pamelaokramer

"Wake" by Amanda Hocking is a young adult fantasy that combines several popular themes like Greek mythology, vampire-like tendencies, romance, and family problems. This book grabs the reader from the first page and doesn't let up until the (rather cliffhanger) ending.

Amanda Hocking, she of self-publishing fame, is seeing her new series, the "Watersong" trilogy, published through more traditional methods, St Martin's Griffin. "Wake" will be widely enjoyed by her current fans and is also sure to garner her even more loyal readers.

In "Wake," the main character, Gemma, loves to swim. She is on the swim team, but that's not enough. At night, she goes to the ocean to swim even more. Her older sister, Harper, worries about Gemma. Harper has taken the role of "big sister" very seriously since their mother doesn't live at home after an accident incapacitated her.

Their father works hard but tends to be emotionally distant. Although the girls visit their mother every weekend, he does not. Harper's best friend, their next-door neighbor, Alex, starts to show a more-than-friendly interest in Gemma which is reciprocated.

In their resort town, there are three visitors who stand out. As beautiful as movie stars, these girls dress provocatively and seem to entrance those they meet. Crowds part to make way for them and Gemma is not immune to their magic.

Read the whole review at: http://www.examiner.com/review/wake-by-amanda-hocking-is-a-compelling-new-ya-fantasy