Wake

Reader reviewed by The Book Girl

Janie gets sucked into peoples dreams. It's a real setback when she's in class or driving home seeing as the worse the dream the harder it is for her not to shake and seizure. The thing is, there's nothing she can do about it. And nobody she can tell who can help her. That is, until Cabel came along. But then again, Cabels got some secrets of him own.

This is one of the best books I've ever read. The idea is so unique, and it's so well written, you can't help but be drawn in. The romance between Janie and Cabel is sweet. Janie herself is sarcastic and funny. There are so many memorable scenes that will pop into your head at the most random times and make you smile. An overall amazing book that anybody can get into.

Reader reviewed by Kayla (Midnight Twilight)

Janie is just like every other seventeen year old, except that she gets sucked into other peoples dreams. She's been in almost every type of dream; the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, the sex-crazed dreams, and the horrible drowning death dreams. She has to keep this power a secret for fear of them thinking she's crazy. The dreams are fine for her to deal with, but the nightmares are starting to kill her. One night she falls into a horrible nightmare and for the first time for Janie she is not only watching the dream--she is a part of it.

Usually after i read an amazing book like the Host was any other book i read right after pales in comparison. Which is why i was surprised when i was drawn into Wake so quickly and fully. The characters are amazingly portrayed, and her "powers" of going into other peoples dreams were very understandable. I never wanted this book to end, yet i finished it in 1 day. I can't wait until the next two books in the series come out.

Reader reviewed by hillary

Janie has always been sucked into the dreams of whoever is near her. She can't help it, it's uncontrollable and unpredictable, and she wants it all to stop. But it's been happening to her ever since she could remember. It's more of a burden then a gift really, especially with the nightmares. You think dreaming them is bad, imagine what Janie feels like. But somehow she keeps it together and is quite sane for a person with problems like hers.

Then there's this guy at her school. He always sleeps during her study halls. When she gets sucked into his dreams it's not a pretty picture. His are possibly the worst nightmares. Then she gets to know him. And for the first time in her life, she has her own dream...and he's in it.

Will Janie ever be able to control her problem?

I thought that Wake was a fantastic book. I was totally captivated for beginning to end. It was fabulously written. The characters were great. I could very easy compare them to real people that I know. (I know a few Melissas!) I would recommend it to anyone. Which I pretty much all ready have. My best friend got the book too and she told me she really liked it also.

The sequel is coming out sometime next year...maybe. Amazon was once again withholding valuable information. Why do they do this to me? Whatever, I can live without knowing. That way I won't be creepily counting down until then like I'm doing with multiple other books.

Reader reviewed by Kristin

At first glance and the excerpt on the back, I was a bit skeptical and kind of scared, to be honest, but as usual, I was proved wrong.

This book is like no other. The chapter headings, plot, characters, etc. Everything was short and concise, which made the book very powerful. I really liked the main character Janie because she is the girl I want to be--hard-working, strong. However, one attribute I wanted to change was she would not wait for an explanation of events that seemed weird or messed up. I know it's probably something I would do, but her relationship with Gabe kept going back and forth for a very long time, which got me a little bored.

Although I predicted Janie and Gabe's relationship, the rest of the book was quite unpredictable, which kept me on my toes.

I really enjoyed this book, but I read it in one day, which made me lose some sleep. Ironic, much?

Reader reviewed by Kelsey

For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, and the naked-but-nobody-notices 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 is a participant...


Wake was the novel I was waiting to read. I've heard good things and I've heard OK things. I loved the story line but I hated the point of view Miss McMann made. The characters where so real and deliberate. The family lives felt standoffish in a good way. Although I wish there was a bit more description and detail to the story. As I said, I'm not a big fan on the point of view the author wrote with but in the end, I didn't really care.


I loved it a lot and can't wait until Lisa McMann's sequel to Wake, Fade, comes out in February '09.

Reader reviewed by ambeen

Wake is an amazing first novel from Lisa McMann. The premise and plot for the story grabbed me from the beginning. I was truly invested in Janie and her abilities to enter other people's dreams. I did not want to put the book down for a minute.

The dynamic between Janie and Cabel was great. They fit perfectly together and just meshed real well in the story. Wake moves quickly with few lulls in the fast pace the story takes. I will definitely looking forward to the sequel, Fade, to be released sometime in 2009.

In the sequel, I hope to see better explanation of the dream catcher's abilities. There were many questions Janie asked (and several I could ask as well) that were not answered in the book, so hopefully any confusion about how Janie's and others abilities work will be answered in the sequel.

Reader reviewed by Hillary

Janie has always been sucked into the dreams of whoever is near her. She can't help it, it's uncontrollable and unpredictable, and she wants it all to stop. But it's been happening to her ever since she could remember. It's more of a burden then a gift really, especially with the nightmares. You think dreaming them is bad, imagine what Janie feels like. But somehow she keeps it together and is quite sane for a person with problems like hers.

Then there's this guy at her school. He always sleeps during her study halls. When she gets sucked into his dreams it's not a pretty picture. His are possibly the worst nightmares. Then she gets to know him. And for the first time in her life, she has her own dream...and he's in it.

Will Janie ever be able to control her problem?

I thought that Wake was a fantastic book. I was totally captivated for beginning to end. It was fabulously written. The characters were great. I could very easy compare them to real people that I know. (I know a few Melissas!) I would recommend it to anyone. Which I pretty much all ready have. My best friend got the book too and she told me she really liked it also.

The sequel is coming out sometime next year...maybe. Amazon was once again withholding valuable information. Why do they do this to me? Whatever, I can live without knowing. That way I won't be creepily counting down until then like I'm doing with multiple other books.

Reader reviewed by Tasha

Usually when parents tuck their kids in at night they tell them to have sweet dreams, right? According to Janie that's wrong. She can't remember ever having a dream. Instead she falls into other people's dreams. Some may think this is really neat, but for Janie it's horrible. Janie can't spend the night at other people's house, and when people fall asleep at school she's also sucked into their dreams. Janie's been having this problem since she was eight years old. Now she's seventeen and a senior in high school, and the whole dream thing is getting very old. The worst thing is she can't tell anybody in fear that they'll think she's crazy. Lately it seems all the dreams are the same, being naked in front of a crowd or falling into an endless pit. Then she starts falling into the same dream, actually more of a nightmare that hits way to close to home. She can't really make sense of it, but she hopes it will soon stop. Aside from the dreams though her life seems to be looking up. Her grades are good, she has an amazing boyfriend who understands her and knows her secret, and her alcoholic mother mother has started to be a little more motherly. Just as life is looking up, a cloud comes and rains on Janie's happiness. Her and her boyfriend Cabel have an unofficial break up, and her favorite patient at the nursing home she works at, Ms. Stubin, dies. Then Cable is all of a sudden dating rich girl Shay and Janie doesn't understand this at all, and it seems that everything else is confusing her. Will Janie find some answers to her confusion, or will she plummet into darkness with only other people's dreams to keep her company?


I. Loved. This. Book. Wake gives the term "page-turner" a whole new meaning. From the moment I opened the book it was glued to my hands and I was on the edge of my seat, anxious to read what happened next. The story was completely original and was absolutely fascinating. There were so many twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very last sentence. Even then it wasn't enough, there are still so many questions buzzing around my head. It is so not fair that the book had to end! The characters were also amazing. Janie was great and I am so jealous of her relationship with Cabel, for the most part! To me all the characters had their own unique personality which made the book have great depth. What stunned me even more about this book is that Lisa McMann is a first time author. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next, especially the sequel to Wake, Fade which comes out next year.

Reader reviewed by Megan

Wake, by Lisa McMann, brings us headfirst into the life of Janie. Her story begins at the age of eight, when she first thinks that there is something strange going on with her: she can see peoples dreams. Sounds like fun? Maybe to some people, it would be. But when you can not pick and choose when you go into a dream or whose dream it is, then it becomes less fun. You tend to learn a lot about people this way. For instance, she learned that her hateful girl classmate dreams about having sex with her best friend& ahem, her best girl friend. That same friend dreams about the death of her little brother. And, one dream hits her the hardest the one of a boy turning into something with knives for fingers, trying to chase away a man catching him on fire. She finds out later that this dream belongs to none other than Cabe, the boy who also dreams about Janie& holding Janie, kissing Jamie. She gets tangled up in these dreams, but after the death of one of the elderly at the place where she works, she learns that she can help people in their dreams. The other thing she learns is not so pretty the old man trying to catch the boy on fire in Cabes dream& really happened.
Lisa McMann is such an amazing author! I can not wait to get my hands on the sequel to Wake, called Fade. This book was definitely worth reading.

Reader reviewed by Elle

I (being the way I am) LOVED this book. It was unexpected and I was seriously sucked into it. IT was an emotional (I KNOW ITS A PUN AND OVERUSED BUT IM SAYING IT ANYWAY) roller coaster. I loved it SO MUCH!

Wake is about a girl named Janie who is sucked into other people's dreams. She lives in a bad neighborhood in Michigan and goes to a public school. She is determined to go to college and save herself from her life.

So, in Wake, Janie is sucked into other people's dreams whenever there is someone in the room she is in that falls asleep. She doesn't know why she has this gift, but is given a clue when an old woman at the nursing home she works at dies and leaves her money and a note.

Janie meets Cabel because he goes to her school, but she is also sucked into many of his dreams. Throughout the book, the get to know each other and end up dating.

Throughout the book there are many twists and turns as Janie is sucked into an entirely new reality of what her life really is. She is sucked into Cabel's life as well, and he REALLY takes her on a ride of her life.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. Seriously, I read it 3 times in one day. And then again the next. You (or me) can really feel the characters. Lisa McMann really develops her rising action well, and her characters are very life-like and very lovable.

I suggest this book for 14+ years because of the explicit content throughout the book, but otherwise it's AMAZING.