Book Spotlight: Wake by Amanda Hocking

Fall under the spell of Wake—the first book in an achingly beautiful new series by celebrated author Amanda Hocking—and lose yourself to the Watersong.
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.
From Amazon.com

Thank you Around the World ARC tours for letting me be on this tour!

In this book we meet Gemma, a girl who has a love for the water. She lives with her older sister Harper and their dad. In the beginning of the book she’s trying to go for her night swim when her car breaks down. Enter Alex. He’s the boy next door and Harper’s best friend. He offers Gemma a ride and everything changes from that moment on. But Gemma has more to worry about then just the boy next door. 

There are three girls visiting the town and they are full of trouble. 

I read Trylle trilogy a while back, before they were printed, finding Amanda’s writing interesting. Amanda has a unique way of writing her stories and Wake is an example of that. I loved the characters in this book. Gemma had to make some serious decisions and she did so well. Her relationship with Alex is both sweet and romantic, bringing that innocence into the story. I really enjoyed Alex’s character. He’s the perfect boy next door, but he also stands up for what he cares about. Harper was a fun character, even with all of her overbearing tendencies. I thought she was the perfect big sister trying to be mother, and was well written. Daniel, the guy that gets close to Harper in the way she doesn’t usually allow people, is probably my favorite. He’s fun and real, making Harper see things the way she needs to. Honestly, I probably loved Alex and Daniel the best! 

The three girls, the enemy, are written a bit like your typical mean girls, but there is also a underside of cruelty to them. 

Overall, the book was a good beginning to a series. There was action, there was struggle, and there were some seriously hot boys. I’m definitely looking forward to finding out where Amanda takes these characters next.

Wake comes out August 7th! Let me know what you think! 

Happy reading, 

Valia