Review: Lullaby by Amanda Hocking

Lullaby by Amanda Hocking (Watersong #2)
Publication: November 27, 2012 (St Martin's Press)
Source: Finished copy from the publisher
Rating: Beam-worthy
___

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?

Prepare to fall under the spell of Lullaby, the second book in the Watersong series from New York Times bestselling author Amanda Hocking.

Memorable Quote

"But I don't want her to take care of me," Daniel said.  "If anything,  I want to take care of her."

My Review

I approached Lullaby with some trepidation; I didn't overly care for Wake - it had potential, but left me wanting something more.  I hoped that Lullaby would build on the mythology foundation laid in Wake, but instead, I closed the second novel in the Watersong series feeling almost cheated.  The lack of action or character development disappointed me, enough that I decided not to continue with the series. 

While I liked the idea behind the lovely, sinister Penn, Thea, and Lexi - deceptively beautiful sirens - I couldn't buy into Gemma's shaky transitions.  One moment she was struggling to retain her humanity, while the next she was seducing an en-spelled guy, or worse.  She went back and forth so many times on where she stood that I felt dizzy.  There was some growth on Thea's part, which was encouraging, but even Harper - my favorite character from Wake - could barely carry this lackluster sequel.  I felt like Harper regressed as a character.  With Gemma missing, Amanda Hocking stripped away Harper's personality, until Harper felt more like a plot device than a character. 

I did like a few aspects of Lullaby, specifically the small progression of Harper and Daniel's relationship.  For me, they are the best thing about this series.  I continued to struggle to even care about Gemma, Alex, or many of the other characters, and apathy bothers me.  Normally feel SOMETHING for a book character, but frankly, I could care less what happens to Gemma.  *SIGHS* And that's a huge problem for me.  Also, the writing really got on my nerves.  Everything was written so as to happen to the characters in the past, instead of them being actively involved in the story. 

Combine the fact that basically very little happens for the first 150 pages of Lullaby, with an unlikeable (for me) narrator, bland writing, and a plot that feels too loose for me to enjoy, I won't be continuing this series.  However, if YOU enjoyed Wake, then Lullaby is a book you'll want to check out, if only because the action finally picks up and sets up interestingly for Tidal. 



Other books by this author:

Switched (Trylle #1)
Wake (Watersong #1)

You're sure to love:

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

About Amanda

I live in Minnesota, and I write young adult paranormal romance and urban fantasy mostly. The My Blood Approves series is about vampires in Minneapolis, and its available now. I also wrote the Trylle Trilogy, which is a paranormal romance without vampires, shifters, mermaids, fae, angels, dragons, ghosts, or ninjas.

Visit Amanda at: her website | her blog | her twitter

Shop for Lullaby at: Amazon | The Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

Review: Wake by Amanda Hocking

Wake by Amanda Hocking
Pages: 309
Expected publication: August 7, 2012 (St Martin's)
Source: ATW ARC Tours
Rating: Beam-worthy
Add it/Purchase: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Connect with the author: Twitter | Blog


Beautiful. 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, Thea, and Lexi have caught everyone's attention, including the eye of practical Harper. But it's her sister, Gemma, they've chosen to be part of their group.

Sixteen-year-old Gemma seems to have it all - carefree, pretty, and falling in love with the boy next door. But her greatest passion has always been the water. She craves late night swims under the stars, where she can be alone yet belong to the sea. Lately she's had company. Penn, Thea, and Lexi spend their nights dancing, singing, and partying on the cove--and one night Gemma joins them. When she wakes up groggy on the beach the next morning, she knows something has changed.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. As she uncovers the truth about her new mythical powers, Gemma is forced to choose between staying with those she loves or entering a dark world brimming with unimaginable secrets.

My Review

After finishing Wake, the first book in sucessful author Amanda Hocking's new Watersong series, despite extremely high hopes, I have incredibly mixed feelings about this novel.  While I liked it enough to want to read the next book in the series, I also had some problems connecting with the characters, or really delving beneath the surface layer of this story about three beautiful, dangerous girls.  This one also felt entirely TOO rushed, like Hocking wrote it without taking a breath to pause.  I feel as if I had barely met the characters when the action started, and never stopped.  I closed Wake feeling as if perhaps I was not the target audience.  

I found the main character, Gemma, to be very flat; in fact, I found myself wishing that Wake had been told from her sister, Harper's point of view.  Harper was a fascinating character, and she was the one I clicked with immediately.  Gemma seemed TOO perfect, and honestly, a bit spoiled.  Harper took over the role of Mom after an accident left their mother incapacitated, and it was her I wanted to know more about.  Yes, Gemma had it hard, too, but I felt like she had everything handed to her - the awesome boy next door (more on him in a minute), being the star of the swim team, etc - and I felt like she didn't really appreciate any of it.  

Luckily for Wake, there were several minor characters who saved the story for me - including Alex (the boy next door) who was so sweet and amazingly supportive, and Daniel, who lives and works at the marina where Harper and Gemma's father works.  Daniel was mysterious and fascinating - the type of layered, complex character I adore.  I really loved watching his interactions with Harper.  She's very dedicated and practical, and he's very NOT practical, and they just absolutely were oil and water in the most delightful way.  Their chemistry was one of my favorite parts of Wake.  

Normally I love Amanda Hocking's books but this one fell flat; instead of being drawn to Penn, Lexi, and Thea, I was repulsed by them.  Their actions were incredibly selfish, and they never took into consideration what Gemma wanted or didn't want.   I did enjoy the glimpses into their pasts, and the mythology that Hocking spun into Wake, but again, the pacing felt incredibly like going 0 - 60 in about a minute. There was, however, a cliffhanger ending, which left me on the edge of my seat to know where the series goes next.

Overall, with the shaky, jumpy pacing, and the fact that I didn't connect with the main character, and didn't get enough time with the characters I DID like, I can't rate Wake as high as I would like to, but I do encourage you to read it for yourself and see what you think!

Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Switched by Amanda Hocking
Pages:293
Published: January 3rd, 2012 (St Martin's Griffin)

Series or Stand-alone: The Trylle trilogy (1)
Source: Won from Goodreads
Further information: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Find the author online: Twitter | Blog

Rating: Squee-worthy

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right.  She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her.  Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit.  But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth:  Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.   

Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening.  And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…

My Review

Author Amanda Hocking is a bit of a legend in the indie publishing world, becoming THE best-selling Kindle author, and within a few pages of Switched (which is now being re-published now that Amanda has a traditional publishing contract), it was apparent just why so many others had previously downloaded and devoured her novels.  Switched opens with Wendy Everley's mother wielding a knife at her, then fast-forwards eleven years, re-introducing us to an older version of Wendy, who has been raised by her aunt and older brother, in the absence of her mother.  Wendy is troubled and sensitive, and often misunderstood.  I loved her immediately.  Her emotions are beautifully painted across the pages of Switched, and I gravitated toward her throughout the novel.  I understood her; who hasn't felt at times that they don't fit in?  Wendy is sympathetic and genuine - she doesn't pretend to be someone she isn't, and her desire to make a good impression on others later in the book mixed with her frustrations came across as incredibly sympathetic, and I applaud Amanda Hocking for creating such a strong heroine.  I can see a lot of potential for character growth in Wendy in the next two novels!

Switched catapults the reader into Wendy's new world, the community of Trylle - set in Minnesota, though it feels like another world.  Amanda Hocking's world is richly alluring, and the world-building is superb, giving Switched a timeless sense - antiquated at times with the notion of a Trylle monarchy and hierarchy (that is nevertheless fascinating), yet wholly possible.  Amanda Hocking has also put forth an intriguing cast of secondary characters scattered throughout Forening (the Trylle community.)  From perennially sunny Rhys, to cool, impeccable, mysterious Queen Elora,  to distracted, powerful Tove, to sensual, devoted Finn, each of Hocking's characters will pull the reader in, in various ways. 

From the moment Wendy enters Forening for the first time, I was captivated.  I immediately wanted to know more about the world of the Trylle - trolls, though quite different than in the stories we're used to.  Everything changes for Wendy, and I was right there with her, pained for her when she was upset, overwhelmed when she was in awe.  Amanda Hocking did a superb job of holding my attention; my only complaint with the pacing is that it seemed like Switched went by in a blur.  It was too short for me, and I felt like I blinked, and it was over.  I wanted much, much more time with the characters, because love or hate, they had my attention, and I needed to know what was going to happen next, but there were also some moments and plot points that I felt could have been slowed down and wouldn't have suffered.  The climax of Switched was breathless and awesome, leaving me hanging by a thread for the sequel, Torn, so I definitely have no complaints about the overall lure of the book. 

I also want to touch on the relationships between the characters.  I think that that is Amanda Hocking's strongest suit, and probably what absolutely held me riveted while I read Switched.  From the start, and Wendy's relationships with Matt and Maggie, her brother and aunt, I was thrilled.  Despite her early childhood, Wendy had a great relationship with both, with perhaps some room for improvement, but they were very supportive of her and encouraging, maybe a little bit TOO much encouraging (Wendy's behavioral problems and such are explained, but I thought her family could have pushed her harder.)   Then we have Wendy and Rhys, and I just wanted to hug them both - I think they're going to end up being really good for and to one another.  And Wendy and Elora, which, I want to see more of them interacting but I also want to know more about Elora.  (I also need more explanation about her and why she treats Wendy the way she does.)  But by far, the stars of Switched were Wendy and Finn.

I'm not a fan of insta-love.  I think it's a weak plot device, usually.  And I wouldn't call Wendy and Finn insta-love.  There's interest and fascination on both of their parts, and at times, their feelings for one another, especially Wendy's for Finn did seem to explode too quickly, and I would have loved more time with them, seeing their mutual attraction and caring develop.  But there was something so real and genuine about them.  Despite the fact that Finn wasn't always nice to Wendy (he has his reasons) I never felt like he didn't care about her, and vice versa.  I really respect Amanda's ability to write a potential pairing as heart-felt as Wendy and Finn.  And, considering that I'm head over heels in love with Finn, I definitely am looking forward to seeing him around a lot in Torn.  (He better be.)  Finn endeared himself to me immediately, with his loyalty to what he believes in, and his protective streak, which is about a mile wide.  

Overall, I would definitely recommend Switched.  I'm (im)patiently waiting for Torn, and I know I'll devour it in a matter of hours, just like with Switched.