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Sep
19
The Weekend Review: Wake by Lisa McMann
2009 at 7pm Posted by Rebecca Joines Schinsky
Now available in paperback from SimonPulse (the young adult division of Simon & Schuster)
The Quick and Dirty
Seventeen-year-old Janie Hannagan knows all about other people’s dreams, and not because she wants to. Since she was eight years old, she has found herself literally sucked into the dreams of whoever happens to fall asleep inc lose vicinity to her. It wasn’t such a big deal when she was younger, but now that she’s in high school, and people fall asleep in class all the time, Janie is learning way more about her peers than she ever expected to, and the results are often surprising.
The Big Ideas
After nearly ten years of falling into other people’s dreams unexpectedly, Janie has seen more than her fair share of the typical falling dreams and the naked-at-school dreams, and, of course, the hormone-crazed teenage sex dreams. And frankly, she’s starting to get bored….and frustrated. She can’t go to sleepovers because her friends’ dreams keep her up all night. She can’t study during her post-lunch study hall because someone always falls asleep and takes her with them, and she’s starting to realize that she may never get to enjoy the sex her peers dream about so often because how on earth could she ever sleep next to another person for any sustained period of time?
Janie’s talent—or curse, depending on how you look at it—has always been a bother, but it becomes something more serious than that when she picks up a very disturbing dream while driving through her neighborhood one night and almost wrecks her car. Her discovery that the dream belongs to a boy at her school leads to an uncomfortable friendship that becomes more than she ever saw coming and helps her understand her ability in a new way.
Janie’s best friend Carrie also figures prominently in the story, as does Carrie’s snooty, rich-girl friend Melinda (whose dreams have revealed BIG secrets to Janie), and none of them have parents that could be described as anything near involved or responsible, so there’s a healthy dose of adolescent angst.
Other Fun Stuff
Janie’s will-it-happen-or-not relationship with the mysterious boy has all the elements of teenage awkwardness and confusion and near-desperation and is a much more realistic depiction of young love than many you’ll find in young adult literature. Guess that balances out the more fantastic elements of the story.
McMann’s writing is vivid and moves along at a nice clip (I read the whole book in two hours), and her descriptions of both the all-too-familiar dreams we’ve all had and the strange, unique, and even scary ones Janie finds herself witnessing are insightful, creative, and often very funny.
The Bottom Line
McMann has taken a very creative concept and a character with a superhuman ability and used them to tell a story about growing up, feeling different, and learning to make sense of the things that make us unique. Anyone who has ever been a teenager will recognize their thoughts, fears, and worries within these characters and their dreams. I am very glad a coworker recommended this to me as a way to continue my foray into young adult literature. I really enjoyed Wake, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for YA books with solid writing and new ideas. This is a one-sitting read that would make perfect company on a lazy fall afternoon.
Visit Lisa McMann’s website to learn more, and if you’ve already read Wake, check out Fade (the second book in the series), and mark your calendars for Gone, coming in February.
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[...] The Weekend Review: Wake by Lisa McMann [...]
Excellent review! Not sure why it has taken me so long to find your blog! This one sounds really intriguing. I’ve just started dabbling in YA with the kids, and we’ve been looking for some good ones.
I’ve read both Wake and Fade and admit that I must know where this story goes. I hadn’t realized it comes out in Feb. so now I have something to look forward to in the dreary winter months.
I really enjoyed both Wake and Fade when I read them this year, but I haven’t reviewed them yet. The library buys them for me, so I assume that is what I will do when the new one comes out!
This book does sound good and I do well remember the those feelings as a teen-ager, even though that’s been a long time ago for me.
Sounds like an interesting book. Thank you for the recommendation.
I loved that book and its sequel! Especially the writing, which was really different. I’m glad you enjoyed it too!
Loved Wake but didn’t feel like that with Fade unfortunately.
Great review I loved both Wake and Fade and have heard that Gone is amazing. Did you know that Lisa McMann has a short story ( from Cabel’s POV) on her blog?
The concept sounds very entertaining. I may have to read this book.
I’ve been wanting to read this and have seen so many mixed reviews. I think I’m going to give it a go though, since you liked it. Will go put it on hold right now!
So I just skimmed your review considering I have Wake in my TBR stack (soon, I keep telling myself — I’ll read it soon!), but I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m all for solid writing and new ideas
Bring them on!
I’m intrigued by this book because it’s about dreams. Not sure why but I’ve always had a fascination with dreams.