Awake

by Christopher Krovatin

Master of middle-grade horror Christopher Krovatin returns with the scorching tale of a rift between siblings with awesome, sinister powers.

In this family, pyrokinesis was just the beginning. Now other powers are emerging, including telekinesis -- and it will put the siblings at odds like never before.

Genres: Horror, Middle Grade

170 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 6, 2024

About the author

I'm Chris Krovatin, author of DARKNESS, RED ROVER, FREQUENCY, VENOMOUS, HEAVY METAL & YOU, the GRAVEDIGGERS trilogy, and HELLRAISERS).

I'm also a journalist for multiple heavy metal press outfits, specifically The Pit, Kerrang!, Noisey, Invisible Oranges, and MetalSucks.

I'm a horror enthusiast, Halloween worshipper, husband and dad living out in New Jersey. My favorite musicians are Slayer, Rob Zombie and Frank Sinatra, and my favorite food is gnocchi (it's made of potatoes!).

Reviews

[Isaac]

This book kept me AWAKE at night.

I read the first book in the series about 2 years ago, and when I saw that the second one came out this year, I had to pick it up. I read the existing reviews and they all said something short along the lines of "Sequel that leaves an opening for another book" but this book was so much more than that. Christopher Krovatin could have left the story where it was, but the last chapter added so much suspense, that I now don't see how he could leave it like this. I look forward to the next book, but not for the waiting. As this book was only just published in February, we might just be waiting… a while, but I'm sure it will not disappoint. Amazing book.

[MelMon Sanchez]

A great YA read, very well written. There was only one typo that I found. It's been a while since I've picked up a physical book and read. This one was a pick from my 5th grade sons scholastic book fair. I was not disappointed. Great pick for an end of year read. Now going to donate it to our little free school library for someone else to enjoy.

[Ms. Yingling]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Simon and his family have moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico in an attempt to get away from his sister Rachael, who burned down the family home. Simon has nightmares about it, and his other sister, Aly, spends hours trying to figure out where her sister is. Simon has the ability to sense auras around people, and also to push them to do things by getting into their minds. Aly's powers are a bit vaguer, but even the father is able to move objects with his mind. When Simon goes to school, he's trying very hard just to keep his head down, but when bullies give a fellow student, Lena, a hard time, he steps in and intervenes. Lena also has powers, and when Simon is sleeping, she comes into his dreams and the two comisserate about their powers. After an incident at a street fair where Simon caused some bad things to happen, Lena convinces him that he can use his powers for good and not for evil. The two spend a lot of time in her dreams, and even manage to do good deeds, like convincing the mother of bullying twins to treat them better so that they don't give others trouble. Simon also gives one of the bullies his lunch. With a new friend and more control of his powers, things are looking up for Simon... until Rachel shows up in his dreams. Lena realizes that the building where she appears is in Albuquerque, and the two hunt her down. After being in the hospital after setting the house on fire, Rachael is very angry. She has aligned herself with Colin, a cyberpath who can hack into computers and make things go his way, and Joyce, who has the terrifying power to drain people's energy. Rachael invites Simon to come and "have fun" with her group, and they order room service and stay in a hotel room, but Colin's system didn't quite work, and security comes after them. Simon doesn't feel that he can just let Rachael go, and he and Lena decide to call the police on her. This leads to a terrifying confrontation. Can Simon and Lena find a way to communicate with Rachael before she causes more destruction?
Strengths: Krovatin has come a long way from his 2012 Gravediggers series, and clearly has done his research in writing a short, punchy horror book that keeps tweens turning the pages. What eleven year old ISN'T worried that older sister might suddenly decide to set fire to the house? I loved the sibling dynamics in this, with Aly retreating, and Rachael being the oldest who turns into a "wild child". I also enjoyed Lena, who is willing to be friends with Simon, but refuses to talk about their powers at school. Smart girl. I also love her outfits in the dreams. Why not? This is a little more complicated than, say, K.R. Alexander's scary titles, but I love the innovation. Readers who liked this author's Darkness will be glad to see this new title.
Weaknesses: Could we please have a book where children have powers and ENJOY them a little more? It's such a fun idea, but there always seem to have horrible complications!
What I really think: I bought three copies of Krovatin's Red Rover (it's NOT a dog, it's a DEMON) and two of Ablaze, but I may only buy one of this title. It's a little more complicated and philosophical than the other two books, so might be a little harder to place with readers. I still enjoyed it a lot, but it lacked the quick and easy horror hooks that most of my readers prefer.

[Zaia]

This book is awesome for people who love horror and magic. There are some parts that may be scary for young children, so I would recommend children from 9 and above to read this book .😊 It was a real page turner and my favourite character was the main character’s friend she is interesting to read about. I am really looking forward to reading another book by this author!!🤩

[Amy]

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The first in the series was a miss for me, but the author seems to have found his stride here. The ending is open to a third book that I would consider reading.

[Joe Holman]

This is a great sequel to "Ablaze". It is definitely best to read "Ablaze" first in order to understand everything going on in the book. The author has a vivid imagination and successfully translates that imagination into a fast-paced plot and story line.

[eleanor]

What a talented author! So fun to read and amazing chapters!! This reminds of Stranger Things if you like that type of style. The only reason why it’s not 5 stars is because I felt like some parts were rushed!

[Crystal]

Sequel book that leaves an opening for a third book to follow.

[Piper Holtz]

The overall book was good but I think it could have had a better ending…..

[Catherine]

Very creepy. I didn't know how Krovatin would find an ending, but this is a good ending.

[Alex]

Better than the first one, but it ends on yet another cliffhanger.