audiobook clip from the beginning of Wake,
provided by Macmillan Audio:
http://media.us.macmillan.com/video/olmk/macmillanaudio/wakeclip.mp3

When I first wrote this review, I was unaware the audiobook existed...
I've listened to this clip, and it seems to be the first chapter of the book.
It's really cute... but has none of the supernatural elements that come in later in the book,
which are the parts I liked best... but then... giving those bits away in an
audio clip might be a bit spoilerish, since they'd probably give away too much!

(just a total side note... but I love everything about this cover...except the girl... she looks so pissy and annoyed and if she's supposed to be the main character, Gemma, her expression is just too much "bitch" and all wrong. I don't think you *need* to stick a girl on this cover... or at least, not this one -_-)

Synopsis:
(from Goodreads):

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.

Characters:
Gemma: One of two main characters, Gemma is an avid swimmer. She is a likeable girl... but oddly, the story starts out really focusing on her emotions, and then sort of totally abandons them, explaining nothing and just detaching us from her.
Harper: Gemma's older sister, and the responsible one. Maybe a little too responsible, she seems to be forgetting to have a life. Harper is the more likable of the two sisters, in my opinion, if for no other reason than that the book doesn't abandon her thought process halfway through.
Alex: Gemma's love interest and Harper's best friend. Alex comes across as a likeable guy... but there doesn't seem to be anything exceptional about him.

Daniel: The bum who lives on a boat on the docks where the girls father works... he's probably the most interesting character in this book. There's obviously something going on with him that has yet to be explained. I have a guess... but we'll just have to wait and see.
Brian: Gemma and Harper's father... he was not too bad of a father figure, although came across as a bit immature.

Nathalie: Gemma and Harper's brain damaged mother (literally) She's an incredibly immature character, but it's not her fault. I think it's a pity she's obsessed with Justin Bieber though, in the future, this will date the book quite badly.

Penn, Lexi and Thea: Three beautiful, mysterious girls who have come to town, and who the locals are both in awe of, and a bit afraid of.

 
Writing:

After reading Hocking's Trylle series, I'd say she's progressing in her writing style after reading Wake. These books are not beautiful, poetic prose, but they're a fun, easy read that flow well enough.

I've got to say though, there is one thing about this book that I HATED. That is the fact that whenever the girls thought about their father, they called him Brian... but whenever they spoke to him, they called him Dad. WHO DOES THAT?! If they are calling him dad to his face, then they think of him as Dad when they think about him... and if they're thinking of him as Brian, then they should be calling him Brian to his face. It ripped me right out of the story every time... and I found it absolutely annoying as a reader.

Ending:
This book kind of fell apart for me at the end... and mostly because we had become almost totally disconnected from any real reason Gemma had for doing anything. We knew she was walking around acting a certain way, but her actions and what little of her thoughts we got just weren't lining up for me at all... she had sort of ceased to be the character I met at the beginning of the book, which really pulled me out of the story. I have no idea if I'm supposed to be rooting for her or not at this point. I'm not saying she goes evil or anything, I'm just saying she became a very vague, blah character... while her sister and Daniel became much more interesting.

Plot:

I think this book has a really interesting plot going... I like many, many aspects of it, like the fact that Gemma wasn't really given a choice, and the whole mythology background... I find it all enjoyable, and I'll read the second book to see what happens next.

 

Believability of World:
This is set in our world, so there is no amazing new world building going on, but it is believable enough.


Overall Grade: C+ While there are a lot of things about this book that interest me enough to read the next one... there were too many things in the story that ripped me out of it to give it a really high score. The weird trailing off when it comes to Gemma's POV... and the whole Brian/Dad issue... those were huge negative marks in my book. Is it a fun read? Yes. Is it phenomenal? No. Do I recommend picking it up for something light and fun? Yes.