Title: Waterfell
Author: Amalie Howard
Release Date: October 29, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 360
Source: Received egalley for review
Synopsis: (taken from Goodreads)
THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE QUEENNerissa Marin hides among teens in her human form, waiting for the day she can claim her birthright—the undersea kingdom stolen from her the day her father was murdered. Blending in is her best weapon—until her father's betrayer confronts Nerissa and challenges her to a battle to the death on Nerissa's upcoming birthday—the day she comes of age.
Amid danger and the heartbreak of her missing mother, falling for a human boy is the last thing Nerissa should do. But Lo Seavon breaches her defenses and somehow becomes the only person she can count on to help her desperate search for her mother, a prisoner of Nerissa's mortal enemy. Is Lo the linchpin that might win Nerissa back her crown? Or will this mortal boy become the weakness that destroys her?
My Thoughts:
I was so excited to read this book
especially after I read the description. I hate to say this but the book fell
short for me.
Waterfell is about the queen, Nerissa, of
an alien race called the Aquarathi. Nerissa is warned to leave Waterfell and go
the human world so she can survive after her father is brutally murdered. In
the human world, she becomes complacent with her human life and has no wish to
ever go back to Waterfell and rule. She does not feel she is good enough to
rule because she does not garner the same respect as her father. Nerissa must decide
what is important to her; being queen to her kind or pretending to be something
she isn’t.
The first half of the book was repetitive
for me. I felt like Nerissa was saying the same thing over and over again. Nothing
really happened; I was reading a lot of explanations. At about 40% of the book,
things started to get more interesting. The author started throwing in some
twist and turns I really did not expect. I really liked the magical powers of
the Aquarathi. I especially liked Nerissa’s powers. For example, if she comes
into contact with another full blood Aquarathi they have to show themselves to
her…that’s pretty cool.
I didn’t really like Nerissa, especially in
the beginning. I found her character to be a little boring. There was no depth
to her. Little by little, as I read, I was able to see a transformation in
Nerissa. She started becoming the person she needed to be to rule: strong,
independent, caring, making decisions. I also loved the chemistry between
Nerissa and Lo. I could feel the sparks coming off the pages. I could
physically feel their attraction to one another. I really enjoyed that part!
I really liked Jenna and Soren. They were
secondary characters but also very much needed in the book. Jenna was funny and
always protective of Nerissa no matter what. I thought she was a great friend.
I liked how she accepted Nerissa for who and everything she is. Soren is also a great character. Even though
she is not Nerissa’s mother, she still cared for her safety and well being. I
understood where she was coming from. She wanted her to be able to lead their
people one day.
If you enjoy a book that is unique with
great chemistry, then you will like this book!
My Rating:
3 out of 5 stars
Raquel
xoxo
