Book Review: Waterfell by Amalie Howard

Release date: October 29th, 2013
Read: March 3-6th, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Series: The Aquarathi #1
Format: Paperback, 350 pages
Source: Winnipeg Public Library

Description from GoodReads:

THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE QUEEN

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?

Review:

Contains Spoliers:

The sea is about reveal its most beautiful and deadly secret...

  Waterfell totally caught me by surprise! Mostly because I first went into the book thinking it'd be a mermaid novel, Woah huge surprise there. Waterfell is a new unique twist on mermaids and if you can believe it, aliens! And that's not even the best part, Amalie totally steps it up with the characters actually taking a form rather then human. Most books containing aliens now a days seem to always have the aliens looking the same as us, but with a few extra perks, shapeshifting, teleporting abilities, etc. Amalie's aliens do indeed have shifting abilities but they are unique to the species, when they don't look like humans there take their natural form which is quite terrifying. I think this is one of the parts that has intrigued me the most in the book, the aliens other form and the how their scale colours are the same as their human forms hair colour. I think it's just so incredible to just picture a creature and to have it's every detail written out onto paper creating a new life. 

  Another thing I noticed was that the main character Nerissa(Niss) was just plain rude, my goodness but immediately took a liking to her. Main characters tend to be selfless or quite little things in this case Niss had the 'high school girl everyone despises but has to love' attitude. I don't think I've ever read a book where the main character naturally has this attitude rather then just pretending. So props to Amalie!
  I am definitely excited for the next book in the Aquarathi series, Oceanborn, which releases July 29th, 2014.

Rating:

Favourite Quote:

"Even though I feel heavy as a stone, I'm weightless." ~ Riss

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:

Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romance, Paranormal, Aliens, Mermaids