Tidal by Amanda Hocking (#3 in the Watersong Quartet)

Original Title: Tidal

Year Published: 2013

Published by: St Martin's Press

Number of Pages: 342

First Sentence: "Gemma loved the way it felt when he kissed her, and his mouth was hungry and eager on hers."

Goodreads Rating: 4/5

Plot:

he magical world of Watersong is about to change forever. The answers Gemma and her friends have been searching for are finally revealed - but evil is closing in and time is running out....

Gemma and Harper Fisher are facing the fight of their lives. Gemma has been cursed with extraordinary powers that have a terrifying dark side, but she's finally found what she needs - a way to break the curse and become human again. However, finding the means to do it will be her greatest challenge yet. And now Penn, Lexi, and Thea - the gorgeous but deadly creatures who cursed her - are determined to kill her before she has a chance. Making matters worse, Penn has her sights set on Daniel - the guy Harper loves - and Penn always gets what she wants.

As Gemma and Harper race to break the curse before it's too late, they're thrust deeper into a mythical world of immortal secrets. They must look into their enemies' past to find the answers they need, even if it means being drawn deeper into their savagely beautiful world. But one of the girls is not what she seems...and Gemma finds an unlikely ally as she struggles to save herself. Will it be enough to break an ancient curse that no one has ever escaped from alive?

My thoughts:

I really liked it. It is a little slow at times, but it is still an entertaining read.

Gemma finally discovers a way to win over the sirens, now all she has do to is find the object needed, which turns out to be easier said than done. She is also still struggling with her siren side and the hunger that is slowly growing inside her. She is also trying to get over Alex, which is proving to be extremely difficult. Especially since he is acting so very different after their break-up.

Harper is struggling with her need to protect Gemma and her desire to go to college. She is also still on the fence when it comes her feelings for Daniel. Daniel is just so lovable, and we also finally find out the reason to why he is immune to the siren song.

We get to know a lot more about the sirens and their background which was really interesting and explained some of their behaviour.

The tension between the sirens and Gemma does reach a breaking point in this book which leads to a surprising conclusion.

I have to be honest and say that I probably liked this book as much as I did because I was already so invested in the characters. I can easily see why people who say they dislike it do so. However, for me it was still a good read.

Do I recommend it?

Well, yes but it is the third in a series, so if anything I do recommend the first book. If you've already read the first two then sure, go ahead and read this one as well.

Lullaby by Amanda Hocking (#2 in the Watersong Quartet)

Original Title: Lullaby

Year Published: 2012

Published by: St Martins Press

Number of Pages: 200

First Sentence: "Harper woke up when the sun was just beginning to set, and squinted at the dim orange light streaming in through her curtains."

Goodreads Rating: 4/5

Plot:

Harper only wanted a safe, normal life. But when her younger sister Gemma runs off with a dangerous clique of beautiful girls, Penn, Thea, and Lexi, everything changes. Vowing to get her sister back no matter what the cost, Harper must face dangers unlike any she's ever experienced. Fortunately, she has Daniel by her side, a gorgeous guy who's devoted to helping her find her sister—and who's immune to the girls' dark powers. 

While Harper searches for her sister, Gemma struggles to adjust to her new life.  Gemma's powers are growing by the day, and the longer she lives with her new "sisters," the harder it is to resist entering their magical world.  It's a realm both dark and beautiful, and where she's plagued by strange hungers and unspeakable needs.  Just as she's drifting far away from her old life,  Harper and Daniel find her...but no one can deny how much she's changed.  All she wants is to return to her family and the mortal world, but how can she do that when she's become something else entirely—and will they still love her once they learn the truth?

My thoughts:

The book picks up just where the first one left off. Gemma has left to be with the sirens and Harper is devastated. She does everything in her power to try and find her sister. She gets help from both Alex and Daniel, and then from a somewhat unexpected source. Harper also struggles with her feelings for Daniel, who just keeps surprising her. 

Gemma on the other hand struggles with being a siren. She refuses to enjoy her enhanced abilities which have led to her being quite ill.  She is afraid that she will lose her humanity if she gives in to her siren urges. 

It also turns out that one of the sirens isn't as bad as she first seemed and the other two are even worse than they first seemed. We also get to know a little bit more about the myth around sirens as Hocking sees them. I really like the way she has written the sirens and developed the idea around them. 

I really liked this book. It was a great continuation of the first book, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest.

Do I recommend it?

Yes I do!

Wake by Amanda Hocking (#1 of the Watersong series)

Original Title: Wake

Year Published: 2012

Published by: St Martin's Press

Number of Pages: 309

First Sentences: "Even over the sea, Thea could smell the blood on her."

Goodreads Rating: 4/5

Plot (taken from goodreads): 

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.

My thoughts:

I loved this book. I'd started reading it once before, but couldn't get into it then. This time, I devoured it in just a few hours. The writing was great, the story as well and the characters were well thought through. It is one mighty build-up for the rest of the series, but it is still a great story. 

So the sleeve is a little misleading when it comes to the narrator. It seems like its only Gemma, but it actually switches between her and her older sister, Harper. However, Gemma is the one who gets turned into this mermaid like creature. Gemma is an avid swimmer and loves the ocean. It is the reason why the three mysterious girls are attracted to her in the first place. I liked Gemma, because athough she can seem slightly selfish, she is very aware of her flaws and how her behaviour affect others. She also cares very much for the people around her and will go out of her way to protect them. 

Harper is the quieter older sister who loves reading books and is working at the towns library. After their mother was in a car accident, Harper has taken over the responsibilities of the home as well as looking out for her sister. She is much more responsible and logical then her sister, and a lot less adventurous. Harper is also very easy to like, although her overprotectiveness can be a little too much sometimes. At the same time tht makes her endearing.

Alex is the boy next door and a very likable guy. He and Gemma develops feeling for each other during the course of the novel although they both know that Alex is moving away to college soon, and then Gemma's secret puts  a strain on the relationship. 

Speaking of love interests, we have Daniel. He is slighly older than Harper, lives on a boat, seemingly very unresponsible and Harper can't stand him. He however turns out to not be as bad as she first thinks and she has to readjust to this nicer side of him. He is also he only one who isn't impressed or affected by the three mysterious girls who have moved to the island. Daniel is amazing and a proper good guy. You will love him. 

And let's not forget the fact that young men are disappearing from the town. Nobody knows where they go or why they have disappeared. Could they be connected to the three mysterious girls?

Do I recommend it?

Yes I do. It's a really good book, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. 

Ascend by Amanda Hocking (#3 of the Trylle Trilogy)

Original Title: Ascend          

Year Published: 2012

Published By: St Martin’s Press, New York

Number of Pages: 295

First Sentence: “I had my back to the room as I stared out the window.”

Goodreads Rating: 4/5

Plot (taken from Goodreads):

Wendy Everly can barely remember what it was like to feel like a normal girl. She'd wished for her life to be different but everything is so much more complicated than she'd expected. And she certainly hadn't dreamt she'd be getting married at 18 to man she didn't love - all for the sake of duty.

My thoughts:

I really liked this book. It was faster paced which enhanced the entertainment value by so much. 

Wendy goes through such an amazing character development which made me actually like her. Before she has appeared as bratty and slightly selfish but she gets redeemed in this final book. She comes to some difficult decisions that only serve to make her stronger in the end. She matures a lot from the first book which I thought was absolutely lovely and brought a lot to the story. Her biggest sacrifice is marrying Tove, who she cares about but does not love. 

Loki continues to prove to both the readers and Wendy that he might seem like a bad guy but in reality he isn't. Wendy continues to be confused over her feelings for Loki, which are both making her giddy and guilty since she is married to another man although she does not love him at all. It doesn't help that Wendy is also still confused over her relationship with Finn.

Finn gives of an air of douchebagedness in this book. Thanks to this, and many of the revelations Wendy has, made me realise why I didn't like the first book. It's the relationship between Wendy and Finn. It's uneven and that's not how a relationship should be.

Tove then. Oh my I love Tove so much. Both he and Wendy sacrifice so much by marrying each other although there is no love between them apart from friendship. It's heartbreaking seeing him slowly breaking under the influence of his own powers. Especially since he really is one of the true good guys in the book. So much love for Tove.

There are of course many other characters that make this book awesome. Elora aso get redeemed in this book, Duncan proves to be awesome just like Willa, and Matt, Rhys and Garret get to be quitely amazing in the background. 

The ending? It's a cliche but it still works. It doesn't take away from the story but I read it and was like: "why does it always have to end like this?". Still good though.

Do I recommend it?

Well, you wouldn't read this book if you hadn't read the two before. But I recommend all of them. It is a great trilogy so go ahead and read them if you haven't already. 

Torn by Amanda Hocking (#2 of the Trylle Trilogy)

Original Title: Torn

Year Published: 2012

Published By: St Martin’s Press, New York

Number of Pages: 291

First Sentence: “When Rhys and I showed up at my “brother” Matt’s house at eight in the morning, he was happy… in the sense that he was glad I was alive and hadn’t disappeared forever.”

Goodreads Rating: 4/5

Plot (taken from Goodreads):

Acknowledging that she was different from everyone else wasn't difficult for Wendy, she'd always felt like an outsider. But a new world and family is a little hard for any girl to accept. Leaving behind the country of her birth, she is determined to fit back into normal life. But the world she's left won't let her go that easily.

My thoughts:

I know I said when I reviewed Switched that there was something that I didn't like but couldn't put my finger on. There were no such thing in Torn. I really enjoyed this book and was entertained pretty much the whole way through, 

All the characters we got introduced to during the first book(Wendy, Finn, Willa,Tove, Elora, Matt, Rhys and so on) make a reappearance in the second, and we also get introduced to many new brilliant characters. 

We get to meet Loki, a vittra Markis who is sassy and brilliant in so many ways. He brings a lot more humour and life to the book, and maybe he was one of the things missing in the first book. He becomes a love interest for Wendy. A clumsy yet great tracker named Duncan is introduced. He is like a little brother that you just can't help but love and is officially one of my favourite characters alongside Tove. Oren is our newly introduced antagonist. He is the King of the Vittra and and overall bad guy. He is determined to take control over the Trylle-kingdom. 

We get to see Wendy slowly grow into her future role as Queen of the Trylle. In this book she makes many decisions that she thinks are the best for the kingdom, often having to sacrifice her personal life, wants and wishes. Her relationship with both Elora and Finn continues to be strained although for different reasons. Tove proves to be an amazing person and does many things in order to help Wendy become the Queen the Trylle both needs and deserves.  

Do I recommend it?

Yes, Although the first book might not be the best, the second (and I will already now say the third) definitely makes it worth it. 

Switched by Amanda Hocking (#1 of the Trylle Trilogy)

(Kattla's nose makes an appearance)

Original Title: Switched

Year Published: 2012

Published by: St Martin's Press, New York

Number of Pages: 293

First Sentence: "A couple of things made that day stand out more than any other: it was my sixth birthday, and my mother was wielding a knife."

Goodreads Rating: 3/5

Plot:

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might have been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.

My thoughts:

I really wanted to love this book but it was just missing that little extra that would have made it great. I can't really put my finger on exactly it is that is either missing or wrong but it is something. 

The main character is Wendy, a 17-year-old girl, who feels like she has never belonged anywhere. She lives with her brother Matt and aunt Maggie, since her mother is locked up in a mental institution after she tried to kill Wendy when she was a little girl. Wendy is headstrong which comes of as bratty and spoilt at times. I liked Wendy, although there were parts of her personality that hit a wrong chord with me. I think it is the brattiness, I always have a problem with people like that.

When Wendy is found by a "tracker" named Finn she is reluctantly convinced of following him back to "Förening", the Trylle kingdom. Finn is a complicated dude, who gives a namn to the "hot and cold" personality. Sparks are soon flying between the two.

In Förening things don't turn out as Wendy was hoping. She though she would find a loving family but just finds more coldness, and that people are holding back so much information from her. 

The world in Switched is fascinating and really interesting. I loved the fact that this is not just another book about vampires, but about a mythical being that not many authors write about. It's a new take on the world of trolls and it was really fun learning things about this new world. It was however frustrating that things were being kept from Wendy as it meant that things were being kept from you as a reader as well. 

I think that one of the main issues I had with this book is that it is filled with the typical YA clichés. The star-crossed lovers, the girl who finds out she is not what/who she thinks she is, the danger that follow her like a shadow and smaller elements of triangle love dramas. Still, it is a good book and worth reading if you like YA books, and it was great fun exploring a new world. Definitely reading the other two books (already started #2).

(Extra kudos on the fact that parts in the Trylle world used Swedish words, which I found hilarious and great since I am Swedish myself)

Do I recommend it?

Yes I do. Although there was something in it that was either lacking or whatever for me, it was still a good book and definitely worth readin