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.

©2012 Amanda Hocking (P)2012 Macmillan Audio

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.

Captivating

Where does Wake rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I really liked it. Not sure how to rate it as far as other books I have read.

What other book might you compare Wake to and why?

Not sure.

What does Nicola Barber bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I like the way he told the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

yes!

Any additional comments?

No

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.

Good car entertainment

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

As a "good" book, no. For people that listen to the number of books a week/month that I do, yes. It is cute and entertaining.

Would you be willing to try another book from Amanda Hocking? Why or why not?

I have listened to all of them and preferred the others.

Do you think Wake needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No. They swam off to live their lives and it should stay there.

This Was A Great In-between Book!

Would you consider the audio edition of Wake to be better than the print version?

Yes the audio version was way better and allows you to kick back and close your eyes!

What other book might you compare Wake to and why?

This book is like her other books and maybe the Wicked Lovely Series.

Have you listened to any of Nicola Barber’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Ya, she always does a great job.

Any additional comments?

This is a fun book with mythical creatures!

Not her best book, but not so bad either.

The book was a little juvenile, but lets be honest, that is the intended audience. It was still a good story and at least Amanda had the courage to step away from vampires and wolves.
I have enjoyed her books as inbetweeners and some I truly loved. I will read more of her books, and I truly enjoyed the hollow men series. I wouldn't mind more of those. The bottom line is that it was good enough to keep me turning pages and moving along enjoying the story. Which is more than I can say for a few of the top selling books, that I have read.

I love it

This is a great series. It’s a great story great narration and very original. I really enjoyed it