Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren

By Jen On August 10, 2011 · 1 Comment · In Book Review

Publisher: David C. Cook
Release Date: February 1, 2011
Format: Paperback
Source: Author (won)
Age Level: Young Adult
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Buy: Amazon | IndieBound

In Waterfall, American teenager Gabi Betarrini accidently finds herself in Fourteenth-Century Italy . . . Knights. Swords. Horses. Armor. And Italian hotties. Most American teens want an Italian vacation, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives there with their archaeologist parents. Stuck on yet another hot, dusty dig, they are bored out of their minds… until they place their hands atop handprints in an ancient tomb and find themselves catapulted into the Fourteenth Century and in the middle of a fierce battle between knights bent on killing one another. (Goodreads)

If you’re a fan of historical fiction and romance, then this is a must read! Lisa’s debut YA novel is fantastic. I was quickly sucked into the story and became lost in the pages to the point that I forgot I was reading. Well, you know what I mean, right? I’d look up from the book and be shocked that HOURS had passed!

There is so much to love about Waterfall – strong capable heroines, honorable knights, sword fights, and time travel! The story is told from the perspective of Gabi, a fairly typical American teenager except that she gets to travel every summer with her sister and archeologist parents to Italy in search of Etruscan ruins. While there, on a dig site, bored and feeling a bit rebellious, Gabi and her sister Lia accidentally find a time portal, and suddenly Gabi finds herself in 14th century Italy on the brink of war, in the middle of a battle… in 21st century clothes.

I believe Lisa Bergren did an excellent job of describing 14th century Italy. I could easily see the world she built, and felt completely immersed in that time and place. I appreciated the details she included without it feeling overly done and drawn out, as I feel with some historical fiction novels. I feel I should mention that though this series is categorized as Christian historical fiction, it isn’t really obvious or distract from the story in any way.

I really grew to love Gabi as a character; you can’t help but admire a strong female protagonist stuck in the 1300s when women were supposed to be silent and weak. Gabi’s love interest, Marcello is brave, passionate, and loyal to his family and to Gabi. As much as I loved Gabi and Marcello, I think my favorite character was Luca, Marcello’s cousin and best friend. He’s funny and light-hearted, and his character had a way of lighting up the page.

Waterfall is a captivating adventure across time, and not to be missed! I recommend picking up a copy along with Cascade (book 2) as you will want to immediately start the sequel once you finish!

Check out this book trailer for Waterfall: