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Wake
(Watersong #1)
by
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 the ...more
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 the ...more
Kindle Edition, 309 pages
Published
August 7th 2012
by St. Martin's Press
(first published August 1st 2012)
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Start your review of Wake (Watersong, #1)

Please Note: SPOILERS AHEAD
I used to think mermaids looked like this:
Only to realise they're actually like this:
Yep. Officially creeped out of sirens and mermaids in general.
Pretty girls that can turn into mermaids? Yep, I can deal with that.
Swimming skills enhanced? I can deal with that as well.
Breathing underwater? Go for it.
Can sing creepily and lure guys? Maybe a bit weirded out, but still doable.
Get peckish and decide to EAT HUMANS???!!!
...more
I used to think mermaids looked like this:

Only to realise they're actually like this:

Yep. Officially creeped out of sirens and mermaids in general.
Pretty girls that can turn into mermaids? Yep, I can deal with that.
Swimming skills enhanced? I can deal with that as well.
Breathing underwater? Go for it.
Can sing creepily and lure guys? Maybe a bit weirded out, but still doable.
Get peckish and decide to EAT HUMANS???!!!

...more

I love this series so much that I just had to read it for the fourth time. It's a blend of contemporary and mythology that delivers a perfect story. The characters, plot, romance are all A+. The sibling, parent and friend relationships are all so well done and honestly?? I always feel satisfied whenever I finish reading this book.
The plot of this book is so intriguing and definitely unlike anything I've ever read before. We have evil, killer mermaids (Sirens) who can also turn into bird monster ...more
The plot of this book is so intriguing and definitely unlike anything I've ever read before. We have evil, killer mermaids (Sirens) who can also turn into bird monster ...more

Let me be blunt I'm not a huge fan of this novel.
I'm going to write a different review for this one because I feel like it ...
The Positives
Harper : I loved Harper! She's Gemma's sister and some chapters are from her point of view. She's a practical and responsible character that I could connect to easily.My main problem is the fact that she wasn't the main character! Harper had so much more spark than Gemma that I was waiting to read her point of view (POV)
Harper and Daniel's relationship: I lov ...more
I'm going to write a different review for this one because I feel like it ...
The Positives
Harper : I loved Harper! She's Gemma's sister and some chapters are from her point of view. She's a practical and responsible character that I could connect to easily.My main problem is the fact that she wasn't the main character! Harper had so much more spark than Gemma that I was waiting to read her point of view (POV)
Harper and Daniel's relationship: I lov ...more

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
I've only read two-thirds of the Trylle Trilogy so far, but that has already been enough to make me fall in love with Amanda Hocking's books! Her creatures? They're always beautifully captivating, and that's no different in this first book for her brand new Watersong series!
Right off the bat, my favourite thing about this book is the sister relationship between Gemma and Harper. As a girl with her own adoring big sis, I couldn't help but smile at the accuracy — especia ...more
I've only read two-thirds of the Trylle Trilogy so far, but that has already been enough to make me fall in love with Amanda Hocking's books! Her creatures? They're always beautifully captivating, and that's no different in this first book for her brand new Watersong series!
Right off the bat, my favourite thing about this book is the sister relationship between Gemma and Harper. As a girl with her own adoring big sis, I couldn't help but smile at the accuracy — especia ...more

Dec 03, 2020
Baba
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy-let-it-be-your-fantasy,
young-adult
I found this book dumped alongside many others on a recycling bin, and alongside a copy of The Power this book caught me eye. Possible future Olympian 16-year old Gemma is just obsessed with swimming, and alongside her older sister and lone parent dad they live an almost idyllic American Dream life in a small coastal town. This summer brings boys, three drop dead gorgeous but creepy young women vacationing in town for the Summer... oh, and murder!

A tidy and entertaining Young Adult fantasy that ...more

A tidy and entertaining Young Adult fantasy that ...more

Me before I started reading this book: Cool! Mermaids!
Me after I finished reading this book: Fuck... Mermaids.
My 3-stars reviews are usually of two kinds: either disappointed, because I was expecting something more (due to the hype or the author), or perfectly content, because I basically knew nothing about the book, didn't expect a lot and ended up enjoying it. This review is of the second kind.
I decided to buy Wake on a whim, as I often do (but, come on, it was on sale for 5 euros... And I'm ...more
Me after I finished reading this book: Fuck... Mermaids.
My 3-stars reviews are usually of two kinds: either disappointed, because I was expecting something more (due to the hype or the author), or perfectly content, because I basically knew nothing about the book, didn't expect a lot and ended up enjoying it. This review is of the second kind.
I decided to buy Wake on a whim, as I often do (but, come on, it was on sale for 5 euros... And I'm ...more

This is more targeted toward the younger side of the YA audience (in my opinion).
It was a light and easy read filled with your typical teenage drama with some Siren stuff thrown in there. The teenage drama is fun to read from time to time but Wake didn't really add anything different to it (new awkward romance, family that's strained because they're dealing with something tough, school mean girls, etc) so there's not much that stands out. The Siren element of the story was darker than a lot of S ...more
It was a light and easy read filled with your typical teenage drama with some Siren stuff thrown in there. The teenage drama is fun to read from time to time but Wake didn't really add anything different to it (new awkward romance, family that's strained because they're dealing with something tough, school mean girls, etc) so there's not much that stands out. The Siren element of the story was darker than a lot of S ...more

3 stars and an extra star for the terrifying mermaids... errr, sirens.
Some of you may have noticed that I’m not around much lately. That’s because it’s summer, I live by the sea, and I can’t resist spending every available moment at the beach, which made this the best and the worst time for me to read Wake by Amanda Hocking. On the one hand, it’s a perfect summer read, but on the other, I keep expecting an evil siren to show up and eat me while I'm swimming and generally minding my own business ...more
Some of you may have noticed that I’m not around much lately. That’s because it’s summer, I live by the sea, and I can’t resist spending every available moment at the beach, which made this the best and the worst time for me to read Wake by Amanda Hocking. On the one hand, it’s a perfect summer read, but on the other, I keep expecting an evil siren to show up and eat me while I'm swimming and generally minding my own business ...more

Amanda Hocking always finds a way to lure me into her completely unique stories. She has such a creative mind, and Wake is no different. She takes a creature we all know and makes them dangerous, more so than normal and I loved every bit of it.
Wake revolves around two sisters: Gemma and Harper. Gemma lives for swimming and being in the water. She's beautiful and carefree. Harper on the other hand has resumed the role of "mom" and constantly is working hard and looking out for her family. One nig ...more
Wake revolves around two sisters: Gemma and Harper. Gemma lives for swimming and being in the water. She's beautiful and carefree. Harper on the other hand has resumed the role of "mom" and constantly is working hard and looking out for her family. One nig ...more

Sep 21, 2012
Brie
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
wanted-to-stab-myself-in-the-eye,
uhhhmmm-what
Sigh.
I don't know where to start or what to say about it all without giving away spoilers.
Don't get me wrong, if you have half a brain you can figure out what it's about. And I liked the general story idea, I really really did, but the execution of the idea left me angry and going, "WHAT THE FUCK?!?!"
I can say that this is another one of those stories where the heroine is dinosaur-shit deep in a massive life-threatening murderous mess and what does she do? What does this brain-trust do?
I can ...more
I don't know where to start or what to say about it all without giving away spoilers.
Don't get me wrong, if you have half a brain you can figure out what it's about. And I liked the general story idea, I really really did, but the execution of the idea left me angry and going, "WHAT THE FUCK?!?!"
I can say that this is another one of those stories where the heroine is dinosaur-shit deep in a massive life-threatening murderous mess and what does she do? What does this brain-trust do?
I can ...more

[SPOILER FREE]
"Sirens exist, Mermaids don't." - Penn "Wake".
Thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for sending me an ARC of "Wake" by Amanda Hocking! I was wary on reading another Amanda Hocking book because I really didn't like Switched, but I didn't request Wake. St. Martin's sent it because I'm on their reviewer list, so I was surprised to see it in my mailbox last week. After looking over the synopsis and reading the prologue, I decided to go on another Hocking adventure and this adventure I truly e ...more

3.5 out of 5 rating
I am always fascinated by mermaid stories (I just know its because of my love for The Little Mermaid) and that flows over into a love of siren stories as well.
I really liked the characters in this story. Harper was the older sister with the tough outer shell. She's had to step up to become the mother-like figure, protective and worrying, and can't let anyone see the softer side of her. Gemma is the typical younger sister--more relaxed and free except with her hobby of swimmi ...more
I am always fascinated by mermaid stories (I just know its because of my love for The Little Mermaid) and that flows over into a love of siren stories as well.
I really liked the characters in this story. Harper was the older sister with the tough outer shell. She's had to step up to become the mother-like figure, protective and worrying, and can't let anyone see the softer side of her. Gemma is the typical younger sister--more relaxed and free except with her hobby of swimmi ...more

2.5 stars (and that's being kind)
Ugh. I hated Harper so much. She was entirely too controlling, neurotic, and abrasive. Gemma, on the other hand, was naive and childish, and not much better a character than her sister. The dialogue was lame and cringy, as were the love interests, and the plot moved slowly for how obvious the story would play out. Everything was just so blah. ...more
Ugh. I hated Harper so much. She was entirely too controlling, neurotic, and abrasive. Gemma, on the other hand, was naive and childish, and not much better a character than her sister. The dialogue was lame and cringy, as were the love interests, and the plot moved slowly for how obvious the story would play out. Everything was just so blah. ...more

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book as much as I'd hoped for. The story was flat and unexciting, which made it hard to follow through reading the book. The events happening in this book were just so meager, it lessened my opinion. Also the language was underdeveloped and one could tell that this book was published some time ago. I did not like any of the characters. They were poorly portrayed and I felt no connection between any of them. I'm sorry, but that's just how I feel. I did like the
...more

So, so stupid, I can't believe I managed to get through the whole thing. Mind you, I did skip past some paragraphs of Harper's POV. She was so annoying it was making my brain bleed.
I thought the premise of the story sounded interesting, but the writing was just horrible. I'm really disappointed, I really like Amanda Hocking's "The Hollows" series.
Oh well.
I'm going to delete Wake from my e-reader and hopefully never think about it again. ...more
I thought the premise of the story sounded interesting, but the writing was just horrible. I'm really disappointed, I really like Amanda Hocking's "The Hollows" series.
Oh well.
I'm going to delete Wake from my e-reader and hopefully never think about it again. ...more

If I could have abandoned this book, I would have. I have talked all year in booktalks to my students about the current popularity of mermaids and the like in young adult books. It is not my trend of choice, but the students in my Book Club decided that we would try a mermaid book so I struggled through our book of choice, Amanda Hocking's "Wake." Though the concept had potential, the story was banal, poorly written to the point of being laughable, predictable, and yada yada yada.
Let's start wit ...more
Let's start wit ...more

See this review and more on Whiley Reads
Ah, what can you say about Wake? I’m not really sure. The best I can come up with is to damn it with faint praise. It was very…booky. It left little impression on me, although it was an easy enough, quick read. The whole thing was extremely straightforward and lacked any sort of plot or passion.
The first half of the book was romance. Just straight-up romance. To be fair, it was pretty cute romance. But there was no drama to it. It was the sort of romance t ...more
Ah, what can you say about Wake? I’m not really sure. The best I can come up with is to damn it with faint praise. It was very…booky. It left little impression on me, although it was an easy enough, quick read. The whole thing was extremely straightforward and lacked any sort of plot or passion.
The first half of the book was romance. Just straight-up romance. To be fair, it was pretty cute romance. But there was no drama to it. It was the sort of romance t ...more

Wake by Amanda Hocking was no surprise, I got exactly what I expected: pure imaginative brilliance! I’ve followed Amanda since the early days when ‘My Blood Approves’ series was full of grammatical errors and you know what? I didn’t care! The story line was just that good that I bought one after another on my Kindle and wanted to cry when the series was over. Then Hollowland came along and The Trylle Trilogy and a few others and things just kept getting better and better.
Amanda is a natural bor ...more
Amanda is a natural bor ...more

Didn't like this one as much as Hocking's Kanin Chronicles, but at least the creepy mermaids twist was interesting. I also liked that it was told from more perspectives, even though a bit messily written. I also ended up likeing Harper and Daniel a million times more than Gemma and Alex neither of whom I gave a shit about since they lacked any kind of personality. There was a lot of tropes typical for 2010/2012 paranormal books, but mostly in bearable amount. I didn't hate any of the characters,
...more

Ehhhhhhhhh.... I have heard great things about this book but it was not my cup of tea. I felt like the characters weren't well written and neither was the storyline. It felt rushed and didn't provide enough detail. I might continue with the series, but I am not sure. I just wasn't immersed in this book.
...more

Jul 24, 2017
Lou
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
reviewed,
read-in-2017,
3-stars,
dark,
love-and-romance,
eye-candy-covers,
young-adult,
mythology
3.5 stars
I found this really enjoyable, but maybe that's because I'm a sucker for books with sirens in them ;') ...more
I found this really enjoyable, but maybe that's because I'm a sucker for books with sirens in them ;') ...more

This review is also available over at my blog.
____________________
Actual rating is 3.5 stars.
So this book is round three of my Mermaid Marathon (even though this is a book about sirens, but still). Starting it, I expected the worst, after seeing quite a few negative reviews for it. And also because Hocking's other novel that i read, Switched, was painfully bad. I had low hopes for this book, but I read it anyway because I do like siren YA books. Imagine my surprise when I actually ended up enjoy ...more
____________________
Actual rating is 3.5 stars.
So this book is round three of my Mermaid Marathon (even though this is a book about sirens, but still). Starting it, I expected the worst, after seeing quite a few negative reviews for it. And also because Hocking's other novel that i read, Switched, was painfully bad. I had low hopes for this book, but I read it anyway because I do like siren YA books. Imagine my surprise when I actually ended up enjoy ...more

Dec 13, 2012
Katie (Kitkatscanread)
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorites
Gemma is a very beautiful girl & loves the sea. It gives her freedom, and she feels safe there. Gemma then starts falling in love with the boy next door, Alex, who was always the best friend, but this summer, they have decided to take their relationship to the next level. Harper, her sister, has a caring bone inside her, and has looked after Gemma ever since their Mum had a terrible accident. Three strange girls have arrived in town. They are fearless, gorgeous and enticing, and although they ha
...more

Mermaids that Eat People & are Kind of Bitchy
Wake (Watersong #1)
Rating: 1.5/5
Summary: When three beautiful girls come to the small town of Capri, Gemma and her sister are suspicious. The girls are eerily beautiful and are completely pretentious. They don’t speak to anyone, but they want to speak to Gemma. Gemma is a swimmer and she goes out for nightly swims in the bay by her house. One night, the girls entrance her to join them and her life is never the same.
This book had a lot of potential. It ...more
Wake (Watersong #1)
Rating: 1.5/5
Summary: When three beautiful girls come to the small town of Capri, Gemma and her sister are suspicious. The girls are eerily beautiful and are completely pretentious. They don’t speak to anyone, but they want to speak to Gemma. Gemma is a swimmer and she goes out for nightly swims in the bay by her house. One night, the girls entrance her to join them and her life is never the same.
This book had a lot of potential. It ...more

Dec 07, 2020
Ruby Rose
rated it
liked it
Recommends it for:
6-9/10 (Check my profile for how I rate)
Recommended to Ruby Rose by:
Sparkles
Book 162 this year, HOW THE HECK DID I READ SO MUCH????
First off this book had so much violence. This is like the dark take on all the siren stories, and I like that. It also gave me some more greek history background which is wonderful because I mean who gets bored with greek mythology right? Anyways, this book was a wonderful addition to my read list for 2020.
WARNING: Spoilers may be throughout this next part... skip down to see my age recommendation for content.
Penn, Lexi, and Thea:
Oh. My. ...more
First off this book had so much violence. This is like the dark take on all the siren stories, and I like that. It also gave me some more greek history background which is wonderful because I mean who gets bored with greek mythology right? Anyways, this book was a wonderful addition to my read list for 2020.
WARNING: Spoilers may be throughout this next part... skip down to see my age recommendation for content.
Penn, Lexi, and Thea:
Oh. My. ...more

I read this book in about a day, while (ironically) in my pool. I've noticed a recent increase in mermaid books, but what I loved about Wake was that it wasn't necessarily about mermaids, but rather about sirens, which a lot of the books seem to be more about. This book doesn't even disguise how awful the sirens are either.
What I love most about taking a pre-existing myth or idea is that there are so many ways to twist it into your own. The sirens in Wake are different from the mermaids in Lies ...more
What I love most about taking a pre-existing myth or idea is that there are so many ways to twist it into your own. The sirens in Wake are different from the mermaids in Lies ...more

Well. I couldn't finish this book. And the fact that I couldnt finish it doesn't mean that there's nothing to look forward to it. So keep in mind that my opinion is based only on the first 139 pages of the advance reader's copy of this book.
I like Amanda Hockings' writing, but this book really didn't do it for me.
I got until page 139 of 309 (from arc) and I am still waiting for the story to take off. Only after 120 pages something finally happened, but the problem was that "that something" wasn' ...more
I like Amanda Hockings' writing, but this book really didn't do it for me.
I got until page 139 of 309 (from arc) and I am still waiting for the story to take off. Only after 120 pages something finally happened, but the problem was that "that something" wasn' ...more

I got an advance copy of Wake on Wednesday, and I read it in a day. I just love the way Amanda Hocking builds her characters. She has a way of making you care about each of them. she doesn't write 2 dimensional characters. Even the ones who barely make an appearance in the story, you feel like you know them. And she has a way of writing budding romances that makes me hold my breath and really root for that first kiss.
The only downside to getting the book before the August release date... how mu ...more
The only downside to getting the book before the August release date... how mu ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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wake by amanda hocking | 1 | 4 | Sep 14, 2017 12:36PM | |
YA Buddy Readers'...: Wake (Watersong #1) By Amanda Hocking - Restarting August 23rd 2017 | 37 | 170 | Aug 13, 2017 06:31PM | |
Katherine Gutherie - Mrs Preedy | 1 | 1 | Jun 25, 2017 07:49PM | |
Never Too Old For...: March BOTM (Your Choice): Wake | 9 | 60 | Mar 12, 2015 05:36PM | |
YA Writers and Re...: * Wake by Amanda Hocking | 3 | 13 | Jun 03, 2014 05:42AM | |
David Estes Fans ...: Wake by Amanda Hocking - Buddy Read! | 3 | 16 | Oct 22, 2013 06:42AM | |
♥!The Young Adult...: Wake | 12 | 88 | Oct 15, 2013 09:40AM |
AMANDA HOCKING is the author of over twenty young adult novels, including the New York Times bestselling Trylle Trilogy and Kanin Chronicles. Her love of pop culture and all things paranormal influence her writing. She spends her time in Minnesota, taking care of her menagerie of pets and working on her next book.
Several of her books have made the New York Times Bestsellers list. Her zombie series ...more
Several of her books have made the New York Times Bestsellers list. Her zombie series ...more
Other books in the series
Watersong
(4 books)
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“You really do hate me, don't you? I mean, destroying someone's ice-cream cone? That's vicious."
Her cheeks reddened. "I didn't see you there. Honestly." She wiped at his shirt more frantically, as if she could prevent it from staining if she rubbed hard enough.
"Oh, now I see your plan, and it's far more devious than I thought." Daniel smirked. "You were looking for an excuse to grope me.”
—
41 likes
Her cheeks reddened. "I didn't see you there. Honestly." She wiped at his shirt more frantically, as if she could prevent it from staining if she rubbed hard enough.
"Oh, now I see your plan, and it's far more devious than I thought." Daniel smirked. "You were looking for an excuse to grope me.”
“I could win you a goldfish."
"I don't think that's be fair to the goldfish," Gemma said. "I've had about a dozen of them, and they all seem to die within days of me getting them."
"Oh, yeah." Alex smiled crookedly. "I remember you making your dad bury them out in the backyard."
"They were my pets, and they deserved a proper burial."
"I better be careful around you." Alex stepped back from her cautiously, giving her a wide berth. "You're a goldfish mass murderer. I don't know what you're capable of."
"Stop!" Gemma laughed. "I didn't kill them on purpose! I was little. I think I overfed them. Out of love, though."
"That's even scarier," he teased. "Do you plan to kill me with kindness?"
"Maybe." She narrowed her eyes at him and tried to look menacing, making him laugh.”
—
36 likes
More quotes…
"I don't think that's be fair to the goldfish," Gemma said. "I've had about a dozen of them, and they all seem to die within days of me getting them."
"Oh, yeah." Alex smiled crookedly. "I remember you making your dad bury them out in the backyard."
"They were my pets, and they deserved a proper burial."
"I better be careful around you." Alex stepped back from her cautiously, giving her a wide berth. "You're a goldfish mass murderer. I don't know what you're capable of."
"Stop!" Gemma laughed. "I didn't kill them on purpose! I was little. I think I overfed them. Out of love, though."
"That's even scarier," he teased. "Do you plan to kill me with kindness?"
"Maybe." She narrowed her eyes at him and tried to look menacing, making him laugh.”