Review: Wake (Watersong, #1)

Wake (Watersong, #1) by Amanda Hocking
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher/BEA
Release Date: August 7th, 2012
Buy It From Amazon |  Goodreads
★★★★☆

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.

Not having read any of Amanda Hocking's books, I was hesitant to pick up Wake. Luckily, I was not disappointed. Wake proved itself to be a fast, engaging read! While I didn't find myself particularly impressed with the characters, I fell in love with the story. Hocking's true skill for storytelling will make Wake hard to put down this summer!

I was surprised to find that Wake has a darker side. I was expecting the usual fluffy summer romance. Not that there's anything particularly wrong with that, but it can get predictable. Wake was something completely different: an intelligent mix of mythology, horror, and a pinch of romance. After moving a bit slow in the beginning, Wake quickly picked up after Gemma's encounter with Penn, Lexi, and Thea on the cove.
 
The three antagonists, specifically Penn, made wicked awesome villains: beautiful yet deadly and easy to hate. Gemma was the perfect counter to the threesome mentioned above! She was passionate, likable, and relatively easy to relate to. Gemma was great, but the character that really stole my heart was Daniel! Daniel was a bit of a bum, living on a boat and all, but he had a fantastic personality. He was such an interesting character that he quickly became my favorite! Honestly, I wish he would have been Gemma's love interest instead of Alex!

While I do wish that the characters were a bit more developed, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I can't wait to get my hands on the next installment of the Watersong series. Definitely throw this one in your beach bag this August when it releases!