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Awaken (Daughters of the Sea, #2)

Kristen Day

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Oct 28, 2012 Chani rated it it was amazing

Shelves: gave-4-5-stars, in-love, readandratedindiebooks

**This review can also be found at http://www/readinginthewindowseat.blo...**

This is really a 4.5! But I rounded up due to the fact there was still way more good to this then there was bad. :) I loved it, just like I loved the first one. The story was still strong, and there was still a lot of mythology. The idea of Tydes and Sirens and Sons etc is great. It's a lot more unique then most of what's out there, and I'm so glad that I was able to read this book and the first one. Day creates a great **This review can also be found at http://www/readinginthewindowseat.blo...**

This is really a 4.5! But I rounded up due to the fact there was still way more good to this then there was bad. :) I loved it, just like I loved the first one. The story was still strong, and there was still a lot of mythology. The idea of Tydes and Sirens and Sons etc is great. It's a lot more unique then most of what's out there, and I'm so glad that I was able to read this book and the first one. Day creates a great, vivid world where I'm forced to just lose myself and let the characters take me where they will. Which is probably why I had a few issues with this one that weren't in the first. For one, Stasia's character. She was waaaaay less independent in this book. Why? I don't mean in the sense that she had to always have her friends around or what not, because honestly that wasn't the case. In fact, there were a few times where she withheld information from them for a while and I was just kind of like, why aren't you saying anything? That's what her friends are there for, after all. Really the dependant issues were on Finn. Suddenly, it was like she couldn't go anywhere or do anything herself without having Finn there. Huh? What happened to this immensely strong girl I fell in love with? Stasia's past has a lot of horrible stuff in it, and because of that this character was so incredible strong, but in this book she cried almost every five seconds, even when the issue wasn't really cry worthy. She should be used to holding in her tears by now, at least enough that she isn't spilling them every other page. That was seriously what I loved most about her in the first book. Don't get me wrong, Stasia could still kick some major butt, however she was almost completely reliant on Finn for the first half of the book. He told her what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. Then she did it. I understand he knows more about this stuff then she does and he needs to teach it to her, ok cool, but when it came down to the important stuff she almost never asked questions. Yes, the mystery surrounding Finn is important to the central plot line, and it helps to keep the reader guessing about him, yet at the same time after everything Stasia's already been though I would think she'd have been instincts then all that. I mean, it's very clear that he's hiding something. At least if she'd acted like she was more aware of that and pressed him more about it, that would be one thing. But she didn't. I trust him too, but come on. There's a point where she gets angry at him after over hearing Nadia and Priscilla talking about something Finn isn't tell her. She doesn't really have a right to be that angry though. Considering she almost never bothers asking him questions, she has no right to be pissed she's not getting answers. She was this strong independent character who was suddenly very much dependent on her boyfriend. He instructs Carmen to give her swimming lessons. Stasia doesn't needs swimming lessons. For one, she can breathe underwater, Carmen can not. For two, we've seen how well she can swim. There really wasn't a point to that being in there, and we never actually even see it happening. That's one skill she didn't need help from Finn with and somehow he managed to point out she did anyway... :/ In another part she actually tells Finn she's not used to burdening anyone with her problems. Umm...then what have you been doing this entire time? Right. And towards the end, she finds out yet another thing Finn did behind her back (moonstone anyone?) yet doesn't get the least bit upset about it. I'm sorry, but personally I wouldn't be too pleased finding out that despite all of the times I've trusted and confided in him, he didn't do the same. Yes, she needed to find the stone on her own. Could he have told her he planted it afterwards? Yup! But he didn't. Too much mystery isn't a good thing. It feels too much like lying or withholding to me. One last scene that really bothered me, when her adoptive family showed up. It was way too short, and far too underdeveloped. There wasn't really even a purpose to it. It just sort of happened, like there was fear we might somehow forget who those unimportant characters were or something. We didn't. At least, I didn't. I still very much remembered her horrible "sister" who basically made her life crap and her social life non-existent. Which is why I wanted something to happen. Like, Finn and the guys could have shown up and she could have seen them and been jealous, or at least realized Stasia wasn't a loser and was actually doing much better without her. It's petty, sure, but that's Stasia's teenage right. Why not let her have it? Just for there to be some little bop over the head that Stasia has a pretty good life and is popular with out her. Ok, now that I've totally ranted out the bad (sorry that was soooo long) like I mentioned earlier there's still soooo much good. I still love Finn, don't get me wrong. I do. He's strong willed, intelligent, and really is in love with Stasia. And once in the underworld, the good old Stasia I know and love from book one comes back full force. She's quick witted, take charge, and looks out for her friends. She's strong and brave, and even though Finn isn't there to save her she manages just fine without him. I love everything that happens down there, it's very well thought out and has tons of details. I could really picture that metallic glint to everything. At first Carmen's odd behavior threw me, because she's usually the tough one, but then I realized that's probably why she was the one to crack. It made sense, and in the end was completely believable. The very very end was great. Nice twist to leave the reader wanting for more, and seriously, do I want more. I actually think I might go insane waiting for the next book to come out. That one major issue I had aside I still loved Awaken! I would without a doubt recommend people read this, it's worth purchasing and reading a few times. I know before the next one comes out I'll probably reread these. Kristen Day is a great writer who really knows how to yank you into the worlds she's created. I still totally wish Carmen, Phoebe, and Willow were my best friends. And I'm still way in love with Finn. Sigh.
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Feb 11, 2013 Brittany marked it as to-read

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Shelves: tempest-reviewed-on-her-goodreads

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