Review : Wake
Wake by Lisa McMann
Pages : 210
Genre : Young Adult, fantasy
My Rating : 
Wake was the perfect read for the read-a-thon, at that point in the night when everything gets quiet but you’re not, yet, too sleepy. Written at the third person, the book takes a certain distance from the main character, which creates a dream-like atmosphere.
For 17 year-old Janie Hannagan, getting sucked into other people’s dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams. The naked but nobody notices dreams. And the sex-crazed teenager dreams. Janie’s seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.
She can’t tell anybody about it. They’d never believe her. And she can’t do anything to stop it. Until she gets to know Cabel Strumheller, a secretive, pothead flunkie turned pretty-boy. And he accidentally falls into a dream with her on the senior high bus trip to Stratford.
It’s his own dream.
And it’s a dream he’d rather no one knows about.
Especially Janie Hannagan.
As I’ve said during the read-a-thon, I was surprised by the author’s writing, very different from what I expected – but in a good way. It creates a different pace for the book, one that is unstable, unsure, a little like the dreams Janie visits against her will. The writing makes you closer to Janie: you feel like she does, disconnected from the people around her because of her huge secret.
That being said, the distance created by the third-person narration also has a negative side to it; it makes it harder for the reader to get attached to the main character. For me, at least, it was a longer process than usual, and it was only toward the end of the book that I got really attached to Janie. I also still felt like I didn’t know much of the people around her.
The book is a fast read, though. The writing is short, almost rythmic. As for the story, I enjoyed it. The idea was great, but not fully developped, so we can expect read new things in the sequel. There is enough things going on to make you wonder about different aspects of the story, and the end is great, closing the first book’s history while letting many questions unanswered for the next book – which I’ll certainly be reading soon!
I’ve been interested in this one for a while! And I actually had no idea what it was about… sounds pretty different. I’m going to look for it — hopefully in paperback soon! 🙂
It did feel different from other YA novels in the same genre. And the good news is, it’s already in paperback! I bought mine off Amazon.ca just before the read-o-thon. 🙂
i like the sounds of this one. i’m a ya fan and am always on the lookout for new goodies. thanks for the tip!
I have SO been wanting this particular award, and you are TOO sweet to pass it on to me 🙂 Thanks so much, I am thrilled!!!!!!
I liked this one but wasn’t that thrilled with Fade. I’m hoping the third one will be great!!!
I didn’t really like Wake. The plot was good, pacing was a bit fast, but the one thing that really bothered me was that her best friend seems to have the same nightmare in the two times she sleeps over. What are the odds?