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Wake (Wake Series, Book 1) Paperback – December 23, 2008
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Not all dreams are sweet.
For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people’s dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie’s seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.
She can’t tell anybody about what she does; they’d never believe her—or worse, they’d think she’s a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn’t want and can’t control.
Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else’s twisted psyche. She’s a participant…
- Print length224 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherSimon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Publication dateDecember 23, 2008
- Grade level9 - 12
- Reading age14 years and up
- Dimensions5.5 x 0.5 x 8.25 inches
- ISBN-109781416974475
- ISBN-13978-1416974475
- Lexile measure530L
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Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Janie Hannagan's math book slips from her fingers. She grips the edge of the table in the school library. Everything goes black and silent. She sighs and rests her head on the table. Tries to pull herself out of it, but fails miserably. She's too tired today. Too hungry. She really doesn't have time for this.
And then.
She's sitting in the bleachers in the football stadium, blinking under the lights, silent among the roars of the crowd.
She glances at the people sitting in the bleachers around her -- fellow classmates, parents -- trying to spot the dreamer. She can tell this dreamer is afraid, but where is he? Then she looks to the football field. Finds him. Rolls her eyes.
It's Luke Drake. No question about it. He is, after all, the only naked player on the field for the homecoming game.
Nobody seems to notice or care. Except him. The ball is snapped and the lines collide, but Luke is covering himself with his hands, hopping from one foot to the other. She can feel his panic increasing. Janie's fingers tingle and go numb.
Luke looks over at Janie, eyes pleading, as the football moves toward him, a bullet in slow motion. "Help," he says.
She thinks about helping him. Wonders what it would take to change the course of Luke's dream. She even considers that a boost of confidence to the star receiver the day before the big game could put Fieldridge High in the running for the Regional Class A Championship.
But Luke's really a jerk. He won't appreciate it. So she resigns herself to watching the debacle. She wonders if he'll choose pride or glory.
He's not as big as he thinks he is.
That's for damn sure.
The football nearly reaches Luke when the dream starts over again. Oh, get ON with it already, Janie thinks. She concentrates in her seat on the bleachers and slowly manages to stand. She tries to walk back under the bleachers for the rest of the dream so she doesn't have to watch, and surprisingly, this time, she is able.
That's a bonus.
1:01 p.m.
Janie's mind catapults back inside her body, still sitting at her usual remote corner table in the library. She flexes her fingers painfully, lifts her head and, when her sight returns, she scours the library.
She spies the culprit at a table about fifteen feet away. He's awake now. Rubbing his eyes and grinning sheepishly at the two other football players who stand around him, laughing. Shoving him. Whapping him on the head.
Janie shakes her head to clear it and she lifts up her math book, which sits open and facedown on the table where she dropped it. Under it, she finds a fun-size Snickers bar. She smiles to herself and peers to the left, between rows of bookshelves.
But no one is there for her to thank.
Evening, December 23, 1996
Janie Hannagan is eight. She wears a thin, faded red-print dress with too-short sleeves, off-white tights that sag between her thighs, gray moon boots, and a brown, nappy coat with two missing buttons. Her long, dirty-blond hair stands up with static. She rides on an Amtrak train with her mother from their home in Fieldridge, Michigan, to Chicago to visit her grandmother. Mother reads the Globe across from her. There is a picture on the cover of an enormous man wearing a powder-blue tuxedo. Janie rests her head against the window, watching her breath make a cloud on it.
The cloud blurs Janie's vision so slowly that she doesn't realize what is happening. She floats in the fog for a moment, and then she is in a large room, sitting at a conference table with five men and three women. At the front of the room is a tall, balding man with a briefcase. He stands in his underwear, giving a presentation, and he is flustered. He tries to speak but he can't get his mouth around the words. The other adults are all wearing crisp suits. They laugh and point at the bald man in his underwear.
The bald man looks at Janie.
And then he looks at the people who are laughing at him.
His face crumples in defeat.
He holds his briefcase in front of his privates, and that makes the others laugh harder. He runs to the door of the conference room, but the handle is slippery -- something slimy drips from it. He can't get it open; it squeaks and rattles loudly in his hand, and the people at the table double over. The man's underwear is grayish-white, sagging. He turns to Janie again, with a look of panic and pleading.
Janie doesn't know what to do.
She freezes.
The train's brakes whine.
And the scene grows cloudy and is lost in fog.
"Janie!" Janie's mother is leaning toward Janie. Her breath smells like gin, and her straggly hair falls over one eye. "Janie, I said, maybe Grandma will take you to that big fancy doll store. I thought you would be excited about that, but I guess not." Janie's mother sips from a flask in her ratty old purse.
Janie focuses on her mother and smiles. "That sounds fun," she says, even though she doesn't like dolls. She would rather have new tights. She wriggles on the seat, trying to adjust them. The crotch stretches tight at mid-thigh. She thinks about the bald man and scrunches her eyes. Weird.
When the train stops, they take their bags and step into the aisle. In front of Janie's mother, a disheveled, bald businessman emerges from his compartment.
He wipes his face with a handkerchief.
Janie stares at him.
Her jaw drops. "Whoa," she whispers.
The man gives her a bland look when he sees her staring, and turns to exit the train.
Copyright © 2008 by Lisa McMann
Product details
- ASIN : 1416974474
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (December 23, 2008)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 224 pages
- ISBN-10 : 9781416974475
- ISBN-13 : 978-1416974475
- Reading age : 14 years and up
- Lexile measure : 530L
- Grade level : 9 - 12
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,402,638 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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About the author
Lisa McMann lives in Tempe, Arizona. She is married to fellow writer, Matt McMann, and they have two adult children. Her son is artist Kilian McMann, and her daughter is actor Kennedy McMann.
Lisa was born in Holland, Michigan, and she lived there until 2004, when she moved to Arizona with her family. She also spends parts of the year in Sacramento, CA, and Vancouver, BC, Canada. Her first book, Wake, came out in 2008.
In her spare time, Lisa likes to take walks and cook. She also likes to watch TV and movies and loves to read fantasy, realistic fiction, memoirs, and books about cooking and wine.
Lisa is the author of over two dozen books for young adults and children. Some of her most well-known books are The Unwanteds series for middle grade readers and the Wake trilogy for young adults.
The Forgotten Five: Map of Flames was an instant New York Times bestseller in March 2022. It's is the first book in Lisa's new middle grade fantasy series. It's about five supernatural kids who were born in a deserted hideout and abandoned by their criminal parents. They find a flaming map and enter civilization for the first time in search of treasure...and they hope to find their parents, too. But they soon discover that civilization is not kind to supernatural people like them. Book 2, The Invisible Spy, will be out November 8, 2022.
Lisa talks about the inspiration for her stand-alone middle grade novel, Clarice the Brave (Putnam 2021), here: https://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2021/05/10/a-season-of-bravery-by-lisa-mcmann/
There are 7 books in The Unwanteds series:
Book 1, THE UNWANTEDS
Book 2, THE UNWANTEDS: Island of Silence
Book 3, THE UNWANTEDS: Island of Fire
Book 4, THE UNWANTEDS: Island of Legends
Book 5, THE UNWANTEDS: Island of Shipwrecks
Book 6, THE UNWANTEDS: Island of Graves
Book 7, THE UNWANTEDS: Island of Dragons
THE UNWANTEDS QUESTS series is a spinoff with many of the same characters--seven books in this one, too!
Book 1, THE UNWANTEDS QUESTS: Dragon Captives
Book 2, THE UNWANTEDS QUESTS: Dragon Bones
Book 3, THE UNWANTEDS QUESTS: Dragon Ghosts
Book 4, THE UNWANTEDS QUESTS: Dragon Curse
Book 5, THE UNWANTEDS QUESTS: Dragon Fire
Book 6, THE UNWANTEDS QUESTS: Dragon Slayers
Book 7, THE UNWANTEDS QUESTS: Dragon Fury
Check out the Going Wild trilogy for middle grade readers as well -- all three books are in paperback, hardcover, and ebook.
For older readers, Lisa has written the WAKE trilogy, about a
seventeen-year-old girl named Janie who gets sucked into other people's
dreams. She has two stand-alone young adult thrillers, CRYER'S CROSS and DEAD
TO YOU. And another trilogy, called VISIONS, with books CRASH, BANG, and GASP. Fans of the WAKE trilogy will enjoy this one.
Want the inside scoop? Find Lisa on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Twitter @lisa_mcmann. Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/McMannFan. Her website is lisamcmann.com--join her mailing list there!
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book engaging and engrossing. They describe it as a quick, easy read with good writing style. Readers appreciate the gripping plot and poignant love story. The main characters are likeable and portrayed realistically. The book is appropriate for teens and young adults.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book compelling from the start. They describe it as interesting, creative, and engrossing. The premise is good and well-represented. Readers appreciate the quick, easy read that doesn't feel mind-numbing.
"...The romance is sweet but not overpowering and really adds to the story instead of detracting from it...." Read more
"...protagonist, Janie, takes you through her incredible and thrilling world of dream visions, where she is held captive and dragged through other people..." Read more
"...Funny stuff. Well-written stuff. Scary stuff. Surprisingly believable fantasy stuff. Can't wait for the next book...." Read more
"...It was very engaging and intriguing and a little bit spooky. Janie has a odd problem; she gets sucked into other peoples dreams...." Read more
Customers enjoy the gripping plot and well-written characters. They find the love story poignant and the action-packed romance engaging. The concept is fresh and the main characters are likable.
"...The romance is sweet but not overpowering and really adds to the story instead of detracting from it...." Read more
"...'s Wake provides wonderful, easy to enjoy characters, and a plot that is so gripping, you'll barely have time to nitpick the fragments; all you'll..." Read more
"...This is a well written novel of suspense, mystery and the drama that a seventeen year old high school girl from the poor part of town goes through...." Read more
"...This book is written in an interesting style. It is broken down by date and time, starting when Janie is a little girl with large breaks in time...." Read more
Customers enjoy the writing style. They find it easy to read and not too long. The book is written in first-person, diary-like format, quickly jumping from one scene to another. While some find the light, spare prose a bit challenging, they describe it as a short, quick read that anyone from 15-16 years old would enjoy. The flow of the story seems perfect, making it an absolute must-read for those who like the twisted mind.
""These books were wonderful! They are short quick reads that anyone from age 15/16 and up would enjoy...." Read more
"...I couldn't put it down. Another reviewer said that this book reads like watching a movie, and I couldn't agree more...." Read more
"...There are things that bugged me about it, though. Some parts were really well written while other parts bored me...." Read more
"...was, as the plot thickened and the pace sped faster, the writing did become a bit choppy -- which I know can render a lot of readers because once a..." Read more
Customers enjoy the book and find it readable. They say it's a good start to the series, with some great parts. However, they feel it needs more expansion and editing. Overall, readers praise the professional quality of the book.
"...Thus, the 15/16 or older recommendation. Other than that, a great series that will have you glued to the book until the very last page!"" Read more
"...I enjoyed the book thoroughly and have since added both Fade and Gone (Wake`s successors) to my to-buy list and moved them to the very top of my cart..." Read more
"...It was a good basis, but need a little more expansion and editing! It was good enough though that I will most likely buy the sequel." Read more
"...thought this book had an interesting premise and ended up being a pretty good book...." Read more
Customers enjoy the character development. They find the main characters likeable, especially Cabel, and appreciate the female protagonist.
"...Lisa McMann's Wake provides wonderful, easy to enjoy characters, and a plot that is so gripping, you'll barely have time to nitpick the fragments;..." Read more
"...Overall it is an interesting idea and the characters are very engaging. You feel for all these poor teens stuck in crappy home situations...." Read more
"...The main characters were mt favorite. Cabel and Janie were so good together. He balanced her so well. She was the distant girl...." Read more
"...Cabel was a good character and I thoroughly enjoyed him but his and Janie's relationship just came out of the blue to me...." Read more
Customers find the book suitable for younger students and young adults who want an exciting and romantic read. They mention it's a good representation of high school life with romance.
"...The story is very tame and appropriate for younger students...." Read more
"...She was also a good representation for a teenager her age, appearing very realistic. The other characters were not as deep or well done...." Read more
"...Anyway, these books are more geared to adults or older teens in my opinion. There are sexual situations, drug references, and some language...." Read more
"Such a good book for teens and young adults who want an exciting and romantic quick read...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's dream sequences. They find the dream scenes interesting and never repetitive. The main character has the ability to walk in dreams and help them.
"...twists and turns of Janie's everyday life and the dreams she experiences left me breathless, on an emotional roller coaster...." Read more
"...like a dream in that it was told in minimalistic spurts that echoed a dream state...." Read more
"...I found the dream sequences to be very interesting and never repetitive, the way many authors get when portraying recurring dreams...." Read more
"In Wake the main character has the ability of walking in dreams and sometimes helping them change them for the better...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the plot quality. Some find it realistic, while others feel it's unrealistic and underdeveloped. The writing and plot development are criticized for failing to capture their interest.
"...It keeps the storyline moving, but it seemed unrealistic. A bigger problem -- SPOILER WARNING -- Caleb's job seemed very unrealistic...." Read more
"...She was also a good representation for a teenager her age, appearing very realistic. The other characters were not as deep or well done...." Read more
"...it had such a great idea behind it, but failed to capture my interest...." Read more
"I was very underwhelmed by this novel...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2010"These books were wonderful! They are short quick reads that anyone from age 15/16 and up would enjoy. Which is part of why I think it recently won the ALA's award Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers.
"McMann's concept of a girl who can fall in and out of someone's dream at any given moment is refreshingly original. Her character Janie has lived a hard life and has a hard time learning to trust anyone but herself. Although she soon finds out that that may be her only way to survive the dreams and sometimes nightmares she must endure. If I had any hang up about this series it would have to do with some more mature scenes in the second book. Thus, the 15/16 or older recommendation. Other than that, a great series that will have you glued to the book until the very last page!"
- Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2008I had my doubts, this is the kind of story line that can go very badly in the wrong writers hands. Lucky for us Lisa McMann is in the zone here. Granted this is not a long book, but I read it start to finish within a couple hours. I couldn't put it down. Another reviewer said that this book reads like watching a movie, and I couldn't agree more. Janie Hannagan is the kind of character that readers love, she draws you in and for the space of 224 pages her emotions are your emotions. The romance is sweet but not overpowering and really adds to the story instead of detracting from it.
McMann writes in a format similar to Stephenie Meyer The Twilight Collection (Twilight)kind of stream of consciousness, like writing in a journal. From what I can tell this is Lisa McMann's first published novel and if Wake is any indication she's deffinitely an author to watch. there will be a sequal to Wake and the auther's blog says it's dure out in the fall of this year titled Fade.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2011I am ashamed to say this book sat on my shelf, lingering and waiting for me to pick it up, for over a year. I'm not sure why I hesitated on reading it, considering it peeked my interest as soon as I saw it on the store bookshelf... but not yet owning the other two novels in the three-part series bothered me and kept me away. I always said I'd read the first one, and if I liked it, I'd pick up the other two. But I waited so long to read it, and for that, I am kicking myself in the ass. Why, you ask?
Lisa McMann did an incredible job at captivating me as her reader right from the start. From page one, I knew I wasn't going to be able to put it down until I finished it. As a writer, she had a rare ability to -- literally -- launch me, head first, into this story. The protagonist, Janie, takes you through her incredible and thrilling world of dream visions, where she is held captive and dragged through other people's thoughts, memories, nightmares and physiological wonders. The dreamers do not know that she is there, and Janie cannot comprehend as to why it keeps happening, which makes it difficult for her to understand the importance of her presence. What's worse is, each time it happens, the severity of the situation increases, making it harder for Janie to pull herself out out of them... One daunting one in particular is not only challenging to escape, but toilsome to witness.
Her mother is barely in the picture and has no idea of Janie's capabilities. Her best friend (whom is not shallow -- which I LOVE!!) is actually there for her whenever she is can be, but has her own secrets and burdens to bare. With kids in High School drifting to sleep daily, all Janie wants to do is blend in and find some peace and quiet and make it stop so she can rest. Then enters Cabel. Dark, mysterious Cabel, who's made it a goal to go his own way and do his own thing in order to escape his troublesome, drug-related past and never-ending bad-boy reputation. The last thing Janie needs is to be caught up in something else she can't control, but one nightmare sequence and a wicked street name later, and Cabel and Janie embark on her journey together -- for their own individual reasons. What they didn't expect to find was how close they were linked together, and how they could possibly be able to help each other out.
This story was absolutely compelling. I loved the twists and turns that left me guessing and holding onto the edge of my seat. The one thing that did bother me was, as the plot thickened and the pace sped faster, the writing did become a bit choppy -- which I know can render a lot of readers because once a story that contained full sentences and well-written explanatory paragraphs suddenly turns into fragmented lines and disconnected phrases, you start feeling a little whip-lashed. Granted, it's how the author wanted to display the urgency and spiral in the plot, and that I can respect. Lisa McMann's Wake provides wonderful, easy to enjoy characters, and a plot that is so gripping, you'll barely have time to nitpick the fragments; all you'll want to do figure out what will happen next.
Allowing this book to sit on my shelf for so long may have been a huge mistake, but reading it was not. I enjoyed the book thoroughly and have since added both Fade and Gone (Wake`s successors) to my to-buy list and moved them to the very top of my cart, as I cannot wait to see what happens next with Janie and Cabel's journeys. Until then, I'm sure I'll be dreaming of what could be, considering the story is stuck in my head. Thankfully, I wouldn't have it any other way. That's what happens when a fresh writer comes into your life.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2008I have mixed feelings about this book. I read it in about 4 hours - yes, it's a quick read. There are things that bugged me about it, though. Some parts were really well written while other parts bored me. I don't think I enjoyed the style of writing the author used. It was almost as if she was trying too hard to sound like a teenager. Also, I don't mind that the f-word was used in this novel, but I feel like it was unnecessarily overused.
-spoiler-
Cabel and Janice's relationship was interesting, but very frustrating at times. They got mad at each other for stupid reasons and he apparently was in love with her when they hardly even knew each other. He was overly affectionate to the point of where he cried over her. He even dragged her into his boss's office so that she could prove to her he wasn't lying. It seemed like he was too emotionally attached to her and it made him seem less realistic.
As for the dreams, some of them seemed pointless and the ones that corresponded to the novel got really repetitive. The author made the dreams so that they directly related to real life events, but when Cabel dreams about having sex with Shay - It's just a hope or a fear?
Overall, I believe this novel was worth reading, but I do believe a little more work on it would have made it great. It was a good basis, but need a little more expansion and editing! It was good enough though that I will most likely buy the sequel.
Top reviews from other countries
- FurbsqueeReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2012
5.0 out of 5 stars Totally fresh - I loved it!
I loved the style of Wake - it was bitesize and that made it easy to devour in one sitting. The style is quite different from anything I have ever read before; it reminds me almost of a newspaper report because it is written in the third person, but in the present tense. For whatever reason, that really works for me. I find that because the level of detail is kept to a really light level, there was a lot of room for me to imagine things in this story. In fact, I felt upon finishing that I had never before had such a strong sense of place in a book - usually I read descriptions and sort of cobble together an idea of what I should be thinking of, but I sometimes get too lost in the detail.
In the story we follow Janie, who has an unfortunate ability to get sucked in to other people's dreams. She meets Cabel, a mysterious boy who pushes her home from a dance on his skateboard when she is forced to walk home barefoot by some pinching shoes. I fell in love with him right then, although it took Janie a while longer. Their relationship is developed in an intelligent and interesting way, and I love these characters. They don't need anyone to look after them; but they come to need each other. This book makes my heart pound. I love how you get to see how Cabel feels about Janie as she does through his dreams, and the waking interplay between them is just delicious. Cabel is a boy of few words, but long, intense looks and he is one of my all-time favorite leading men.
My one word of warning about this book is that it contains a number of instances of strong cursing.
-
虹色眼鏡Reviewed in Japan on February 19, 2010
4.0 out of 5 stars おもしろい!
17歳の女子高生Janieは、8歳の頃から特別な能力を持っている。それは、人の夢に入り込むこと。
漫画みたいなコンセプトだけど、スリリングで面白いです。恋愛もあり。友情もあり。
最初は自分の能力に振り回されて苦しむんだけど、だんだんその力をコントロールすることができるようになってきます。それまでのJanieの苦しみも読み応えがあるし、そこからのストーリーの展開にも目が離せませんでした。
一冊がびっくりするほど薄いので、正直期待していませんでしたが、ぜひシリーズ全部読んでみたいです。
- PJ RankineReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 12, 2009
5.0 out of 5 stars Read it
Yet another wonderful book written for young teens. The story is about a 17 year old girl called Janie who gets sucked into other people's dreams and how she learns how to control it. On the way you explore her life at home and high school, relationships with her alcoholic mother and peers and her hopes and aspirations. Its not a long book by any means which means your teen if you have one will probably finish it, read it before you give it to them, you won't be disappointed. I'm giving it to my 71 year old mother for Christmas because she enjoys a good read and this is definitely one.
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katrinheartsbooksReviewed in Germany on June 29, 2011
4.0 out of 5 stars Toller Schreibstil
Janie besitzt eine seltsame Gabe: Sie kann in die Träume anderer Menschen eindringen. Doch für Janie ist es eher ein Fluch als eine Gabe. Sie weiß nicht, wie sie es kontrollieren kann und so wird sie zu jeder erdenklichen Tageszeit und in allen möglichen Situationen in Träume gezogen. Janie erfährt auf diesem Weg sehr viel über den Träumer. Doch sie kann niemanden darauf ansprechen, da die Träumer sich nicht daran erinnern können, dass sie Janie im Traum begegnet sind. Oft muss Janie auch schlimme Albträume miterleben. Sie möchte den Träumern dann gerne helfen, doch sie weiß nicht wie.
Janie freundet sich im Laufe der Geschichte mit einem Jungen aus ihrer Schule an: Cabel. Er ist ein ziemlich undurchsichtiger Typ. Irgendwann findet Janie heraus, dass er der Träumer eines besonders schlimmen Traumes ist, den sie einmal miterlebt hat. Doch bei seinem Traum ist etwas anders...Cabel kann sich nach dem Aufwachen daran erinnern, dass er Janie in seinem Traum begegnet ist. Dadurch erfährt Cabel von Janies Geheimnis. Das verbindet die beiden, doch es hält nicht lange an. Cabel wird in kriminelle Machenschaften verstrickt und verhält sich seltsam. Können er und Janie wieder zueinander finden? Sollte Janie ihn überhaupt zurückwollen?
Zeitgleich versucht Janie Kontrolle über ihre Gabe zu bekommen. Sie erhält hierbei Hilfe von einer anderen Traumfängerin. So lernt Janie mit der Zeit, wie sie den Träumern helfen kann.
Zu Ende findet sie auch heraus, was es mit Cabels Verhalten auf sich hat. Doch die Story ist hier noch lange nicht zu Ende, denn nun da Janie besser mit der Gabe umgehen kann, wird sie auch versuchen, diese aktiv anzuwenden.
Meine Meinung: Mir hat das Buch sehr gefallen. Es ist eine mysteriöse Handlung in einer tollen Atmosphäre. Ich möchte vor allem den Schreibstil hervorheben. Die Geschichte wird in kurzen, prägnanten Sätzen erzählt. Dadurch wird man nie von der Handlung abgelenkt. Man hat das Gefühl immer mittendrin zu sein. Ich konnte das Buch nicht mehr weglegen und habe es in wenigen Stunden fertig gelesen.
Janie als Person fand ich auch sehr erfrischend. Sie kommt aus ärmlichen Verhältnissen, wird als White Trash bezeichnet, kennt ihren Vater nicht und hat eine Alkoholikerin zur Mutter. Doch man hat den Eindruck, dass sie sich nie unterkriegen lässt. Diese schlechten Voraussetzungen, haben sie sogar stärker gemacht. Sie wirkt nicht wie ein Teenager, sonder eher wie eine Erwachsene. Mir gefällt es, wie sie ihr Leben selbst in die Hand nimmt.
Ich habe mir schon Teil 2 und 3 bestellt, da ich unbedingt wissen möchte, wie die Handlung weitergeht.
- Jenny, Wondrous ReadsReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 24, 2009
4.0 out of 5 stars Wake
This series is one of my favourites, and I think Lisa McMann does a really good job of drawing the reader straight into the story.
Janie's gift is fascinating, and to be able to see what other people are dreaming about is both scary and interesting, taking voyeurism to a whole new level. Being a dreamcatcher has its pros and cons; the pros being the chance to help people and solve crimes, with the cons leaning more towards physical ailments and the loss of privacy. The sense that people's deepest, darkest secrets are hidden in their dreams is a constant problem for Janie, because how do you draw the line? How can she keep herself grounded? All are questions the reader is faced with, along with a couple of moral questions of our own.
Cabel is a fantastic male character, and compliments Janie's personality perfectly. He understand her, he helps her, and ultimately becomes her go-to person when she's in trouble. Their relationship progresses as any normal one should -- with a certain amount of trepidation and hesitation. These are characters that can't afford to slip up or make a wrong move: too much is at stake, and this definitely shows through in their attutudes towards each other.
Lisa McMann's writing is simple but stylish, and is the only time I've come across this particular prose. She brings something new to the YA table, and makes sure to target a wide audience by having her story include many different components. Romance, danger, and the difference between right and wrong are just a few of the elements waiting for you within the pages of Wake, and if you haven't yet read it, give it a go -- I don't think you'll be disappointed.