Wake by Amanda Hocking

Wake by Amanda Hocking

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Source: Raincoast Books for review (thank you!)
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Release Date: August 7, 2012

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 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, and now there’s no going back.  Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever.  She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove.  They invite her to join them, 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 is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

Fun and captivating, Wake is an excellent start to this new siren tale.

If you're new here (hello!) you may not know about my obsession with family bonds in novels but if not, I think you've realized! It came as no surprise to me that one of my favourite things starting off this novel -- and still even now -- was the sibling relationship between Gemma and her older sister Harper. Harper definitely fills a strong maternal role (no matter how much Gemma might protest it) in her sister's life. I found the interactions the sisters had about this not only fascinating but also pretty spot-on. I loved the dynamic that their relationship had!

The romance in the novel is strong but not overpowering. Gemma has the classic relationship with the boy-next-door and it's a very sweet one. I enjoyed reading about it (there were some adorable moments!) but for me, it was second to the budding romance between Harper and her love interest. I was so excited to read about these two throughout the novel! A lot of the times when Gemma and Alex were hanging out, I found myself wishing that it would just jump back to Harper.

Although I found most of the novel to be fairly light-hearted, things do go to another level when Amanda Hocking really gets into the action. The lore of the sirens was kind of creepy, although not as developed and interesting as I would have hoped, and kept the events rolling. I've seen some comments about the action taking a while to get started and while this is absolutely a fair comment, it worked for me. If you're in the mood to be entertained without needing to be constantly on the edge of your seat, I think Wake will work for you.

Overall, a great start to the series!

Cover Comments: This cover is so pretty! Ahh, I love it <3

4 Golden Crowns!