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Book Review: Waterfell (The Aquarathi #1) by Amalie Howard

Waterfell by Amalie Howard

  • Method of Obtaining: I received a copy from the publisher.
  • Published by:  HarlequinTEEN
  • Release Date:  10.29.2013

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Nerissa 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?

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My Review:
It never fails.  Never.  A romance always gets in the way of a story that could be phenomenal.  And not just any romance, one of those cheesy, roll-your-eyes-because-it’s-that-unbelievable romance.  I am so upset right now because folks, Waterfell could have been absolutely fantastic.  Put away any ideas of mermaids that you might be thinking because this book has the word “water” in its title – the Aquarathi are anything but.  Instead, this is a part-awesome, part-cheese novel that is unlike anything I’ve read in the young adult genre.
Without diving into spoilers, let me just say that if the romance had been majorly toned down, this could have been a fantastic science-fiction novel with great world-building and back story.  I was completely fascinated by the presence of actual creatures that were not the stereotypical (and expected) merfolk.  I loved the setting for the home of the Aquarathi, the political intrigue that came with the presence of a princess, hidden away from her home.  I was fascinated by the twists and betrayals that I never saw coming.
So why did the book fall flat for me?  Well, as I said earlier, the romance.  The descriptions of Lo, the main romantic interest, were… frankly, juvenile.  I kept groaning and felt overly dramatic myself any time that Nerissa bumped into him, thought about him, or interacted with him on any level.  And I get that his eyes are blue… like the deepest sea color blue because it’s emphasized over and over and.. yup, over again.
Also, there is also a bad case of insta-love here.  Unfortunately, the insta-love phenomenon is becoming more and more popular and, for the life of me, I cannot figure out why.  It’s not pleasurable to read about a case of love at first sight – where is the tension? the anticipation?  It’s upsetting and, as seen in the case of Waterfell, can completely derail what could have been an otherwise great story.
The only way I would willingly recommend Waterfell is as a gateway book to more hardcore science fiction.  I would recommend moving from Waterfell to books like Sea Change by S.M. Wheeler and The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan.

Check out what these bloggers had to say!

Bibliophilia, Please | Nick’s Book Blog | Buried in Books

 


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