Tidal (Watersong)
In the third book in Hocking’s Watersong series (Wake and Lullaby, both 2012), Gemma is fighting desperately against her siren instincts, which compel her to feed on human blood at least once a month. She has alienated Alex, the love of her life, in order to protect him, and she risks doing the same with other friends and her family to save them from either her or her siren sisters’ violence and destruction. The only one seemingly immune to the sirens’ seductive charms is Harper’s boyfriend, Daniel. Together, he and Harper agree to protect Gemma and her father at all costs, a price that siren Penn is determined to extract from Daniel, with unpredictable consequences. Simultaneously, Gemma begins her search for the scroll that will allow her to destroy the siren curse—and, in turn, the sirens themselves. Once again, Hocking’s paranormal suspense storytelling, which blends myth with contemporary teenage life, will draw readers under its spell only to leave them hanging until the next installment.      HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Hocking has sold more than a million copies of her self-published titles. The publisher is pulling out all the stops for this new series, with promotions that include a national TV ad campaign. Grades 6-9. --Frances Bradburn