Tidal (Watersong #3)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Amanda Hocking
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 342
Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Summary (couldn't live without Goodreads): The 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 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: Book three out of four? Oddly Eclipse was my favourite of the Twilight series. The same seems to be fitting so far with this series though, when I started this series, I had no idea it was going to be a saga  Four books is just so many. I wondered the whole time I was reading this novel why there was so much build up and not as much action. It wasn't until I got closer to the end that I realized it was setting up for another novel. The set up seems good although I have figured some things out about the next book, solutions to problems and plot twists. The author may have been too obvious about certain things and too cryptic about others. I'll live. The fourth comes out summer 2013; I can wait that long.

I mentioned above that there wasn't as much action as the other novels in this series. That's probably not true especially even the climax for this novel. The action was dispersed well throughout the entire book. 

I liked that this novel included flashbacks that were both easy to recognize as flashbacks and informative. They added to the story line instead of taking away from it. When flashbacks are useless they drive me up the wall. They can sometimes be an easy way out of some tough explaining but, in this case, they were the best way to explain a character and her life. I like a character more because of it.

Speaking of this character, she really grows on you. When I started reading this series I hated her but as it goes, she really helps Gemma. Yet, there is something about her that doesn't make her intentions clear. She is helping but I question whether or not it is for her own gain. Sometimes the nice characters can turn out to be the bad guys. We'll see in the conclusion of the series, I guess.

This book has a lot more about Daniel in it. I noticed in the last of this series that Harper was beginning to play a larger and larger role. The same is true for Daniel. I'm glad, I like him. He is a solid, good guy that makes choices he really shouldn't have to make yet he never complains about that, he just does what needs to be done. I would kill for a friend like him, not unlike Penn, it would seem.

The cover is beautiful! Just one question about it (trying to avoid spoilers): Who is the girl supposed to be. If the author is reading this, I'd love for her to e-mail me with the answer to that. It's killing me but I think I already know.

Conclusion: I'm excited for the fourth book in this series, not only because it means putting a series to rest but also because you grow attached to a story and characters. I really want to know how this story is going to end. This is a series worth reading if you enjoy easy, quick reads and mythology. The fantasy part of this novel is so huge, it's the whole story. It's more fun with an open mind.

Fun Quotes:

"Feigning human emotion was never your strong suit."

"All the logical [arguments] wouldn't really work because they were stuck in a totally illogical situation."

"I can't read it," Gemma said. "Of course you can't. It's in Romanian" Lydia said. "But vampires aren't your problem, are they?"

"I like to think that I walk the fine line between cheesy and sweet, and I always come out on top."

"I'm not jealous...I'd feel about the same right now if I saw you helping Hitler redecorate."
"I hope you'd be a little more freaked out if I was helping Hitler, because he'd be a zombie."

"Stalking is such a strong word."

"...I know a guy who does underage tattoos."
"How do you know a guy...do you have a tattoo?"
...It was Ursula from The Little Mermaid. ...
"You have a Disney character?" Gemma asked in shock.
"She's a sea witch, and she's badass, okay?"

Did I mention that the book was also quite funny?

Lullaby (Watersong #2)

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Amanda Hocking
Format: Hardcover (mine is signed!)
Pages: 290
Rating: 6 out of 10

Summary (via goodreads): 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: In some ways, I think that this was better than the first novel in the series. I enjoyed the character development, especially since I already liked the characters. I especially loved that Harper worked in the library. So many good jokes came around because of it. She is also very snappy, I found. Of course, Pen and Lexi made me super angry. Daniel is the best. I want one! Thea also impressed me because Gemma really needed someone to help her get through this and Thea stepped up to the plate. She was a big help and changed what I thought about her. It's good to know that not all of the girls were crazy murders!

Content wise, I thought it was a bit darker and a bit more disgusting than the former. I really couldn't take her "feelings" seriously. I could not understand how Gemma was feeling or how she was thinking during some parts of the story. I mean, yes, I understand that she is not totally human any longer but I expected to be able to understand what was happening inside her at least a little bit. For my, however, it was a bit far fetched (Yes, sirens in themselves are a bit crazy...). 

The biggest issue I had with this story was how anti-climactic it was. I expected more of the ending. I thought that maybe the build up and how the characters interacted would lead up to a very large fight or something but nothing really came of it. There was scheming and threats but not big fight only a small fight  and I saw most of what happened coming before it did. It was kind of a waste, it could have been incredible. 

This book seems predictable enough to guess how it will end but I think that after the first couple books, you have to keep going with it. I still need to know. I want to see how much Gemma can grow and I want to read all the sassy comments that Harper has coming for us in the future. I look forward to the next book.

In Closing: I really enjoy the characters in this story and how they interact; however, I thought that it could have been so much more. I'll still be buying the next book in the series. I need to know how it's going to end.

Switched

Reviewer: Kelsey
Author: Amanda Hocking
Format: Paperback (Series book)
Pages: 318
Rating: 7 out of 10

Summary (via Goodreads): 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 thoughts: I need to start by saying that I accidentally read the second and third books in this series before reading the first one which kind of confused me. Luckily, they are good enough to pick up on the second and still be able to understand. I don't really recommend this, however, and definitely not for the third book!

I really enjoyed the idea behind this story. Let's say that I'm a fan of awesome, super, magic powers. The characters were relate-able (not all the cool magic stuff but who they were as people and the fact that Wendy was in denial). Finn made me a bit mad but he is better explained towards the end of the first novel and in more detail in the second. Thank God! My favourite part might be that the character, for the most part, had redeeming qualities to make up for their weaknesses. 

What I didn't like was how certain words were too often repeated. Sometimes the same word would be in the paragraph four or five times. You can get past it by putting yourself deep into the novel. After a time you stop noticing them. This is a small error and I just attribute it to the age of the writer. 

Final Insights: I love that the author is younger. Being a young writer myself, it gives me some hope for my own work. This causes me to want to support the writer. Point for self-publishing. 

I really enjoyed all three of these books. This is truly a story that you can get lost in and characters that you can fall in love with. I could even understand the motivation for the bad guys! I would definitely recommend this novel.

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