Review Detail

Awaken by Michelle Bryan

The Story:
When Tara’s village is destroyed, she sets out to find survivors. On her journey, she picks up a strange assortment of friends, and makes a startling discovery; she is a New Blood. Now Tara is hunted by the Prezedant and must learn to fight back, or perish.

The Characters:
Tara’s strength continues to grow with each obstacle she faces. She is multi-faceted, and the reader can see where she will continue to develop. The reader is emotionally tied to her fate, her troubles, and her successes. And her accent is great!

Jax. Oh boy. The author has crafted the male protagonist with perfection. This is no insta-love story line here. In fact, Jax seems to hate everything about Tara. The relationship between the two builds slowly, believably, and oh-so-sweetly. Jax himself is hardened and loyal.

The rest of Tara’s straggling gang consists of an orphaned boy, Finn, his devil-cat, and a dwarf. Tater the dwarf is particularly interesting throughout the story. However, each of these characters serve a purpose in intriguing us and drawing us head-first into the story.

The antagonist has strong presence throughout. The power of the Prezedant's control is believable and the scenes he appears in are sinister and foreboding.

The World:
Awaken is set in a fantasy dystopian world. There is a strong Rich vs. Poor imagery between the Prezedant and his outlying subjects. The prezedant’s wealth is held in the center and the further you are from him, the harder your day-to-day life is. During this riveting story, we move through sand lands, mountains, camps, villages, and valleys—just to name a few—each of which is expertly delivered.

The Readability:
Michelle Bryan’s writing style is honed, engaging, and utterly unique. The copy is professional and perfect for young adult readers, 14+

Final Verdict:
Time meant nothing while reading this book. I was entirely immersed. Lovable characters, simmering romances, a world you could almost touch, and a concept which captures. This book played as a movie in my mind; the ultimate read. I eagerly await the sequel.

Favorite Quote:
“Every night, I see their faces, hear their screams. Some nights, the metal monsters in my dreams have teeth, and they eat up every soul in front of me, even Ben. I hear their bones crunching from the metal jaws, and I wake myself up with my cries, my face wet with tears. I lay there shivering, afraid, listening to the howling of a lone devil cat or wolfling off in the distance, and sleep don’t come no more. So I walk.”