Juliann Crowther WhickerReseñas

I received access to this book from the author, which was awesome. I really wish I could rate this higher. It was parts really great and parts really bad.
So you have the main plot but it is so jumpy and inconsistent it's hard to tell what the heck is going on. I swear there's like a second plot but you don't have access to that. Like you're just stuck reading the journals of the people in it, so you only know what they know and how they experienced it so it's rather incoherent.
The characters are part really freaking awesome and part have no depth to them at all.
The ending comes upon you out of nowhere. Like it's been half hinted at all story, but not enough that it quite makes sense. The beginning is fairly slow and then the end is rather rushed.
There's quite a lack of detail about things that would be important. Sometimes things are stated as being something, but you don't know what said something even means.
I'm also rather annoyed with the fact that you don't even learn the main character's real name til at least half way through the book. She's constantly called Watergirl. And then suddenly she gives you her name. And then what the heck is Flop's real name?
The words themselves are wonderful though. The dialogue is fantastic.
As much as a lot of the time I had no clue what was going on, I couldn't put this book down. So that's a huge plus.

Ever have a book you just couldn't wrap your mind around no matter how much you wanted to? Yeah...a bit of a case in point here. When I started this particular title, I had the best of intentions...and about 100 pages later my intentions were still there just not quite as strong. It actually took a friend asking me what I was reading and commenting on how (based on the title) it didn't sound like my usual fare. I can see her point, sorta sounds like a steamy romance novel at first glance...which although there is nothing wrong with, is not my preferred reading genre. That caused me to pause...and proceed to "defend" my choice in reading it thereby exposing something I didn't see prior to the conversation....a level of understanding.

It seems that while I've been struggling with grasping what is actually occuring in the book while in the act of reading, my mind was sorting through the data and able to make some sense of it all on the back end. In short, I could tell her what it was about and what was currently transpiring even though had I been asked as I read each electronic page, I would have sworn otherwise.

From where I stand, it breaks down to this. There are four types of other worldly creatures ...Hotbloods, Coldbloods, Wilds and Nethers. There's the rumor of a war that's been brewing forever and a day yet still hasn't exactly come to fruitation despite some clamoring to make it happen. Like whenever you have differing groups of people, the tensions tend to run high and someone is always trying to be the "top dog"....these guys are no different which leads to a highly volatile situation that...I'll refrain from revealing. But...there's more....

You see, that's the story running underneath the surface; the top layer all focuses on the soul or the lack of their own soul, how it happened, who is to blame and what it all means. There's a lot of raw emotion in here. Many situations you simply find yourself getting caught up in the middle of it all and then.....it just sort of let's you go. There were several times as I was reading that I literally went back and reread a passage because I thought I had missed something, the transition was that sudden. Now, jumping back to characters....

I would have liked to learn a bit more about the possibly conniving Devlin and Satan's past (not as in the devil himself, but as in brother of the House of Slide and one of Dari's many uncle's) has got to be colorful to say the very least. Darianna herself was really just discovering who she was since the awakening of, well...since the events transpired that did transpire. Lewis is a conundrum that you'll keep trying to figure out but don't be surprised if what you guess isn't quite right. To list out all those that leave their mark within this story, would be like creating a roster for your own football team...with opposition...and possibly fans in the stadium. It's large, varied, constant and at points a tad overwhelming but without them, the story would be incomplete. Now, let's touch on that ending....

It twists in upon itself til you don't know which way is up, but in a good way! It's definitely not what you're expecting and I hazzard to say that after the sneak peek at book two at book's end, it's doubtful we've heard the end of the initial saga (yay!). I'm one of those readers that prefers a neat and tidy ending for better or worse, just so that we've got some closure and even though this is the first book in a series, the author offers us that option here while still leaving room to grow.

All in all, an interesting read that I came to enjoy, even if it took some time to get into and a bit of reflection to see the forest for the trees. A book for mid to older teen readers through adults, not quite certain any younger than that would appreciate the story quite yet nor handle the hunting, death, blood, and battles. It's handled well in delivery, but still....too young is too young.

I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.

When I first started this book I was completely confused as to what the heck was going on but chapter 3 started to clear up some of my confusion. And after that I couldn't put the book down (which led to a few late nights)! The beginning of the book does make you feel as if you are right there with the main character (Dariana) because she is super confused. This book is so different than any other book I have ever read and really keeps the reader guessing. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to follow the series as it progresses!

Meh

This book has a premise that is never fully explained. If it was explained maybe it wouldn't also be dumb. If you can't stand books that throw you in to the story without an explanation and the initial conflict is as thin and confusing as 'a seventeen year old witch needs to be married before eighteen or her mother is going to die', youre not going to like this book.

I hated it. It drove me crazy. I wanted to shake the author and yell, "do some freaking research into your own novel's own world!" Yet I give it four stars. I grit my teeth and ignored it initially because Penny, the main character, is pretty cute. She pretended to be sweet to hook her man but over time she proves again and again she is sweet. She isn't a cardboard. None of the characters really are. They're all given depth. I can't quite believe that a story with such an inane premise could build such a sweet romance.

If you can make it through the premise, remember, bon-bons, eclairs, peanut brittle, cupcakes. It'll grow on you. Don't bite the author.

Love it

Gen, or Watergirl, is a normal kid at a normal school in normal Ohio. Except she has an abnormal obsession on her former best friend, Cole. She tried to shake it all summer, but its stuck around for years and nothing changed.

Her friend, Julie, has a plan this year for all of them to expand on their potential before graduation in two years. Gen's assignment is to move on from Cole and to conquer her debilitating fear of water. Her nickname comes from the crazy crap that happens to her around water and not her crazy cool abilities in it.

In the process of following through on this, Gen meets the new kid at school, Oliver, and becomes closer to the mean hot kid, The Captain of the swim team.

I first read this story last year and have reread it I don't know how many times. Its a sweet, soft, fun romance with mermaids. Just like it says on the tin.

Sad and Sweet

Water Gambit picks up right after Watergirl. Gen and Sean are happily sexually compatible and in love.

Sirens are considered monsters by the sea people (mermaids? gill owners?) and have no rights. Sean wants to single handedly change that for his lady love. Each year there is a species wide game and the winner for 5 years straight can I guess create a new law just like that... or something... Whatever. Sean wants to win. However, Oliver convinces him to keep the games quiet from Gen and in exchange Oliver will leave Gen alone for the year. So Sean agrees to lie to Gen for an entire year.

Their relationship becomes rocky as a result.

While it is hard watching these two fall apart, Gen becomes closer to her friends, Flop and Julie, and that makes it feel worth it. Gen is more than the boy she's in love with and Water Games is about her working to be that. More.

I love this series and this book.

Ever have a book you just couldn't wrap your mind around no matter how much you wanted to? Yeah...a bit of a case in point here. When I started this particular title, I had the best of intentions...and about 100 pages later my intentions were still there just not quite as strong. It actually took a friend asking me what I was reading and commenting on how (based on the title) it didn't sound like my usual fare. I can see her point, sorta sounds like a steamy romance novel at first glance...which although there is nothing wrong with, is not my preferred reading genre. That caused me to pause...and proceed to "defend" my choice in reading it thereby exposing something I didn't see prior to the conversation....a level of understanding.

It seems that while I've been struggling with grasping what is actually occuring in the book while in the act of reading, my mind was sorting through the data and able to make some sense of it all on the back end. In short, I could tell her what it was about and what was currently transpiring even though had I been asked as I read each electronic page, I would have sworn otherwise.

From where I stand, it breaks down to this. There are four types of other worldly creatures ...Hotbloods, Coldbloods, Wilds and Nethers. There's the rumor of a war that's been brewing forever and a day yet still hasn't exactly come to fruitation despite some clamoring to make it happen. Like whenever you have differing groups of people, the tensions tend to run high and someone is always trying to be the "top dog"....these guys are no different which leads to a highly volatile situation that...I'll refrain from revealing. But...there's more....

You see, that's the story running underneath the surface; the top layer all focuses on the soul or the lack of their own soul, how it happened, who is to blame and what it all means. There's a lot of raw emotion in here. Many situations you simply find yourself getting caught up in the middle of it all and then.....it just sort of let's you go. There were several times as I was reading that I literally went back and reread a passage because I thought I had missed something, the transition was that sudden. Now, jumping back to characters....

I would have liked to learn a bit more about the possibly conniving Devlin and Satan's past (not as in the devil himself, but as in brother of the House of Slide and one of Dari's many uncle's) has got to be colorful to say the very least. Darianna herself was really just discovering who she was since the awakening of, well...since the events transpired that did transpire. Lewis is a conundrum that you'll keep trying to figure out but don't be surprised if what you guess isn't quite right. To list out all those that leave their mark within this story, would be like creating a roster for your own football team...with opposition...and possibly fans in the stadium. It's large, varied, constant and at points a tad overwhelming but without them, the story would be incomplete. Now, let's touch on that ending....

It twists in upon itself til you don't know which way is up, but in a good way! It's definitely not what you're expecting and I hazzard to say that after the sneak peek at book two at book's end, it's doubtful we've heard the end of the initial saga (yay!). I'm one of those readers that prefers a neat and tidy ending for better or worse, just so that we've got some closure and even though this is the first book in a series, the author offers us that option here while still leaving room to grow.

All in all, an interesting read that I came to enjoy, even if it took some time to get into and a bit of reflection to see the forest for the trees. A book for mid to older teen readers through adults, not quite certain any younger than that would appreciate the story quite yet nor handle the hunting, death, blood, and battles. It's handled well in delivery, but still....too young is too young.

Dariana doesn’t have a soul. It was stolen from her by her brother, and now that he is dead, it is only a matter of days before she dies as well. One night, a few days after her brother’s funeral, Dariana wanders off into the woods and meets a stranger; someone with the intention of helping her out of the forrest and away from the nightmares that live there. On the way back to Dariana’s house, she kisses him, and afterward she finds parts of herself reawakening. Unbeknownst to her, she has taken part of this young man’s soul and is now linked to him.
Upon Dari’s “reawakening” she is sent to live with her father for the summer so he can help her “learn” what her new life holds for her. Dariana is the offspring of a paranormal family. There are four “breeds”: Wilds, Cools, Hotbloods and the now extinct Hollows. These breeds typically don’t interbreed, but her mother, Helen, and father, Alex, defied this rule when they married. Dariana is (was) a half-breed – part Wild and part Cool, but the soul she snagged was a hotblood which throws things into even grater turmoil for her.
This book is a great new take on paranormal beings trying to make it in the modern world. I’ve grown weary of vampires, angels, werewolves and the like, so I was pleasantly surprised by this novel. It is well-written, the characters are strong, and the story is very engaging. It is full of action and a decent amount of romance for those romantics out there. Any fans of Twilight (or any of the millions of knock-offs) should check this one out. I, personally, felt it was a much stronger story than the Twilight books.