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Waterfall (River of Time #1)

Lisa Tawn Bergren (Goodreads Author)

4.03 · Rating details · 18,147 Ratings · 2,002 Reviews

What do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?

Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives among the romantic hills with their archaelogist parents. Stuck among the rubble of the medieval castles in rural Tuscany, on yet another hot, dusty archaeological site, Ga ...more

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Paperback, 369 pages

Published February 1st 2011 by David C. Cook

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Aug 13, 2011 Tara rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: Little girls with big dreams.

Shelves: not-for-kids-only, past-and-present-collide, unfinished, urban-fantasy-paranormal

DNF. This has to go down as one of the silliest, if not the silliest book ever written in the history of YA fiction. Our 17 year old heroine finds herself in midst of a medieval battle after traveling back in time and what does she do?? She falls crazy in LUST with the first guy she sets eyes on. "I was in the middle of a real battle. Men were wounded or dying. I glanced left and saw that one wasn't battling any longer; instead he stared at me as if I were a female Lazarus. I wanted to look awa

...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Nic rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2011, kindle, historical-fiction, romance-awww, young-adult, time-travel, read-in-2011, swoon-worthy-read

For those who like a visual ~ Marcello http://irresistiblereads.blogspot.com...

My Favourite Quote: We froze. Neither of us moving, simply staring at each other if the other was going to move first.
"You are," he whispered, "uncommonly stirring."
He closed his eyes then, as if he had to in order to break the bond between us, then lifted me to the saddle and stare at the ground as he guided my feet into the stirrups.

AWESOME! I am not usually a fan of anything that slightly resembles historical fict ...more

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Mar 02, 2011 Amber rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2011, ebook-own, hall-of-fame, favorites, all-time-favorites

Love this book!!!! This was the "Total Package" for me. There wasn't an ounce of anything missing! I'm a sucker for a good history/action/adventure/romance book, but this far exceeded my expectations! I couldn't put this one down, loved every bit of it!

The story is about two sisters who travel to Italy every summer due to their mom and late father's love of archeology. The Betarrini sisters search a tomb in which they were not supposed to enter and find handprints on the wall. As they both place Love this book!!!! This was the "Total Package" for me. There wasn't an ounce of anything missing! I'm a sucker for a good history/action/adventure/romance book, but this far exceeded my expectations! I couldn't put this one down, loved every bit of it!

The story is about two sisters who travel to Italy every summer due to their mom and late father's love of archeology. The Betarrini sisters search a tomb in which they were not supposed to enter and find handprints on the wall. As they both place their hands on these ancient handprints things begin to change. Upon entering the 13th century, Gabriella finds she is alone in this tomb, not sure where her sister Evangelia is. As she exits this tomb, she is captured by Marcello, whom by the way is eye candy!

The story is based on Gabriella's search for her sister and mother. She is such an amazing protaganist. Such spunk and wit, it makes you giggle at times. The knowledge she learned growing up helps her with her protrayal of a Lady from this current time. Of course she finds herself developing feelings for Marcello, but he is betrothed and let's just say his soon-to-be partner is anything but kind.

Gabriella does her best to not fall for Marcello, due to an alliance needed by the betrothel of Lady Rossi and Marcello the future Lord of Castello Forelli. She finds it hard when he is so attentive and attractive. Throughout the story you will find yourself at the edge of your seat and cheering on Gabriella as she deals with the longing to find her sister, the fight to not fall for the "knight in shining armor", a devious Lady Rossi, and a battle of inner strength.

The Characters in this story were so well written and the story was so believable. I LOVED the chemistry between Gaby and Marcello. There was such a pull there, which made you want to read more. Gabriella was a strong heroin. She can wield a sword, climb down a stone wall on a rope, give an attitude and yet Present herself as a Lady when needed. Such a fun character to read about. Then there is Marcello, oh Lord Marcello...dreamy, muscular, attentive all rolled up in his Italian hotness! Need I say more??!!

The secondary characters were amazing as well. A great story isn't a great story without the jealous, devious, bitchy girlfriend. Lady Rossi surely played her part in that. Ugh makes me cringe thinking about her! Luca, captain Luca Forelli, cousin of Marcello. Such a great cast of characters and they all contributed to make this story as amazing and wonderful as it was.

This has got to be one of my favorite books so far this year and I can't wait until June when the next book in River of Time series comes out. I would recommend this book to everyone. Young and old. It is a book that is relatable yet very enjoyable to read.

...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Katie rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Everyone!

Shelves: favorites

The cover of this book drew me in first, and reading about the book thoroughly intrigued me. It sounded like a really neat, adventurous read. But I was slightly wrong in my assumptions. It wasn't just a neat read--it was an AWESOME read!

It had everything a reader could want in a medieval adventure: battles, sword fights, balls, adventure, peril, humor, suspense, mystery, romance...everything! To put it simply--I was completely wowed by this book. The River of Time series ranks right up there wi The cover of this book drew me in first, and reading about the book thoroughly intrigued me. It sounded like a really neat, adventurous read. But I was slightly wrong in my assumptions. It wasn't just a neat read--it was an AWESOME read!

It had everything a reader could want in a medieval adventure: battles, sword fights, balls, adventure, peril, humor, suspense, mystery, romance...everything! To put it simply--I was completely wowed by this book. The River of Time series ranks right up there with the best of them and will have a permanent spot on my bookshelf!
Gabriella (Gabi) was one amazing woman. While she was strong and fearless, she was also gentle, compassionate, and had her weaknesses. Being able to wield a sword gave her some advantage when the time travel landed her in the middle of a small war, but knowing how to spar with her father did little to prepare her to take on seasoned knights three times stronger than herself. But even then, she does not shirk from danger. That was one of my favorite aspects of Gabi--she was heroic and brave, even if she was inwardly scared out of her wits.

I didn't get to know her sister, Evangelia (Lia) that much, but she was very similar to her sister, though a bit more sensitive and naïve. But living with the Sienese had caused Gabi to grow up almost overnight, and Lia was no different. What a heroine she was as she used her impeccable skill with the bow and arrow! I was cheering for her right alongside Gabi--what a formidable team they formed. No wonder they were called the She-Wolves of Siena.
The men in these books were amazing! Marcello and Luca were just plain awesome. What girl wouldn't want a brave knight beside you, ready to die to keep you safe? And handsome, ta boot! While Marcello was wonderful, I felt more of a liking his sidekick, humorous Luca. His gentle teasing and quirky comments in the face of danger endeared me to this man who was so devoted to Marcello, and in turn, Gabi and Lia.

While this book is published as YA fiction, I believe adults would find Gabi and Lia's adventures to be stirring and extremely satisfying. Geared for the younger readers, Lisa kept her book clean, light-hearted, and funny. I loved the writing style she used, giving Gabi such a dry sense of humor as she struggled with the differences of living in the medieval world as opposed to the 21st century. There were times where I outright laughed!

Lisa has written a true winner with this book, and, I am confident to presume, with the next two in the series. The book doesn't end with that bad of a cliffhanger, but enough to make the reader run to the calendar and figure out how much longer they must wait for the next book to be released. What an awesome series this will be! I think the uniqueness of the storyline--21st century girls traveling back to the 1300s--really make for it to be such an awesome series. I can confidently say that I won't tire of rereading this book again, and again, and again!

The perilous adventures that Gabi faces will leave you breathlessly clinging to each word as you read through the pages. I loved that Lisa didn't make her characters invincible or anything--they were hurt and bested at some points. This all made their adventures that much more believable and the characters that much more human. And it added a hook to the whole plot as I read into the wee hours of the night, wondering how on earth Gabi and Lia would make it out of such a predicament alive. I seriously cannot wait until all three books are released! I am counting down the days as I keep my copy of Waterfall close at hand for constant rereading. :-) ...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Keertana rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-galley-and-first-reads

Rating: 2.5 Stars

Waterfall is probably one of the most misguided books to have ever been marketed. The title Waterfall implies that there will be at least a mention of a waterfall throughout the book. Let me tell you now, there isn’t! The cover of this book is gorgeously deceptive and seems to portray a girl going through a gateway of some kind. I’ll spoil something for you again: there’s no gateway. The synopsis of Waterfall will tell you that this is an adventure novel about time-travel – wr ...more

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Feb 04, 2015 Chantel rated it really liked it

Shelves: i-heart-y-a, blast-2-the-past, cfd-2016-new-author-challenge, cover-love, favorite-series, kindle, my-favorites, cfd-2016-award-winners-challenge, best-of-2016, 2016-reads

Waterfall qoute photo PicsArt_08-19-11.41.30.jpg

Gabi and Lia Betarrini get to spend their summer vacation in beautful Italy...

Too bad it's on a hot and dusty archeological site, among the rubble of the medieval castles in rural Tuscany.
Bored beyond belief, the Betarrini sisters go exploring on the site into an acient tomb. Where Gabi finds handprints inside.

So when Gabi and her sister lay their hands atop of the prints. Gabi finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy., in the mist of a fierce battle of knights of two opposing forces. Oh! pl ...more

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Feb 17, 2011 Kathy * Bookworm Nation rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, time-travel, medieval-400-1400, fun-series, favorite-couples, romance-green, hidden-gems, 2013, favorite-historical, 2016

One thing I’ve learned from reading this series is that I am totally unprepared for time travel and that I'm a horrible parent because I have not prepared my children either. I don’t think I would last very long in the middle ages.

Our heroine Gabi and her sister Lia are transported from our modern times to Medieval Italy. I liked how Gabi handles herself, her reactions seemed realistic. I liked that she always looked for the positive and stays optimistic in the face of so many trials. I also li ...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Noelle rated it liked it

Shelves: disco-chicken, it-s-so-fluffy-i-m-gonna-die

I found some of the circumstances a liiiiiittle convenient (oh, you're sent back in time to medieval Italy? Good thing your pops taught you ancient Italian and sword fighting!) and would have liked a bit more of a culture shock (no plumbing! females with opinions!) but nevertheless thought this had likeable characters and an entertaining story. Think sweeping romantic adventure. Also: Italian boys. Always relevant to my interests.

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Jun 26, 2014 Haley S rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, romance, teen, books-i-would-recommend

Many of my friends recommended this book to me but I still didn't read it. This book was on my want to read shelf for a long time. When I think of it now, it was on that shelf for too long. I finally decided to pick it up. Luckily I was in for a long car ride. To be exact a seven hour car ride. I couldn't put out down once I started it. Now I would say that this is one of my favorite books/series. I would recommend this to anyone! I loved every part of it. I honestly can't think of one part that Many of my friends recommended this book to me but I still didn't read it. This book was on my want to read shelf for a long time. When I think of it now, it was on that shelf for too long. I finally decided to pick it up. Luckily I was in for a long car ride. To be exact a seven hour car ride. I couldn't put out down once I started it. Now I would say that this is one of my favorite books/series. I would recommend this to anyone! I loved every part of it. I honestly can't think of one part that I didn't love!

(This is a review of the WHOLE series)
This series is seriously worth reading. In the long list of books that I have read, this series is definitely one of my favorites! I honestly didn't know what else to write as my opening paragraph, so I just started it like that. I love this series!
Waterfall, Cascade, Torrent, Bourne, Tributary, and Deluge are the books in the series. It may seem like a huge series, but they are worth it. Bourne and Tributary are the novellas of the series, but they are a must read.
I honestly don't know what to say about this series. It is just so good. No, I am not speechless over the book. I have gotten over that because I have read this series more than once!
I think I would have to say that my favorite book in the series is--all of them. Honestly, I cannot decide which one I like the best. Each story was different and filled with adventure and romance, two genres that I love!
I fell in love with the characters right away. Each of them was their own person. Lisa did a wonderful job making the story and characters come to life. I couldn't put the book down. I just kept on reading and reading. I was super sad when the series ended, even though it ended very well!
But, I am super excited to read the first book in Lisa's new series, River of Time: California. Three Wishes appears as if it will be like the River of Time series, just set in California, not Italy. Either way, I am really excited to read it!
I have been waiting to post my final star rating until the end of the review, and now I finally can! I would give this book 5 bright stars for the whole entire series!!!

Title: River of Time series
Author: Lisa Tawn Bergren
Author's Website: http://lisatawnbergren.com/

This review was written with my own opinions and words.
...more

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Dec 02, 2010 Nafiza rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2011

So I was skeptical when someone told me I would like Waterfall by Lisa Tawn Bergren. It just didn't seem to be my thing. I mean, the premise was good enough but honestly, it didn't seem to be something I would be interested in. However, since Amazon was offering a free copy, I decided to read it anyway. I mean, I should only make up my mind about its worthiness once I had sampled a few chapters for myself, right? So, no one was more surprised than I when I tore through the book and finished it i So I was skeptical when someone told me I would like Waterfall by Lisa Tawn Bergren. It just didn't seem to be my thing. I mean, the premise was good enough but honestly, it didn't seem to be something I would be interested in. However, since Amazon was offering a free copy, I decided to read it anyway. I mean, I should only make up my mind about its worthiness once I had sampled a few chapters for myself, right? So, no one was more surprised than I when I tore through the book and finished it in about two hours. It's a well crafted novel. Well thought out. The author preempts the readers more discerning questions and answers them.

I found the characters believable and engaging. Gabi's experiences back in time are relatable and it is quite easy to empathize with her. Speaking of characters, I think Gabi might have been the main reason I finished the novel. It is very refreshing to come upon a heroine who, while in the throes of a painful love, does not lose her mind (and her sanity) over her beloved. She remains logical which doesn't sound very romantic, but let me reassure you, it is a darn sight more palatable than seeing an otherwise intelligent woman/girl turn into a spineless maiden after the first brush with love. So while Gabi's actions might seem pragmatic and perhaps just a smidgeon cool, they do invite the reader to accord more substance to her character than one normally would.

I also found all the instances of girl power to be absolutely heady stuff. This is pure entertainment and I am sure Ms. Bergren is taking artistic license with the reactions to girl heroines but I totally loved it. The love interest. Hmm. I don't have much to say about him. Honestly, it's Gabi who's the stronger character here and it is her relationship with her sister that resounds the most. So while the knight was seemingly delicious, he didn't have as much an impact on me as he had on Gabi.

The plot is fast paced and the narrative even and the culmination, while not a cliffhanger, does leave a teasing thread that the readers can grasp and use to launch themselves into the second book in what seems to be a series. Honestly, give this a try. It's entertaining, it has girls kicking ass and winning the fair knight and well, it's just delicious stuff. I recommend it. ...more

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Jan 19, 2018 TL rated it it was ok

Recommended to TL by: Melissa **Just Really Loves Musicals**

April buddyread with my good friend Melissa **Just Really Loves Musicals**😊
----

2.5 overall

Not bad... the writing at times felt like a first attempt at fanfiction with more telling than showing.

The characters in the "past" were interesting but Gabriella got on my nerves more often than not. She got a little better later on but I never fully connected to her.

Despite my issues with it, it had some good parts and was compulsively readable at times but overall it was just "okay" for me.

Would probabl ...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Colleen Houck added it

Shelves: my-recommendations, historical

If you are in the mood for some knight in shining armor meets YA then this is the series for you. Three words to describe it...smart, surprising, & sweet.

Lisa Bergren participated in the YA scavenger hunt with me and I was so excited to get her book. Looking forward to picking up the next one! My favorite part is when the two sisters picked up weapons and started fighting alongside the men. Love to see a gutsy heroine!

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Nov 06, 2010 Brodie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, 2011

You know those books that make you lose all sense of reality and you literally fall into the pages? And you feel such a huge disappointment when the story comes to an end because you don't want to resurface? Waterfall is exactly that. It is such a thoroughly engaging read! I loved everything about it - the 14th century setting, the characters, the plot, even the language. I caught myself slipping their dialect into my own thoughts so many times.

Sisters, Gabriella and Lia Betarrini find themselve You know those books that make you lose all sense of reality and you literally fall into the pages? And you feel such a huge disappointment when the story comes to an end because you don't want to resurface? Waterfall is exactly that. It is such a thoroughly engaging read! I loved everything about it - the 14th century setting, the characters, the plot, even the language. I caught myself slipping their dialect into my own thoughts so many times.

Sisters, Gabriella and Lia Betarrini find themselves being transported through time after finding handprints that match their exact own in an ancient tomb. But when Gabi jerks her hand away, Lia is nowhere to be find and Gabriella finds herself in the middle of a deadly battle between knights. Dressed in skinny jeans and tank top emerging from a tomb directly into a bloody warfare between opposing sides - not exactly ideal. Thanks to her archaeological parents, Gabriella is well versed in the Italian language, fencing and has some knowledge on their history. Which are all incredibly vital to her from the moment she is found. Thankfully it's the good guys who offer her shelter and safety, but Gabi's journey is only just beginning.

Desperate and determined to find her sister, Gabriella has to try fit into the Forelli's way of life. And pretend she's been living that way for the past 17 years rather than in a world of internet, hair conditioner and girls showing skin. While she does manage quite an admirable attempt at fitting in, it doesn't take long for her to become quite an oddity among the others. A girl who likes to wear down her hair, hates riding side-saddle, can wield a sword and isn't afraid to scale down a brick wall in order to escape into the night and find her sister. Not exactly your standard fare for 14th century prim and proper ladies. So it's not surprising that the men have taken an interest in her. Particularly Marcello Forelli - m'lord, what wonderful men we have in this era! Yes, I say men. These knights are FAR from boys.

The romance that develops between Marcello and Gabriella is fantastic and very believable. He is betrothed to another woman and the marriage will form a vital alliance. It may prove dangerous if something comes between their union.... say a time-travelling girl who just happens to be taken by the hottie just as much as he is her. Despite the consequences a relationship between them would cause, you're totally cheering them on to come together!

I also need to mention Luca, Marcello's cousin and most trusted - he is such a charmer! He's flirtatious, friendly, badass with a sword (and might I add, his fists) and such a genuine kind of guy. They all were - they're men who burst into battle with the intention of defeating the opposing side no matter what it takes, because really, it's either fight or die. But on the flip side of their manly badassness, they're such genuine, honest, loyal, sweet gentleman. A girl can't help but grow smitten with these men. Marcello, Luca and Fortino are more than welcome to develop their own love square with me in the centre. Everything about them and the book makes you want to do some time-travelling of your own.

Throughout the book you're swept away in the politics, the mystery, the romance and the complicated drama's and dangerous everyday living. Knights brandishing swords, arrows, daggers and axes - not something you want to get mixed up in! But oh, does Gabriella get mixed up in it. She is such an awesome heroine.That girl knows how to kick some serious butt, but at the same time she is just as vulnerable as she is headstrong. She's so easy to relate to - determined, stubborn, not to mention insanely worried about her sister, but just like everyone, the girl makes mistakes and stupid decisions in the heat of the moment. Which result in her ending up in some sticky situations.

Waterfall offers so much - such a rich, fascinating landscape with characters who breath life from the very pages. Lisa balances the historical and modern vibe perfectly - the whole world around Gabriella is hundreds of years in the past, yet she adds her own modern touch. This book did not fill my appetite. Instead, it made me hungrier and left my imagination gnawing for more the minute I turned the last page! I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel and dive head-first back into this world, I'm so intrigued to see what happens next for these characters!

I've no doubt this is going to become one of my favourite series! Bring on Cascade :D ...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Panda Incognito rated it did not like it

Shelves: historical-fiction, love-story, fantasy, read-in-2012, time-travel, young-adult

To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln: "For people who like this kind of thing, it's the kind of thing they'd like."

This book was not completely awful. Though I did not like it, I understand why others might. Some of the more believable plot elements are interesting, I just couldn't get past the bad writing, awful romance, stick-figure characters, and overall poor quality.

I'm not saying that no one should read it, I just wouldn't recommend it.

Here are some of my biggest complaints:

Many of the plot elem ...more

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Jul 12, 2011 Melanie rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Everyone!

Shelves: favorites, want-to-reread

'Waterfall' is the first book in 'The River of Time Series' and the first book that I've read by Lisa T. Bergren.

Since Gabi and Lia spend every summer in Italy, they find themselves bored at yet another archaeologist site. But when Gabi and her sister place their hand on a set of hand prints in an ancient tomb Gabi finds herself transported to another time...Literally! Fourteenth-century Italy during a battle between knights.

Gabi finds herself having to adjust to this strange and dated way of li ...more

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Sep 08, 2016 Pamela rated it it was amazing

Shelves: time-travel, christian-fiction, young-adult, europe, adventure, sisters, romance, award-winner, historical-contemporary-duality, own

The sixteen-year-old girl in me, loved LOVED LOVED this book!!! Once I closed my adult eyes and opened those of my youth - eyes of wonderment, softness, invincibility, and unlimited belief in all that might be possible, whether or not probable - I was totally hooked! Pure entertainment: excitement, adventure, suspense, romance, humor, heroics, and cleanly written. Plus, a bit of subtle (non-preachy) inspiration too:

"Free choice . . . We all have freedom of choice. Over and over again, minute by ...more

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Oct 31, 2010 Ronie rated it really liked it

As a mother of two teens and two preteens, I found Waterfall to be a fun but clean foray into the young adult genre for Lisa T. Bergren, who handled it with a grace and style all her own. Gabriella Betarrini yanked me out of my time and into a harrowing adventure as she battled knights—and love! I heartily enjoyed Gabriella’s travel back into time,and I heartily look forward to Cascade, River of Time #2!

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Feb 24, 2016 Rachel'sbookishworld rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

I'm in love with this book!! Ah!

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Dec 12, 2016 Frankie Lovely marked it as dnf

DNF at 20%

I ... JUST ... CAN'T
*facepalm*

What I liked

uum.....
wait ......
ok there's .....
1. This book was hilarious

What I did not like

1. This book was not supposed to be hilarious
2. Insta-love
3. Cheesy writing
4. Annoying narrator
5. Constant swooning over boys

But what I hate the most is that the IDEA of this story was a good one and this could have been a good book ...

Alas... "could have been" does not a good story make

I wanted to transport myself into this book .... not because I was enchanted ...more

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Apr 18, 2015 Olivia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-have, 2016-favorites

AKDNHFKTJTK, This book. THIS BOOK.

So, first off, I am so so so glad I finally picked this book up! Omiword, it was so good! I loved the plot. It was so original and cool! The characters were awesome, Gabriella was a little annoying at some parts, but she was transported to a different time sooo...it's kind of understandable. aksrnjt, I need Cascade now, like, his minute.

final verdict: clean (some kissing and a man was going to rape the main character(he doesn't))

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Jul 08, 2012 Sheena rated it did not like it

Warning: very long review with spoilers.

I do not understand how this book has such high reviews. People truly do have different tastes.

This book is about two teens -17 yr. Gabi and 15 yr. old Lia - who spend their summer vacations hiking along excavation sites with their archaeologist parents. One day on a sudden bout of boredom, they decide to explore their mother's newly found archaeological tombsite. They end up time-travelling to an ancient life of medieval Italy where they are caught up ...more

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Dec 03, 2014 Kelvey rated it really liked it

This book was so much fun! This was my first experience with time-travel in the story, and I loved it. Bergren did a good job portraying what a teenage girl from the 21st century would feel like after being transported to the 13th century.

Some of the characters felt one-dimensional to me. Especially the main love-interest, Marcello. All I could tell you about him were what kind of situations he was in, and not much about his character in the situations. And that he was very “Hollister model” at This book was so much fun! This was my first experience with time-travel in the story, and I loved it. Bergren did a good job portraying what a teenage girl from the 21st century would feel like after being transported to the 13th century.

Some of the characters felt one-dimensional to me. Especially the main love-interest, Marcello. All I could tell you about him were what kind of situations he was in, and not much about his character in the situations. And that he was very “Hollister model” attractive. *cue eye roll here* However, the protagonist, Gabriella, felt more real and relatable—which was nice because this novel is told through her perspective. She was kind of annoying in some situations, but I think it was because she is only seventeen. I did see some major character development in her as the story progressed—thank goodness!
Some scenes were a little too convenient. For example, she knew how to speak that dialect of Italian and Latin. But it is YA so I just let it slide. ;)

Speaking of it being Young Adult, I did enjoy that this book was clean! I get tired of skipping scenes or quitting books all together because of the content. There were plenty of references to God, and it fit the story well.

I did get annoyed at some of the historical inaccuracies though. No one in 1332 takes that many baths! They had no concept of hygiene. I just kept eye-rolling each time Gabi mentioned having a bath—I don’t know why that annoyed me so much but it did.

Despite all of its faults, I had so much fun reading it. I actually read it in a day! As soon as I finished Waterfall,, I picked up the second book, Cascade. (There will be a review up for that one sometime soon.) I’m going to give this book 5/5 stars. Definitely not for the prose or the underlying meaning, but just because it was pure fun!

If you would like to read more of my reviews, go to my blog: http://www.kelvreadsbooks.blog.com

*I was not sent this for review. All opinions are my own. I was in no way compensated for this review.
...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Lucia rated it it was amazing

Read the review at iLive, iLaugh, iLove Books.

Okay, I admit it. I don't like writing reviews. It's kind of like homework. I'm still in school, so having homework on top of homework kind of turns me away. However, it doesn't stop me from reading or blogging. That being said, I think this was the first time I've ever been excited to write a review. Why? Because I want to spread the word about how wonderful this book was, and tell all of you to read it.

I was instantly hooked right after the first ...more

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Feb 21, 2016 Hannah Rodes rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, fantasy, loved-loved-loved-but-there-was

Waterfall by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Gabriella is bracing herself for a boring summer with her mom and sister in the secluded hills of Italy. But when her and her sister sneak into a tomb and place their hands on handprints on the tomb’s walls, they are transported to fourteenth century Italy. Right in the middle of a war between the two kingdoms!

I was a little nervous to pick this up, because I heard it was a rather violent and more of a romance book. But I was quickly swept away with the book and f ...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Amy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: and-a-half, books-i-never-thought-i-would-read, cotton-candy, curiosity-killed-the-cat, christian-fiction

2.5 Stars

Moral of the story: if you suddenly find yourself in the middle of a battlefield, trust the hot knight. Hot = good guy.
Another moral: if you are a quirky archaeologist with two teenage daughters, make sure you prepare them in ancient Italian, sword-fighting, Latin, and champion level archery. Because time travel.

Oh my gosh I suddenly realized what this reminds me of...

How have I forgotten about this show?

Anyway! This book had all the things I usually scoff at. Insta-lust, "modern" her ...more

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Feb 24, 2014 Sophia Sardothien rated it liked it

Well umm I like this book but I didn't love it, through the entire 300+ pages nothing really happened xD there were some points that seemingly drag on forever. I like the protagonist but I really hate her sister. THAT SIS GOD I wanna throw a punch on her darn face. But overall it was an interesting read but not captivating.

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May 26, 2011 Katie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kindle-books, favorites, christian-publisher, time-travel, favorite-heroines, historical, i-ship-it

Upon re-read, still a favorite

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Nov 01, 2017 Julie Carpenter rated it it was amazing

Shelves: part-of-a-series, personal-library, time-travel, 2017, fantasy, foreign-country, historical, suspense, young-adult

Yeah, all those reviews I read about how much they absolutely loved this book (and series) were right! I LOVED IT!!!!! I couldn't put it down! Every available minute you better believe it that this book was in my hands with the pages being flipped quickly. Hee Hee!

I bought the first three books over the summer for my teenagers because of all the good things said about this series. They were really excited and then we got home and they sat on the shelf....and sat on the shelf...and sat on the she ...more

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Nov 27, 2010 Small Review rated it it was amazing

Shelves: g-historical-fiction, published-2011, library-own-print, special-shelf, g-historical-fantasy, g-historical-lite, library-own-e, library-own-read, library-own-2010-2011

Can you say *SWOON*?

I’m trying to hold back the OMG squeeeeeees here, but it’s kinda hard. You see in the description where it mentions Italian hotties? Notice how it’s plural? Oh wow is it plural! There are three guys in this book that I would risk plague and travel back in time for. Yet, delightfully, there isn’t any annoying love triangle. The main character loves her guy and sees the other two as good friends (which means I can have them then, right?)

Ah, they’re physically attractive, but th ...more

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Nov 23, 2010 Erin rated it it was ok

Shelves: historic-fiction-1300s

Follow all my reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....

Fair warning folks, I’m in the minority on this one so try to keep an open mind. My feelings won’t be hurt if you disagree with me, but I’d hate to think of my word being gospel as most readers seem to really enjoy this series.

Bergren’s prose is alright, but I personally found it rather immature and while I’m not part of the target age group for this novel, I can’t help feeling my sixth grade-self would have groaned over the verb ...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
River of Time Tribe: River of Time TV series!	11	43	Dec 21, 2015 10:53AM
River of Time Tribe: Waterfall	24	44	Jul 15, 2015 11:28AM
Clean YA Girl's B...: Waterfall	32	25	Jul 07, 2015 02:46PM
Christian YA Readers: April/May: Waterfall by Lisa Bergren	9	20	May 13, 2015 08:34AM
Sinopsis en Español // Synopsis in Spanish	1	3	Nov 21, 2014 08:15AM
¿Por qué no una traducción al Español?	1	2	Oct 22, 2014 01:59PM

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About Lisa Tawn Bergren

Lisa Tawn Bergren

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About

Lisa Tawn Bergren is the best-selling, award-winning author of over 40 books, with more than 2.5 million copies sold. She recently finished a teen series called Remnants (SEASON OF WONDER, SEASON OF FIRE, and SEASON OF GLORY). She's also written the River of Time Series (WATERFALL, CASCADE, TORRENT, BOURNE & TRIBUTARY, DELUGE) and The Grand Tour Series (GLAMOROUS ILLUSIONS, GRAVE CONSEQUE ...more

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