The vibrant colors and beautiful cover really drew me into WAKE by Amanda Hocking. Despite the fact that I just couldn't fall in love with the "TRYLLE" series enough to even finish it, I decided that cover love prevailed in this case -- plus I've never read anything about "mermaids," and I'm always interested in expanding my horizons (even within the YA "paranormal" genre). 
 I'm really glad I gave this one a fair chance, and I loved it far more than the Trylle series. The writing style kept me entertained and engaged and the imagery, at times, was both magical and comforting -- like a lullaby and a fairy tale. But before getting too far into my thoughts about the book, let me first back up a bit to the storyline itself... 
 Gemma has always felt drawn to the water, spending her time preparing for the Olympics(swimming, of course) -- always finding herself beating her last record breaking times -- but her free time at night is reserved for her late night swims in the bay. Despite the fact that her dad and sister constantly warn her of the danger of swimming after dark, Gemma feels beautiful and alive in the water, empowered by the experience of swimming alone. 
 Except lately, Gemma notices that she's not so alone. Three eerie, enchantingly beautiful girls seem to mystically appear at the bay every night -- and they're strangely focused on Gemma. Gemma's overly protective older sister Harper is convinced that these three girls are evil -- they've seemingly appeared out of no where, and they're suspiciously silent about the disappearance of their fourth companion. Harper believes the girls are murderers, given that their small, quiet town has been experiencing a lot more crime lately... 
 Gemma is lured into a party with the three girls one night and the last thing she remembers is drinking from a vial and then waking up the next morning, batter and bruised on the shore, wrapped in an unusual type of shawl. Ever since that night, Gemma just doesn't feel like herself -- she's faster, more luminious, and undeniably more hungry... 
 Soon, Gemma is faced with the most important, most difficult life-or-death decision that she has ever encountered... one that may not only endanger her own life but may also have the potential to catastophically alter the lives of everyone she knows and loves... 
 I think it was the imagery and the scene building that really got me interested once I started reading WAKE. Hocking did a wonderful job of really painting the reader a vivid picture of this picturesque little isolated bay town, creating the perfect setting for a story that is so dependent upon water. 
 The beauty and flow of the setting really merged into the storyline itself, creating an almost fairytale flow that gave it an essence of magic and innocence. While at times the story seemed a bit unrealistic -- especially with regards to Gemma's excessive niavety and Harper's unbeliveable degree of overprotectiveness and responsibility over her younger sister, these elements also worked to give WAKE the feel of sweetness that you'd expect in a fairy tale. I wouldn't read this series to find something relateable to my own life but instead to indulge in a bit of magic. 
 I think as the storyline progressed and the action got more prevalent, I felt a little more distanced from the story, as if character was being a bit sacrified for plotline. It wasn't enough to deter me from wanting to continue with the series, though. I definitely look forward to reading the second book and I hope that it continues to evoke the same youthfulness and magic as the first.