Wrecked

Apr 24, 2012 Kara rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: blog-tour, 2012-reading-challenge, arc, debut-authors-2012, dropped-series-graveyard, fantasy, for-review, huge-pile-of-crap, mermaids, own, romance, ugh, young-adult, south-carolina

So, this book and I are not friends. I'm going to try and be as tactful as possible here, but it's hard. I pretty much hated this book with every bone in my body. There were many, many technical issues, but aside from that, I also hated the characters and the story. It's hard to write a review when you have no kind words for the book at all. But I will do the best that I can.

Let's start with the writing. It was all telling. Well, mostly. It felt like a summary of events rather than a story. Not...more So, this book and I are not friends. I'm going to try and be as tactful as possible here, but it's hard. I pretty much hated this book with every bone in my body. There were many, many technical issues, but aside from that, I also hated the characters and the story. It's hard to write a review when you have no kind words for the book at all. But I will do the best that I can.

Let's start with the writing. It was all telling. Well, mostly. It felt like a summary of events rather than a story. Not only was the writing really amateurish, but there were consistency issues. And they were really bad ones. And I hope to god they are fixed before this book goes to print. Christian saw Coral's yacht twice. For the first time. I won't quote it because it's an arc and can still be fixed, but you cannot see the same boat for the first time, twice. Christian also showed his brother the same book of matches for the first time, twice. The first time Valentine shrinks back, afraid of the fire. The second time Christian whips them out and tries to explain what he is going to do. It's just lazy writing. And bad editing. I haven't seen plot holes that large in ages.

The characters and character motivations were just ridiculous and made no sense. First of all, Miranda. Grow a backbone and stand up for yourself, girl. Every other character except Christian was out-of-control mean to her. And I get why they are upset. She was driving in a boat accident that killed four people. But the key word here is 'accident'. She didn't mean it and yet these people are blaming her and bullying her for something she had no control over. And some of the things they say and do to her get pretty revolting. No one seems to remember she lost 4 friends and her boyfriend is in a coma, dying. She also got injured. But they hate on her and ostracize her and her grandmother continues to put her through it by forcing her to go to school and visit Fletch in the hospital. Fletch's parents are horrible individuals. I know your son is in a coma, but you don't treat people this way. What is wrong with you? And I guess that's my point. The characters' actions are completely unrealistic. Real people with beating hearts would not act this way.

And then there was the love story. Or rather, the puke story. Seriously. Call me mean if you want, but these two were nauseating. This time I will quote. Because some of this dialogue is utterly ridiculous. And I know it's not coming out before editing.

Miranda: "You could have left. If I was swimming, and I saw a boat on fire, I don't think I'd save anyone," Miranda admitted. Wait. What? She'd leave people dying on a fiery boat and swim away? WTF is this?

And then there is this scene. It's so corny. I mean...REALLY corny.

"Happy birthday," Miranda said. It was so weird, the way their conversations constantly jumped all over the map. It was like when the radio played on the boat. Sometimes, there'd be crystal clear reception, only to be interrupted by static. Then, seconds later, clear reception again.

"Thanks," Christian smiled.

"Did you get everything you wanted?" Miranda leaned in toward him, aware that she was acting supremely out of character. But that was okay. She didn't want to act like herself anymore. "Or did you want this?" she asked, heart pounding against her chest as she kissed him. First of all, the writing is terrible. Second of all, GROSS. That is nauseating. For real.

Deep thoughts with Miranda: He's just a friend. It's not a big deal, she reminded herself. She glanced over. Christian's jaw was set, and he was staring straight ahead, as if he were frightened. Who was she kidding? Of course he wasn't just a friend. They'd kissed. Her heart sped up whenever she saw him. She knew his collar bones sloped slightly before ending in his surprisingly sharp shoulder blades, concealed under just the right layer of muscle. And yet... Hold the phone. You know how his collar bone slopes? And that his shoulder blades are sharp? Listen. I've been with Dan for 7 years and I don't even pay attention to his shoulder blades and collar bones. Ridiculous. And the writing? Kill me now.

At one point I laughed out loud because Miranda ordered a medium pizza in a bar and didn't tell the waitress what toppings she wanted on it. That might be some vital information that was missing there. She could bring you a medium pizza with anchovies, after all.

I've got one more for you. This is some brilliant description. *Hint: sarcasm*

Coral led Miranda to the living quarters of the ship. In contrast to the deck, which had seemed so expansive, the actual living quarters were cozy. The furniture was heavy, dark wood and blue velvet coverings, and Miranda felt like she'd taken a step back in time. None of the surroundings matched Coral's whimsical, bohemian personality. The room felt stuffy, and Miranda found herself having a difficult time catching her breath. Did you notice it? Answer this question. How can a room be cozy AND stuffy at the same time? Hint: it can't.

Truthfully, that's only the beginning. But why even bother? You can clearly see all that is wrong by reading those quotes. And I'm not even going to bother to remark on the creepy instalove. Or the slut-shaming that happened in the opening pages. Just...make up your own mind. But I wouldn't recommend reading this one to my worst enemy. Lazy writing gets an automatic one star from me. Sorry. This book was terrible.(less)

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Mar 18, 2013 Marie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: worst-endings, waste-of-time

DISAPPOINTING IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

SERIOUSLY.

I read this book for an ending that was well to put it lightly- CRAP, PATHETIC & Yeah why not? SHIT.

Honestly. This poor girl- Miranda- has been through loosing all her friends, the boy she loves and feels that she is no longer welcome in her own school. Her parents are dead and everything has changed.

She feels like a murderer, since she was driving the boat the night everything happened.

And to top it off she now has an evil sea witch aft...more

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May 28, 2012 Haya rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2-5-stars, mermaids, ya, 2012, dont-know-what-to-think, ebook, got-to-me, heavy-shit, i-like-the-writing-style, what-kind-of-romance-is-that, stand-alone, twas-ok, review, unexpected-ending

...

Mild spoilers, maybe. Dunno what your definition of "spoiler" is...but a warning's nice anyway, no?

First things first: I liked Wrecked, but with every book there are flaws, and this one is full of 'em. It would've been better if these flaws were slight and unnoticeable, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

Wrecked is a good enough read. It kept me intereseted; yet, at the same time, it confused me as hell. I liked Miranda, and I felt for her, the pain she goes through, and her struggle to...more ...

Mild spoilers, maybe. Dunno what your definition of "spoiler" is...but a warning's nice anyway, no?

First things first: I liked Wrecked, but with every book there are flaws, and this one is full of 'em. It would've been better if these flaws were slight and unnoticeable, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

Wrecked is a good enough read. It kept me intereseted; yet, at the same time, it confused me as hell. I liked Miranda, and I felt for her, the pain she goes through, and her struggle to go through her life under the stares, whispers, insults and glares from the people areound her. Her grandma's annoying, but I get that she wants what's best for her grandchild, and I wanted to hug Teddy. I liked Christian, too; unfortunately, we don't know much about him, which is sad since some of the chapters are told from his perspective.

As I read Wrecked I couldn't help but notice that the book doesn't focus primarily on the mermen and their lives and laws; hell, nowhere near close; however, it would've been nice if the author expounded a bit on that area as a favor for people who get so easily confused as I do. No matter, though (I guess). The book also doesn't focus on the other survivors, or how they went through the whole thing. It focuses on Miranda's past, present and future.

The story, too, is slow in some areas, and as fast as lightning in others. It's like, one moment, Christian's yelling for someone to save Miranda, the other, the yacht's on fire, and another, Eleanor is thanking Christian for saving Miranda when she didn't trsut him at the beginning and there is no place in the story where he earned her trust.

The romance was unbelievable. I mean, c'mon! Christian seems like the guy who'd fall in love instantly, from what I know about him, but Miranda, not quite. They barely speak to each other. All they do is swim, kiss, smile and sleep, say "Me luvs yew!" and ask a few questions here and there. That's why the ending came as a complete surprise for me (probably others as well). But at the same time, it was abrupt. It's like, It's like you're watching someone walking on the beach and then poof! they're gone, and you're left with this What the fuck just happened? face and start blinking continuously, wondering if you'd been dreaming or not. Oh, well. I just hope the author wouldn't write a sequel, because that would just ruin it.(less)

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Jul 02, 2012 Once Upon rated it 2 of 5 stars

Miranda is a teenage girl who lives with her brother and grandmother on Whim Island, after the loss of both of her parents as a child. She is popular and well-liked, until she’s involved in a tragic boating accident. With the loss of several young lives in the accident, most of the town blames Miranda because she was steering at the time. They are all suspicious as to how she survived. I just found that part of the story a little ridiculous. Every adult on the Island is on the same page and blam...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Sonia rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. First of all, if you liked the book and you want no negative comment to impact what brilliant thoughts you had on this masterpiece, don't read this.

You have been warned.

When I first bought this book, I expected an interesting mermaid love tale where the main character would fall for the guy, and the girl would be dragged down to sea, having her legs surgically removed and replaced with a fish's body, where the said couple would have a colony of children and live happily ever after.

I was wrong o...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Mrs. ReaderPants rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012, pub-date-2012

More reviews at Mrs. ReaderPants.

WHAT I LIKED: With its beautiful and eerie island setting, Wrecked is easy enough to get into. I love the descriptions of Whym Island's sandy beaches, salty winds, crashing ocean waves, and evening storms. I love all the island superstitions about the sea witch, who turns out to be real. When the boating accident happens, readers can really feel Miranda's survivor guilt and her self-doubt about how the accident happened.

The sea-lore, the stories of Sephie, and t...more

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Apr 07, 2013 J. Lynne rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Even as I'm writing this, I remain dumbfounded. This book started out as three- or four-star quality with me, but managed to plummet to a one-star rating in the course of a few pages. The writing itself wasn't too bad. There were definitely some technical issues, but I've read worse. So, what was the main problem? The last few chapters left me reeling. All I could think was, "What the f**k?!" There was even a moment I had to physically restrain myself from thrashing the book against a wall or ca...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Ebony rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was really pushing it. It really was. I felt that the main character was a little bit crazy, even though I did sympathize with her since over half of her friends were dead and the rest of her friends blamed her for it. It made me sad, but I guess people need someone to blame. I though that it was a little bit unrealistic for her to fall in love with this guy after spending the night with him on the beach for, what, two or three nights? It's absolutely ridiculous. In addition, all the c...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Tori rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I wanted to like this book. I really did. I feel like it could have been interesting, but it just wasn't. There were a lot of things in this book that really bothered me.

So Miranda, the main character, is the survivor of a boating accident in which four of her friends are killed. She really only survived because she was saved by this guy, Christian, who just so happens to be this kind of mermaid/human thing called a betwixmen that I have never heard of before. Everyone blames Miranda for the ac...more

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Nov 21, 2012 Jenna St Hilaire rated it 1 of 5 stars

The cover and premise of this book caught my attention recently, and I made a point of tracking down a copy. The mythology Davies created around her setting—a touristy South Carolina island with strange, unchartable tides and a lot of local legends about a sea witch—is laid out in a beautiful prologue, which immediately hooked me on the storyline. I plunged into the first chapter, intrigued by the ominous feel.

To my surprise, the rest of the book read like a rough draft, suggesting that the auth...more The cover and premise of this book caught my attention recently, and I made a point of tracking down a copy. The mythology Davies created around her setting—a touristy South Carolina island with strange, unchartable tides and a lot of local legends about a sea witch—is laid out in a beautiful prologue, which immediately hooked me on the storyline. I plunged into the first chapter, intrigued by the ominous feel.

To my surprise, the rest of the book read like a rough draft, suggesting that the author has good ideas but lacks technique. The first chapter showed strong signs of potential character development, but most of the interesting characters died at the end of it. Thereafter, inexplicable behavior progressions and disjointed dialogues were common. Occasional bits of story were summarized rather than narrated. The plot was woven neatly in the first chapter, but threads eventually worked free of the narrative and flapped aimlessly in the sea breeze. It became obvious halfway through that the overall setups were much too frayed to be tied up properly at the end.

My experiences with teen paranormal romances suggest that this sort of thing is fairly common. More startling, though, is how unedited the work is, especially coming from a top-tier publisher like Simon & Schuster. One small church is consistently referred to as “Cavalry Chapel”; I’m at a loss to know who or what to blame for a mistake like that. And I have spent years scolding fellow aspiring writers for capitalizing pronouns combined with dialogue tags after terminal punctuation and close quotes. This is all one sentence, and should be treated as such:

“Sephie!” He called as the wind whipped his face.

These, and similar, errors would have been overlookable if they’d occurred once, but they iterated throughout till I gave up trying to read and began skimming. Unless the copy I got was pre-copy edit and final print run, which is unlikely but possible, I find this hard to excuse.

I felt bad, though. I liked Miranda very much at first; I would have liked to have understood her latter motivations better. Christian fascinated me, not least because of his very un-mythological name, but I never could decide what to make of what seemed like obvious but inept attempts at Christian symbolism—or, considering that the author couldn’t spell Calvary Chapel, possibly a subversion thereof.

Finally, the book bears two clear influences: Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid and Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight. Regarding the latter, overt homage—often juxtaposed with overt scorning of the more un-P.C. sides of Meyer’s story—is unbelievably common among current paranormal romances and urban fantasies, and is nearly always distracting. It certainly is in this case, the biggest offense being Christian’s “sparkly” skin, which, as he was an underwater creature, could have passed muster had it been done with any subtlety or logic or even thoughtful description.

Regarding the Andersen tale, I’m not sure whether to praise the author for having the courage to stick vaguely to the original in the end, or whether to express a very non-vague frustration at how badly the ending to the original sucks. There’s some redemption to Davies’ finale, but it’s not the startling visions of wonderful things that might have made the turbulent ride seem bearable in retrospect.

It’s really too bad. It was a great story idea, and Davies’ latent talent could surely have developed enough with time to give the concept and characters what they deserved. Maybe her next book will be better.

But I still like the cover. And the prologue.(less)

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Aug 19, 2012 Marilla Kennell rated it 4 of 5 stars

I know this rating may seem high, but even though the ending was not at all what I was expecting, it made sense, and so I refuse to rate a book low based on an ending I didn't particularly enjoy. It was the right ending more similar to the original Little Mermaid, but I was hoping for a more Disney ending, and that just didn't happen.
However, I really like how she deals with this story. It's realistic. I mean let's be honest, if a kid was driving a bunch of their drunk friends home, and they cra...more I know this rating may seem high, but even though the ending was not at all what I was expecting, it made sense, and so I refuse to rate a book low based on an ending I didn't particularly enjoy. It was the right ending more similar to the original Little Mermaid, but I was hoping for a more Disney ending, and that just didn't happen.
However, I really like how she deals with this story. It's realistic. I mean let's be honest, if a kid was driving a bunch of their drunk friends home, and they crashed the car by a fluke accident, they would always be blamed, and they would have to live with that grief, and it wouldn't be something they just healed from. And so I have to say that I did really like this book. I don't want to spoil anything just be prepared for a book that focuses on how people deal with grief. The ocean becomes a symbol of clinging to the dead, and she is only able to heal once she gives up the ocean and everything to do with it. So it makes sense.
Also, it must be noted that this story is mimicking Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid. So things such as where do these Betwixtmen come from, what the deal with them, and other such questions don't need answers. Like in The Little Mermaid, the author is asking her reader's to accept this world, and if they can't then that will spoil the read. There doesn't need to be background info. The Little Mermaid's story is told only from her perspective, and we know little to nothing about her. Most is speculative.
As for the end, it was definitely more generous than the Original Little Mermaid. Disney's view (though utterly beautiful) is nowhere near the original.
Also, the main character just suffered a major stressor by losing four of her closest friends, and being blamed for it. I think this is normal on all levels. I liked her because she felt real, and how often do adults just ignore what the younger generation feels? I felt the characters were very realistic,so the book is definitely worth the read. I was surprised, but I really enjoyed it. I never saw he ending up with Christian just like The Little Mermaid didn't end up with the prince.(less)

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Aug 05, 2012 Sara rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2-stars

Mini-Review: I really wanted to enjoy the plot of this novel, but it lacked details. I didn't feel like I learned much about Miranda's friends, both before the accident and through her memories afterwards. We also only learn the basics about mermaids and betwixtmen. Christian's point of view was so few and far between, in comparison to Miranda's point of view, that it was quite jarring when he took over a chapter which in turn led to the pacing being very rocky. Miranda wasn't a very likeable ch...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-emmy

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: This book has an interesting premise but fails to deliver it in a satisfying manner, relying heavily on exposition to get the mood across while slowing down the story.

Opening Sentence: In many ways Whym Island is like any of the hundreds of tiny islands dotting the South Carolina coast.

The Review:

I’m going to start out by saying that this book has one of the worst synopses ever. I read it and was totally uninterested in this book, mainly bec...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Ducky rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: cover-lust, pnr-random, morbid-curiosity, die-die-die, annoyingly-addicting

1.5 stars

What the hell (I'm trying to keep my language civil, here) was that? It was a mediocre excuse for a mermaid tale, at best. Oh look, I answer my own rhetorical questions. How pathetic.

Crap, crap, this was utter crap. I cannot even begin to convey how awful this was. I cannot even begin to explain to you why I chose to pick this book up and then proceeded to actually finish it. It felt like the author was telling me what the characters felt--I don't enjoy being treated like a stupid reade...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Rose rated it 1 of 5 stars

I'm gonna be real honest.. I hated this book! For me it had so many wth moments and not in a good way. Very rarely do I ever come across a book that I dislike. I've often come across books that have had more bad then good reviews and found that I quite enjoyed them but with Wrecked I had none of that. When it comes to the description in the writting I had difficulty at times understanding the descriptions and well as figuring out who was talking in the book and found myself going back to re-read...more I'm gonna be real honest.. I hated this book! For me it had so many wth moments and not in a good way. Very rarely do I ever come across a book that I dislike. I've often come across books that have had more bad then good reviews and found that I quite enjoyed them but with Wrecked I had none of that. When it comes to the description in the writting I had difficulty at times understanding the descriptions and well as figuring out who was talking in the book and found myself going back to re-read parts trying to figure out what the heck had just happend. I felt like it was slow at times when it needed to rush and to fast at the times when more detailing was needed. Sometimes quite honestly I became so bored with it, that I felt like throwing it across the room and never looking back! The whole situation with Miranda's surviving friends as well as school staff and locals was at times exasperating and for me the whole "we hate you despite the fact that it was obviously an accident attitude" quickly got old and annoying. I found it hard to believe that there wasn't one sympathetic soul towards Miranda on the whole entire island, despite the fact that it was proven she had no drugs or alcohol in her system to have caused the accident. The grandmother was downright cruel at times by forcing her to put herself out there in situations where she was constantly belittled and bullied, at times right in front of her because she thought it was the "best way to move forward" WTH!! I could go on all day but moving on to the end I felt like the death of the story villan was way to easy and ridiculous, I mean really? The mighty and powerful sea witch was killed so fast and easily when they threw a few little matches at her and she lit up fast and quickly like she had taken a bubble bath in unleaded that day? WTH! No punches? No action? I was baffled and horribly dissapointed, all I cound think of was that's it?? The end of the story was too blah! So she moved to Arizona never to see the guy that went as far as killing the powerful ruler of the sea to save her and that was it... WTH?? By the looks of the ending I don't think it will have a sequel but I honestly felt cheated out of a good conclusion to this story. What happend to the down below now that Sephie was dead? Who ruled now that she was gone? Could there had been a way to set the souls that Sephie so cruely collected free? Was Christian accepted back without reprecausions since he killed Sephie? So many unaswered question and such a waste of my time. Like I said, I don't think it will have a sequel but if it does, I'm not reading it. (less)

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Jun 08, 2012 Mackenzie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-of-shame-waste-of-my-time

Are you asking yourself "should I read this book?" we'll let me help you with your answer: DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME.
There was just so much wrong with this book! People might say its like a reversed Little Mermaid, don't listen to those people. I'm pretty sure prince Eric didn't have both his parents dead, then have four friends and his girlfriend die and then everyone, and I mean basically everyone judge, & blame him and ostracize him.... Yeah It's spoiler time, not that it matters because yo...more

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May 30, 2012 Jessica(WonderlandReviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

I came across this book from a website called Pulse It, thankfully it allows me to read a book for free in exchange for a review.

I was pleasantly surprised when this tale of superstition of a small rich town turned out to be a page turner I didn't want to get off the computer for. I love the feel that the author was able to create, the way the town is woven, the inhabitants of it was pure genius. Coming from a small town myself I know exactly how it feels where your every move is watched and cat...more

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May 03, 2012 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wrecked is a heavier read than initially expected, our preconceived notions thanks to Disney of under-the-sea tales and merfolk creating a false sense of lightness for us before we pick this story up, and thus we are all the more taken aback when tragedy strikes almost immediately and we’re left with the substantial burden of Miranda’s survivor’s guilt. For most of the three hundred pages Miranda is numb, not actively dealing with her loss or trying to get past it (though this is not entirely he...more Wrecked is a heavier read than initially expected, our preconceived notions thanks to Disney of under-the-sea tales and merfolk creating a false sense of lightness for us before we pick this story up, and thus we are all the more taken aback when tragedy strikes almost immediately and we’re left with the substantial burden of Miranda’s survivor’s guilt. For most of the three hundred pages Miranda is numb, not actively dealing with her loss or trying to get past it (though this is not entirely her own fault), causing that spark of connection we long for when reading to remain elusive, our attempts to penetrate the depth of her pain and find something to relate to ultimately unsuccessful. Wrecked is a bit of a challenging read as a result, our hearts and minds weighed down by the day to day life following a catastrophic event, and while the synopsis promises us a touch of romance to help ease the ache, the rather lackluster relationship between Miranda and Christian detailed between the pages does little lighten our load.

Miranda is a young woman we want desperately to like, the treatment she receives from not only her friends and fellow survivors, but the island community as a whole, enough to make us feel protective of her but not quite enough to send phantom fingers into our reality to grab our hearts in a vise-like grip. She repeats a mantra of “I’m fine” again and again, playing it on a continuous loop inside her head and automatically replying with it when those around her inquire after her well being to the point where our fingers long to wrap around strands of our hair and yank should she say it one more time. She says she’s fine when she’s so very clearly not, and she allows her own guilt over the accident to keep her from fully expressing the extent of her pain to those who have already acted as judge and jury and found her guilty of the deaths of her friends. We can’t help but want for her to just once release the stranglehold she has on her emotions and prove to us and all her naysayers that she’s not as empty as she appears.

Though the premise is certainly a supernatural one, the paranormal element actually plays a very minor role in the overall story. Majority of our time is spent with Miranda as she struggles to cope with the violent turn her life has taken, and when Christian finally does enter the picture, we learn almost nothing about the watery world from which he emerges. We’re given nothing but the very basics about the Down Below and its tentative truce with the Up Above, it's therefore difficult to sympathize with Christian’s plight when we know so little about how his decisions will affect his life overall. The romance doesn’t really begin until about halfway through and then progresses very quickly, leaving us to play catch up as Miranda seems to shift gears from grief and loneliness to magnetic attraction with little hesitation. Those lovers of romance will also likely be disappointed in the conclusion of this story, the traditional happy ending bypassed in favor of something a little different.

Overall, Wrecked is well-written and lacks predictability especially in the closing pages, however, both the character development and world building could have been stronger to help us as readers wade through the torrent of grief by tossing us a life line to latch onto and hold tight.

Rating: 3/5 (less)

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Jul 03, 2012 Jessica Crawford rated it 2 of 5 stars

I absolutely cringe when I write a review under 3 stars because I do not like to be negative. I hate it and it goes against my every nature. However I also feel obligated to be honest in reviews since it seems only fair. So as always, I will start with the positives and tactfully point out why I gave it 2 stars. This concept was great, very creative and should have been a breath of fresh air. I love the setting, a quaint little island town with lots fo folklore and legend. (This was appealing fo...more I absolutely cringe when I write a review under 3 stars because I do not like to be negative. I hate it and it goes against my every nature. However I also feel obligated to be honest in reviews since it seems only fair. So as always, I will start with the positives and tactfully point out why I gave it 2 stars. This concept was great, very creative and should have been a breath of fresh air. I love the setting, a quaint little island town with lots fo folklore and legend. (This was appealing for me since I am a huge fan of legend and folklore. My own book is based on local folklore).
I do not mind insta-love,(those of you that hate it, do not read this book), however even this manner of insta-love was not believable to me. I was disappointed because I really expected to love this book and it left me wanting. I don't think she gave Miranda and Christian enough interaction, dialogue or even time together. Their scenes felt rushed and forced. In a great romance, I love the thrill I feel when that initial chemistry is ignited, the tingle I get for the first kiss, the excitment built from back and forth flirting, none of that was present here. I just couldn't feel anything between them and I tried super hard to.
The plot was a little simple and predictable but I could've lived with that, especially if the romance had been better.
I think it is rather unlikely and unbelievable that every person in town hates her, she has no sympathizers and she struggles with self loathing. The entire story was major depressing because of that. You spend a lot of time feeling sad.
And lastly, I like my stories with a happy ending, I hate a sad ending, especially to a love story when the book is supposed to primarily be a love story. This story did not have a happy ending, I hated the ending. I was like what???? What was the whole freaking point then? **BUT** having said that, I think it only fair to point out that this is a personal preference and I think every writer should stick to what they feel is right for their story. Kudos to her for having the guts to end it the way she wanted to. It's her own creative work. So that doesn't necessarily make it a bad book, just not right for me.
All in all, I have read much worse. I didn't hate it. There were some ok parts. The writing was just ok, definitly room for improvement. It was alright, bit not great.(less)

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Apr 27, 2012 Debbie Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars

For me 'Wrecked' was a novel that seemed to have a plot line with a lot of interesting potential. When I was chosen to receive an advance reading copy of it from Goodreads I was eager to see if it would live up to its potential. In some ways it did, especially in the use of paranormal characters such as the between men and the sea witch. It also started quickly with the boat explosion and mysterious rescue of the main female character. However the overall tone of the book was too dark, with a pe...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Claudia Burgoa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: barely-finished-it, 2012-reads, ya

Secrets of the sea have never been sexier than this. Ever since the death of her parents, Miranda has lived on Whym Island, taking comfort in the local folklore, which claims a mysterious sea witch controls the fate of all on the island and in its surrounding waters. Sometimes it’s just easier to believe things are out of your control.

But then a terrible boating accident takes the lives of several of her friends, and Miranda is rescued by a mysterious boy who haunts her dreams. Consumed by guil...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: r2r-complete, read-2012, favourites-2012

(Source: I borrowed a copy of this book.)
“Whym Island: some things have to be seen to be believed”

17-year-old Miranda is looking forward to chilling out with her friends over the summer before they go their separate ways to college, when disaster strikes.

Driving her boat home with her friends on board, (they live on a small island) a storm sets in suddenly, and her boat gets hit by lightning. Thrown overboard by her boyfriend in an effort to save her, Miranda is drowning when she is saved by the...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Elle (Ligia) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, paranormal-romance, supernatural, june-reading-challenge, stand-alone, mermaids, reviewed, disappointing, meh, read-in-2012

I really expected more from this book, what with GoodReads description and the first few chapters I was really excited about it. No, I was ecstatic! I think prospect of what might happen, and how it would unfold lead me to set my expectations far too high. It is also the first time I read a book about mermaids and what-not, but I’m always open to new genres so I believe that wasn’t the problem.

This is also the very first time I write a ‘bad’ review, and I’m sad about it, but there are things we...more I really expected more from this book, what with GoodReads description and the first few chapters I was really excited about it. No, I was ecstatic! I think prospect of what might happen, and how it would unfold lead me to set my expectations far too high. It is also the first time I read a book about mermaids and what-not, but I’m always open to new genres so I believe that wasn’t the problem.

This is also the very first time I write a ‘bad’ review, and I’m sad about it, but there are things we just can’t avoid. English is not my first language –and I think I’ve mentioned this before on another review –so I’m not one to speak of flaws or mistakes, or whatever-you-want-to-call-them. I am not one to notice them either, because when a story is good I don’t even pay attention to such details, but with Wrecked it was impossible not to notice them.

What confused me the most about Wrecked was that it didn’t seem to have a steady pace. Sometimes I felt it was dragging and I wanted it to move forward already; and there were parts that went by too fast and I was left wondering if I had missed something. It also might have been because of the way it was narrated, in third person. I found myself having to re-read parts because I didn’t know who was talking.

What saved me from giving up on this book altogether was Christian. I liked him. I didn’t love him, but I liked him. He was… strong willed, and sweet, yet sometimes not too believable. Miranda was overall irritating. She frustrated me to no end. I wanted to scream at her to not just settle so easily, to have some voice over her jerk of a grandmother, and all through the book she did it once. Once and it lacked the determination required when one is trying to win in an argument. Her classmates and all school staff are simply infuriating. The way they treated her and all things regarding the accident made me angry. I won’t even waste time mentioning much about Eleanor –Miranda’s grandmother –because really I hated her, she was cold and not grandmother-like whatsoever. The only time she expressed some sort of emotion I had a hard time believing her, one because it was abrupt and out-of-the-blue and two, because I already hated her too much.

There was a tentative romance story there, but it lacked chemistry. I didn’t feel anything, not even when they kissed. And I have to say that their kiss was one of those things that happened way too fast. One moment they were talking and then they were kissing, and then it was over. I wish the author had given a little bit more time to developing their relationship than explaining unimportant things.

My actual rating of Wrecked is 2.5 stars and I would have rounded it up, had not the end destroyed my every hope. It wasn’t want I expected. And while there are good and bad ‘not what I expected’, this certainly wasn’t good. I was overall disappointed. After all they went through I wanted more to their relationship, not just a ‘let’s see what happens in the future.’(less)

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Apr 30, 2012 Guitar Chick rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: meramids-selkies

(Thank to Bailey Cove Library for the ARC)

I definitely did not intend on reading this book, and honestly, I don't feel like I would've missed much.
First off, that cover would never pass any parent inspection. Bad move on the marketing. I know this book is for fourteen and up, but still.
Second, right down to character names and themes, this book mirrors Aimee Friedman's Sea Change in so many ways. Even the main character's first names are the same. I prefer Sea Change for sure.
The plot holes are...more (Thank to Bailey Cove Library for the ARC)

I definitely did not intend on reading this book, and honestly, I don't feel like I would've missed much.
First off, that cover would never pass any parent inspection. Bad move on the marketing. I know this book is for fourteen and up, but still.
Second, right down to character names and themes, this book mirrors Aimee Friedman's Sea Change in so many ways. Even the main character's first names are the same. I prefer Sea Change for sure.
The plot holes are gaping. For example, Miranda has a car and is allowed to go anywhere any time she wants. Why doesn't she just leave is she's so desperate. Or the fact the Christian is a stalker with good intentions, but still, Miranda doesn't know these intentions. Bella Swann type behavior.
Also, I got really tired of all the boring school type things. I don't understand why an author who could have such paranormal and exciting material on their hands would choose to focus on school or hospital visits to cardboard boyfriends.
Miranda is a truly annoying character, even though she does have some cause to be that way.
The writing reads like an outline to a book that could be potentially alright, but then you realize that this is probably the final version. There was a lot of telling instead of showing, and for once I feel like the book would've benefited from first person narrative instead of the third person it uses.
There is another annoying case of instalove here. I think it takes five days for Miranda and Christian to fall in love. It didn't even try to suspend my disbelief.
The incredible amount of bullying in this book makes no sense. So Miranda wrecks the boat that kills and injures some friends, but everybody knows it was an accident. Yet favorite teachers and former friends give her the cold shoulder at every instant. It doesn't makes sense, especially not in the Southern community the book is supposedly portraying. Believe me, I live in the south, and we employ the casserole dishes and the butter excessively when stuff like this happens.
Also, there's a lot of partying-is-normal attitude here. Sorry, it's not. I don't know any high schoolers who actually act like Miranda and her friends are depicted as in the beginning chapters.
Miranda's grandma is incredibly absent, and when she's not, she's incredibly annoying and inconsistent.
And I can safely say I don't know anything cool, quirky, or unique about any of these characters. The only thing we know about Miranda is that she was good at soccor. The only thing we know about Christian is that he loved Miranda. The only thing we know about Miranda's very absent little brother is nothing. It goes on and on.
The only thing I thought was unique was the idea of betwixtmen, and how for once we got the paranormal guy's narration, which added a half inch of depth to the story. That was the only part of this book that wasn't from Sea Change.
Altogether very skippable. If you want to proceed, do so with caution.
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Jul 06, 2012 Sydney rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: why

Remember when I was going off about never wanting to read a book on mental houses? Well I'd rather read another with a nice cup of tea to go with it. Than reading this book. Why is this character being hated so much? Is Eleanor a cyborg? Even Cristina Yang from Grey's Anatomy is more capable of showing/having human emotions. The following will basically sum up my thoughts on this book:
1. We know close to nothing about this Down Below world or Christian for that matter.
2. Almost every character r...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Sherre Leach rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wrecked is a fantastical book about mermaids, myths, and legends, and what happens to those left behind after horrible deaths.

We follow Miranda, an orphaned girl who is attempting to make the most of her life living with her rich grandmother and brother. She and her friends have a little gathering on the beach one night and decide to head out on Miranda's little boat thing for a bit of fun. A storm comes randomly and many of the passengers on the boat die and Miranda's boyfriend is in a coma. Mi...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Aparajitabasu rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, mythology, paranormal, pulse-it-simon-and-schuester-readin, romance, young-adult

My third pulse it group read....and OMG that cover is so HOT. Presenting Wreaked by Anna Davies.

Here is the summary of the book:

Secrets of the sea have never been sexier than this. Ever since the death of her parents, Miranda has lived on Whym Island, taking comfort in the local folklore, which claims a mysterious sea witch controls the fate of all on the island and in its surrounding waters. Sometimes it’s just easier to believe things are out of your control. But then a terrible boating accid...more My third pulse it group read....and OMG that cover is so HOT. Presenting Wreaked by Anna Davies.

Here is the summary of the book:

Secrets of the sea have never been sexier than this. Ever since the death of her parents, Miranda has lived on Whym Island, taking comfort in the local folklore, which claims a mysterious sea witch controls the fate of all on the island and in its surrounding waters. Sometimes it’s just easier to believe things are out of your control. But then a terrible boating accident takes the lives of several of her friends, and Miranda is rescued by a mysterious boy who haunts her dreams. Consumed by guilt from the accident, she finds refuge in late-night swims—and meets Christian, a boy who seems eerily familiar, but who is full of mystery: He won’t tell her where he is from, or why they can only meet at the beach. But Miranda falls for him anyway…and discovers that Christian’s secrets, though meant to protect her, may bring her nothing but harm. Seductive and compelling, Wrecked brings a contemporary, paranormal twist to a classic enchanting tale.

With a cover this hot and a title this disastrous, it is sure to spell trouble for the characters. This is how the story goes like Miranda and her friends get caught in a sea storm while test driving her new boat. It is said that the sea witch, Sephie who stirs up these storms once in awhile to get souls. Boat wreaked, and all of her friends possibly dead or injured only Miranda comes out of this unscathed with the help of this strange boy, Christian who had come out of nowhere and brought her to safety on land. Now no one wants to be friends or have anything to do with Miranda blaming her for the wreak. Miranda on her part is intrigued by Christian. Who is he and why did he save her? ... But trouble is still aboard... and Sephie does not like to loose.

The underwater world has always been an intriguing one and if the creatures of Poseidon's world are involved then its even more intriguing; mermaids, nereids, sea spirits, devas and the like. But here the author doesn't rely on the supernatural here but on the post accident fallout between the characters. Prior to the boat wreak all of them, Miranda, Genevieve, Fletcher, Gray, Alan and the others were great friends but now half of them are dead and the other half don't want anything to do with Miranda, outright alienating her and putting up all the blame on her head. Miranda is all alone, even her grandmother is more interested in public image than the welfare of her grandchild. So it is natural enough to see Miranda pushing away everyone from her (those who are still there). If you ask me I think they weren't even her friends at all, because friends stick together in times of need and not turn their back on them when they need them the most. And sadly speaking this blame game in the human nature is very pathetic.....

Christian on the other hand is one of the mythical creatures of down below. He is the rebel among the sea of followers and is very much fascinated by Miranda. The many moments that they share are without a doubt the sweetest moments in there in an otherwise morose story.For them it is love at first sight, an instant connection. Miranda slowly starts to trust (after he reveals his true self) and Christian will do anything to keep Miranda as far away from Sephie as possible, even if it meant never to see her again. And Sephie is the perfect, manipulative Queen-cum-antagonist of this tale...no better adjectives to define her.

While I did not like how the book ended but we do need to accept that happy endings are not always possible. Wreaked, for me was an emotional ordeal, I definitely cried halfway through reading about the pain Miranda was going through and the injustice done to her and beaming whenever Christian and her would swim or he would soothe her with his simple presence. The writing is also beautifully done and all the details that Ms. Davies put in here really brought the tale to life.

"Moral of the story - true friends are those who stay with you in your greatest time of need - the road to recovery for Miranda can never be more difficult than this"

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Apr 20, 2012 Sam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: have-physical-copy, fairytales-legends-myth-etc

Review from A Journey Through Pages

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advanced copy of Wrecked. It intrigued me because of the summary's similarities to "The Little Mermaid" And I love me some fairytale inspired novels. While reading it however, I soon learned that is not really the point of Wrecked.

For me Wrecked is a heart wrenching tale of loss and guilt underneath myth and fantasy elements. It's still a love story, as the cover tries to assert, but Miranda growing up and dealing with t...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Heather Flowers rated it 1 of 5 stars

I forced myself to read four chapters of this book before I gave up. What was wrong with it? 1. The plot line was derivative. 2. The character development was poor and the characters themselves were annoying. I was actually relieved when the author killed off half of them at the end of the first chapter. Unfortunately, in subsequent chapters she introduced characters that were equally ill-conceived. 3. The dialogue was weak and amateurish. 4. The story was not structured and presented in a way t...more

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May 03, 2012 Morgan rated it 2 of 5 stars

I was disappointed with this book!
Without prattling on, it was poorly edited, had a lot of inconsistencies, and definitely not a fairy tale ending (by the dsecription, I thought there would be).
It really had great potential, and I hope Davies fine tunes her story telling in another book! This one just wasn't up to par!

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