Wake

McMann, Lisa, Wake, Simon Pulse, 2008, 210 pgs.

Summary: The creative super power of spying on people through their dreams is introduced in this novel. Janie has been “falling” into other people’s dreams from a very young age, but until her junior year of high school, she never saw this as a very desirable gift. The novel takes a fun twist when Janie begins to help the police bust drug dealing in her town by reading fellow classmates dreams. The novel moves quickly as Janie gets closer and closer to finding out how her classmates are obtaining drugs and along the way Janie falls in love. The book is not all about using others to get information through their dreams; Janie also learns how to change dreams so that fears can be overcome.

Evaluation: The suspense in this novel is wonderful and the unexpected twists and turns will keep the pages flying until the very end. I found this novel to be very well written and a great example of taking what you are given and using it for good. The writing is not difficult to follow, but the topics and situations are more mature. Although it has a superhero feel to it, Janie is fitting real issues in the world, not superhero monsters. An intriguing read. Can’t wait to read the others in the series.

Annotation: Janie is falling through air and then bam she is sitting in a board room watching a man give a speech and he is naked…not again. Janie is in somebody else’s dream.

Significance of Book: This book is unique because it has a main character with a paranormal power placed in an ordinary world. Very much like superman or any other superhero. The huge difference is that it is set in a very modern time where nothing else has superheroes.

Genre/subject: dreams, superpowers, paranormal fiction

Awards:

National:

• ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers: 2009

State:

• Arizona: Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominees: 2012
• Georgia: Georgia Peach Award Nominees: 2010
• Illinois: Lincoln Award Nominees: 2011
• Indiana: Eliot Rosewater Award Nominees: 2011
• Missouri: Gateway Readers Award Nominees: 2011
• Nevada: Young Readers' Award Nominees: 2010
• New Jersey: Garden State Teen Book Award Nominees: 2011
• South Carolina: YA Book Award Nominees: 2010
• Texas: Tayshas Reading List: 2011

Why I selected the book: I honestly selected this book because of the cover. Seeing as it is a reluctant readers booklist book, that seems like a fitting reasons.

Price: $8.99