From the Stacks: Wake

Yet another posting for From the Stacks. Tomorrow I'll be back to my normal schedule so there will be writing updates on Tuesdays and From the Stacks posts on Fridays. So, for today's review, I'm going to talk about Wake by Amanda Hocking.

Summary:

"Fall under the spell of Wake--the first book in an achingly beautiful new series by celebrated author Amanda Hocking--and lose yourself to the Watersong.

Gorgeous. Fearless. Dangerous. They're the kind of girls you envy, the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Lexi, and Thea have caught everyone's attention--but it's Gemma who's attracted theirs. She's the one they've chosen to be part of their group.

Gemma Fisher seems to have it all--she's carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He's always been just a friend, but this summer they've taken their relationship to the next level.

Then one night, Gemma's ordinary life changes forever. Penn, Lexi, and Thea invite her to party with them at the cove, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she's forced to choose between staying with those she loves--or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets."

My Thoughts:

I first came across Amanda Hocking when her Trylle trilogy was about to be published in paperback. I bought the first book, devoured it in no time, and then got on my NOOK and bought all of the My Blood Approves series, as well as her standalone novel Virtue. With each of them it was the same thing, a really nice and quick read. 

Wake is no exception. It was easy to get into and I finished it in at max two hours. The Trylle trilogy covers trolls and changelings, My Blood Approves is all about vampires, and then Virtue is an interesting take on the seven deadly sins and seven virtues. With this newest novel, Hocking has taken on sirens. Somewhat similar to mermaids, but not quite. These sirens are very much in tune with the ones you would find in classic Greek literature (I'm referring to the mythology, like you could find in Homer's Illiad or Odyssey). 

I really enjoyed this and loved the interactions between Gemma and her older somewhat-stick-in-the-mud sister Harper. The romantic interests for both girls--Alex and Daniel, respectively--were great guys and I found myself almost screaming for Harper to stop being so resistant and realize that Daniel likes her and everything through most of the book. From the moment that Penn, Lexi, and Thea came into the book, I didn't like them, but guess what, I don't think you are supposed to like them. They completely turn both Gemma and Harper's worlds upside down without asking at all. They think that they can do whatever they want and it's okay, which you kind of expect from ancient mythological creatures.

All in all a great book, a quick read, and I can't wait for the next book, which I believe is supposed to be out sometime next month. I give it a 5/5.

Other Readings:

I've read the first few chapters of Master of Crows and so far I'm liking it. I'm still waiting to dig into the meat of the story but the first couple of chapters are trying to introduce the reader to the main two characters and to this world, so, it'll take some time to delve into everything. Anyway, I'll be back again tomorrow with a final From the Stacks for this week.