Wake

By: Amanda Hocking

Narrated by: Nicola Barber

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.

Critic reviews

<p>“[Wake] will please fans and likely win new ones…the well-structured story and strong characters carry readers.” —<i>Publishers Weekly</i><br><br>“Filled with mysteries, realistic characters and lots of action…<i>Wake</i> is the next great book. A worthwhile read.” —<i>RT BOOKREVIEWS</i><br><br>“…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.” —<i>A Cupcake and a Latte</i><br><br>“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, <i>Wake</i> is awesome!” —<i>Books with Bite</i><br><br>“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 <i>Watersong</i>.” —<i>Fallen Angel Reviews</i><br><br>“<i>Wake</i> is an exciting new beginning to a much anticipated series.” —<i>Boekie's Book Reviews</i></p>

The Narrator is the death of this book

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The Narrator is simply awful...she sounds like a birth control/feminine hygiene commercial narrator with her perpetual "questioning" tone. It's just annoying, and they had her do the second book as well. Big disappointment. She also makes all the guys sound like Mr Ed.

Would you ever listen to anything by Amanda Hocking again?

Amanda Hocking is amazing. I loved all her other series. This one almost makes me think it was written by someone else. I just don't feel her in it at all. Maybe it was just the horrible narration that threw me off, but it just felt like it came from a different writer. The story is not that bad, even though other reviews say it is. I think the weak characters and narration is what killed it for a lot of people. But they are just blaming the storyline because they just can't quiet put there finger on it.

How could the performance have been better?

Better narrator, someone that can make the characters sound more their age and "cooler" like in My Blood Approves

Could you see Wake being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Maybe....with a good screen writer

great book

I loved it!! This book was great! I am definitely going to be getting the next book in this seires.

awful narration

The narrator was SO whiney. The story was fine, exactly what one would expect from young adult fiction about mermaids. But, it was genuinely difficult to listen to.

Performance felt young

I read the reviews before choosing this book and several reviews commented on how young the book is. I realized after listening to the book, it isn't the story, it's the narrator. The narrator tries very hard to add in voices and make an enjoyable listening experience. However, I felt as though I was listening to a book for small children. Keep in mind that the characters are 18 and 16. Many times I found myself being pulled out of the story due to the performance. It was unbelievable that the characters would talk like children. The narration is so distracting that I had a difficult time following the story line. Very disappointing.

Just ok

I think I’m just too old to enjoy a story like this. I probably would have loved it as a teenager, but it was just a little too far fetched for me.