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    Wake
    Wake
    Wake
    Ebook289 pages4 hours

    Wake

    By Amanda Hocking

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateAug 7, 2012
    ISBN9781429956581
    Author

    Amanda Hocking

    Amanda Hocking lives in Minnesota, had never sold a book before April 2010 and has now sold over a million. According to the Observer, she is now 'the most spectacular example of an author striking gold through ebooks'. Amanda is a self-confessed 'Obsessive tweeter. John Hughes mourner. Batman devotee. Unicorn enthusiast. Muppet activist.' Her books include the Trylle Trilogy, the Watersong series and the Kanin Chronicles.

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    Reviews for Wake

    3.5/5

    185 ratings40 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Originally posted on Lovey Dovey BooksWake is an exquisite and intense introduction to Amanda Hocking's new series, Watersong! Amanda has already proved she's mastered the art of original storytelling in her unforgettable Trylle Trilogy, and the trend continues in Watersong.Wake is written in third person perspective, more prominently switching between sisters Gemma and Harper Fisher, throughout the whole novel. The style gives readers the opportunity to see beneath the surface of both sisters as they dance around danger in the form of three beautiful strangers. Penn, Lexi, and Thea are the epitome of evil and it's quite easy to hate them. They ruinously burst into Gemma's life and hometown, Capri, without any regret for the trouble they cause.Amanda keeps the mystery rolling throughout the novel. Even when the truth comes out about what Gemma becomes and what Penn, Lexi, and Thea want with her, the puzzle still isn't complete. The characters are mostly kept in the dark and it's interesting that they have gut instincts about the danger that surrounds them, but they never actively do anything about it until it's too late. Gemma finally tries to take a stand against Penn, Lexi, and Thea, and the strength she keeps under wraps peeks through. The scenes where Gemma, or even Harper, speak up and make their suspicions known are heart-pounding and just plain awesome!Wake is graced with not one, but two love interests. For Gemma, it's Alex, the sweet, geeky boy next door who is so unlike Amanda's usual male leads. Harper, on the other hand, is blessed with a love-hate relationship with slacker Daniel, who is much more like the usual male lead in teen fiction. Gemma and Harper are complete opposites so it's no surprise that their love interests would be as well.The vow that Wake ends with is enough to wish for Lullaby, book two of the Watersong series to get here a little faster! Amanda will no doubt push the story past its limits in surprises and action. *ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review*
    • 4/5
      Find this review and more at On The Shelf!I really enjoyed Amanda Hocking’s Trylle Trilogy, so when I found out about Wake and that it was about mermaids, I was very excited. Wake wasn’t exactly what I expected it to be. The first almost 3/4 of the book were kind of slow and I didn’t feel like there was much to the book about the mermaid/siren aspect. It didn’t really pick up until the last bit of the book.As for Gemma, I didn’t care for her a whole lot. There were points were she was ok, but for the most part, she wasn’t very bright and didn’t make the best of decisions. At one point, yes I know she couldn’t control what she did exactly, but other points after that she should have made better choices. Her sister Harper, has a much better head on her shoulders than Gemma did and she was the protective older sister. She annoyed me a lot at first because she sounded like she was trying to be Gemma’s mom.I’m not exactly sure why the group of girls was disliked so much, other than the fact that they were seen as creepy. There was no reason given other than that. Would you stop your sister from hanging out with someone because they were creepy to you? You might express your opinion on them, but you can’t really forbid someone from seeing a person because you think they are creepy, in my opinion.The end of the book really started to pick up, and I will continue this series because I want to know what is going to happen and how things will be resolved, but I can’t say it is going to be at the top of my list. The story does have potential to be a really good series and hopefully the next book will be faster than this one.As for the narrator, she was mostly a good reader, but there were parts I didn’t care for, like how she made Harper sound so whiny. She actually drug out the words into an annoying whine.On the slow side, characters only ok, wanted more, series has potential.
    • 3/5
      This is pretty much the typical YA paranormal story. It's kind of like that 90s movie "The Craft" meets "The Little Mermaid." Overall, very mediocre story and writing and the characters were all dumb as posts. No interest at all in reading the other three in this series.
    • 3/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: Another mermaid series that falls flat in the plot and has shallow characters, but the world-building is something a reader can get invested in.Opening Sentence: The engine made a bizarre chugging sound, like a dying robot llama, followed by an ominous click-click.The Review:I was pleasantly surprised by Wake. Told between the alternating perspectives of two sisters, Harper and Gemma, their relationship is really what drives the plot of the story. When Gemma spends the night hanging out with Penn, Thea and Lexi, only to wake up feeling changed. Most people shy away from the three beautiful strangers, and as Gemma tries to find out what happened to her that night, she begins to learn why. With a new boyfriend and loving family, Gemma’s choices through the novel might just break the only relationships she cares about.The siren-basis for Wake and the Watersong Quartet is exceptionally well-explored and really my favorite part of the book. Based in myth, Hocking doesn’t pull punches when it comes to real sirens. This isn’t The Little Mermaid. It’s a battle of kill-or-be-killed and Gemma’s choices in Wake (and Lullaby) are going to define her life. Gemma wants to do what’s right, but if it means dying herself, what choice does she have?Gemma lives for the water, pretty much revolving her life around swimming. The younger sister, she’s carefree and beautiful, leaving Harper to take on the role of protective, mothering older sister. A little cliché, but it’s easy for the reader to see they love each other. The fact they care about each other is what makes the reader see past the shallow cliché and invest in them. The two POVs are well done, even if there are a few points where you get confused about who’s speaking.The love interests for both girls are different, yet loveable. Alex, the geeky boy-next-door- who’s sexy and sweet ends up matching with Gemma. Their relationship seems a little bit forced and a little too insta-love for me to really get invested in them. Then there’s Daniel, Harper’s love interest, who’s somehow immune to the siren’s powers. Their relationship is clumsy and a little awkward and completely perfect. He’s funny and I found myself enjoying scenes with Daniel more than others in the book. I fell a bit in love with him when I saw how much he cared for Harper, because why can’t real guys be that perfect?The writing isn’t the best it could be, but I love the way Hocking gives the reader both the main character’s thoughts and feelings as well as the secondary characters. It’s written in the third person with multiple perspectives, so we get to see the story from all sides. The novel picks up speed towards the end as the truth about the siren myth is explored and hard choices have to be made. If you like The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter, this series strikes the same chord. I hope to see the characters develop more in Lullaby so their unique, and if the plot pans out the way it’s hinted at in Wake the rest of this series has a lot of promise.Notable Scene:“You look…good,” Harper said, for lack of a better word.Gemma glanced down, looking herself over, but she knew what Harper meant. She’d already noticed it today. While she’d never been prone to acne, her skin was smoother, and it almost appeared to be glowing. She’d gone beyond her usual scope of pretty into something almost supernatural.“I’ve just been using a different moisturizer,” Gemma shrugged, trying to play it off.“Really?” Harper asked.“No, actually”—Gemma sighed and rubbed her forehead—“that’s what I came in here to talk to you about.”“You came to talk to me about moisturizer?” Harper raised an eyebrow.“No it’s not moisturizer.”FTC Advisory: St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan provided me with a copy of Wake. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 4/5
      Absolutely loved this book! The author's writing skills have come a long way from where they were with her first novel, Switched. The characters are developed fully, the storyline held my interest from the very first page and there was just enough creepiness to make it chilling. A few parts were too gross for my tastes and I could of lived without those parts. Overall a great read.
    • 1/5
      Note: The “Best of 2012” tag refers to books I received at work for our Best of the Year program. I put those under one tag so I can find my reviews easily. It does not reflect my actual opinion.

      I give Amanda Hocking credit for one thing—she knows how to market her books. Given that I did pay .99 for Switched just to see what the fuss was about, I’d say it worked. It also backfired on my case, because I detested Switched and refused to read another book by her. And if I didn’t have to read Wake for work, I would have ignored it and never added it to my shelves at all.

      But I did have to read Wake. And I even thought to myself, “Well, maybe that she’s got an editor and more publishing experience, maybe it’s not as bad as the first one was.” And I will also say this about Amanda Hocking. I don’t think she’s a terrible writer. I think she’s an excessively mediocre writer who can come up with ideas but can’t characterize or develop a plot for the life of her. Wake follows the same exact paranormal formula that Switched did: Girl finds out/develops supernatural abilities. One hundred pages of nothing happening. Love interest. Girl abandons normal life. Cliffhanger.

      That alone knocked this book down to two stars for me. Nothing happens for half the book. And then Gemma gets turned into a mermaid. Then another seventy pages of nothing happening. To use two of the most horrifying words in the Whedonverse, “Bored now.”

      What really raises my ire and marked Amanda Hocking on my “Never again” list of authors are four reasons:

      1. Gemma’s swimming career: She had to be an Olympic hopeful. I get why Gemma had to like swimming; obviously, you can’t have a mermaid novel with an aquaphobic mermaid. (Although that would be infinitely more interesting.) But she had to make Gemma a competitive swimmer. Okay, look. I swam for two years in middle school, because I liked to swim. And I quit because I realized that I’m not a good athlete and not very competitive and the competition took the fun out of it. All Gemma being on the swim team accomplishes is that hey, she’s getting faster and stronger! That’s it. Nothing more.

      The Olympic hopeful bit pissed me off, because she plays up into it every time it gets mentioned. And by the way, just swimming at all hours of the day does not make a strong swimming. There is weight training, dieting…I really want to give this to my old swim coach and see him go into a rage fit over Gemma’s training regime throughout the day.

      2. Everyone is an idiot: This is one of those books that gives YA a bad name. Everyone in this book carries the idiot ball and it hurts and insults my intelligence. Examples:

      -Every time the character Bernie shows up, we have to be reminded that Gemma and Harper’s dad is friends with him and the girls spent summers on his island. Not once. Every time he’s mentioned.

      -Apparently, four boys have gone missing in the last two months. No one is worried about this at all. Until it’s plot important.

      -These wonderful gems from Gemma’s mouth:
      (In regards to Greek mythology): “Those are really ridiculous names,” Gemma commented. “Didn’t anybody go by Mary or Judy back then?”

      “I know, right?” Lexi laughed. “Things are so much easier to spell now.”

      *hisses*

      And,

      “So, what is the blood of a mortal?” Gemma asked. “Is that like tears?”

      “No, that’s blood.” Penn looked at her like she was a moron.

      NO KIDDING.
      3. The mythology

      Let me state this once and for all for anyone wanting to bring in Greek mythology in their mermaid book.

      SIRENS ARE NOT FUCKING MERMAIDS.

      The irony is I’ve been so used to the “sirens = mermaids” confusion because it’s so fucking prevalent in media. I hate it, but I deal with it. And it would have been fine here if the mermaids said something along the lines of “Oh, we prefer sirens because we are so omg hip and cool.” But no. No. When you bring in actual mythology and still throw in the mermaid bit YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG. AND NO. You do not get points because your ‘sirens’ have an alternate bird form. You still used actual Greek myth to set up your backstory.

      OH. And btw. YOU DO NOT REFER TO PERSEPHONE AS A BITCH. It’s a fucking stupid thing to throw in the backstory. If you wanted Lexi to be justified in hating the gods, here’s a really good reason: Most of the Greek pantheon were assholes. You didn’t have to throw in the fact that they couldn’t be bothered to find Persephone—and in fact, that makes me like the mermaids less. (Do not slander Persephone. She is awesome and better than this tripe. *loves on Persephone*)

      (Btw, I have very little issues with people playing with Greek mythology—hell, *I’ve* done it. Even when it’s something like Disney’s Hercules that so badly messes up the source material, I can take it on its own merits. But when you use actual myth in the book and still fuck it up--*frustrated scream*)

      The mythology alone could’ve knocked this down to one star for me. But then Hocking has to go and pull this:

      4. Gemma and Harper’s mother

      WOW. Wow. I don’t even. I think this is the lowest way to make ineffectual parents in a YA novel ever. Apparently, brain damage gives you the mentality of a thirteen year old girl, right down to the temper tantrums and being a Belieber. It’s another stupid excuse to shove tragic backstory for the characters, and it really pisses me off more because it’s an insulting way to do so.

      Switched had already left a bad taste in my mouth. But, as noted above, I was willing to give Wake a fair shot, despite my previous disinterest. Having now read it, I can honestly say that I will not be as willing to read another book by Amanda Hocking in the future.
    • 2/5
      Hmmm....I had a hard time with this book. I really did not enjoy the character of Gemma. On the other hand, I did like her sister, Harper and the relationship between the two sisters. I also liked the character of Daniel. Honestly, those two characters are the only reason I gave this book 2 stars. I will most likely read the second book only because I am interested in seeing where Harper and Daniel end up.
    • 5/5
      Wake is a breath taking vividly imaginative magical tale of mystery and intrigue. The sweet serene world that Amanda Hocking creates, is delightful to explore filled with memorable characters who possess interesting quirks, sinister sirens who won't take no for an answer, and danger filled excitement. She has penned a wonderful blend of underwater mythology with just the right tinge of paranormal, weaving a beautiful balance of realistic contemporary issues between the two main characters. The plot is chalk full of intense drama and interesting situations that Gemma and Harper both find themselves in. There's wonderful romance and humor sprinkled throughout the novel that make it even more enjoyable and engaging.Amanda Hocking's wonderfully crafted world building skills are strong, stunning, and will keep readers entranced. She's mixed a beautiful captivating, suspenseful feel to her story by giving an imaginative enthralling nod to Greek mythology, introducing her own original spin giving it a modern edge. It's a world that's rich and dark, full of compelling mystery, and unimaginable secrets. The mysterious girls of summer are fearless, deceptive, and dangerous. Their beauty is the kind most envy, yet they harbor a darker seductive secret of their own that affects the lives of a few of the locals gone missing. They are predators of their own disguise, sirens, that have chosen Gemma to be part of their group whether she wants to or not. I enjoyed the atmosphere that Amanda Hocking crafted so beautifully, her sparkling descriptions reflecting Gemma's love of water. It made it easier to sink into the world and really enjoy it. Gemma is beautiful and carefree, so full of vibrant life, and tenderly falling in love with the boy next door. So full of sweet earnest vulnerability, she's such a delightful character to get to know. It was a joy to witness the honest relationship that she shares with her sister, Harper.Harper is more practical than her sister, wonderfully strong and independent caring a great deal about her family. She tackles the role of caretaker, putting them before herself and her own needs, and being incredibly unafraid to stand up for them and unyieldingly loyal. She's made sacrifices for their benefit more than her own and even though she has her moments, she really does have her family's best interests at heart. She wants the best for them and she will stop at nothing to keep them all together and from falling apart. Though it's slow building, it is sweet to watch her start living her life, letting herself have a summer romance with a handsome swoon worthy guy on the docks that usually annoys her, and trying to save her sister's life.Wake is full of breathless heart pounding action, mystery, and intrigue. It's intensely gripping and will keep readers on the edge of their cliffs, ending with a cliff-hanger that will have them screaming in anticipation for more. It's an epic adventure of love and survival, family loyalty, intermingled with a sprinkling of vibrant Greek mythology, and the ultimate choice of sacrifice. I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of mythical under-water-adventures, dark compelling fantasy, and wonderful author's like Elizabeth Fama, Anna Banks, and Anne Greenwood Brown.
    • 2/5
      Amanda Hocking’s first traditionally published work, Wake, is the first in a series of books about Gemma. Gemma loves the water and everything about it. She’s a great swimmer with her eyes on the Olympics. In her little island town she meets three girls - Penn, Thea and Lexi - with a strange secret. As Gemma gets more entangled in their lives she is faced with a difficult decision that might cost her own life.

      Amanda Hocking has a knack for taking myths and making them her own, she’s very imaginative and even though I wasn’t a super fan of her trolls or vampire books, I wanted to see how being published the traditional way would shape her as an author. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with Wake.

      One of the main things that I disliked about the story is the continuous use of unnecessary descriptions that I can only assume was placed there as padding. I didn’t think it necessary to let the reader know every step the characters took, especially when it was something we could assume and when it wasn’t pertinent to the furthering the plot. Some of this over describing spoiled, more than enhanced, some key scenes; I found myself pulled out of the story instead of being engaged.

      We meet a lot of characters, and it was nice to see the family involved in the protagonist’s life. There were a lot of switching perspectives, and while it worked in some areas, I thought, the fact that we saw everything from everyone’s point of view took away from the mystery of the story a bit.

      Overall, I think this is one of her better stories, it’s a quick read for a rainy day or a beach day. I can’t say I saw much difference between this and her self-published work, but, the plot itself was interesting enough to keep me reading.

      [received an ARC at BEA]
    • 5/5
      First, let me say this is the first book that I had read by Amanda Hocking. Cover: I really enjoyed this cover. I love that this cover is an underwater cover that also shows you the above water world as well with the lighthouse and the moon. I absolutely love the blue color on the cover. Character: I think I have a love/hate relationship with the main characters Gemma and Harper. I love Gemma and the fact that she was just living a normal everyday life with her swim practices and dealing with her mother who is ill. She gets turned into a siren not by choice, now she has to deal with this new supernatural life. However, the real love/hate I have is with Harper. I love that she wants to be protective of Gemma and her father, Brian. But at the same time I honestly love Harper more when Daniel starting coming into the picture. I understand that she wants to protect her sister since she practically raised Gemma but she also needs to learn to let Gemma live a little (and I’m referring to before Gemma was turned siren). Also the girls (Penn, Lexi, and Thea) I don’t really like them because they do seem creepy. Amanda Hocking did an excellent job in making them creepy. Plot: I did enjoy this story as it is also my first mermaid/siren story that I’ve read. I like how Amanda Hocking created the details of Gemma finding the green scales in the shower, and she found more along the way. I also like that the death in the boys of the town are disappearing and nobody really puts the pieces together that the killings started when the 3 girls showed up in town. I really like that the ending was left open for sequels which I liked. I look forward to reading the next book in the series. Overall: I highly recommend this book, and I think it is a great read! It’s mysterious, creepy, yet exciting read.
    • 4/5
      An interesting and different slant on shapeshifters. Gemma is a dedicated swimmer, swimming is her main pursuit and she has a chance at becoming a professional swimmer and entering the olympics. She loves swimming at night, in the sea, all alone, but three strange women have joined her. Penn, Thea and Lexi, they're attractive but neither Gemma or her sister Harper trust them. When Gemma joins Penn, Thea and Lexi partying she wakes the next morning feeling terrible, what have the three women done to her. Her life will change forever.I liked this one, the three women are a different sort of shapeshifter, interesting and complex and the choices Gemma makes are the hard ones. This could be a very good series.
    • 4/5
      Gemma has confidence and a love for the water. When boys begin going missing, Gemma's sister, Harper, forbids her to go on her nightly swims in the bay.

      The family dynamic stands out in this book. Harper has practically raised Gemma since their mother's accident. Both girls live with their father. He's not very present, unless something happens. He's guarded with this feelings, and you never really know how he is coping. The sisters are pretty close, and I admire their relationship.

      The creepy girls in town annoyed the hell out me, but also freaked me out. They are almost stalker-ish. They are used to getting what they want, and Gemma proves to be difficult for them.

      Daniel and Alex are the dominant male characters. Alex is worried about the sudden change in Gemma's character. Daniel keeps bugging Harper for a date. These are loyal guys and willing to do what they can to help the girls. Although, I wonder about Daniel's past and why he can resist the call.
      All in all, I did like this book, and will be picking up Lullaby. It's a great spin on mermaids. They aren't content all the time. They are deadly, and monsters. The only question left is, what will happen to Gemma?
    • 4/5
      Quite enjoyed this. Amanda Hocking has become a favorite of mine. Good for those wanting mythology based reads and some romance.
    • 3/5
      2.5 stars. It was OK but I found myself getting bored in parts.
    • 3/5
      I love Greek mythology, so I was really excited when I read the description for Wake. Sirens have always fascinated me, and I loved reading Hocking’s take on how and why they were created. While I loved the premise and the mythology in Wake, the story just left me wanting something more.The best part if Wake is definitely the plot. We all know there is something creepy about Penn, Lexi, and Thea from the prologue and everyone in the book knows it too. I loved watching Gemma flirt with danger as she continually goes out for midnight swims, despite the many warnings from everyone around her—but I couldn’t help asking myself “what the hell is she doing?”. I couldn’t relate to Gemma’s behavior at all, but it did make for an interesting story.Harper, Gemma’s sister, is my favorite character by far. She is very maternal and responsible, and I related to her most (must be a big sister thing). That said Harper did need to learn to take a chill pill, and I liked watching her grow.While Wake certainly had its positive points, there were two things missing that kept me from loving this story: mystery and romance. Yes, each of the sisters has a love interest. Neither of them sucked me in, however. It just didn’t have enough feeling to it. I don’t believe in their love the way I’d like to—it felt more like a plot point then a genuine love interest. As far as the mystery goes—we know that there are sirens going into the novel. We know that Penn, Lexi, and Thea are bad going into the story. We even know that Gemma develops supernatural qualities going into the story. There is nothing left to be surprised by! Although Wake is an enjoyable read, it just doesn’t sparkle. The plot is good, the characters are enjoyable, but it really needs some mystery and true romance to liven it up. If you are a Greek mythology fan, Hocking’s take on sirens will make this worth the read. I am hoping that this is one of those series that gets better as it continues and that we will be getting a deeper dive into mythology as the story progresses.
    • 3/5
      Gemma Fisher gets a rude "awakening" in this tale of cursed Sirens who need a new pod mate. It is a touch melodramatic, but given the content matter, that's a given. The characters are real, if not as fully developed as I'd like. My favorite character is the seaside bum, Daniel. I look forward to getting to know him better in Lullaby.
    • 4/5
      I have a thing for mermaid stories. I like them best when they are soulless and evil though, like the ones in Pirates of the Carribean. Maybe it all started with the Disney version of Peter Pan, I don't know, but that is one of my favorite movies of all time. I enjoy Hocking's books because although she writes in the supernatural type genre, she writes about something different than witches, ghosts, vampires, and werewolves. Her last book was about trolls, and now sirens. Huzzah Hocking!So, I was excited as I read this book because the mermaids are not really mermaids, they are sirens of myth. They are evil and heartless and to be honest were a little scarier than even I wanted! Their origin story was well done and interesting, but part of the story required that there always be four sirens, and for some reason that bothered me. I can't explain why, but it did. Irriational and a small thing, but there it is. It bugged me. Lol.The main characters of Gemma, Harper, Alex and Daniel was pretty good. I loved Harper and Daniel's story, and I was rooting for them the whole way. I kept expecting him to be something more than what he was, so we will see in book two of this series. Harper reminds me of myself in a way, how she takes care of her younger sibling. My brother is six years younger than me, and I took care of him a lot when he was younger and my mom was at work. So I totally can see where Harper is coming from. I loved Gemma and her dedication to her swimming, and her growing relationship to Alex, although in some parts the descriptions of Alex made me think he might be a little off. The big showdown was pretty cool, and a little sad. The ending of course was a cliffhanger, and now I have to wait until Winter 2013 to see what happens. I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to seeing what happens next.
    • 5/5
      This is an amazing story. Read under a few short hours, I am enthralled with the amazing characters and fast-pace plotline. What grabbed me about this book are the characters. Gemma is fastnating from the start. She is a smart girl with a lot going for her. She loves the water and feels the calm in her body as soon as she touches it. I like how her characters grows up fast. Even with the hard life that she has, she faces this situation a lot different then what I thought. The great part about this book are the point of view swtiches. I adore that the reader can get into the minds of both sisters as well as their love life. I like that the sisters had each other yet they had their own lives. I can totally relate to the older sister. Like her, I grew up fast and became a second mother to my brothers while growing up. Now, both love interest are right on track. Each sister had a love interest that fits them both. Both guys are great and kind. I'm hoping that there will be no love triangle. I think, it's perfect the way that it is. But with Ms. Hocking writing and what I've read before, I'm sure the next book will knock me out of the water! Wake is an great book to dive into. Wake is ravishing yet explosive. The thrill of the water, the history that propells the reader deeper, thrills me even more. A magical story that I love, Wake is awesome!
    • 3/5
      I just love mermaid stories. Make it a story about killer mermaids and I'm even more entranced. I had a lot of fun reading Wake by Amanda Hocking. While the plot didn't amaze me, I was intrigued. I hate to say this, but there is only so much you can do with a story about sirens. It was everything I expected it to be, and very little more. Now, don't take that the wrong way. I did enjoy it; it just didn't break the mold. Gemma was a decent character. She was strong and beautiful-- perfect bait for a gang of deadly sirens. I know the majority of the story focused on Gemma and her plight, but I was really more interested in Daniel. He was mysterious and fun. He had this aura of bad-boy swirling around him that had me hooked from the beginning. Alex was that "boy next door" kind of character, which worked well with being Gemma's love interest. Gemma's sister was also decent as far as foils go. Overall, the characters were all balanced out and did a nice job of supporting one another-- but I'm still team Daniel. What review of a book about mermaids would be complete without mentioning the main characters? These sirens were not all singing crabs and sunshine. These girls were hard-core. Penn is certainly the most vicious of the three. Talia came across as aloof and uninterested. I'm sure there will be more to that in future books. What I did enjoy about this book is that the focus really wasn't on sparkling mermaid tails. Yes, it was mentioned a few times, but not as much as you would think. There was certainly an underlying mystery that was more prevalent to the plot. The mythology that was subtly introduced was also used in a very clever way. I am curious to see how Gemma and the other unravel that mystery in future books. Overall, Wake was a fun read. It was quick and had enough romance to make it a page turner. (Very clean romance by the way.) I feel like this was a nice introduction to the upcoming books, which will probably have more plot twists in store.
    • 4/5
      I'm definitely liking Amanda Hocking's writing style- I'm going to keep watching for her. I'm curious about where this is going and I'm excited to see what will happen next. I'm curious about whether Gemma can get out of her situation.
    • 4/5
      For fans of Amanda Hocking's Trylle series, you might find Wake a little lacking of the magical charm she set in her other books, but Wake was still a tremendously wonderful read. In fact, right after I read it, I bought the second book, Lullaby, and read it that same day.

      In the goodreads description, all you hear about is Gemma, Gemma, Gemma, when, in actuality, Wake is about Gemma AND her sister, Harper. They are both the stars of this book. I was a fan of Harper (maybe because she reminds me of myself) rather than Gemma. Also, I am head-over-heels for her love interest Daniel (especially after Lullaby). Harper is responsible, kind, loving, and smart. When their Mother became unstable after a traumatic car crash, Harper became the head of the family, looking after her dad and sister.

      Just because I liked Harper better doesn't mean I didn't like Gemma. Gemma is also a wonderful character. She is brave and loyal and loves her family. Gemma goes out for night swims in the ocean, trains hard in the pool, and hopes to go to the olympics. She wants to avoid the creepy group of girls at all cost. Especially since the teenage boy disappearances could be linked to Penn and her crew. Alex, Gemma's neighbor is a good character, but wasn't as interesting as Daniel. But at least he seemed real, unlike some characters in books. Amanda Hocking is truly good at making her characters come alive.

      The town Harper and Gemma live in is well developed. We see a lot of it and it's people. Harper works at the library with her friend, Gemma swims at the pool, Daniel lives on a boat at the dock and their Dad works near there, across the street from the library is Pearl's diner where Harper and Daniel eat lunch, Briar Ridge, the group home their mother stays at, and the bay where Gemma takes her night swims. I feel right at home in the town in Wake.

      Wake was a tad slow. "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 - Goodreads" This scene happens when we are already halfway done with the book!

      The book is well written and funny! Here is one of my favorite excerpts:

      “I didn’t actually mean for you to keep apologizing. I know it was an accident.”
      “I know, but…” She shook her head. “I didn’t even properly thank you for helping out my sister, and then I attacked you with your own ice cream.”
      “That’s true. You are a menace and must be stopped.”
      “I know you’re teasing, but I feel bad.”
      “No, I’m dead serious. I should report you for your abhorrent behavior,” Daniel said with a straight face, telling her the same thing she’d told him the day before.
      “Now you’re making me feel worse.” Harper looked down at her shoes and balled up the wet napkins in her hands.
      “That’s my plan,” Daniel said. “I like to guilt pretty girls into going out with me.”
      “Smooth.” Harper narrowed her eyes at him, unsure if he was kidding or not.
      “That’s what the ladies tell me.” He grinned at her, and his hazel eyes had a gleam to them.”

      He is kinda aggravating, huh? I, like Harper, didn't like him at all until that scene. But after that... well... *swoon*

      Well, I really thought Wake was wonderful. Not as wonderful as the Trylle series but still wonderful. Next I am going to read her Vampire series.(My blood approves)

      4/5 stars
    • 5/5
      Oh my gosh, I am not even sure where to begin with this one. First of all, the cover art is absolutely amazing. I know they say you should not judge a book by it's cover, but with this one, you almost cannot help it. It is almost as if the cover has it's own siren song of sorts, and it calls out to you and you cannot ignore the amazing look and feel of the book and the pages!

      I know that sounds dorky and I really try not to get all fangirl when reading and reviewing books. I try to remain objective. With this particular author, that is really hard for me because I just really love her books and I am inspired by her as an author, as well.

      Wake is so completely different than anything else you have ever read. The story is gripping and when you begin to read and get into the meat of it, you will not be able to walk away. I found myself stealing time from other activities just to read a few more pages.

      Wake brings us a unique, entirely original type of novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat and almost gasping for breath at the turns and twists the story takes.

      What seems like a simple small bay town holds a very deep, dark secret and no one could have seen it coming, especially not Gemma. But when she gets sucked into the mysterious world she never knew existed, you will find your heart pounding, and your head shaking with "What the Hell just happened?"

      My regular readers know I always comment on the editing. I found exactly 2 little tiny errors in this one, omitted little connector words. Even for a traditionally published work, I usually find more than that, so Kudos to Ms. Hocking and whoever her editor is at St. Martin's!

      In short, if you have not yet read this book, you need to. If you are a fan of young adult fantasy novels, mythology, strange tales, this is the book for you. Fair warning, though, if you are on the sensitive side, there are a few instances of swear words, so be prepared for that!

      In summary, I love this book, and think you will, too.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book (Wake) and read it in one sitting. It ended too quick for me. I wanted to read more. There is a cliff-hanger at the end that has made me wish that winter of 2013 was tomorrow so I can keep on reading. (That's when the second book in the series comes out.) "Wake" leaves you wondering who you can confide in and what sacrifice really means. Love, death, craziness and the supernatural is very real for Gemma, a 16 yr old girl who now is forced to belive in amazing and evil girls because they are all she can turn to for answers and survival. I want to know what happens to her next and does she get a HEA? Amanda Hocking is a great story-teller and I will be looking into reading her other series.
    • 4/5
      Interesting new twist to the entire siren tale. It was an enjoyable read but not one of my favorites by Amanda Hocking. It was kind of slow going and left us hanging for the next book because there wasn't really any closure. The sirens are C R E E P Y. Yes, I will definitely read the next in this series but all in all I found this was an easy, entertaining read with lot of potential to come. 3 1/2 Stars!
    • 5/5
      Having read and enjoyed Hocking's Trylle trilogy, I was curious to see what her next series was about. Wake is an intriguing siren story, and I can't wait for the second book, Lullaby, to release in 2013.Wake is about two sisters, Harper and Gemma.After a car accident leaves their mother unable to live at home, Harper finds herself feeling responsible for both Gemma and their father, Brian. She doesn't socialize much. She's focused on working, preparing fro college, and her family. She isn't one for going out, or even dating. Gemma, on the other hand, is on the swim team at her high school. And Gemma, unlike Harper, manages to find time for a love life - something that will nearly destroy her in the end. At the beginning of the story, both girls seem like typical teens. Until one night, when Gemma heads out for her nightly swim, and she doesn't make it back.When Harper finds Gemma at the bay the next morning, she isn't sure what happened, but she knows that the "creepy girls" (Penn, Thea and Lexi) are somehow involved.The ending of Wake will leave you desperate for the second book.The final scene between Harper and Gemma is heartbreaking, and I can't wait to see what Harper does next.Like I said, I'm a fan of Hocking's Trylle trilogy, so I was incredibly excited to get my hands on a copy of Wake. She has a knack for creating a world that readers are able to easily lose themselves in, and Wake is no exception. Had it not been for a cold, I would have devoured this book in one setting.Thank you to St.Martin's Griffin for sending me an ARC for review.
    • 4/5
      I’ve been wanting to read something by Amanda Hocking for a while now and within the first month of 2013 I bought four of her books. I wasn’t sure where to start but I was in the mood for Wake. So I grabbed it off my shelf and read the while book in a day.It’s not a very long book and because the story is so good I just didn’t want to stop reading. I enjoyed Wake so much. I’m not sure why I’m only giving it four stars because I can’t think of a single thing I disliked. I really, really liked it. I just didn’t love it and I wish I knew why that is.Please pick up this book if you haven’t yet. I know I will be picking up the next book in this series, Lullaby. I will also be starting Switched, the first book in Hockings Trylle Trilogy very soon.
    • 4/5
      This is the first book in Hocking's Watersong series, and it's mostly about a girl called Gemma. She's a brilliant swimmer and local beauty (the natural lovely kind, not a primped and preened prima donna) who loves nothing more than taking off for nighttime swims in the bay, marvelling at the stars and basking in the ocean waves. Of late she has found her moonlit peace disturbed by the town's newest residents: three hypnotically stunning young women who take to the deserted beach at night to sing and dance by firelight. Found dishevelled and alone on the sand one morning, Gemma knows only that she was invited to join Penn, Lexie and Thea on the beach the previous night, and something is now different. Who are the girls? How will all this affect her growing relationship with the boy next door? Meanwhile, her older sister Harper is battling a local beach bum while trying to keep one eye on Gemma's safety, and the community is rocked as several local boys disappear without a trace... As you may have guessed by now, this is a novel about sirens, which is one of the things that attracted me to it in the first place. I really enjoyed the siren mythology, explained to Gemma by the girls during another night by the fire on the beach, and the way the less savoury elements of their story are gradually revealed, much to Gemma's horror. The siren plot made a nice change from the usual 'paranormal trinity' of vampires, angels and shifters! The characters aren't massively fleshed out - the focus is more on the plot and mythology, at least in this first book - but I very much liked Daniel, Harper's dockside nemesis, who lives on his boat and delights in teasing her at every opportunity. The relationship between Harper and Gemma was quite realistic, and convincing enough to have me welling up at least once as Harper blindly fought to help her sister. I found the description quite repetitive at times (it's very obvious that something's amiss from the first appearance of the sirens) but seeing the various elements of their mythology coming together kept me turning the pages. After some of the recent novels I've read, one thing I DID appreciate was the fact that it was refreshingly typo-free, although I did spot a stray 'who's' instead of 'whose' at one point, which is a silly mistake. All in all it was a good fluffy YA read, perfect for summer reading at the beach or by the pool. It felt right to be reading it on holiday, by water, stopping for the occasional dip every now and again! The end of the novel paved the way nicely for the (presumably more brutal) books to come, and since I got home I've already bought the three remaining Watersong novels: Lullaby, Tidal and Elegy. I want to delve deeper into the sirens' mythological history, find out what's next for Gemma, and see how Harper fares trying to rescue her sister from the sirens' clutches...
    • 3/5
      It begins with a boringnarration and the thrillingpart just started almost in themiddle of the story.If you're thinking that thiswhole thing has to do aboutmermaids. Sort of, but its not.They call themselves 'sirens'.Sirens are greek mythologicalcreatures who were oncehuman but cursed by agoddess. They are shape-shifters, they can turn into amermaid with those sharpteeths, or turn into a giantbird, and back to humanform. But what they eat?Humans.I have read all Rick Riordan'sgreek mythology books. Andit seems that sirens are neverappeared or somehow aren'temphasized in his works (Imsorry because Rick'scharacters have alreadyencountered gazillion ofmonsters, so I can'tremember them all). SoWAKE caught my attention.I somehow liked how thestory went. It was just thatthere were some cliche partslike a group of perfect hotgirls came to your place outof nowhere. And mysteriouscrimes started to happen. Andif I were just a little girlmaybe I could appreciate thelove teams between Gemmaand Alex, and Harper andDaniel. It was not thatappealing. I just didn't find itromantic at all.This was not that bad.Just that it didn't excite my interest. But it still a good book.
    • 3/5
      Review courtesy of All Things Urban FantasySelf-published phenom Amanda Hocking launches her first traditionally published series with WAKE, book one in the Watersong series. This times she sets her sights on beautiful but deadly sirens.The general plot of WAKE reminded me a lot of The Lost Boys movie. Single parent siblings living in a resort town. One falls in with a mysterious and dangerous crowd, is unknowingly changed and harshly inducted into their world. The other sibling notices changes and seeks out more knowledgeable friends to rescue said sibling and destroy the others. Pretty familiar right? Of course there there are numerous key differences that make the similarities fun instead of rehashed like the fact that it features sisters not brothers, sirens not vampires, and sources it’s mythology back to Poseidon. But WAKE could well be titled THE LOST GIRLS.Aside from the plot, which I enjoyed, I was a little underwhelmed by the generic writing, especially in the beginning. The POV jumps back and forth between the sisters without any visual indicators so at times I’d have to reread sections when I realized there’d been a switch. Also, the plot takes awhile to get going so a lot of the early scenes drag. Once the girls hone in on Gemma and the siren mythology comes into play, the pacing increased dramatically which made the writing issues less noticeable.As the first in a planned series, WAKE doesn’t attempt to resolve it’s storyline by the end, rather it sets up the clear focus of the next book in the Watersong series which is titled LULLABY and will be published on November 27th 2012 by St. Martin’s Griffin. I love stories that incorporate Greek Mythology, so I may be back for more.Sexual Content:Kissing. Mythological story with references to rape.
    • 2/5
      Being a long time fan of Hocking's work, I really wanted to love WAKE. But, this one didn't connect with me as her previous books have. While I could easily follow the flow of the book, I never connected with the characters or the sense of urgency I'm sure was meant to be present with the 'mean girls' and the changes the main character undergoes. I felt as if I was just reading a framework of the story, but I never actually found myself 'living' in the book's world. The concept of adding mythology as a tie in was an interesting take. I know I won't like every book I read, and I do still remain a fan and stand by the previous reviews for previous titles. WAKE just wasn't one for me this go around. I would still recommend fans and new readers give it a try for themselves, especially if you are merfolk/myth fan.

    Book preview

    Wake - Amanda Hocking

    PROLOGUE

    Ours

    Even over the sea, Thea could smell the blood on her. When she breathed in, it filled her with a familiar hunger that haunted her dreams. Except now it disgusted her, leaving a horrible taste in her mouth, because she knew where it came from.

    Is it done? she asked. She stood on the rocky shore, staring over the sea, her back to her sister.

    You know it is, Penn said. Although Penn was angry, her voice still kept its seductive edge, that alluring texture she could never completely erase. No thanks to you.

    Thea glanced back over her shoulder at Penn. Even in the dull light of the moon, Penn’s black hair glistened, and her tanned skin seemed to glow. Fresh from eating, she looked even more beautiful than she had a few hours before.

    A few droplets of blood splattered Thea’s clothes, but Penn had mostly been spared from it, except for her right hand. It was stained crimson up to her elbow.

    Thea’s stomach rolled with both hunger and disgust, and she turned away again.

    Thea. Penn sighed and walked over to her. You know it had to be done.

    Thea didn’t say anything for a moment. She just listened to the way the ocean sang to her, the watersong calling for her.

    I know, Thea said finally, hoping her words didn’t betray her true feelings. But the timing is awful. We should’ve waited.

    I couldn’t wait anymore, Penn insisted, and Thea wasn’t sure if that was true or not. But Penn had made a decision, and Penn always got what she wanted.

    We don’t have much time. Thea gestured to the moon, nearly full above them, then looked over at Penn.

    I know. But I already told you, I’ve had my eye on someone. Penn smiled widely at her, showing her razor-sharp teeth. And it won’t be long before she’s ours.

    ONE

    Midnight Swim

    The engine made a bizarre chugging sound, like a dying robot llama, followed by an ominous click-click. Then silence. Gemma turned the key harder, hoping that would somehow breathe life into the old Chevy, but it wouldn’t even chug anymore. The llama had died.

    You have got to be kidding me, Gemma said, and cursed under her breath.

    She’d worked her butt off to pay for this car. Between the long hours she spent training at the pool and keeping up on her schoolwork, she had little time for a steady job. That had left her stuck babysitting the horrible Tennenmeyer boys. They put gum in her hair and poured bleach on her favorite sweater.

    But she’d toughed it out. Gemma had been determined to get a car when she turned sixteen, even if that meant dealing with the Tennenmeyers. Her older sister, Harper, had gotten their father’s old car as a hand-me-down. Harper had offered to let Gemma drive it, but she had declined.

    Mainly, Gemma needed her own car because neither Harper nor her father readily approved of her late-night swims at Anthemusa Bay. They didn’t live far from the bay, but the distance wasn’t what bothered her family. It was the late-night part—and that was the thing that Gemma craved most.

    Out there, under the stars, the water seemed like it went on forever. The bay met the sea, which in turn met the sky, and it all blended together like she was floating in an eternal loop. There was something magical about the bay at night, something that her family couldn’t seem to understand.

    Gemma tried the key one more time, but it only elicited the same empty clicking sound from her car. Sighing, she leaned forward and stared out at the moonlit sky through the cracked windshield. It was getting late, and even if she left on foot right now, she wouldn’t get back from her swim until almost midnight.

    That wouldn’t be a huge problem, but her curfew was eleven. Starting off the summer being grounded on top of having a dead car was the last thing she wanted. Her swim would have to wait for another night.

    She got out of the car. When she tried to slam the door shut in frustration, it only groaned, and a chunk of rust fell off the bottom.

    This is by far the worst three hundred dollars I ever spent, Gemma muttered.

    Car trouble? Alex asked from behind her, startling her so much she nearly screamed. Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.

    She turned around to face him. No, it’s okay, she said, waving it off. I didn’t hear you come out.

    Alex had lived next door to them for the past ten years, and there was nothing scary about him. As he got older, he’d tried to smooth out his unruly dark hair, but a lock near the front always stood up, a cowlick he could never tame. It made him look younger than eighteen, and when he smiled, he looked younger still.

    There was something innocent about him, and that was probably why Harper had never thought of him as anything more than a friend. Even Gemma had dismissed him as uncrushworthy until recently. She’d seen the subtle changes in him, his youthfulness giving way to broad shoulders and strong arms.

    It was that new thing, the new manliness he was beginning to grow into, that made her stomach flutter when Alex smiled at her. She still wasn’t used to feeling that way around him, so she pushed it down and tried to ignore it.

    The stupid piece of junk won’t run. Gemma gestured to the rusty compact and stepped over to where Alex stood on his lawn. I’ve only had it for three months, and it’s dead already.

    I’m sorry to hear that, Alex said. Do you need help?

    You know something about cars? Gemma raised an eyebrow. She had seen him spend plenty of time playing video games or with his nose stuck in a book, but she’d never once seen him under the hood of a car.

    Alex smiled sheepishly and lowered his eyes. He had been blessed with tan skin, which made it easier for him to hide his embarrassment, but Gemma knew him well enough to understand that he blushed at almost anything.

    No, he admitted with a small laugh and motioned back to the driveway where his blue Mercury Cougar sat. But I do have a car of my own.

    He pulled his keys out of his pocket and swung them around his finger. For a moment he managed to look slick before the keys flew off his hand and hit him in the chin. Gemma stifled a laugh as he scrambled to pick them up.

    You okay?

    Uh, yeah, I’m fine. He rubbed his chin and shrugged it off. So, do you want a ride?

    Are you sure? It’s pretty late. I don’t want to bother you.

    Nah, it’s no bother. He stepped back toward his car, waiting for Gemma to follow. Where are you headed?

    Just to the bay.

    I should’ve known. He grinned. Your nightly swim?

    "It’s not nightly," Gemma said, though he wasn’t too far off base.

    Come on. Alex walked over to the Cougar and opened his door. Hop in.

    All right, if you insist.

    Gemma didn’t like imposing on people, but she didn’t want to pass up a chance at swimming. A car ride alone with Alex wouldn’t hurt, either. Usually she only got to spend time with him when he was hanging out with her sister.

    So what is it about these swims that you find so entrancing? Alex asked after she’d gotten in the car.

    I don’t think I’d ever describe them as entrancing. She buckled her seat belt, then leaned back. I don’t know what it is exactly. There’s just … nothing else like it.

    What do you mean? Alex asked. He’d started the car but stayed parked in the driveway, watching her as she tried to explain.

    During the day there are so many people at the bay, especially during the summer, but at night … it’s just you and the water and the stars. And it’s dark, so it all feels like one thing, and you’re part of it all. She furrowed her brow, but her smile was wistful. I guess it is kind of entrancing, she admitted. She shook her head, clearing it of the thought. I don’t know. Maybe I’m just a freak who likes swimming at night.

    That was when Gemma realized Alex was staring at her, and she glanced over at him. He had a strange expression on his face, almost like he was dumbfounded.

    What? Gemma asked, beginning to feel embarrassed at the way he looked at her. She fidgeted with her hair, tucking it behind her ears, and shifted in her seat.

    Nothing. Sorry. Alex shook his head and put the car in drive. You probably want to get out to the water.

    I’m not in a huge rush or anything, Gemma said, but that was sort of a lie. She wanted to get as much time in the water as she could before her curfew.

    Are you still training? Alex asked. Or did you stop for summer vacation?

    Nope, I still train. She rolled down the car window, letting the salty air blow in. I swim every day at the pool with the coach. He says my times are getting really good.

    At the pool you swim all day, and then you want to sneak out and swim all night? Alex smirked. How does that work?

    It’s different. She stuck her arm out the open window, holding it straight like the wing of a plane. Swimming at the pool, it’s all laps and time. It’s work. Out in the bay, it’s just floating and splashing around.

    But don’t you ever get sick of being wet? Alex asked.

    "Nope. That’s like asking you, Don’t you ever get sick of breathing air?"

    "As a matter of fact, I do. Sometimes I think, Wouldn’t it be grand if I didn’t need to breathe?"

    Why? Gemma laughed. Why would that ever be grand?

    I don’t know. He looked self-conscious for a minute, his smile twisting nervously. I guess I mostly thought it when I was in gym class and they’d make me run or something. I was always so out of breath.

    Alex glanced over at her, as if checking to see if she thought he was a complete loser for that admission. But she only smiled at him in response.

    You should’ve spent more time swimming with me, Gemma said. Then you wouldn’t have been so out of shape.

    I know, but I’m a geek. He sighed. At least I’m done with all that gym stuff now that I’ve graduated.

    Soon you’ll be so busy at college, you won’t even remember the horrors of high school, Gemma said, her tone turning curiously despondent.

    Yeah, I guess. Alex furrowed his brow.

    Gemma leaned closer to the window, hanging her elbow down the side and resting her chin on her hand as she stared out at houses and trees passing by. In their neighborhood, the houses were all cheap and run-down, but as soon as they passed Capri Lane, everything was clean and modern.

    Since it was tourist season, all the buildings and trees were lit up brightly. Music from the bars and the sounds of people talking and laughing wafted through the air.

    Are you excited to get away from all this? Gemma asked with a wry smile and pointed to a drunken couple arguing on the boulevard.

    There is some stuff I’ll be glad to get away from, he admitted, but when he looked over at her, his expression softened. But there will definitely be some things that I miss.

    The beach was mostly deserted, other than a few teenagers having a bonfire, and Gemma directed Alex to drive a little farther. The soft sand gave way to more jagged rocks lining the shore, and the paved parking lots were replaced by a forest of bald cypress trees. He parked on a dirt road as close to the water as he could get.

    This far away from the tourist attractions, there were no people or trails leading to the water. When Alex cut the lights on the Cougar, they were submerged in darkness. The only light came from the moon above them, and from some light pollution cast off by the town.

    Is this really where you swim? Alex asked.

    Yeah. It’s the best place to do it. She shrugged and opened the door.

    But it’s all rocky. Alex got out of the car and scanned the mossy stones that covered the ground. It seems dangerous.

    That’s the point. Gemma grinned. Nobody else would swim here.

    As soon as she got out of the car, she slipped off her sundress, revealing the bathing suit she wore underneath. Her dark hair had been in a ponytail, but she pulled it down and shook it loose. She kicked off her flip-flops and tossed them in the car, along with her dress.

    Alex stood next to the car, shoving his hands deep in his pockets, and tried not to look at her. He knew she was wearing a bathing suit, one he’d seen her in a hundred times before. Gemma practically lived in swimwear. But alone with her like this, he felt acutely aware of how she looked in the bikini.

    Of the two Fisher sisters, Gemma was definitely the prettier. She had a lithe swimmer’s body, petite and slender, but curved in all the right places. Her skin was bronze from the sun, and her dark hair had golden highlights running through it from all the chlorine and sunlight. Her eyes were honey, not that he could really see the color in the dim light, but they sparkled when she smiled at him.

    Aren’t you going swimming? Gemma asked.

    Uh, no. He shook his head and deliberately stared off at the bay to avoid looking at her. I’m good. I’ll wait in the car until you’re done.

    "No, you drove me all the way down here. You can’t just wait in the car. You have to come swimming with me."

    Nah, I think I’m okay. He scratched his arm and lowered his eyes. You go have fun.

    Alex, come on. Gemma pretended to pout. I bet you’ve never even gone for a swim in the moonlight. And you’re leaving for college at the end of the summer. You have to do this at least once, or you haven’t really lived.

    I don’t have swim trunks, Alex said, but his resistance was already waning.

    Just wear your boxers.

    He thought about protesting further, but Gemma had a point. She was always doing stuff like this, but he’d spent most of his high school career in his bedroom.

    Besides, swimming would be better than waiting. And when he thought about it, it was much less creepy joining her swimming than watching her from the shore.

    Fine, but I better not cut my feet on any of the rocks, Alex said as he slipped off his shoes.

    I promise to keep you safe and sound. She crossed her hand over her heart to prove it.

    I’ll hold you to that.

    He pulled his shirt up over his head, and it was exactly as Gemma had imagined. His gangly frame had filled out with toned muscles that she didn’t completely understand, since he was a self-professed geek.

    When he started to undo his pants, Gemma turned away to be polite. Even though she would see him in his boxers in a few seconds, it felt strange watching him take off his jeans. As if it were dirty.

    So how do we get down to the water? Alex asked.

    Very carefully.

    She went first, stepping delicately onto the rocks, and he knew he wouldn’t stand a chance of copying her grace. She moved like a ballerina, stepping on the balls of her feet from one smooth rock to the next until she reached the water.

    There are a few sharp stones when you step in the water, Gemma warned him.

    Thanks for the heads-up, he mumbled and moved with as much caution as he could. Following her path, which she’d made look so easy, proved to be rather treacherous, and he stumbled several times.

    Don’t rush it! You’ll be fine if you go slow.

    I’m trying.

    To his own surprise, he managed to make it to the water without slicing open his foot. Gemma smiled proudly at him as she waded out deeper into the bay.

    Aren’t you scared? Alex asked.

    Of what? She’d gone far enough into the water to lean back and swim, kicking her legs out in front of her.

    I don’t know. Sea monsters or something. The water is so dark. You can’t see anything. Alex was now in a little over waist-deep, and truthfully, he didn’t want to go any farther.

    There’s no sea monsters. Gemma laughed and splashed water at him. To encourage him to have fun, she decided to challenge him. I’ll race you to the rock over there.

    What rock?

    That one. She pointed to a giant gray spike of a rock that stuck out of the water a few yards from where they swam.

    You’ll beat me to it, he said.

    I’ll give you a head start, Gemma offered.

    How much?

    Um … five seconds.

    Five seconds? Alex seemed to weigh this. I guess maybe I could— Instead of finishing his thought, he dove into the water, swimming fast.

    I’m already giving you a head start! Gemma called after him, laughing. You don’t need to cheat!

    Alex swam as furiously as he could, but it wasn’t long before Gemma was flying past him. She was unstoppable in the water, and he’d honestly never seen anything faster than her. In the past, he’d gone with Harper to swim meets at the school, and there had rarely been one where Gemma didn’t win.

    I won! Gemma declared when she reached the rock.

    As if there was ever any doubt. Alex swam up next to her and hung on to the rock to support himself. His breath was still short, and he wiped the salty water from his eyes. That was hardly a fair fight.

    Sorry. She smiled. Gemma wasn’t anywhere near as winded as Alex was, but she leaned onto the rock next to him.

    For some reason, I don’t think you really mean that, Alex said in mock offense.

    His hand slipped off the rock, and when he reached out to steady himself again, he accidentally put his hand over Gemma’s. His first instinct was to pull it back in some kind of hasty embarrassment, but the second before he did, he changed his mind.

    Alex let his hand linger over hers, both of them cool and wet. Her smile had changed, turning into something fonder, and for a moment neither of them said anything. They hung on to the rock like that for a moment longer, the only sound the water lapping around them.

    Gemma would’ve been content to sit with Alex like that, but light exploded in the cove behind him, distracting her. The small cove was at the mouth of the bay, just before it met the ocean, about a quarter mile from where Gemma and Alex floated.

    Alex followed her gaze. A moment later, laughter sounded over the water and he pulled his hand away from hers.

    A fire flared inside the cove, the light flickering across the three dancing figures that fanned it. From this far away, it was difficult to get a clear view of what they were doing, but it was obvious who they were by the way they moved. Everyone in town knew of them, even if nobody really seemed to know them personally.

    It’s those girls, Alex said—softly, as if the girls would overhear him from the cove.

    The three girls were dancing with elegance and grace. Even their shadows, looming on the rock walls around them, seemed sensual in their movements.

    What are they doing out here? Alex asked.

    I don’t know. Gemma shrugged, continuing to stare at them, unabashed. They’ve been coming out here more and more. They seem to like hanging out in that cove.

    Huh, Alex said. She looked back at him and saw his brow furrowed in

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