The Books…

Wake (Watersong #1)

by Amanda Hocking

Expected Pub: Aug 7, 2012 by St. Martin’s Press

Beautiful. 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, Thea, and Lexi have caught everyone’s attention, including the eye of practical Harper. But it’s her sister, Gemma, they’ve chosen to be part of their group.

Sixteen-year-old Gemma seems to have it all – carefree, pretty, and falling in love with the boy next door. But her greatest passion has always been the water. She craves late night swims under the stars, where she can be alone yet belong to the sea. Lately she’s had company. Penn, Thea, and Lexi spend their nights dancing, singing, and partying on the cove–and one night Gemma joins them. When she wakes up groggy on the beach the next morning, she knows something has changed.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. As she uncovers the truth about her new mythical powers, Gemma is forced to choose between staying with those she loves or entering a dark world brimming with unimaginable secrets.

Lullaby (Watersong, #2) - the second book in the Watersong series follows Harper and  Gemma as they go even deeper into a dark new world.

Coming November 27, 2012

The Author…

Amanda Hocking : I live in Minnesota with my dog, two cats, two fish, and my roommate/assistant/platonic lifemate, Eric. I actually live in Austin, a.k.a. SPAMTown, USA. They invented SPAM here, and the town is quite proud of it. (Here’savlogwithafuntouroftheSPAMmuseum: here.)

I do many things, most of them lame and boring, but the thing I get paid to do is write young adult books.

All three books in my TrylleTrilogy – Switched,Torn, and Ascend- were originally self-published, but were re-released with St. Martin’s and Pan Macmillan internationally with new bonus content in early 2012. The trilogy has also made the USA Today Bestseller list, theNewYorkTimesBestsellerlist, and was recently optioned for a film by MediaRightsCapital with District 9 screenwriterTerriTatchell adapting the books for screen.

St. Martin’s and Pan Macmillan recently acquired my new young adult four-book series Watersong, with the first book Wake coming out in August 2012. My zombie series, The Hollows, is being adapted into a graphic novel by Dynamite.

I also enjoy Red Bull, Jim Henson, Batman, Jane Austen, Star Wars legos, and I absolutely hate long walks on the beach out of my intense fear/hatred of wet sand.

Amanda Hocking’s links:

• Twitter
• Website
• Goodreads
• Facebook

The Review…

I have a confession to make. WAKE is the first book by Amanda that I have read. I know, I know! *hangs head in shame* I promise it won’t be the last, though!

WAKE is a great story about a young girl facing huge decisions and dealing with some really tough life circumstances. Amanda does a fabulous job of weaving together the normal with the paranormal. Her characters are well developed and interesting. Even the villains were complex enough for me to want to know more about them.

Another confession…ready? This is the first mermaid/underwater story I have read, too. For some reason, mermaids always seemed too “nice” to spark my interest. I’m thrilled that the creatures in the WAKE trilogy aren’t typical mermaids! I’m not going to tell you exactly what they are because that would give away the surprise, but know this. They are NOT nice, cute, soft, cuddly half-fish people. (Curious now, aren’t ya? hehe) Amanda Hocking incorporated some awesome twists that makes WAKE a totally original story that keeps you guessing until the last page.

All in all, WAKE was a page-turning, tale-twisting story that is fun, original, and interesting. I recommend it for anyone who likes YA with paranormal elements.

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

 The Giveaway…

• ONE ARC of Wake by Amanda Hocking!
• US only
• ends August 17th at midnight
• prize will be mailed to winner from Amanda
• must be 16+ years old to enter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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