Wake

From the Publisher

Praise for Amanda Hocking and the Watersong Series:

“[Wake] will please fans and likely win new ones…the well-structured story and strong characters carry readers.” –Publishers Weekly

“Filled with mysteries, realistic characters and lots of action…Wake is the next great book. A worthwhile read.” – RT BOOKREVIEWS

“Hocking’s novel effectively melds myth and contemporary teen life. High school, family, young love, and mythology all combine to create an easy-to-read paranormal suspense story that will have fans eagerly awaiting new installments.” – Booklist

“Explosive and interesting… a nice, smooth story with unique mythology and lovable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it.” – The Teen Bookworm

“Pure imaginative brilliance! Wake is full of thrills, eerie suspense and mystery… incredibly difficult to put down.” –The Book Faery

“…real and vibrant. A brand new series that reawakens everything we love in underwater mythology, Wake by Amanda Hocking will certainly leave you with the desire to pick up more of her titles.” – A Cupcake and a Latte

“An amazing story. . . ravishing yet explosive . I am enthralled with the amazing characters and fast-pace plotline. The thrill of the water, the history that propels the reader deeper, Wake is awesome!” – Books with Bite

“Entertaining and surprisingly dark. Amanda Hocking once again had me enjoying her writing and the world she created before my eyes.” – Millie D’s Words

“A wonderfully adventurous and dynamic series, full of high intrigue, mythology, paranormal lore, romance, and suspense. I, for one, can't wait to be swept away in the new world of the Watersong.”—Fallen Angel Reviews

“Amanda Hocking once again delves into the fantasies of many young minds and the results are something new and different.” –The Reading Cafe

“Wake is an exciting new beginning to a much anticipated series.” –Boekie’s Book Reviews

“Amanda Hocking has such an easy and elegant way with her language - her stories just seem to flow well and her words dance. This is going to be another series that I'll fall for. I absolutely cannot wait to see where she takes us with the next book.” – Into the Hall of Books

“Great chemistry … plus a family history that just makes your heart ache and you’ve definitely got a recipe for a fantastic new series. It only took me a couple of days to read this, and I am … anxious for the next book to come out next year. Get your hands on this now!”—YA Book Central

“A great start to the series and I definitely want to read more, and soon!” –A Book in Hand

“There is no denying that Amanda Hocking knows how to tell a good story and keep readers coming back for more.  More is exactly what they will be looking for once they’ve turned the last page.” –Kirkus Reviews

“Hocking hits all the commercial high notes… She knows how to keep readers turning the pages.” –New York Times Book Review

“Amanda Hocking has a gift for storytelling that will grip readers and keep them wanting more…Entrancing.” –Library Thing

“A breath of fresh air in the young adult paranormal market.” –That Bookish Girl Blog

“Amanda Hocking is an author whose storytelling skills keep getting better and better." –Bewitched Bookworms

“Amanda Hocking surpasses all expectations...” –Smart Bookworms

Publishers Weekly

The inaugural title in the four-book Watersong series by Hocking (the Trylle series) will please her fans and likely win her new ones. Sixteen-year-old Gemma Fisher is happy—she’s a star on the swim team, her family is loving and supportive, and the crush-worthy boy next door returns her interest. The only downside: three gorgeous but creepy new girls who have her in their sights. One night, Gemma is lured into joining the girls at a campfire by the water; she wakes up the next morning bruised and battered with no clear memories of what happened, but discovers she has supernatural healing abilities and is a far better swimmer than she realized. The girls tell Gemma stories of gods, goddesses, and curses that are actually blessings, but Gemma (rightly) suspects that some important information has been left out. While Hocking’s writing isn’t always polished (the foreshadowing can be painfully heavy), the well-structured story and strong characters carry readers over the rough spots. A cliffhanger ending sets up the next book, Lullaby, due six months later. Ages 12–up. Agent: Steven Axelrod, the Axelrod Agency. (Aug.)

Kirkus Reviews

In self-publishing phenom Hocking's (Ascend, 2012) disappointing foray into new paranormal territory, one night of partying on the beach leaves 16-year-old Gemma with more than a hangover. When the initial fog of her late night at the cove with a trio of sirens (more frequently, and unimaginatively, referred to as "weird pretty girls") wears off, Gemma discovers that she is stronger, faster and more beautiful than ever. (Readers might have found this transformation more compelling if Gemma weren't already strong and beautiful, also graceful and endowed with honey-colored eyes.) Now she just has to choose between the life she loves and the lure of her newfound mythical powers. The question is, will readers care? The "should I stay or should I go" tension at the heart of the story would be a lot more effective if the ties that bind Gemma's broken family together were more fully developed. Her father is practically nonexistent. Her mother, mentally impaired and incapable of taking care of anyone, including herself, lives in an assisted-care facility. The only constant is Gemma's older sister Harper, whose need to look out for her feels more like an obsessive yearning for control than real emotion. In the end, it's secondary characters, like the girls' love interests, who will sustain readers determined to make it to the final page. Whether they'll feel motivated to pick up the next three books is anyone's guess. (Paranormal romance. 14-18)