Lullaby (Watersong #2) by Amanda Hocking-a review

Lullaby (Watersong#2) by Amanda Hocking-a review

LULLABY (Watersong #2) by Amanda Hocking

LULLABY is the second instalment (November 27, 2012 release) in Amanda Hocking’s Watersong series. Amanda’s latest venture into the world of fantasy follows Gemma Fisher as she is forced into the role of a siren.

Some background: In Greek mythology, the sirens were 3 sea nymphs, who were part bird/part human/part mermaid. According to myth, Demeter, the goddess of harvest and fertility condemned the 3 sisters (daughters of the river god Achelous) when they failed to save Demeter’s daughter Persephone from Hades. With their beautiful voices, the sirens would lure sailors and men to their death.

LULLABY continues the storyline at exactly the same spot where WAKE ended. 16 year old Gemma is missing and presumably under the spell of the beautiful sirens. Her boyfriend Alex, along with her sister Harper, has been frantically searching through Greek mythology books looking for anyway to help break the siren’s spell over Gemma. And the deeper they look, the more it seems that freeing Gemma may be next to impossible. Along with Harper’s soon-to-be boyfriend Daniel, the trio pledge to find Gemma and return her home safely.

Meanwhile, Daniel’s feelings for Harper continue to grow but Harper isn’t sure if she is ready for a relationship. Since her mother’s accident, Harper has taken over as both mother and big sister, and she is reluctant to let her feelings for Daniel compromise her search for Gemma. It is only when Daniel points out that he has been the one to effectively save and locate Gemma on the prior occasions that Harper begins to realize that perhaps there is room for someone else in her life. I was able to connect with Harper and Daniel, and perhaps that made the storyline a little more enjoyable. I still wasn’t pleased with the push-me/pull-you affect of Harper’s feelings for Daniel, but like many storylines, there is always some friction between many of the couples.

Gemma is reluctant to return. She knows that the sirens will come looking for her, as they fear that a lengthy separation will mean death to all. With that in mind, Alex continues to profess his love for Gemma, which once again, goes against the mythology that a siren can never be truly loved. Hoping to prove the myth wrong, Gemma makes a bargain with the sirens and it is her fear for Alex that will force Gemma to make a heart breaking decision.

Amanda Hocking is not afraid to write storylines involving death, mutilation or violence. LULLABY (like WAKE) contains some violence and death as it pertains to the sirens need to feed, but there is also some (in my opinion) gratuitous violence. The sister’s callous regard for human life is frightening and when they kill it is without a second thought. Even someone close is never safe from the wrath of an angry siren.

There was more emphasis on Gemma’s family and Greek mythology in LULLABY. Most of the storyline focuses on the search and rescue, including the revelation of Gemma’s connection to mythical characters. Gemma’s fight against the compulsion to feed keeps her humanity intact, but even Gemma will slip up when hunger overcomes all rational thinking.

LULLABY is a quick and easy read, with an interesting look at the sirens and fabled stories from long ago. I enjoyed LULLABY more than WAKE but perhaps it was because there was more focus on the search and rescue, than that of the sirens who sat around looking for their next victim. If you are a fan of Amanda Hocking you will enjoy LULLABY and the Watersong series.

LINKS TO PRE ORDER: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository

Copy supplied by publisher.

Reviewed by Sandy

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WAKE ( Watersong Series #1 ) by Amanda Hocking-a review

WAKE (Watersong Series #1 ) by Amanda Hocking -a review

WAKE (The Watersong Series 1) by Amanda Hocking

WAKE is the first novel (August 7, 2012 release) in Amanda Hocking’s new Watersong series. A Young Adult paranormal storyline, Amanda once again delves into the fantasies of many young minds and the results are something new and different. WAKE follows the life of 16 year old Gemma-a beautiful young woman on the verge of finding her way in life. A champion swimmer, Gemma dreams of one day making the Olympic swim team, but it is the call of the ocean, that pulls at Gemma’s soul. Every night Gemma heads to Anthemusa Bay to commune with the sea. But it is not only the water that calls to Gemma.

Living in a seaside resort town, the appearance of strangers is nothing new during the summer months and an unlikely trio of beautiful women, is making their presence known. Most of the residents find the women eerily creepy which adds to the already nervous environment when the reports continue to build about the missing local men and women. And when one of the missing is one of their own, the headlines are no longer just a story.

Gemma and Harper are sisters. Following an accident that claimed their mother’s mind, Harper has felt the need to mother both her sister Gemma and their father Brian. But Harper’s overprotective nature was in overdrive. Gemma’s nightly swims were becoming more frequent and stretched beyond the normal time, and now that their neighbor Alex was interested in Gemma, Harper felt it necessary to curtail Gemma’s excursions. But when Gemma does not return home after a midnight swim, Harper fears the worse.

Gemma was curious about the 3 mysterious but gorgeous women who have become an oddity and an attraction. Their nightly dancing and singing was calling to Gemma, like the ocean called to her soul, like a siren’s call. And meeting these women would change Gemma’s life forever. Waking up alone on the beach, with no memory of what has occurred, Gemma will soon realize that what lies ahead is nothing she had ever thought possible.

We are introduced to Daniel, a 20year old man with interests in Harper. Daniel lives on a boat in the harbor and tries to warn Gemma that the sisters are not what they appear. Alex is Harper’s long time friend and Gemma’s new boyfriend. But as the summer months will soon lead to college, Harper isn’t thrilled that her younger sister is now involved with the young man. A summer romance can lead to a broken heart-and the heart that will be broken is not necessarily Gemma’s. But there are bigger and scarier things ahead for Gemma than preparing for college.

WAKE is an interesting storyline and the premiere novel in Hocking’s Watersong series. There is some graphic content as it pertains to the eating habits of the beautiful ‘women’. A different look at the paranormal, which borders on the side of fantasy, Wake will introduce a recent paranormal newcomer to the young adult fictional world of characters. Like most YA storylines, our heroine must make a choice to save the boy she loves and with that choice a few tears. Congratulations to Amanda on another successful Young Adult series. Lullaby is the second storyline in the Watersong series-release date November 2012.

Copy supplied by publisher

LINKS TO ORDER:
Amazon Paper Books
Amazon Kindle
B&N Nook and Paper books

The audio book is now available from MACMILLAN audio. For anyone interested in the AUDIO BOOK click HERE for an exclusive excerpt.

Reviewed by Sandy

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