Review: Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

From Back Cover: Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives among the romantic hills with their archaeological parents. Stuck among the rubble of medieval castles in rural Tuscany on yet another hot, dusty archaeological site, Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds ... until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of opposing forces. Suddenly Gabi's summer in Italy is much, much more interesting.

My Rating: 5 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: With strong characters, frequent battles, political intrigue, hot guys and a sweet romance, Lisa T. Bergren’s Waterfall is a thrilling and enchanting debut that’s impossible not to love. Marketed as Christian fiction, Waterfall actually doesn’t have a huge dose of religion within it; rather, there is the occasional reference to praying to God for example, which would not be uncommon in fourteenth century Italy.

The main character, Gabi, is no damsel in distress and knows how to wield a sword and throw daggers. Therefore, she tends to surprise men and has at least a fighting chance around enemies. Weak heroines that need to rely on guys are a pet peeve of mine, and I’m so glad Gabi is strong-willed! Plus, she is loyal and quick-witted, coming up with a plausible story that allows her to search for her sister Lia who also made the leap through time and that explains why she, a seventeen-year-old girl, is walking around unescorted. The one thing that bugged me a little about Gabi is that she doesn't sound like a typical teen when she mentally speaks to herself. It's easy enough to ignore though since she doesn't do it that often.

The main secondary characters in Waterfall are just as terrific as Gabi. Lia with her superb archery skills, funny and gorgeous Luca, and smart Fortino were each outstanding and memorable in their own right.

Oh, and of course, there’s Marcello. While I tend to go for blonds – *gets distracted by the thought of Luca* – Marcello is hot too. Dark-haired and more serious than his cousin Luca, his romance with Gabi felt completely natural as it developed from attraction and admiration to something more. Someone please transport me to medieval Italy so I can get a guy like Marcello or Luca!

Besides the amazing characters, the plot was wonderful as well. Bergren describes Toscana and Siena in a way that makes you feel like you’re a part of the story too; and with two castellos trying to get each other’s territory and Gabi having to find Lia, there is plenty of action and danger. It’s also fun to see Gabi try to adjust to the time period she finds herself thrust in.

A splendid start to a new trilogy and definitely one of my favourite reads of the year, Waterfall is currently available for free to download from Amazon.

Waterfall was released in February 2011 by David C. Cook.

Comments About the Cover: There’s nothing particularly attention grabbing about it. If I didn’t know the premise of Waterfall, I probably would have overlooked this book if it was sitting on a bookshelf.