Sunday, July 1, 2012

Review: Waking Storms

Waking Storms
by Sarah Porter
Pages: 400
Format: ARC
Release Date: July 3, 2012
by Harcourt





After parting ways with her troubled mermaid tribe, Luce just wants to live peacefully on her own. But her tranquility doesn’t last long: she receives news that the tribe is on the verge of collapse and desperately needs her leadership. The tribe’s cruel queen wants Luce dead. Dorian, the boy Luce broke mermaid law to save, is determined to make her pay for her part in the murder of his family. And while the mermaids cling to the idea that humans never suspect their existence, there are suddenly ominous signs to the contrary. But when Luce and Dorian meet, they start to wonder if love can overpower the hatred they know they should feel for each other. Can Luce fulfill her rightful role as queen of the mermaids without sacrificing her forbidden romance with Dorian?

*A copy was provided by Harcourt for review purposes*

*Warning: There are some minor spoilers ahead.  Ye be warned.*

It's always hard to write a sequel and make it as good as the first book.  Some authors have managed it, but, unfortunataly, Sarah Porter is not among those select few.  The first book was thrilling, interesting, and I couldn't put it down.  This one, unfortunately, wasn't like that at all.
I feel like I probably would have liked this book a bit more if not for the romance.  It was just down-right annoying, and seriously, I hated it.  First off, it was a total insta-romance, and I hate that.  Literally, they met one night on a beach, and then the next day they were in love and kissing.  Second, Dorian was so demanding and kind of a jerk, and seriously, I knew it was going to end the way it did.  The romance was a hugely epic fail, and really ruined the book for me.
In the first book the writing was amazing, but in this one it wasn't that good.  Porter used a lot "likes" and "I means" and didn't punctuate the sentences correctly.  Here are a few quotes:

"Maybe we could, I don't know, like freeze one of those heads while you were singing?"
~Page 266, uncorrected ARC edition

"I can't tell.  I mean...maybe some guys would think she was."~Page 267, uncorrected ARC edition

"I mean...didn't you really like him, Luce?  Like, seriously?"
~Page 116, uncorrected ARC edition

It absolutely drove me nutss that the writing wasn't good.  I've never read a book that sounded so (and I hate to say this) dumb.  There was absolutely no build to the events at all, total insta-romance, and just annoying writing.  It was a good idea and a great story line for a second book, and it set up a third book perfectly, but the writing just didn't cut it for me.
I don't think I've ever hated the main boy character as much as I hate Dorian.  He was so demanding, annoying, and kind of mean.  He's the kind of guy you don't want to be in a relationship with because he won't treat you right, will cheat on you, and dump you.  I honestly don't know why Luce didn't dump him after the first time he asked her to change, but I knew it wasn't going to end well.
In the first book, I really liked Luce because she was strong, independent, and stood up for what she thought was right.  I still think the same about the third thing, but the first two don't apply to her anymore.  She was totally dependent on Dorian, and it drove me nuts because she was such a stong character in the first book.
There are only a few books out there that I've read that aren't romantic, and Lost Voices was one of those few.  I almost wish Porter had stuck to that and not incorporated romance.  Or, if she really wanted romance, at least build it up and make the guy likable.

2.5 pink flowers

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