Wake by Lisa McMann - Revision history

Sue at 12:27, 31 August 2020

2020-08-31T12:27:17Z

Sue at 09:04, 27 August 2020

2020-08-27T09:04:45Z

Sue at 12:27, 13 March 2018

2018-03-13T12:27:04Z

Sue at 17:11, 13 January 2015

2015-01-13T17:11:21Z

Sue at 14:36, 8 September 2012

2012-09-08T14:36:43Z

Jill at 16:34, 26 October 2009

2009-10-26T16:34:49Z

Jill at 16:33, 26 October 2009

2009-10-26T16:33:31Z

Jill: Created page with '{{infobox |title=Wake |author=Lisa McMann |reviewer=Jill Murphy |genre=Teens |summary=A thoroughly enjoying thriller mixing a first love story with a crime caper thriller and a s…'

2009-10-26T16:32:08Z

Created page with '{{infobox |title=Wake |author=Lisa McMann |reviewer=Jill Murphy |genre=Teens |summary=A thoroughly enjoying thriller mixing a first love story with a crime caper thriller and a s…'

New review

{{infobox
|title=Wake
|author=Lisa McMann
|reviewer=Jill Murphy
|genre=Teens
|summary=A thoroughly enjoying thriller mixing a first love story with a crime caper thriller and a supernatural element of telepathy through dreams. It's not perfect by any means, but it holds the attention marvellously and the central character is great.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|format=Paperback
|pages=224
|publisher=Simon & Schuster
|date=October 2009
|isbn=1847385036
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847385036</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>1416974474</amazonus>
}}

Janie is seventeen and studying hard for college. She's also working lots of hours at a local nursing home to earn money for college as it's unlikely her alcoholic mother is going to provide much in the way of resources. College is Janie's only chance at a life better than the one she's lived so far and so you can't blame her for being so single-minded in the pursuit of her goal.

Only one thing stands in her way, and it's a big thing. Janie is tired of being sucked into other people's dreams. It's been happening since she was just eight years old and it's getting worse. If she's anywhere near a sleeping person, then ''bam!'' - she's dreaming with them. It wouldn't be so bad if it was only kissing-the-best-boy-in-school dreams or the naked-in-public dreams, but it isn't. It's the nightmares too, and when the dreamers see her and ask for her help, it's very tough to take. Cabel's dreams are the most disturbing and as the two of them inch towards a first romance, it shows Janie that he has deep and dark secrets that might threaten everything, even college...

When I came to think about what I'd say in this review, I realised I had a surprising number of criticisms to make. ''Wake'' mixes a great many of elements in its few pages - there's a supernatural aspect in Janie's telepathy through dreams, there's a kitchen sink drama going on in her neglectful home life, there's a first love story, there's a comedy of manners, and a thriller-come-crime-caper too. It's a lot to blend successfully, and while McCann succeeds more often than not, there are some moments where the whole thing gets a bit schizophrenic. The thriller element of the plot is sometimes moved on through things Janie sees in other people's dreams and this seems somewhat cheaty. Dreams are oblique and seldom direct representations of our waking lives and y'know, however supernaturally talented you are, it's unlikely criminals are going to give you such direct clues when you invade their dreams. This needed to be much more subtle for real success I think.

However, the main thing that I took away from ''Wake'' was a feeling that I'd thoroughly enjoyed the read - and not wanted to put down the book while I ''was'' reading - and so these problems are far outweighed by the positives. Janie is a sterling central character: feisty and determined but beset with doubts, and doing her best to overcome her disadvantaged background. McCann communicates her mother's neglect vividly and touchingly, with a great sense for the kinds of childhood humilations that we all carry with us throughout our adult lives. The love story is sweet and affecting and truly believable. The writing is efficient and punchy and pacy, and we aren't stuck in pages and pages of digression, something I really appreciate.

This is the first in a series and I think it's going to be a very enjoyable one.

My thanks to the nice people at Simon & Schuster for sending the book.

Dreams also feature in the wonderful [[Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd]]. I can also see teens who enjoyed ''Wake'' also enjoying [[Deathwatch by Nicola Morgan]]. Slightly younger readers will find the dream world in [[Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr]] very spooky indeed.

{{amazontext|amazon=1847385036}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=6318437}}

{{commenthead}}

[[Category:Fantasy]]

@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 This is the first in a series and I think it's going to be a very enjoyable one.
-My thanks to the nice people at Simon & Schuster for sending the book.  We have a review of the [[Fade (Wake Trilogy) by Lisa McMann|next book in the series]].
+My thanks to the nice people at Simon & Schuster for sending the book.  We have a review of the [[Fade (Wake Trilogy) by Lisa McMann|next book in the series]] and also [[Gone by Lisa McMann]].
 Dreams also feature in the wonderful [[Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd]]. I can also see teens who enjoyed ''Wake'' also enjoying [[Deathwatch by Nicola Morgan]]. Slightly younger readers will find the dream world in [[Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr]] very spooky indeed.

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:36, 8 September 2012
Line 36:		Line 36:

	[[Category:Fantasy]]		[[Category:Fantasy]]
		+	[[Category:Thrillers]]

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 When I came to think about what I'd say in this review, I realised I had a surprising number of criticisms to make. ''Wake'' mixes a great many elements in its few pages - there's a supernatural aspect in Janie's telepathy through dreams, there's a kitchen sink drama going on in her neglectful home life, there's a first love story, there's a comedy of manners, and a thriller-come-crime-caper too. It's a lot to blend successfully, and while McCann succeeds more often than not, there are some moments where the whole thing gets a bit schizophrenic. The thriller element of the plot is sometimes moved on through things Janie sees in other people's dreams and this seems somewhat cheaty. Dreams are oblique and seldom direct representations of our waking lives and y'know, however supernaturally talented you are, it's unlikely criminals are going to give you such direct clues when you invade their dreams. This needed to be much more subtle for real success I think.
-However, the main thing that I took away from ''Wake'' was a feeling that I'd thoroughly enjoyed the read - and not wanted to put down the book while I ''was'' reading - and so these problems are far outweighed by the positives. Janie is a sterling central character: feisty and determined but beset with doubts, and doing her best to overcome her disadvantaged background. McCann communicates her mother's neglect vividly and touchingly, with a great sense for the kinds of childhood humilations that we all carry with us throughout our adult lives. The love story is sweet and affecting and truly believable. The writing is efficient and punchy and pacy, and we aren't stuck in pages and pages of digression, something I really appreciate.
+However, the main thing that I took away from ''Wake'' was a feeling that I'd thoroughly enjoyed the read - and not wanted to put down the book while I ''was'' reading - and so these problems are far outweighed by the positives. Janie is a sterling central character: feisty and determined but beset with doubts, and doing her best to overcome her disadvantaged background. McCann communicates her mother's neglect vividly and touchingly, with a great sense for the kinds of childhood humilations that we all carry with us throughout our adult lives. The love story is sweet and affecting and truly believable. The writing is efficient and punchy and pacy, and we're never mired in pages and pages of digression, something I really appreciate.
 This is the first in a series and I think it's going to be a very enjoyable one.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{infobox
+{{infobox1
 |title=Wake
 |author=Lisa McMann
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 |date=October 2009
 |isbn=1847385036
-|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847385036</amazonuk>
+|cover=1847385036
-|amazonus=<amazonus>1416974474</amazonus>
+|aznuk=1847385036
 }}

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 |buy=Yes
 |borrow=Yes
 |pages=224
 |publisher=Simon & Schuster
@@ Line 31: / Line 30: @@
 Dreams also feature in the wonderful [[Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd]]. I can also see teens who enjoyed ''Wake'' also enjoying [[Deathwatch by Nicola Morgan]]. Slightly younger readers will find the dream world in [[Marianne Dreams by Catherine Storr]] very spooky indeed.
-{{amazontext|amazon=1847385036}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=6318437}}
+{{amazontext|amazon=1847385036}}
 {{commenthead}}

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 Only one thing stands in her way, and it's a big thing. Janie is tired of being sucked into other people's dreams. It's been happening since she was just eight years old and it's getting worse. If she's anywhere near a sleeping person, then ''bam!'' - she's dreaming with them. It wouldn't be so bad if it was only kissing-the-best-boy-in-school dreams or the naked-in-public dreams, but it isn't. It's the nightmares too, and when the dreamers see her and ask for her help, it's very tough to take. Cabel's dreams are the most disturbing and as the two of them inch towards a first romance, it shows Janie that he has deep and dark secrets that might threaten everything, even college...
-When I came to think about what I'd say in this review, I realised I had a surprising number of criticisms to make. ''Wake'' mixes a great many of elements in its few pages - there's a supernatural aspect in Janie's telepathy through dreams, there's a kitchen sink drama going on in her neglectful home life, there's a first love story, there's a comedy of manners, and a thriller-come-crime-caper too. It's a lot to blend successfully, and while McCann succeeds more often than not, there are some moments where the whole thing gets a bit schizophrenic. The thriller element of the plot is sometimes moved on through things Janie sees in other people's dreams and this seems somewhat cheaty. Dreams are oblique and seldom direct representations of our waking lives and y'know, however supernaturally talented you are, it's unlikely criminals are going to give you such direct clues when you invade their dreams. This needed to be much more subtle for real success I think.
+When I came to think about what I'd say in this review, I realised I had a surprising number of criticisms to make. ''Wake'' mixes a great many elements in its few pages - there's a supernatural aspect in Janie's telepathy through dreams, there's a kitchen sink drama going on in her neglectful home life, there's a first love story, there's a comedy of manners, and a thriller-come-crime-caper too. It's a lot to blend successfully, and while McCann succeeds more often than not, there are some moments where the whole thing gets a bit schizophrenic. The thriller element of the plot is sometimes moved on through things Janie sees in other people's dreams and this seems somewhat cheaty. Dreams are oblique and seldom direct representations of our waking lives and y'know, however supernaturally talented you are, it's unlikely criminals are going to give you such direct clues when you invade their dreams. This needed to be much more subtle for real success I think.
 However, the main thing that I took away from ''Wake'' was a feeling that I'd thoroughly enjoyed the read - and not wanted to put down the book while I ''was'' reading - and so these problems are far outweighed by the positives. Janie is a sterling central character: feisty and determined but beset with doubts, and doing her best to overcome her disadvantaged background. McCann communicates her mother's neglect vividly and touchingly, with a great sense for the kinds of childhood humilations that we all carry with us throughout our adult lives. The love story is sweet and affecting and truly believable. The writing is efficient and punchy and pacy, and we aren't stuck in pages and pages of digression, something I really appreciate.