What do you think?
Rate this book
Evan Miller Is Waking Down
What if dreams were dangerous? What if your strongest abilities made you a fugitive? Tweens and middle grade readers who enjoy dystopian and fantasy fiction will be pulled into a world of secrets, control, and power in this novel from Jerel Law, the author of the Jonah Stone: Son of Angels series.
In City 47, uniformity is celebrated, individuality is stamped out, and the Elders who run the government demand strict obedience to an ancient writing called the Primary Code. It's been like this ever since the Incident. Fifteen-year-old Evan Miller has an increasingly disruptive secret--a powerful ability that has attracted the attention of the Elders. When disguising himself as ordinary is no longer an option, he's forced to flee to the place he fears the most. What will he discover about the true past of City 47, the Elders, and himself in the forbidden Old City?
In City 47, uniformity is celebrated, individuality is stamped out, and the Elders who run the government demand strict obedience to an ancient writing called the Primary Code. It's been like this ever since the Incident. Fifteen-year-old Evan Miller has an increasingly disruptive secret--a powerful ability that has attracted the attention of the Elders. When disguising himself as ordinary is no longer an option, he's forced to flee to the place he fears the most. What will he discover about the true past of City 47, the Elders, and himself in the forbidden Old City?
320 pages, Paperback
Published May 28, 2024
3 people are currently reading
3015 people want to read
About the author
Jerel Law
15 books117 followersJerel Law is a gifted communicator and pastor with more than twenty years of full-time ministry experience. He holds his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (go Tarheels!), and a master of divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Jerel began writing fiction as a way to encourage his children’s faith to come alive. He lives in North Carolina with his family. Spirit Fighter is his first novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
June 6, 2024
3.5 Stars
One Liner: A decent entry-level read for the genre
Evan lives in City 47, a place where uniformity is mandatory and no one should stand out or dare to ask questions. They follow the Primary Code and lead lives the way Elders dictate. The Incident brought this change, and no one talks about the ruins or what happened before.
Yet, secrets are also forbidden in this land. But Evan’s realistic dreams are a secret he tries to hide from everyone. When he can no longer disguise or hide his supernatural ability, Evan has to flee City 47 and its people. But where does this take him, and what will he do? Can Evan get the answers to his questions and stay alive long enough to do so?
The story comes in Evan’s first-person POV.
My Thoughts:
Dystopian is not my preferred genre, but I have to read it for a challenge, so a toned-down version for middle graders seemed like a great choice. I was right,+ too!
The premise is pretty much what you expect from the genre. A city controlled by a handful of people, everything under surveillance, no access to the outside world, and one person who wants to rebel, finding like-minded people to take down the oppressors. It’s the same here, with a dose of fantasy elements thrown in.
The book is slow until 15% to 18%. After that, it really picks up pace and keeps the action scenes coming one after another. Since we get the story from Evan’s POV, we have access to limited information as he does.
The atmosphere is dark, with danger everywhere. This is well done without making it too scary for kids. There’s some violence (hitting, bombing, shooting, fighting, etc.), but not so much that it would terrify young readers (though I’m not sure about how sensitive kids would react).
That said, the MC is fifteen, and there’s a sort of love track (which wasn’t necessary). There are a couple of mentions of kissing (by MC), so maybe this would work better for tweens and teens than kids.
However, the main reason for the lower rating is the lack of proper impact. While I could feel the darkness of the setting, I couldn’t entirely connect with Evan or anyone in the book. It felt distant. Dystopia is supposed to make readers uncomfortable. That doesn’t happen here much (or maybe I’m immune to it). Evan’s character needed a little something more to make me care for him.
The climax and ending are decent. Yet again, the internal conflict doesn’t have the punch it should. The ending is hopeful, which I appreciate considering the target audience age group.
To summarize, Evan Miller Is Waking Down has an intriguing premise but could have worked better with a little more character depth. Still, this would be a worthy entry-level book into the genre, especially if you are not a fan of dystopian (like me).
Thank you, NetGalley and Tommy Nelson, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #EvanMillerIsWakingDown
One Liner: A decent entry-level read for the genre
Evan lives in City 47, a place where uniformity is mandatory and no one should stand out or dare to ask questions. They follow the Primary Code and lead lives the way Elders dictate. The Incident brought this change, and no one talks about the ruins or what happened before.
Yet, secrets are also forbidden in this land. But Evan’s realistic dreams are a secret he tries to hide from everyone. When he can no longer disguise or hide his supernatural ability, Evan has to flee City 47 and its people. But where does this take him, and what will he do? Can Evan get the answers to his questions and stay alive long enough to do so?
The story comes in Evan’s first-person POV.
My Thoughts:
Dystopian is not my preferred genre, but I have to read it for a challenge, so a toned-down version for middle graders seemed like a great choice. I was right,+ too!
The premise is pretty much what you expect from the genre. A city controlled by a handful of people, everything under surveillance, no access to the outside world, and one person who wants to rebel, finding like-minded people to take down the oppressors. It’s the same here, with a dose of fantasy elements thrown in.
The book is slow until 15% to 18%. After that, it really picks up pace and keeps the action scenes coming one after another. Since we get the story from Evan’s POV, we have access to limited information as he does.
The atmosphere is dark, with danger everywhere. This is well done without making it too scary for kids. There’s some violence (hitting, bombing, shooting, fighting, etc.), but not so much that it would terrify young readers (though I’m not sure about how sensitive kids would react).
That said, the MC is fifteen, and there’s a sort of love track (which wasn’t necessary). There are a couple of mentions of kissing (by MC), so maybe this would work better for tweens and teens than kids.
However, the main reason for the lower rating is the lack of proper impact. While I could feel the darkness of the setting, I couldn’t entirely connect with Evan or anyone in the book. It felt distant. Dystopia is supposed to make readers uncomfortable. That doesn’t happen here much (or maybe I’m immune to it). Evan’s character needed a little something more to make me care for him.
The climax and ending are decent. Yet again, the internal conflict doesn’t have the punch it should. The ending is hopeful, which I appreciate considering the target audience age group.
To summarize, Evan Miller Is Waking Down has an intriguing premise but could have worked better with a little more character depth. Still, this would be a worthy entry-level book into the genre, especially if you are not a fan of dystopian (like me).
Thank you, NetGalley and Tommy Nelson, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
#NetGalley #EvanMillerIsWakingDown
April 3, 2024
This is a brilliant book for fans of The Hunger Games, Maze Runner and The Nameless. It's a dystopian story set in the future after we have 'ruined' the world. Everyone follows the same rules, no-one has free thought and no-one is different or special. Until Evan! And even then, he's not the only one like him. What happens is his story for survival and how he, and a group of people who supposedly don't exist, try to take down the leaders. I really hope there's a 2nd one!
December 29, 2025
Oof.
That was a rough read. 😭
Alright, there was nothing terrible in it... Although, God's name was used in vain twice at the very beginning which made no sense to me seeing as this is a Christian book.
BUT, then again, the Christian aspects for it were not great at all, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised.
I did finish this one, only because I bought it to read and felt I had to finish it. (Thankfully only got it for a dollar, so money was not wasted. XD)
I don't like to be overly negative in my reviews, but as a writer myself, I can't help but be critical at times when some books call for it.
Evan drove me insane. He acted both so young and so old at times... He was either complaining and questioning everyone at the wrong times, or it felt like he was trying to be angsty. 🙄 (Granted, no one gave any answers for SO much of the book and that was infuriating. Don't make your characters mysterious by just having them withhold answers for no reason.)
And, him being "special" or "chosen" by this "prophecy" was... Both cliche and not done well. He had no character growth throughout the book, and maybe this is harsh or mean of me to say... But he didn't feel worthy of being the "chosen one". He needed to grow some more and grow INTO that role if he was going to be that person.
I could not connect with any of other the characters here, as well... None of them really had much of an internal struggle... They were just kind of... There.
The most mildly interesting character was Harrison, and he was a not-so-greatly-written villain. 😭
The plot felt weird as it jumped around and there was never a great course for it... Nothing happened for SO much of the book, then finally everything collapsed in the last 3-4 chapters.
And everything was so weirdly confusing. Nothing was outright explained ever, there was VERY little worldbuilding... We get mentions of the war that happened but nothing more than that. I get it, maybe the author was not trying to info dump, but this was ROUGH.
And the religion aspect of it all was never clear, and I especially disliked that. If you are going to put Christianity into your book, if you are going to write a book that is meant to show readers something about God and faith, then you need to make sure the message you are trying to tell with it all is clear and that you are writing it to align with your faith and who God is.
The use of God's name in vain, and the vague and confusing way that nothing was ever explained made any faith-related message fall flat.
Yeah, this was uh... This was an interesting read. It was interesting at first... And I am heavily reminded of a trilogy I enjoyed as a kid called "The Dreamtreaders" by Wayne Thomas Batson. That one was better in a lot of ways than this one... (Though still not the best book out there or anything... It was simply a fun read.)
That was a rough read. 😭
Alright, there was nothing terrible in it... Although, God's name was used in vain twice at the very beginning which made no sense to me seeing as this is a Christian book.
BUT, then again, the Christian aspects for it were not great at all, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised.
I did finish this one, only because I bought it to read and felt I had to finish it. (Thankfully only got it for a dollar, so money was not wasted. XD)
I don't like to be overly negative in my reviews, but as a writer myself, I can't help but be critical at times when some books call for it.
Evan drove me insane. He acted both so young and so old at times... He was either complaining and questioning everyone at the wrong times, or it felt like he was trying to be angsty. 🙄 (Granted, no one gave any answers for SO much of the book and that was infuriating. Don't make your characters mysterious by just having them withhold answers for no reason.)
And, him being "special" or "chosen" by this "prophecy" was... Both cliche and not done well. He had no character growth throughout the book, and maybe this is harsh or mean of me to say... But he didn't feel worthy of being the "chosen one". He needed to grow some more and grow INTO that role if he was going to be that person.
I could not connect with any of other the characters here, as well... None of them really had much of an internal struggle... They were just kind of... There.
The most mildly interesting character was Harrison, and he was a not-so-greatly-written villain. 😭
The plot felt weird as it jumped around and there was never a great course for it... Nothing happened for SO much of the book, then finally everything collapsed in the last 3-4 chapters.
And everything was so weirdly confusing. Nothing was outright explained ever, there was VERY little worldbuilding... We get mentions of the war that happened but nothing more than that. I get it, maybe the author was not trying to info dump, but this was ROUGH.
And the religion aspect of it all was never clear, and I especially disliked that. If you are going to put Christianity into your book, if you are going to write a book that is meant to show readers something about God and faith, then you need to make sure the message you are trying to tell with it all is clear and that you are writing it to align with your faith and who God is.
The use of God's name in vain, and the vague and confusing way that nothing was ever explained made any faith-related message fall flat.
Yeah, this was uh... This was an interesting read. It was interesting at first... And I am heavily reminded of a trilogy I enjoyed as a kid called "The Dreamtreaders" by Wayne Thomas Batson. That one was better in a lot of ways than this one... (Though still not the best book out there or anything... It was simply a fun read.)
May 30, 2024
Evan Miller is Waking Down, is a dystopian and fantasy novel for YA and middle grade readers.
Fifteen year old Evan, lives In City 47, where uniformity is celebrated, individuality is forbidden, and the Elders who run the government demand strict obedience to an ancient writing called the Primary Code. Things weren’t always like this but after the Incident happened came the drastic changes. Evan Miller has an deep, dark secret. He possesses a powerful ability that has attracted the attention of the Elders. Due to his “gift” he is unable to be ordinary and is forced to flee from City 47 to the place he fears the most.
There are well kept secrets to be discovered about the true past of City 47, the Elders, and himself in the forbidden Old City?
I predict this book to be the next big thing in this genre.
Fifteen year old Evan, lives In City 47, where uniformity is celebrated, individuality is forbidden, and the Elders who run the government demand strict obedience to an ancient writing called the Primary Code. Things weren’t always like this but after the Incident happened came the drastic changes. Evan Miller has an deep, dark secret. He possesses a powerful ability that has attracted the attention of the Elders. Due to his “gift” he is unable to be ordinary and is forced to flee from City 47 to the place he fears the most.
There are well kept secrets to be discovered about the true past of City 47, the Elders, and himself in the forbidden Old City?
I predict this book to be the next big thing in this genre.
June 3, 2024
2 stars, personally.
About this book:
“What if dreams were dangerous? What if your strongest abilities made you a fugitive? Tweens and middle grade readers who enjoy dystopian and fantasy fiction will be pulled into a world of secrets, control, and power in this novel from Jerel Law, the author of the Jonah Stone: Son of Angels series.
In City 47, uniformity is celebrated, individuality is stamped out, and the Elders who run the government demand strict obedience to an ancient writing called the Primary Code. It's been like this ever since the Incident. Fifteen-year-old Evan Miller has an increasingly disruptive secret--a powerful ability that has attracted the attention of the Elders. When disguising himself as ordinary is no longer an option, he's forced to flee to the place he fears the most. What will he discover about the true past of City 47, the Elders, and himself in the forbidden Old City?”
Series: Possibly Book #1 in a series.
Spiritual Content- “The Second Code” is quoted from in the book and at the beginning (very similar to Joel 2:28); Evan has an ability to go into dreams, bend/manipulate them, & see what is happening elsewhere; Evan’s ability is said to be a gift by the Source along with visions and prophets (They are called “Gifteds”); Visionaries are able to see cloudy glimpses of the future & Prophets are able to receive a prophecy (one uses tattoos to keep tract of the visions he has been given); Evan asks a prophet who gives her the prophecies and someone responds that it’s in her brain “but from something or someone, on the outside. But we don’t know. It’s mysterious.” (Evan then thinks that the Elders would talk about people who saw things that weren’t there and how they believed that those people should be stamped out because they have “imperfections”); Evan goes to a meeting where people are “connecting with the Source” & also sees the Room of Prophecy (where prophets write down prophecies); Both the Source and the Voice are said to be a higher power, but someone says that the Primary Code (Voice) is made by men while the Second Code is “something different altogether”; Evan witnesses a visionary going “into a trance” and it being like she wasn’t “connected to this world anymore” (she’s receiving a vision); *Spoilers* ; *Major Spoiler* ; Mentions of the Source & the scared words that were given to his followers (the Second Code); A couple mentions of praying (but not mention to whom those prayers are towards);
*Note: God’s name is taken in vain twice with the phrase ‘god-knows-who’; Evan is told that if he is killed in a dream, he’ll go to the in-between & mentions of those who are there and have never returned from the “deepest level of [their] mind” (*Spoiler* ); Evan’s school-like government building is called the ‘temple’ and some of the head people are called ‘Elders’ who follow the “Primary Code” which was given to the Elders by a Voice (we also see a couple quotes from this Code and it is revered; Someone else says it was created by men while the Second Code is different); Evan goes to Morning Services which is taught by the Elders at an altar and a “hymn” is sung with devotion by others to their flag (most students raise their arms when singing the song); Evan and other students are expected to read the Code each morning and prepare their hearts and minds for the morning service; Evan recalls questioning his parents about the Voice and is told that it was “special” (but never given an answer about besides that the First Elder is the only one who heard it); The phrase “May the Source guide all of your steps” is said (somewhat sarcastically); A woman says her and her group are making it through “this hell we’d been born into”; A few mentions of believers of the Primary Code and having faith; A few mentions of the First Elder, him being revered, & that every home has to display his face somewhere; A couple mentions of luck; A mention of a man in a dream’s wicked smile; A mention of evil people; A mention of an Elder looking as if he is in a “trance of meditation”; A mention of a confessional group; A mention of Evan thinking something was magic until he learned the science behind it; A mention of Evan wondering if a woman can see visions in the tea in her cup.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blast *someone*’, a ‘half-wit’, an ‘idiot’, a ‘stupid’, a ‘suck it up’, an unfinished ‘what the—‘, two ‘blah, blah, blah’s, two ‘god-knows-who’s, and two ‘shut up’; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Setting up bombs, Explosions, Fires, Fighting, Being chased, Being attacked/hit/beat-up, Being tied-up, Being drugged, Being shot at and shot, Pain, Injuries, Blood/bleeding, & Passing out (up to semi-detailed); Seeing others shot, possibly killed by gun-like weapons, & sent to the in-between (up to semi-detailed); *Spoilers but Important Content Note* ; Evan is tested in an exam-like setting about choosing to rescue his mother or his sister when both are in danger of falling off of a cliff (he feels guilt over having to choose one over the other); To wake himself up from dreams, Evan has to have a falling sensation like jumping off a building or out a window (barely-above-not-detailed); *Spoilers* *Major Spoilers* At the very end, though, Evan stops the bombs from going off when he realizes it was a bad plan and that the man lied about no one being in the building *End of Spoilers*; Evan lies to others about his dreams/abilities (including his parents and other authority figures & also to save his pride); Evan keeps his dreams a secret from his family & avoids telling them the truth; Evan snaps at his sister (*Spoiler* ); Evan is told by someone in a test that the Elders have been deceiving everyone and want to build a dictatorship (*Spoiler* ); In a dream, Evan relishes pulling a prank on a fellow student he doesn’t like (pouring water on him to wake him up); Evan is taken to a tattoo parlor & sees many tattoos, including ones that represent (Evan is intrigued and impressed by the tattoos that both do not have meaning and those that do; Looked at positively); Mentions of disobedient students being ordered to be exiled and/or terminated; Mentions of wars, bombings/explosions, fires, a group of people being exterminated, & deaths; Mentions of weapons (a type of gun), others being threatened with harm/death, seeing others being shot and injured (and possibly killed), & being shot yourself (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a man’s desire for revenge; Mentions of students being publicly disciplined in front of their peers; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of nightmares; Mentions of cigarettes & smoking; Mentions of squirrels and other rodents being used for food (Evan’s stomach turns at this); A few mentions of crimes, stealing, & thieves; A few mentions of drugs & others being drugged; A few mentions of lies, lying, & liars; A few mentions of rumors; A mention of the possibility of someone being burned alive; A mention of possible torture;
*Note: Evan recalls the Elders wanting to stamp out those who see things that aren’t there (Gifteds) because they have “imperfections”; Evan recalls a punishment given to him by the Elders where no one was allowed to use his name or look him in the eye until it was over (including his family; this caused him to feel like “some other life form. Below human, slightly above wallpaper.”).
Sexual Content- A cheek kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Some touches, embraces, hand holding, & blushes; Evan thinks that he’ll go wherever a girl wants when she’s holding his hand; A bit of love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A man pulls off his t-shirt to show the tattoos on his chest.
-Evan Miller, age 15
1st person P.O.V. of Evan
320 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Two Stars
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Two Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars
This was….interesting. It had a lot of elements that reminded me of many other fantasy/dystopian books. Particularly the “Swipe” series by the author Evan Angler (that name was actually a pen name and hasn’t been around in the book world for ten years).
I imagine that this has to have a book two coming because while that ending felt rushed, not everything was wrapped up.
The faith content wasn’t as clear as I’d like it to be. Especially with the strict government (which comes across like a cult at times) using terms like Elder, temple, and hymn with worshiping their Primary Code (a scared book) that the Voice gave to them. Those words typically imply Christianity, but because that strict government and those involved were obviously shady, it left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth that those words were used. Particularly because on the other side with the Old City, there’s mentions of the “Source” and those who have received gifts like visions, prophecies and dreambending like Evan from this higher power. Not much it known or said about this Source, but readers are under the impression that it’s supposed to be God because most of those who mention this figure are seemed to be on the good side. But again, it’s not clear despite those in the Old City having parts of the Second Code (which is older than the Primary Code) and there being hope for a prophecy that Evan might just be involved in.
I’ll admit that this book started off a little rocky with the phrase “god-knows-who” being used twice and Evan lying to his dad. We quickly learn that not everything is as it seems with basically every adult in this book being suspicious, but I wasn’t a fan of that phrase being used.
I didn’t really care for this book, unfortunately, and would add that this book fell flat to me. I do think some young teen boy readers may really enjoy it, so it’s partially because it just wasn’t my cup of tea (despite being a big dystopian fan) and partially because I wasn’t impressed with how everything was explained or went throughout the book. That said, I would possibly read the next book (if there is one) to find out more about the Source that’s hinted to in this book.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Tommy Nelson) for this honest review.
About this book:
“What if dreams were dangerous? What if your strongest abilities made you a fugitive? Tweens and middle grade readers who enjoy dystopian and fantasy fiction will be pulled into a world of secrets, control, and power in this novel from Jerel Law, the author of the Jonah Stone: Son of Angels series.
In City 47, uniformity is celebrated, individuality is stamped out, and the Elders who run the government demand strict obedience to an ancient writing called the Primary Code. It's been like this ever since the Incident. Fifteen-year-old Evan Miller has an increasingly disruptive secret--a powerful ability that has attracted the attention of the Elders. When disguising himself as ordinary is no longer an option, he's forced to flee to the place he fears the most. What will he discover about the true past of City 47, the Elders, and himself in the forbidden Old City?”
Series: Possibly Book #1 in a series.
Spiritual Content- “The Second Code” is quoted from in the book and at the beginning (very similar to Joel 2:28); Evan has an ability to go into dreams, bend/manipulate them, & see what is happening elsewhere; Evan’s ability is said to be a gift by the Source along with visions and prophets (They are called “Gifteds”); Visionaries are able to see cloudy glimpses of the future & Prophets are able to receive a prophecy (one uses tattoos to keep tract of the visions he has been given); Evan asks a prophet who gives her the prophecies and someone responds that it’s in her brain “but from something or someone, on the outside. But we don’t know. It’s mysterious.” (Evan then thinks that the Elders would talk about people who saw things that weren’t there and how they believed that those people should be stamped out because they have “imperfections”); Evan goes to a meeting where people are “connecting with the Source” & also sees the Room of Prophecy (where prophets write down prophecies); Both the Source and the Voice are said to be a higher power, but someone says that the Primary Code (Voice) is made by men while the Second Code is “something different altogether”; Evan witnesses a visionary going “into a trance” and it being like she wasn’t “connected to this world anymore” (she’s receiving a vision); *Spoilers* ; *Major Spoiler* ; Mentions of the Source & the scared words that were given to his followers (the Second Code); A couple mentions of praying (but not mention to whom those prayers are towards);
*Note: God’s name is taken in vain twice with the phrase ‘god-knows-who’; Evan is told that if he is killed in a dream, he’ll go to the in-between & mentions of those who are there and have never returned from the “deepest level of [their] mind” (*Spoiler* ); Evan’s school-like government building is called the ‘temple’ and some of the head people are called ‘Elders’ who follow the “Primary Code” which was given to the Elders by a Voice (we also see a couple quotes from this Code and it is revered; Someone else says it was created by men while the Second Code is different); Evan goes to Morning Services which is taught by the Elders at an altar and a “hymn” is sung with devotion by others to their flag (most students raise their arms when singing the song); Evan and other students are expected to read the Code each morning and prepare their hearts and minds for the morning service; Evan recalls questioning his parents about the Voice and is told that it was “special” (but never given an answer about besides that the First Elder is the only one who heard it); The phrase “May the Source guide all of your steps” is said (somewhat sarcastically); A woman says her and her group are making it through “this hell we’d been born into”; A few mentions of believers of the Primary Code and having faith; A few mentions of the First Elder, him being revered, & that every home has to display his face somewhere; A couple mentions of luck; A mention of a man in a dream’s wicked smile; A mention of evil people; A mention of an Elder looking as if he is in a “trance of meditation”; A mention of a confessional group; A mention of Evan thinking something was magic until he learned the science behind it; A mention of Evan wondering if a woman can see visions in the tea in her cup.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blast *someone*’, a ‘half-wit’, an ‘idiot’, a ‘stupid’, a ‘suck it up’, an unfinished ‘what the—‘, two ‘blah, blah, blah’s, two ‘god-knows-who’s, and two ‘shut up’; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Setting up bombs, Explosions, Fires, Fighting, Being chased, Being attacked/hit/beat-up, Being tied-up, Being drugged, Being shot at and shot, Pain, Injuries, Blood/bleeding, & Passing out (up to semi-detailed); Seeing others shot, possibly killed by gun-like weapons, & sent to the in-between (up to semi-detailed); *Spoilers but Important Content Note* ; Evan is tested in an exam-like setting about choosing to rescue his mother or his sister when both are in danger of falling off of a cliff (he feels guilt over having to choose one over the other); To wake himself up from dreams, Evan has to have a falling sensation like jumping off a building or out a window (barely-above-not-detailed); *Spoilers* *Major Spoilers* At the very end, though, Evan stops the bombs from going off when he realizes it was a bad plan and that the man lied about no one being in the building *End of Spoilers*; Evan lies to others about his dreams/abilities (including his parents and other authority figures & also to save his pride); Evan keeps his dreams a secret from his family & avoids telling them the truth; Evan snaps at his sister (*Spoiler* ); Evan is told by someone in a test that the Elders have been deceiving everyone and want to build a dictatorship (*Spoiler* ); In a dream, Evan relishes pulling a prank on a fellow student he doesn’t like (pouring water on him to wake him up); Evan is taken to a tattoo parlor & sees many tattoos, including ones that represent (Evan is intrigued and impressed by the tattoos that both do not have meaning and those that do; Looked at positively); Mentions of disobedient students being ordered to be exiled and/or terminated; Mentions of wars, bombings/explosions, fires, a group of people being exterminated, & deaths; Mentions of weapons (a type of gun), others being threatened with harm/death, seeing others being shot and injured (and possibly killed), & being shot yourself (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a man’s desire for revenge; Mentions of students being publicly disciplined in front of their peers; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of nightmares; Mentions of cigarettes & smoking; Mentions of squirrels and other rodents being used for food (Evan’s stomach turns at this); A few mentions of crimes, stealing, & thieves; A few mentions of drugs & others being drugged; A few mentions of lies, lying, & liars; A few mentions of rumors; A mention of the possibility of someone being burned alive; A mention of possible torture;
*Note: Evan recalls the Elders wanting to stamp out those who see things that aren’t there (Gifteds) because they have “imperfections”; Evan recalls a punishment given to him by the Elders where no one was allowed to use his name or look him in the eye until it was over (including his family; this caused him to feel like “some other life form. Below human, slightly above wallpaper.”).
Sexual Content- A cheek kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Some touches, embraces, hand holding, & blushes; Evan thinks that he’ll go wherever a girl wants when she’s holding his hand; A bit of love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A man pulls off his t-shirt to show the tattoos on his chest.
-Evan Miller, age 15
1st person P.O.V. of Evan
320 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Two Stars
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Two Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars
This was….interesting. It had a lot of elements that reminded me of many other fantasy/dystopian books. Particularly the “Swipe” series by the author Evan Angler (that name was actually a pen name and hasn’t been around in the book world for ten years).
I imagine that this has to have a book two coming because while that ending felt rushed, not everything was wrapped up.
The faith content wasn’t as clear as I’d like it to be. Especially with the strict government (which comes across like a cult at times) using terms like Elder, temple, and hymn with worshiping their Primary Code (a scared book) that the Voice gave to them. Those words typically imply Christianity, but because that strict government and those involved were obviously shady, it left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth that those words were used. Particularly because on the other side with the Old City, there’s mentions of the “Source” and those who have received gifts like visions, prophecies and dreambending like Evan from this higher power. Not much it known or said about this Source, but readers are under the impression that it’s supposed to be God because most of those who mention this figure are seemed to be on the good side. But again, it’s not clear despite those in the Old City having parts of the Second Code (which is older than the Primary Code) and there being hope for a prophecy that Evan might just be involved in.
I’ll admit that this book started off a little rocky with the phrase “god-knows-who” being used twice and Evan lying to his dad. We quickly learn that not everything is as it seems with basically every adult in this book being suspicious, but I wasn’t a fan of that phrase being used.
I didn’t really care for this book, unfortunately, and would add that this book fell flat to me. I do think some young teen boy readers may really enjoy it, so it’s partially because it just wasn’t my cup of tea (despite being a big dystopian fan) and partially because I wasn’t impressed with how everything was explained or went throughout the book. That said, I would possibly read the next book (if there is one) to find out more about the Source that’s hinted to in this book.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Tommy Nelson) for this honest review.
May 29, 2024
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC of this book! My thoughts and opinions remain my own!
Evan Miller Is Waking Down follows the journey of the titular character, Evan Miller, as he discovers that he is unique among his peers in that he has a gift - dreambending - and that this gift makes those in control of his seemingly perfect home, City 47, very nervous. So nervous, in fact, that he needs to flee or face execution. There is no room in City 47 for those who do not conform to the very strict rules that govern everything from clothing and hairstyles to Internet searches to careers. And so when the testing designed to bridge the gap from Evan's schooling to his induction as a full-fledged citizen of the City reveals his secret abilities, Evan finds himself without a place in the City he has lived in his entire life, not even with his family.
The concept of this book is really quite interesting - dreambenders are one of three types of "Gifteds" (the other two are visionaries, who can see glimpses of the future, and prophets, who speak of the future). Dreambenders have the ability to enter reality in their dreams and can manipulate it. As I was reading, I definitely had DivergentDivergent + The Matrix + Inception vibes.
While the concept was really cool and I ultimately did like the book, there was a certain je ne sais quoi that was missing. Technically speaking, all the elements were here. An engaging concept, a generally well-paced plot, interactions between characters that contained all the usual words describing demeanor and emotion. But while I can't put my finger on exactly what was missing, for some reason, things just felt flat to me. I enjoyed the story, but I didn't experience any sort of emotional investment or feel any sort of suspense in the more action-packed parts.
Overall, though, I think this book would be an excellent introduction to dystopian fiction for those not quite ready for the death and depravity characteristic of the genre. Although there is some time spent dealing with things such as aggressive military police and bombings and fire, there is really very little actual death. The book also feels very complete. I'm not sure if it will be part of a series, but this could definitely be a standalone and may help introduce the genre to those who are less interested in the time commitment needed when embarking in a trilogy (or more).
If half-stars were a thing, I would probably round this up to 3.5. 3 seems a little on the low end, but I wouldn't feel right giving it a full-blown 4.
Evan Miller Is Waking Down follows the journey of the titular character, Evan Miller, as he discovers that he is unique among his peers in that he has a gift - dreambending - and that this gift makes those in control of his seemingly perfect home, City 47, very nervous. So nervous, in fact, that he needs to flee or face execution. There is no room in City 47 for those who do not conform to the very strict rules that govern everything from clothing and hairstyles to Internet searches to careers. And so when the testing designed to bridge the gap from Evan's schooling to his induction as a full-fledged citizen of the City reveals his secret abilities, Evan finds himself without a place in the City he has lived in his entire life, not even with his family.
The concept of this book is really quite interesting - dreambenders are one of three types of "Gifteds" (the other two are visionaries, who can see glimpses of the future, and prophets, who speak of the future). Dreambenders have the ability to enter reality in their dreams and can manipulate it. As I was reading, I definitely had DivergentDivergent + The Matrix + Inception vibes.
While the concept was really cool and I ultimately did like the book, there was a certain je ne sais quoi that was missing. Technically speaking, all the elements were here. An engaging concept, a generally well-paced plot, interactions between characters that contained all the usual words describing demeanor and emotion. But while I can't put my finger on exactly what was missing, for some reason, things just felt flat to me. I enjoyed the story, but I didn't experience any sort of emotional investment or feel any sort of suspense in the more action-packed parts.
Overall, though, I think this book would be an excellent introduction to dystopian fiction for those not quite ready for the death and depravity characteristic of the genre. Although there is some time spent dealing with things such as aggressive military police and bombings and fire, there is really very little actual death. The book also feels very complete. I'm not sure if it will be part of a series, but this could definitely be a standalone and may help introduce the genre to those who are less interested in the time commitment needed when embarking in a trilogy (or more).
If half-stars were a thing, I would probably round this up to 3.5. 3 seems a little on the low end, but I wouldn't feel right giving it a full-blown 4.
June 3, 2024
Evan Miller is a 15 year-old boy living 100 years after the Incident, a never-described event that largely destroyed society. He lives in City 47, a place where uniformity is not only prized, but strictly enforced. He attends school at the Temple, the center of city life: the school, the government, everything. His life is determined by the Elders, who are the government; the Elders rule according to the Prime Code, a document dictated to the first Elder by the Source. But Evan doesn't fit into his society, because he is a dreambender - a person with the ability to dream himself into other places when he sleeps, and to interact with the people and objects where he goes. When Evan is 15, he and all his grade-level peers are taken for assessment, and his abilities - already suspected - are confirmed, and he is slated for death. With the help of one of his teachers, he escapes to the Ruins - a society of outcasts who live by a different document, the Second Code, and who are at war with City 47 and the society it represents.
This is a reasonably decent story, if you like novels with a heavy religious tone and a story leading to redemption by a chosen person. This isn't really a genre I prefer, and it colored my interpretation of the story; the religious overtones are so apparent as to be overwhelming. For some people, this will be a plus; for me, it was a definite minus. Without the strong religious overtones, this could be a good novel for people who enjoy dystopian novels - which I do, generally, and which is why I chose this novel to read. It's not a bad book, really, but potential readers need to be aware that this is a religious text disguised as a dystopian novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is a reasonably decent story, if you like novels with a heavy religious tone and a story leading to redemption by a chosen person. This isn't really a genre I prefer, and it colored my interpretation of the story; the religious overtones are so apparent as to be overwhelming. For some people, this will be a plus; for me, it was a definite minus. Without the strong religious overtones, this could be a good novel for people who enjoy dystopian novels - which I do, generally, and which is why I chose this novel to read. It's not a bad book, really, but potential readers need to be aware that this is a religious text disguised as a dystopian novel.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 3, 2026
This is a really easy to read dystopian middle-school and up novel that was a joy to read! If you liked the basic premise of The Hunger Games and Divergent you will surely like this book! It is written for middle-school level and higher and is very age appropriate and school appropriate.
The main character, Evan, lives in City 47, a very controlled world where any who thinks differently is a threat, and Evan is a Dreambender, where his dreams take him to the real world. In a world heavily controlled, where the people can only learn when the Elders want them to learn, this is dangerous, especially when there is a whole world of people the Elders are trying to hide from the dwellers of City 47. Not only are they “protecting” then from the people, but the ideas of freedom those people hold and are fighting for. Evan finds himself about to be terminated due to his threatening gift, is saved and released to the outside world where he is saved by those living outside the walls of City 47.
This is a high-paced adventure where things are not as they seem. I found it to be a very easy read, very well written and a great variety of well-developed characters. This is a great middle-school read and above. It is well worth reading! I would consider this a six-star read. Everything was great about it! The story line, the writing, the characters, everything.
I hope this is not the only Dreambending novel! I will definitely be reading the next one if there is one!
The main character, Evan, lives in City 47, a very controlled world where any who thinks differently is a threat, and Evan is a Dreambender, where his dreams take him to the real world. In a world heavily controlled, where the people can only learn when the Elders want them to learn, this is dangerous, especially when there is a whole world of people the Elders are trying to hide from the dwellers of City 47. Not only are they “protecting” then from the people, but the ideas of freedom those people hold and are fighting for. Evan finds himself about to be terminated due to his threatening gift, is saved and released to the outside world where he is saved by those living outside the walls of City 47.
This is a high-paced adventure where things are not as they seem. I found it to be a very easy read, very well written and a great variety of well-developed characters. This is a great middle-school read and above. It is well worth reading! I would consider this a six-star read. Everything was great about it! The story line, the writing, the characters, everything.
I hope this is not the only Dreambending novel! I will definitely be reading the next one if there is one!
June 24, 2024
When I first began this book and the young protagonist was awakened from a dream, all I could think of were the many writing workshops where agents or other authors would caution everyone to not solve a problem with awakening from a dream. However, the dreams of 15-year-old protagonist Evan are very different. These dreams are more like time travel, and the father's concern about bringing something back creates page-turning tension. Readers of any age that like Lois Lowry's THE GIVER will probably enjoy Jerel Law's novel since Evan Miller's world also has ceremonies that mark ages, identical housing cubes, laws that permit kicking people -including children-out of the protected city, laws that prohibit talking about the time before this current society, and there is a visionary. Evan Miller's story is like a combination of The Giver and a middle-grade adaptation of 1984 since the Elders make every discipline personal. Playing on people's greatest fears is truly scary! Although the protagonist is fifteen, this book felt middle grade to me. I do not mean that as a criticism, just an observation. I read this as an e-book from NetGalley and appreciated the opportunity to do so
July 8, 2024
This middle grade fantasy is set in a dystopian future where everyone and everything is expected to conform to a regimented standard set by the government elders. Fifteen year old Evan Miller has always been a little different than those around him but has tried to appear like everyone else. When the elders discover his secret abilities, he flees the only home he’s ever known to protect himself.
Evan Miller is Waking Down is a good introductory dystopian novel for middle grade readers. The pace is a bit slower than most books of this genre but the style of writing is consistent throughout. It does contain more violence than I was expecting. While it’s not highly graphic it may be difficult for more sensitive young readers.
As of right now Evan Miller is Waking Down is a stand-alone book. I have not read any other books by this particular author but plan to look into his backlist.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Evan Miller is Waking Down is a good introductory dystopian novel for middle grade readers. The pace is a bit slower than most books of this genre but the style of writing is consistent throughout. It does contain more violence than I was expecting. While it’s not highly graphic it may be difficult for more sensitive young readers.
As of right now Evan Miller is Waking Down is a stand-alone book. I have not read any other books by this particular author but plan to look into his backlist.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 7, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my non-biased review!
We meet Evan in a dream of running wild with his best friend. Evan is very relatable to many 15 year olds— he is in school, questioning authority and wondering why arbitrary rules exist. He doesn’t have a lot of faith in the government of his city and, to boot, he’s in the weird competition with his sister who is determine to “out good” him; even if that means betraying him and leading to his demise.
To add to the complexity of it all, Evan has an incredible gift and— as he discovers later in the book— may be the answer to the problems all around him.
What I loved most about this book was the effective world building (first 15% or so drags on but is necessary), relatable snarky remarks, and Evan’s character development. The sacrifice of his teacher was also a big heart puller for me.
We meet Evan in a dream of running wild with his best friend. Evan is very relatable to many 15 year olds— he is in school, questioning authority and wondering why arbitrary rules exist. He doesn’t have a lot of faith in the government of his city and, to boot, he’s in the weird competition with his sister who is determine to “out good” him; even if that means betraying him and leading to his demise.
To add to the complexity of it all, Evan has an incredible gift and— as he discovers later in the book— may be the answer to the problems all around him.
What I loved most about this book was the effective world building (first 15% or so drags on but is necessary), relatable snarky remarks, and Evan’s character development. The sacrifice of his teacher was also a big heart puller for me.
June 24, 2024
Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝔼𝕧𝕒𝕟 𝕄𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕤 𝕎𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔻𝕠𝕨𝕟
𝗝𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝘄
Children’s Dystopian
320 pages
Sʜᴏᴿᴛ Sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs
Evan lives on City 47 where conformity is key. When it is discovered that he is a dreambender, his life changes drastically.
Was his life to that point a lie? If so, what will he do now?
Mʸ Tᴴᴼᵁᴳᴴᵀs
I think this is a fantastic middle grade story. Dystopian fiction always grabs my attention, no matter what the reading level is.
As an adult, I thought this was well-written and action packed with brave characters working to right some wrongs in a mixed up world.
Evan Miller is quite a likable character. The story centers around him as he learns that his life was a lie. The questionable characters kept an on the edge of your seat feeling.
This book could lead to quite a discussion with middle age readers.
💕Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing this ebook for me to read and review.
𝔼𝕧𝕒𝕟 𝕄𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕤 𝕎𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔻𝕠𝕨𝕟
𝗝𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝘄
Children’s Dystopian
320 pages
Sʜᴏᴿᴛ Sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs
Evan lives on City 47 where conformity is key. When it is discovered that he is a dreambender, his life changes drastically.
Was his life to that point a lie? If so, what will he do now?
Mʸ Tᴴᴼᵁᴳᴴᵀs
I think this is a fantastic middle grade story. Dystopian fiction always grabs my attention, no matter what the reading level is.
As an adult, I thought this was well-written and action packed with brave characters working to right some wrongs in a mixed up world.
Evan Miller is quite a likable character. The story centers around him as he learns that his life was a lie. The questionable characters kept an on the edge of your seat feeling.
This book could lead to quite a discussion with middle age readers.
💕Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing this ebook for me to read and review.
September 1, 2024
3.5*
Evan Miller is Waking Down was an engaging, entertaining read, that got a bit angsty there towards the end. I was kind of on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen to Evan and all his new friends in the Ruins, as well as to his family in City 47.
The author did a good job in keeping me engaged and trying to figure out how things would be resolved.
But come on, that ending??? Okay, it's not as bad as all that and I actually liked the way it ended. I'm not sure if I'm hoping for more or happy with the way the story wrapped up. The way the title is written does seem to leave it open for more, so we'll see.
I'm not sure why I keep seeing this marked as middle grade, considering Evan is 15. I guess maybe because it does read on the younger side, but still I'd consider it more YA than MG.
Evan Miller is Waking Down was an engaging, entertaining read, that got a bit angsty there towards the end. I was kind of on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen to Evan and all his new friends in the Ruins, as well as to his family in City 47.
The author did a good job in keeping me engaged and trying to figure out how things would be resolved.
But come on, that ending??? Okay, it's not as bad as all that and I actually liked the way it ended. I'm not sure if I'm hoping for more or happy with the way the story wrapped up. The way the title is written does seem to leave it open for more, so we'll see.
I'm not sure why I keep seeing this marked as middle grade, considering Evan is 15. I guess maybe because it does read on the younger side, but still I'd consider it more YA than MG.
September 24, 2024
Evan Miller is Waking Down by Jerel Law is a science fiction book for middle grade readers. Evan Miller discovers he is a dreambender and can go to real places in his dreams. The rulers of his home City 47 do not like this. He goes on an adventure to learn how to use his abilities.
My son was absolutely crazy about this book. He is not a big reader, but this story spoke to him. He said it is a great story! He told me he was very invested in the characters and cared what happened to them. The unique futuristic setting held his interest and he wanted to know more. It truly is a dreambending novel.
My son said he enjoyed the adventure, characters, and the unique setting of Evan Miller is Waking down by Jerel Law. He recommends it to all middle schoolers.
We were given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.
My son was absolutely crazy about this book. He is not a big reader, but this story spoke to him. He said it is a great story! He told me he was very invested in the characters and cared what happened to them. The unique futuristic setting held his interest and he wanted to know more. It truly is a dreambending novel.
My son said he enjoyed the adventure, characters, and the unique setting of Evan Miller is Waking down by Jerel Law. He recommends it to all middle schoolers.
We were given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.
May 18, 2024
This is an amazing book! I was so excited when I heard that an author was coming to our school! We got a sneak peek at the book, were able to purchase it, and got it signed! I really hope it will be a series! If you liked Evan Miller is Waking Down, you might like Jerel Law's other books! Overall 100/5 if I could.
May 20, 2024
We were excited about the premise of the book, and intrigued by the main character’s powers. Unfortunately, the story fell short. There was quite a bit of violence and harshness, without enough joy or creativity to be truly invested.
August 27, 2024
Sort of a cross between Inception and the Divergent series. Would be a good intro to dystopian for kids.
There is one kiss, very brief that seemed fairly random to me, but I'm guessing that relationship will continue as the series goes on
There is one kiss, very brief that seemed fairly random to me, but I'm guessing that relationship will continue as the series goes on
June 9, 2024
Fantastic book! Jerel Law has created a world full of great characters, with an even better story line! A must read for ANYONE over 10!
June 25, 2024
I enjoyed this one. It kept me reading. The ending tied up rather neatly a little too quickly, but other than that it was good.
June 28, 2024
Very readable and engaging storyline. keep this going into a series!
June 30, 2024
Decent MG dystopia but not worth finishing, for me (50% in).
July 14, 2024
Really enjoyed this book!
July 29, 2024
Strange, but interesting. At the beginning, it reminded me of The Giver. However, the middle and ending is totally different!
July 31, 2024
My 10-year-old son’s exact words: “Give it a 5-star review.” So I did!
August 29, 2024
Great imagination
August 16, 2024
**SPOILER ALERT**
Evan Miller's dreams come true. Evan Miller lives in city 47, is a student at the temple and doesn't know what is happening to him at night. City 47 is run the by the temple elders who require conformity in every detail as the follow the Primary Code. When Evan's dream includes breaking curfew with a friend to visit the Ruins-a forbidden place of mystery and skyscrapers. The next day when his friend is caught and exiled in real life, he starts to question everything.
A good middle to upper grade novel with unexpected twists, adequate and appropriate level of conflict. Includes lightly the themes of self-sacrifice, and loyalty. A little bit of teen snarkiness toward adults on both sides of the conflict, yet respectful towards parents, if sometimes disobedient. Light but a bit forced romance. Leaves the reader knowing that there another book coming, but not a cliff-hanger. Seems a bit long for a middle grade book, but the writing style is appropriate. Die-hard science fiction readers will not mind the length.
**Publisher provided the book in return for a review. I find the star rating arbitrary so I try to 5 star only my reviews.
Evan Miller's dreams come true. Evan Miller lives in city 47, is a student at the temple and doesn't know what is happening to him at night. City 47 is run the by the temple elders who require conformity in every detail as the follow the Primary Code. When Evan's dream includes breaking curfew with a friend to visit the Ruins-a forbidden place of mystery and skyscrapers. The next day when his friend is caught and exiled in real life, he starts to question everything.
A good middle to upper grade novel with unexpected twists, adequate and appropriate level of conflict. Includes lightly the themes of self-sacrifice, and loyalty. A little bit of teen snarkiness toward adults on both sides of the conflict, yet respectful towards parents, if sometimes disobedient. Light but a bit forced romance. Leaves the reader knowing that there another book coming, but not a cliff-hanger. Seems a bit long for a middle grade book, but the writing style is appropriate. Die-hard science fiction readers will not mind the length.
**Publisher provided the book in return for a review. I find the star rating arbitrary so I try to 5 star only my reviews.
October 7, 2024
This was was a pretty good book. The premise was great, going into dreams is one of my favorite things. I do wish the characters were a little more developed.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews