Awakening
by Shannon Duffy
Release Date: 04/07/15
Entangled Teen
3.5/5 Rating
Book Summary (Goodreads):
A thrilling, futuristic sci-fi novel set in a unique and thought-provoking world, from author Shannon Duffy.
Desiree Six (because she was born on a Friday) believes in everything the Protectorate stands for. She likes the safety and security of having her entire life planned out—her career, her mate, even the date of her death. She doesn’t even think to question when Darian, her childhood friend and neighbor, is convicted of murdering his parents. They had seemed like such a loving family. But if he was convicted, then he must have done it.
Then Darian shows up in her room late one night. He has escaped from the Terrorscape—a nightmare machine used to punish all Noncompliants—and needs Desiree’s help. What he tells her rocks her world to its core and makes her doubt everything she’s ever been told. With this new information, will Desiree and Darian be able to escape the Protectorate before it’s too late?
My Review:
I really enjoyed Awakening by Shannon Duffy. Right from the start this book caught my interest. It’s a very original story line filled with mystery, suspense, and very likable characters. The story takes place in a dark, Dystopian society. and is about a girl named Desiree that lives in a world where people die based off the day of the week they were born. At night they are hooked up to a machine that is called the Dreamscape and is the only way they can sleep at night. One night Darian, her childhood friend, shows up in her room. Darian is a wanted murderer that escaped the Terrorscape. Desiree decides to help him, not entirely believing that he really did kill his parents. Their paths continue to cross as Desiree uncovers more and more about the Protectorate and all it truly means. But as Desiree discovers more and more, she finds out how much the Protectorate has actually stolen from her.
I think Awakening is a great novel from an upcoming author and I think Shannon Duffy has a bright future ahead of her as she continues to grow and excel as an author. The story itself is VERY original and creative. And I think Shannon Duffy is a great story teller. I especially enjoyed Desiree’s character development. I think the characters in Awakening are very well defined and this, along with a very original story, are strengths of Shannon Duffy’s. I’d be very interested to read more books by her.
One of my favorite moment’s in this book is when Darian appears in Desiree’s room asking her for help. You can tell from their encounter right from the beginning that there’s something between them. And Desiree decides to help him anyway, even though he’s a convicted murderer. She listens to her heart instead of what others are telling her, and in that moment when she first meets him, I love her character. I also love Darian too, but he’s pretty charming in the book and it’s hard not to love him. And their love story is super cute. I loved it because there’s no love triangle, and their love isn’t complex. Sure there’s alot of complexity going on around them, but their story itself is sweet and perfect. It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book where the love just happens naturally, but in this book it does and it’s wonderful to read a YA book like that.
One character I was surprised to enjoy was Archer. And I won’t say why because I don’t want to spoil anything. But Archer is a very complex, and intriguing character and his story plays out not as I expected, but as a welcoming surprise.
I love the concept of the Terrorscape. I love how little we know about the Terrorscape until towards the end of the book, which REALLY builds the suspense. Throughout the entire story we are told it’s more than it appears. And when it finally happens and we get to see what the Terrorscape is all about, its so fascinating and dark, it truly doesn’t disappoint! It’s pretty epic!
I can’t wait to read the sequel!
What I didn’t like:
Now, this is a small thing. But in the book there is some mentioning of women getting pregnant, having babies, and no one noticing. And every now and then I couldn’t help but think “how does no one notice these pregnant women?” These women work. People see them on a regular basis. Chances are some are going to have to have time off, maybe there’s complications, maybe someone has their baby early. Anywhere from a few days to a month at least will have to be taken off. How does no one notice these pregnant women? And these kids will live for years before anyone notices. It doesn’t make sense to me. If there had been some sort of explanation, lets say that every year employees get some sort of medical leave for being sick, or whatever, then I wouldn’t have mind. But in my head I just couldn’t understand how no one was noticing pregnant women. Again it’s a small thing, and it probably just didn’t catch anyone’s attention since the book itself is very suspenseful.
What I liked:
I loved the story, the concept of the Dreamscape and Terrorscape, and the very well developed characters. It’s definitely a book worth reading!
Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo Books
About the Author:
Author of MG and YA books full of adventure. I grew up on the east coast of Canada in the province of Newfoundland and now live in Ontario. I love writing, reading, fashion, fitness, and traveling.
Author Links:
Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook
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