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ohtrisarahtops's review against another edition
3.0
This review can also be found here
I really couldn't get into this book until the very end. I don't know why, it just didn't capture my attention. The plot sounded amazing but it didn't turn out to be anything like I expected. It sounded so original, but it could have been executed better.
I couldn't stand the main character, Gemma. I found her to be insufferable. She was self-centered, whiny and towards the end treated the people who wanted to help her like garbage. She was just awful. She was impossible to relate to or even like.
Her sister Harper on the other hand, I loved. The story should have been told from her point of view, she cared more about what was going on around her than her own issues. She was kind, unafraid to ask for help and she tried to take care of everybody. And the relationship that begins to build between her and Daniel was just adorable.
Alex was another great character, he was attractive but didn't realise it so the whole book wasn't like "oh my boyfriend is so hot and he knows it so he flaunts it constantly" (If that were the case I would have thrown the book -.-). He actually cared about Gemma even though it seemed like all she cared about was what was going on in her own world.
Penn, Thea and Lexi are the bad girls in this story and they come off as evil and vicious and all around unlikeable which is fine since they are supposed to be that way. It's not a good thing when the main character comes off in this manner as well.
Harper, Daniel and Alex were my favorites. Mainly because they were the only ones who weren't obnoxious or annoying or downright evil.
The story did flow well but like I said it didn't grab my attention as well as it should have. I guessed what the three girls were pretty early on and the crimes that were committed were no suprise for me when it was revealed who was doing it.
If you want to read this book go for it, I in no way think it's a terrible book. It's just not as great as it could have been. You may love it but it really just wasn't for me
I really couldn't get into this book until the very end. I don't know why, it just didn't capture my attention. The plot sounded amazing but it didn't turn out to be anything like I expected. It sounded so original, but it could have been executed better.
I couldn't stand the main character, Gemma. I found her to be insufferable. She was self-centered, whiny and towards the end treated the people who wanted to help her like garbage. She was just awful. She was impossible to relate to or even like.
Her sister Harper on the other hand, I loved. The story should have been told from her point of view, she cared more about what was going on around her than her own issues. She was kind, unafraid to ask for help and she tried to take care of everybody. And the relationship that begins to build between her and Daniel was just adorable.
Alex was another great character, he was attractive but didn't realise it so the whole book wasn't like "oh my boyfriend is so hot and he knows it so he flaunts it constantly" (If that were the case I would have thrown the book -.-). He actually cared about Gemma even though it seemed like all she cared about was what was going on in her own world.
Penn, Thea and Lexi are the bad girls in this story and they come off as evil and vicious and all around unlikeable which is fine since they are supposed to be that way. It's not a good thing when the main character comes off in this manner as well.
Harper, Daniel and Alex were my favorites. Mainly because they were the only ones who weren't obnoxious or annoying or downright evil.
The story did flow well but like I said it didn't grab my attention as well as it should have. I guessed what the three girls were pretty early on and the crimes that were committed were no suprise for me when it was revealed who was doing it.
If you want to read this book go for it, I in no way think it's a terrible book. It's just not as great as it could have been. You may love it but it really just wasn't for me
sarasprout's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
kendale's review
3.0
It's an okay book. I don't love it and I don't hate it. This is my second time reading this book still I have the same rating as last time. Still thinking about reading the next book though.
stormyharper's review
4.0
This was a really good read I really didn't enjoy it and wondered why and put it off for so long so this was about a little small town maybe even a village they didn't really specify in the book it's about Gemma and her sister Piper and Gemma's boyfriend Alex Gemma has always really loved swimming what one night when she had gone swimming her car had brought down so Alex decided to give her a lift but when she was out swimming she thought the three pretty girls as they call them Gemma did notice when they started singing that Alex looked mesmerize but she just shoved it off and just bought them girls were weird until one night when she went back to the dock and decided to go for a swim again and she bumped into them 3 girls and they made her drink this drink but Gemma didn't really know what it was until it was too late a few things I didn't like about this book and why they lost a star it's because when they were speaking about Gemma's Dad they always called him by his name instead of Gemma's Dad or Dad what was weird or when they were talking about a relationship or people communicating with each other they used to always do it in the third person and I didn't like that I felt like I was always correcting it but it was a really good book spoiler the drink she was given turned her into a siren it had human blood in it water and something else disgusting but the main disappointment is that audible don't have the next few books so I don't know how I'm going to listen to the next one's
madeklein's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a little on the weird side. I read Amanda hocking's trylle trilogy and it was literally the best set of books ever, but wake is a whole other story.
Wake is a good book but the story line is so messed up!- who has mermaids which turn into scary birds which eat humans to survive???
I have to say this book is very original and different from so much of the teenage rubbish I read. I would recommend this book but all I'll say is its weird on a whole new scale.
I give it 3.5 stars
Wake is a good book but the story line is so messed up!- who has mermaids which turn into scary birds which eat humans to survive???
I have to say this book is very original and different from so much of the teenage rubbish I read. I would recommend this book but all I'll say is its weird on a whole new scale.
I give it 3.5 stars
smokedbones's review against another edition
4.0
Recuerdo que fue de las primeras novelas juveniles que leí, me dejó inquieta con su final, honestamente preferí mil veces a Harper que a Gemma.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review against another edition
5.0
Sirenen! Eindelijk weer eens een boek over sirenen! Al vanaf mijn twaalfde ben ik verliefd op de Griekse mythologie. Ik kende elk verhaal van buiten en als eindexamenproject op de middelbare school heb ik zelfs een Triviant-versie gemaakt waar alle vragen te maken hadden met de Griekse mythologie. De sirenen zijn met afstand mijn favoriete wezens uit die Griekse mythologie. Ik was dan ook heel benieuwd naar deze serie.
Deze serie is alles wat ik ervan verwacht en gehoopt had en dan nog net een beetje meer. Zo had ik de echte link met de Griekse mythologie niet zien aankomen en ik was ook erg blij met hoe ver dit boek durfde te gaan als het gaat om geweld. Sirenes zijn geen lieve vrolijke wezens. Het zijn monsters die een volwassen man zonder dat hij het zelf door heeft om zeep helpen. En dat wordt in dit boek heel beeldend duidelijk gemaakt.
Daarnaast is de opbouw van het verhaal ongelooflijk goed gelukt. Het begint als een vrij typisch YA verhaal, maar langzaamaan beginnen we door te krijgen dat er iets gaat gebeuren en dat het niet heel leuk gaat worden. En omdat ik de personages eerst goed kon leren kennen en me aan ze kon hechten, deed het einde van het boek ook echt pijn. Ik wilde zo graag dat het goed af zou lopen, maar ja, dan zouden er niet nog drie delen zijn.
Ik moest in het begin wel wennen aan het wisselen van perspectief dat de auteur doet. Soms is heel duidelijk dat we van perspectief gewisseld zijn, omdat er een nieuw hoofdstuk begonnen is, maar soms gebeurt het ook middenin een hoofdstuk. Toen ik daar echter helemaal aan gewend was, vond ik het ergens ook wel wat toevoegen. Daardoor krijg je van ieder personage net wat meer informatie, zodat het voelt alsof je ze nog wat beter leert kennen.
Ik heb nu al zin in het volgende deel!
Deze serie is alles wat ik ervan verwacht en gehoopt had en dan nog net een beetje meer. Zo had ik de echte link met de Griekse mythologie niet zien aankomen en ik was ook erg blij met hoe ver dit boek durfde te gaan als het gaat om geweld. Sirenes zijn geen lieve vrolijke wezens. Het zijn monsters die een volwassen man zonder dat hij het zelf door heeft om zeep helpen. En dat wordt in dit boek heel beeldend duidelijk gemaakt.
Daarnaast is de opbouw van het verhaal ongelooflijk goed gelukt. Het begint als een vrij typisch YA verhaal, maar langzaamaan beginnen we door te krijgen dat er iets gaat gebeuren en dat het niet heel leuk gaat worden. En omdat ik de personages eerst goed kon leren kennen en me aan ze kon hechten, deed het einde van het boek ook echt pijn. Ik wilde zo graag dat het goed af zou lopen, maar ja, dan zouden er niet nog drie delen zijn.
Ik moest in het begin wel wennen aan het wisselen van perspectief dat de auteur doet. Soms is heel duidelijk dat we van perspectief gewisseld zijn, omdat er een nieuw hoofdstuk begonnen is, maar soms gebeurt het ook middenin een hoofdstuk. Toen ik daar echter helemaal aan gewend was, vond ik het ergens ook wel wat toevoegen. Daardoor krijg je van ieder personage net wat meer informatie, zodat het voelt alsof je ze nog wat beter leert kennen.
Ik heb nu al zin in het volgende deel!
rjdenney's review
4.0
[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 enjoyed. If you enjoy books that are mythology reboots, then pick up Wake when it comes out 8/7/12.
Now on to my book thoughts!
I dived right into "Wake" expecting a love triangle, a bitchy protagonist, and over caked romance. I was pleasantly surprised. There is no love triangle, Gemma is a likable protagonist, and the romance was set at the perfect amount. I loved the writing style! Amanda needs to write more books in third person POV. The book starts off with Gemma at the bay, swimming. You get to know her right away and then you are introduced to her sister Harper who is an overprotective, motherly gush-bear. The sisters's mother is in a home with mental issues and their father works on the docks of the town. Alex is our love interest for Gemma and I loved him. Daniel is Harper's love interest and I was drooling over him. Then we are introduced to the new girls in town. Penn, Thea, and Lexi. The boys in town can't get enough of them, so much so that some even begin to go missing. Let me tell you now, I hated these three girls. I wanted to smack Penn so bad. They reminded me of the plastics in Mean Girls, except these girls can rip your head off and can breathe underwater. Things begin to grow tremendously intense once Gemma decides to hang with the girls for one night... and wakes up the next morning feeling too different. From there the story takes off and I enjoyed every bit of it.
That is where I will leave off, spoiler free! So I hope you pick this book up when it comes out and I can't wait to read the second in the Watersong series. Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for this ARC and I will gladly accept more in the future ;)
-R.D.
fai_aka's review
3.0
I really like how awkward and real some of the scenes in this book. It made the characters more real and relatable