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The Awakened Duology #1
The Awakened
Zoey Valentine is concerned with two things: surviving the multitude of self-defense classes her dad makes her take and avoiding Ash Matthews.
That is, until the Z virus hits, wiping out a third of the population in a matter of weeks. If that weren’t frightening enough, the bodies of the victims disappear and suddenly reappear, awakened from their dead state. They're faster, smarter, and they work together to get the one thing they crave, human flesh.
The United States is in a panic and then the government decides the unthinkable: to bomb every major city overrun with the awakened.
Now Zoey is on the run, with her dad and Ash, desperate to find a place of safety amongst the ruined remains of the country.
That is, until the Z virus hits, wiping out a third of the population in a matter of weeks. If that weren’t frightening enough, the bodies of the victims disappear and suddenly reappear, awakened from their dead state. They're faster, smarter, and they work together to get the one thing they crave, human flesh.
The United States is in a panic and then the government decides the unthinkable: to bomb every major city overrun with the awakened.
Now Zoey is on the run, with her dad and Ash, desperate to find a place of safety amongst the ruined remains of the country.
444 pages, Paperback
Published November 4, 2015
158 people are currently reading
1640 people want to read
About the author
Sara Elizabeth Santana
7 books180 followersSara is a self published young adult science fiction and new adult romance author. Her debut novel, The Awakened, was released in December of 2015, and was her first successful NaNoWriMo novel. The sequel, The Sanctuary, was published January 2017. Both books were relaunched in June 2020. Her debut new adult romance, Benched, was released in September of 2020. She runs her own nerd girl/book review blog, What A Nerd Girl Says. She lives in Southern California with her husband and her two cats, Kaz and Kai.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
January 13, 2016
A fast paced, suspenseful read that literally absorbs you into the story.
I can not WAIT for you to all read this..
I can not WAIT for you to all read this..
April 30, 2020
Of course this book is five stars! I wrote it, so that MUST mean its just absolute perfection ;) Just kidding! But I hope that you'll add it and read it and love it and I can't wait to hear all the awesome things!
February 25, 2017
Actual rating 3.5
I really liked the concept of the book, and the fun characters, but just don't think zombies are really my thing. I've only read one zombie series years ago, and I don't really like watching zombie movies or tv shows, so I don't think this book was quite for me. But if you enjoy shows like the walking dead and other zombie books, you should give this a shot.
I really liked the concept of the book, and the fun characters, but just don't think zombies are really my thing. I've only read one zombie series years ago, and I don't really like watching zombie movies or tv shows, so I don't think this book was quite for me. But if you enjoy shows like the walking dead and other zombie books, you should give this a shot.
November 11, 2015
This book was so freaking good. The characters were so relatable and DEFINITELY swoon worthy. The sarcasm of the characters balanced out the horrors faced in this book. This book was so easy to read and hit me right in the feels. It reminded me so much of Lux by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I absolutely loved reading this gem.
Zoey, the protagonist, is everything I am and everything I want to be. She is an absolute role model who constantly inspires confidence and bravery.
Zombies, cracked out genius villian, a kick butt female protagonist and swoon worthy guys are just a few of the amazing aspects that make this book so tremendously outstanding. I mean what else could you ask for in a book?
A MUST READ!
Zoey, the protagonist, is everything I am and everything I want to be. She is an absolute role model who constantly inspires confidence and bravery.
Zombies, cracked out genius villian, a kick butt female protagonist and swoon worthy guys are just a few of the amazing aspects that make this book so tremendously outstanding. I mean what else could you ask for in a book?
A MUST READ!
December 22, 2015
Time to be the black sheep that didn't enjoy this book. First I should say that I'm not a huge fan of zombies but I enjoy a good zombie story every once in a while. And in this case, the zombie factor was the only thing I ended up liking. The writing felt a little off, like it hadn't been edited properly, or maybe it just wasn't my cup of tea. The characters, though. I'm sorry, but I do not understand any of them. I managed to like Zoey at times, but mostly, she made me roll my eyes. The rest of them lacked personality (why are you all so in love with Ash? what do you know about him? what is there to like?) and I found myself questioning why things were happening (like all those makeout sessions at the most unfortunate times or Zoey's mood swings around Ash). I also don't get the relationship. At all. I didn't feel the chemistry except for the sexual one, which was kind of gross. I'm so sad that I didn't like this book because I was really excited about it.
January 1, 2017
*VERY harsh review* Unpopular opinion of the day....
NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE! The only reason I didn't DNF this book is because it was my goal to read 50 books in 2016 and, well, midnight is 5-ish hours away. So, I finished. I am almost at a loss for words.... almost. HOW THE ACTUAL FUCK DOES EVERYONE LIKE THIS GARBAGE?!?!?!?!?! I mean........ I am absolutely aghast at the 4 and 5 star ratings that this book received. I am completely DISTURBED by the amount of even 2 and 3 stars this got. THIS IS NOT GOOD WRITING!!!! People! For the love of all the good books out there, WHY DO YOU CHOOSE TO MAKE STUFF LIKE THIS POPULAR! I could literally weep for all the good books out there that get left on the shelf in favor of this moronic drivel. There was so much wrong with this book I don't even know where to begin. I'm just going to throw it out there in no particular order. I'm seriously shaking my head as I type this.
- Incredibly elementary writing right off the bat. Over uses phrases and descriptions of facial expressions. Too many grammatical and punctuation errors to boot. Entire sentences don't make sense. Is it that hard to find someone to proof read your stuff before publishing? Yeah? Well, maybe that should tell you something right there.... GET ANOTHER HOBBY! Or take up some writing classes.
- The author needs to learn about character development and world building. Simple as that. There were so many questions that go unanswered and I'm not even sure the author has figured out where this story is headed either. It's all over the place. And talk about a completely unbelievable plot. I could not for the life of me suspend my disbelief long enough to even conceive the notion of where this book went in the second half.
- ALL CHARACTERS ARE FUCKING CRAZY! Read on for details.
- Main character is weak and doesn't have any backbone. Zoey does whatever her best friend and father tell her to do, at the beginning she doesn't seem to have any of her own thoughts or ideas. She just goes for whatever everyone else says without complaint. Weak. Boring. Stupid.
- Ash. Oh, Ash. The guy next door. The guy that made fun of our main character when they were both kids. He made her cry, made fun of her, pulled pranks on her, basically tormented her... and it's all because he liked her and didn't know how to act? Really? I've never had anyone hurt me repeatedly because they liked me. OH! BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T DO THAT KIND OF THING WHEN THEY LIKE YOU! That's called abuse people! As Ash and Zoey grow older her father takes a shine to Ash, and I mean, treating him like he's his own son. Zoey's dad even goes so far as to tell the two of them they should date. Never mind the fact that hormones are racing off the charts and Ash keeps saying all these creepy, lewd, sexual things to Zoey, and despite Zoey's demands for Ash to stop being so sexual and touchy-feely, he never does stop... he just gets worse. Ash is seriously abusive, obsessive, possessive, creepy.... like creepy on the verge of rape-y. He can't take no for an answer. Rape culture people. Rape culture. He keeps at it and eventually she falls for him. What kind of sick fantasy is this? This psychotically possessive and creepy dude that kept trying to get into her pants CAN'T POSSIBLY be all that bad considering our female protagonist goes on at great length (at the most inopportune times) about how gorgeous he is and sexy and omg oh so good-looking. STOP. JUST STOP. I'm so sick of this bullshit in our culture. Oh, he can't be all that possessive and rape-y because *bats eyes and swoons* he is so effing gorgeous with his tousled brown hair, blue eyes, and DEAR GOD DAT ASS! .................... Hell. to. THE. fucking. NO! I could go on forever... about this one.
- Daddy dearest. Zoey's father is a police chief..... and completely mentally incompetent. Seriously?! How the hell did he make it to police chief when he can't even see how perverse Ash is to his daughter? AND! Zoey's dad gives Ash a key, so that while he is away at the station Ash can watch over Zoey... while she is home alone.... by herself.... GREAT IDEA, DAD! Yeah, that's right. Let's all just ignore how Ash has been trying to get into your daughter's pants for like, oh, I don't know, forever, and you here you go literally handing him a key that will allow him to "accidentally" walk in on her naked in a state of undress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wouldn't trust this police chief to correctly solve a game of Clue. Oh, the asshattery.
- Liam. Oh for the love of ... whatever. Liam. This guy's fiance just died when the government decides to drop bombs on all the major cities. Yes, the government dropped bombs first and didn't stop to think of any other options apparently. Liam's fiance dies and when him and his parents run into Zoey, her dad, and Ash, Liam decides he's going to flirt with Zoey. Wow, bro. You have no chill. NONE! Fucking dog. I mean does the author actually know anything about people, or is she just as crazy for thinking up these characters too? Normal people don't act like this, in any circumstance.
- Razi Cylon. The super evil person that wants to destroy the world's population and repopulate Earth with people that have great immune systems. LOL! What was her inspiration for this you might ask? Well, you see, her gay son got beaten to death. Yeah. This book is all over the place. I can't even begin to piece together how this is supposed to make sense. Everyone's gotta have goals, I guess.
- There were a lot of unnecessary scenes in here that could have been edited out. They didn't add anything of value to the story. They just served as time wasters.
- Too much sex. Ew. I don't want to hear about a girl falling for a fucking a gorgeous and yet possessive pervy guy. No thanks.
Just some random observations I wrote down while I was reading.
1. The end of civilization is right outside Zoey's door and she needs to pack things to take with her before her home, all her belongings, and her beloved dog, Bandit, are blown to fucking pieces... she considers packing her awards and school certificates. BITCH! PRIORITIES! She is obviously a bit stupid.
2. If these zombies are so smart and fast, why are they milling about in the streets instead of using objects to break windows into peoples houses in order to eat them? Just wondering.
3. Our main character just sentenced her dog, Bandit to death since the city is going to bombed. She just killed her "zombie-turned" best friend and all she can think about is how she wants to someday look "awesome" in front of that creeper, Ash. Like I said, she's got her priorities all fucked up.
4. Zoey and Ash are finally getting hot and heavy in her mother's kitchen, after being in denial about her feelings for so long. Then she pulls her gun on him. I HATED Ash, and I definitely still do, but at this certain point I was screaming at my book ASH! ASH, DON'T STICK YOUR DICK IN CRAZY! Seriously, our main character needs to take some anti-crazy pills and chill.
5. I don't know about anyone else, but if I was kidnapped by an insane woman who wanted to repopulate the Earth using ME, I'd be resisting a lot harder than Zoey. It's almost like she doesn't care.
6. I was so dumbstruck at this point in the book by how unbelievable stupid this whole plot is, that I stopped writing observations. I just couldn't believe we were at THAT level. I wanted to get off this crazy train.
Overall, I think this was the worst book I've ever read in the history of GoodReads. Not a good way to end 2016, but you know, 2016 has claimed a lot of great people this year... might as well claim my sanity too. I can definitely see what the author wanted to accomplish with this, and I have to say she was so far off base it's sickening. The author tried way too hard with everything in this book. This is like the Sharknado of the book world. You have to be on something to finish it. I unfortunately, finished it sober. Do yourself a massive favor, and stay away, far away, from this.... whatever this is.
NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE! The only reason I didn't DNF this book is because it was my goal to read 50 books in 2016 and, well, midnight is 5-ish hours away. So, I finished. I am almost at a loss for words.... almost. HOW THE ACTUAL FUCK DOES EVERYONE LIKE THIS GARBAGE?!?!?!?!?! I mean........ I am absolutely aghast at the 4 and 5 star ratings that this book received. I am completely DISTURBED by the amount of even 2 and 3 stars this got. THIS IS NOT GOOD WRITING!!!! People! For the love of all the good books out there, WHY DO YOU CHOOSE TO MAKE STUFF LIKE THIS POPULAR! I could literally weep for all the good books out there that get left on the shelf in favor of this moronic drivel. There was so much wrong with this book I don't even know where to begin. I'm just going to throw it out there in no particular order. I'm seriously shaking my head as I type this.
- Incredibly elementary writing right off the bat. Over uses phrases and descriptions of facial expressions. Too many grammatical and punctuation errors to boot. Entire sentences don't make sense. Is it that hard to find someone to proof read your stuff before publishing? Yeah? Well, maybe that should tell you something right there.... GET ANOTHER HOBBY! Or take up some writing classes.
- The author needs to learn about character development and world building. Simple as that. There were so many questions that go unanswered and I'm not even sure the author has figured out where this story is headed either. It's all over the place. And talk about a completely unbelievable plot. I could not for the life of me suspend my disbelief long enough to even conceive the notion of where this book went in the second half.
- ALL CHARACTERS ARE FUCKING CRAZY! Read on for details.
- Main character is weak and doesn't have any backbone. Zoey does whatever her best friend and father tell her to do, at the beginning she doesn't seem to have any of her own thoughts or ideas. She just goes for whatever everyone else says without complaint. Weak. Boring. Stupid.
- Ash. Oh, Ash. The guy next door. The guy that made fun of our main character when they were both kids. He made her cry, made fun of her, pulled pranks on her, basically tormented her... and it's all because he liked her and didn't know how to act? Really? I've never had anyone hurt me repeatedly because they liked me. OH! BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T DO THAT KIND OF THING WHEN THEY LIKE YOU! That's called abuse people! As Ash and Zoey grow older her father takes a shine to Ash, and I mean, treating him like he's his own son. Zoey's dad even goes so far as to tell the two of them they should date. Never mind the fact that hormones are racing off the charts and Ash keeps saying all these creepy, lewd, sexual things to Zoey, and despite Zoey's demands for Ash to stop being so sexual and touchy-feely, he never does stop... he just gets worse. Ash is seriously abusive, obsessive, possessive, creepy.... like creepy on the verge of rape-y. He can't take no for an answer. Rape culture people. Rape culture. He keeps at it and eventually she falls for him. What kind of sick fantasy is this? This psychotically possessive and creepy dude that kept trying to get into her pants CAN'T POSSIBLY be all that bad considering our female protagonist goes on at great length (at the most inopportune times) about how gorgeous he is and sexy and omg oh so good-looking. STOP. JUST STOP. I'm so sick of this bullshit in our culture. Oh, he can't be all that possessive and rape-y because *bats eyes and swoons* he is so effing gorgeous with his tousled brown hair, blue eyes, and DEAR GOD DAT ASS! .................... Hell. to. THE. fucking. NO! I could go on forever... about this one.
- Daddy dearest. Zoey's father is a police chief..... and completely mentally incompetent. Seriously?! How the hell did he make it to police chief when he can't even see how perverse Ash is to his daughter? AND! Zoey's dad gives Ash a key, so that while he is away at the station Ash can watch over Zoey... while she is home alone.... by herself.... GREAT IDEA, DAD! Yeah, that's right. Let's all just ignore how Ash has been trying to get into your daughter's pants for like, oh, I don't know, forever, and you here you go literally handing him a key that will allow him to "accidentally" walk in on her naked in a state of undress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wouldn't trust this police chief to correctly solve a game of Clue. Oh, the asshattery.
- Liam. Oh for the love of ... whatever. Liam. This guy's fiance just died when the government decides to drop bombs on all the major cities. Yes, the government dropped bombs first and didn't stop to think of any other options apparently. Liam's fiance dies and when him and his parents run into Zoey, her dad, and Ash, Liam decides he's going to flirt with Zoey. Wow, bro. You have no chill. NONE! Fucking dog. I mean does the author actually know anything about people, or is she just as crazy for thinking up these characters too? Normal people don't act like this, in any circumstance.
- Razi Cylon. The super evil person that wants to destroy the world's population and repopulate Earth with people that have great immune systems. LOL! What was her inspiration for this you might ask? Well, you see, her gay son got beaten to death. Yeah. This book is all over the place. I can't even begin to piece together how this is supposed to make sense. Everyone's gotta have goals, I guess.
- There were a lot of unnecessary scenes in here that could have been edited out. They didn't add anything of value to the story. They just served as time wasters.
- Too much sex. Ew. I don't want to hear about a girl falling for a fucking a gorgeous and yet possessive pervy guy. No thanks.
Just some random observations I wrote down while I was reading.
1. The end of civilization is right outside Zoey's door and she needs to pack things to take with her before her home, all her belongings, and her beloved dog, Bandit, are blown to fucking pieces... she considers packing her awards and school certificates. BITCH! PRIORITIES! She is obviously a bit stupid.
2. If these zombies are so smart and fast, why are they milling about in the streets instead of using objects to break windows into peoples houses in order to eat them? Just wondering.
3. Our main character just sentenced her dog, Bandit to death since the city is going to bombed. She just killed her "zombie-turned" best friend and all she can think about is how she wants to someday look "awesome" in front of that creeper, Ash. Like I said, she's got her priorities all fucked up.
4. Zoey and Ash are finally getting hot and heavy in her mother's kitchen, after being in denial about her feelings for so long. Then she pulls her gun on him. I HATED Ash, and I definitely still do, but at this certain point I was screaming at my book ASH! ASH, DON'T STICK YOUR DICK IN CRAZY! Seriously, our main character needs to take some anti-crazy pills and chill.
5. I don't know about anyone else, but if I was kidnapped by an insane woman who wanted to repopulate the Earth using ME, I'd be resisting a lot harder than Zoey. It's almost like she doesn't care.
6. I was so dumbstruck at this point in the book by how unbelievable stupid this whole plot is, that I stopped writing observations. I just couldn't believe we were at THAT level. I wanted to get off this crazy train.
Overall, I think this was the worst book I've ever read in the history of GoodReads. Not a good way to end 2016, but you know, 2016 has claimed a lot of great people this year... might as well claim my sanity too. I can definitely see what the author wanted to accomplish with this, and I have to say she was so far off base it's sickening. The author tried way too hard with everything in this book. This is like the Sharknado of the book world. You have to be on something to finish it. I unfortunately, finished it sober. Do yourself a massive favor, and stay away, far away, from this.... whatever this is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2015
Holy crap! I was sent this amazing novel for review and all I can say is WOW! THE AWAKENED is a riveting novel that takes your breath away, and full of suspense, action, and swoon worthy moments. Santana has created a novel that takes a new take on sci fi. This novel will take the writing world by storm!
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Sara is an amazing author and I can't wait to see more from her!
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Sara is an amazing author and I can't wait to see more from her!
January 20, 2016
Ok, so this review is long awaited (almost a month!). I bought this on Christmas Day after receiving a Kindle and what better way to spend Christmas than making use of a new gift?!
The Awakened was a book I'd wanted ever since I saw it on the OfTomes instagram page because books/movies/programmes about the undead and me get along like a house on fire! This book certain didn't disappoint. I flew through it within a matter of hours because I enjoyed it that much! It's not your typical zombie story at all, and the plot twist. I was just like 'say whaaaaat?!' The characters were pretty cool and I felt like I connected with them really well. But like, can you not make me like a character and then totally rip my heart out after? And again, the plot twist. I was literally flipping through at almost 100mph because I wanted to know what was happening so badly!
I basically just really enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it! So when's the next one coming out?!
The Awakened was a book I'd wanted ever since I saw it on the OfTomes instagram page because books/movies/programmes about the undead and me get along like a house on fire! This book certain didn't disappoint. I flew through it within a matter of hours because I enjoyed it that much! It's not your typical zombie story at all, and the plot twist. I was just like 'say whaaaaat?!' The characters were pretty cool and I felt like I connected with them really well. But like, can you not make me like a character and then totally rip my heart out after? And again, the plot twist. I was literally flipping through at almost 100mph because I wanted to know what was happening so badly!
I basically just really enjoyed this and would definitely recommend it! So when's the next one coming out?!
January 20, 2016
***3.8 STARS*** Really did enjoy this book! It started off strong. It was action packed, intense, and overall a good book! I must say towards the middle-end the intensity died down for me, until the epilogue! Can't wait for the 2nd book!
November 24, 2016
Similar ti The Fifth Wave
April 10, 2018
I read the full manuscript originally on SwoonReads.com. Zombies are one of my favourite genres! I enjoyed the doses of humor and heart, Sara's writing style is easy to follow and compelling to read. She has the makings of a decent storyteller.
M first review was based on the version I read posted on SwoonReads.com I receieved a new version for review purposes.
~ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review~
Zoey Valentine's life revolves around avoiding her irritating next door neighbour, Ash, and surviving the constant self-defence classes her police officer father makes her take. That is until the zombie apocalypse hits the USA, and the entire country is thrown into a frenzy. What seemed like an unusual illness, is actually turning everyone into a zombie-like state. Except, they're much faster than the usual. When Zoey learns that the US government decides to bomb every major city, including her home city NYC, she finds herself on the run with her father and Ash in a desperate dash for survival.
This book was really great, in some sense, was really guessable in certain scenes but the way Santana writes makes it a really interesting read with a great cast of characters, each different in their own unique way. I enjoyed the doses of humour and heart within the novel and alongside Sara's writing style which is easy to follow and compelling to read. She has the makings of a decent storyteller with this fast-paced debut novel.
Anyone who actually read my reviews knows that no good book ever goes unscathed. What really dragged this down was mainly due to certain aspects I personally didn't like.
I think I'm the only person so far that didn't like Ash? No offence, but he's so irritating! Despite he does change in the end, and he ends up with Zoey. But, honestly, I didn't find it cute that Ash was just terrible to Zoe since she was little. And Zoey knows it but yet she was still attracted to him? If I was being bullied by a boy and would in no way have some sort of attraction to him. Honestly, I would have ditched him the minute the apocalypse started. Despite Zoey telling him explicitly, she doesn't want to be near him, he continues to flirt with her despite having a girlfriend and she's already said no? And then when another survivor lowkey flirts with her, he gets annoyed? I just thought that behaviour was problematic and he should've backed off a bit.
Also, what was going on with her dad? I honestly hate it when adults assume boys teasing girls means he likes her? Her dad wanted them to get together despite Zoey CONSTANTLY telling him he's been bullying her at a young age and the way he puts Ash on a higher pedestal than his own daughter was extremely worrying. He does kind of admit it in the end and apologise, but overall, the only character I found myself rooting for was Zoe. The romance in this novel was a bit off to me. Ash and Zoey literally pick the worst moment to get all hot and steamy, especially towards the end.
December 1, 2015
Find my review (also) on my blog: Alice Reeds
* Thank you to Oftomes Publishing for proving me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review *
I love stories involving survival, the outbreak of the undead, or just any other type of virus or end of the world scenario so of course, when I saw the cover for The Awakened and read the blurb, I knew I had to read it. Though, as with all the things that there are plenty off, I always worry that stories from said areas will be driven by overused tropes and plotlessness we've seen done a million times already. But, after reading The Awakened I can tell you that I was not disappointed. And, for those like me who wouldn't even touch a love triangle with a ten foot pole, don't worry, there is non, even if the cover makes it look like that at first glance.
The Awakened is an intriguing tale of survival with a dash of sizzling romance and one hell of a messed up mystery villain. The story is exciting, gripping, and fun to read from beginning to end. Of course, as with all things, it has some flaws but most of them I probably only saw because I tend to be picky sometimes with my survival/zombie/end of the world books and plots.
So, in The Awakened we follow Zoey and her struggle to survive while the world around her goes basically mental and down the drain. I had a few problems with her, especially when it came to her feelings about Ash, since I though the entire issue between them could have been solved a little quicker since, if the apocalypse is now it might be a good idea to get over things belonging into the past, right? I mean, I understand her struggle, but she definitely had other more important things to worry about. Anyway, Zoey was a very likable and well rounded character with flaws and logical trains of thought, and she definitely wasn't a damsel in distress/your average Mary Sue. Zoey could definitely kick some ass, thanks to her dad who made her take a whole list of different self-defense and martial arts classes growing up.
I also really liked Ash. He was fun, charming, and just a really good guy. He also seemed like a well thought out, three dimensional character, and not just some hot guy to lust after our protagonist. He was funny and witty, loyal and clever, traits that could definitely be useful in the apocalypse when getting yourself an ally.
I liked the dynamics the two of them had going on between them and the way their relationship evolved over the course of the story, definitely one of my favorite parts about the book, along with the unusual kind of zombies we encountered in this story. Plus points for that.
The problems I mentioned earlier on didn't really arise until after the 70% mark when we finally got a look behind the cause of the virus outbreak and all those thing that I will not mention in detail because spoilers. But, personally, I think making up a valid backstory for what caused the virus to infect humans is always a tricky, which is basically why I appreciate shows like The Walking Dead because they, as far as I remember, never explained what had led to the zombie outbreak. The Awakened, on the other hand, gives us an explanation and I must admit I wasn't quite as flashed by it as I'm sure the author planned for her readers to be. That is not to say that the reasoning wasn't good, but it wasn't as original as I hoped it would be. There were also a couple of other things happening that I wasn't the biggest fan of either, but those are spoilers so I cannot tell you about them.
What I did like, to go back to a more positive note, was the writing style of Ms. Santana. It was descriptive, though maybe a little too much in a few instances, and showed really well how good she is at capturing emotions and showing them through Zoey's eyes. She also did a really good job at making the zombies really scary in an entirely different way then zombies already are.
All in all I really liked The Awakened and, if you're a fan of YA zombie survival type stories, you should definitely give it a try, even if the blurb might not entirely catch your attention. I did have a couple of issues here and there but in general I had a really good time reading this story. I can't wait to see how the story will continue and how this duology will end.
* Thank you to Oftomes Publishing for proving me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review *
I love stories involving survival, the outbreak of the undead, or just any other type of virus or end of the world scenario so of course, when I saw the cover for The Awakened and read the blurb, I knew I had to read it. Though, as with all the things that there are plenty off, I always worry that stories from said areas will be driven by overused tropes and plotlessness we've seen done a million times already. But, after reading The Awakened I can tell you that I was not disappointed. And, for those like me who wouldn't even touch a love triangle with a ten foot pole, don't worry, there is non, even if the cover makes it look like that at first glance.
The Awakened is an intriguing tale of survival with a dash of sizzling romance and one hell of a messed up mystery villain. The story is exciting, gripping, and fun to read from beginning to end. Of course, as with all things, it has some flaws but most of them I probably only saw because I tend to be picky sometimes with my survival/zombie/end of the world books and plots.
So, in The Awakened we follow Zoey and her struggle to survive while the world around her goes basically mental and down the drain. I had a few problems with her, especially when it came to her feelings about Ash, since I though the entire issue between them could have been solved a little quicker since, if the apocalypse is now it might be a good idea to get over things belonging into the past, right? I mean, I understand her struggle, but she definitely had other more important things to worry about. Anyway, Zoey was a very likable and well rounded character with flaws and logical trains of thought, and she definitely wasn't a damsel in distress/your average Mary Sue. Zoey could definitely kick some ass, thanks to her dad who made her take a whole list of different self-defense and martial arts classes growing up.
I also really liked Ash. He was fun, charming, and just a really good guy. He also seemed like a well thought out, three dimensional character, and not just some hot guy to lust after our protagonist. He was funny and witty, loyal and clever, traits that could definitely be useful in the apocalypse when getting yourself an ally.
I liked the dynamics the two of them had going on between them and the way their relationship evolved over the course of the story, definitely one of my favorite parts about the book, along with the unusual kind of zombies we encountered in this story. Plus points for that.
The problems I mentioned earlier on didn't really arise until after the 70% mark when we finally got a look behind the cause of the virus outbreak and all those thing that I will not mention in detail because spoilers. But, personally, I think making up a valid backstory for what caused the virus to infect humans is always a tricky, which is basically why I appreciate shows like The Walking Dead because they, as far as I remember, never explained what had led to the zombie outbreak. The Awakened, on the other hand, gives us an explanation and I must admit I wasn't quite as flashed by it as I'm sure the author planned for her readers to be. That is not to say that the reasoning wasn't good, but it wasn't as original as I hoped it would be. There were also a couple of other things happening that I wasn't the biggest fan of either, but those are spoilers so I cannot tell you about them.
What I did like, to go back to a more positive note, was the writing style of Ms. Santana. It was descriptive, though maybe a little too much in a few instances, and showed really well how good she is at capturing emotions and showing them through Zoey's eyes. She also did a really good job at making the zombies really scary in an entirely different way then zombies already are.
All in all I really liked The Awakened and, if you're a fan of YA zombie survival type stories, you should definitely give it a try, even if the blurb might not entirely catch your attention. I did have a couple of issues here and there but in general I had a really good time reading this story. I can't wait to see how the story will continue and how this duology will end.
December 1, 2015
Rating 4.5 stars!
First off I just want to say how happy I am that The Awakened has been published, and to be able to read an early copy of this book! I’ll cut to the chase – buy this book! I promise you that you won’t regret it! I’m a big fan of books set in an apocalypse, and as I’m a bit of a Walking Dead junkie, this book gave me an apocalypse fix! It’s full of action, gore, and romance – and is totally addictive. It left me angry, upset, and swooning! I need the sequel right now!
The Awakened follows Zoey – a kickass heroine – that you can’t help but love! I wasn’t even a chapter in when I realised that this was a main character I could root for. Her ‘Battlestar Galactica’ ringtone had me wanting to be her best friend straight away! Zoey finds herself on the run with her dad and next door neighbour (and biggest annoyance in her life!) Ash. Now, I totally ship Zoey and Ash. At first I wasn’t sure, but the chemistry between these two definitely won me over! I need a real good Zoey/Ash relationship in the next book! Don’t expect an easy road for these two though! There are so many obstacles in their way, and Zoey is determined to stay away from him at all costs!
The zombies in The Awakened aren’t your typical zombie. They aren’t mindless creatures, stumbling around craving flesh…they’re smart and fast – nothing like what you expect. I found that to be really refreshing as a lot of books/TV/films tend to lean towards the more out of control, brainless zombie. Sara’s creations were a lot creepier! I definitely wouldn’t want to have to face a pack of Awakened! Of course if you’re Zoey and have crazy good martial arts skills and a police officer for a dad then you’re probably more likely than most to survive!
I don’t want to accidentally leak any spoilers here, but let’s just say that there is a really unique twist to The Awakened that I so did not expect. The path this book goes down is a lot more sinister and intriguing than I was anticipating…but wow its good! After all the twists and turns The Awakened has taken I am so so excited to read the sequel which I believe Sara has been working on during NaNoWriMo in November! So hopefully I won’t have to wait too long to get my hands on it!
Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Awakened, it was an apocalypse novel that stands out from the rest, and is packed with suspense, humour, and of course zombies!!
First off I just want to say how happy I am that The Awakened has been published, and to be able to read an early copy of this book! I’ll cut to the chase – buy this book! I promise you that you won’t regret it! I’m a big fan of books set in an apocalypse, and as I’m a bit of a Walking Dead junkie, this book gave me an apocalypse fix! It’s full of action, gore, and romance – and is totally addictive. It left me angry, upset, and swooning! I need the sequel right now!
The Awakened follows Zoey – a kickass heroine – that you can’t help but love! I wasn’t even a chapter in when I realised that this was a main character I could root for. Her ‘Battlestar Galactica’ ringtone had me wanting to be her best friend straight away! Zoey finds herself on the run with her dad and next door neighbour (and biggest annoyance in her life!) Ash. Now, I totally ship Zoey and Ash. At first I wasn’t sure, but the chemistry between these two definitely won me over! I need a real good Zoey/Ash relationship in the next book! Don’t expect an easy road for these two though! There are so many obstacles in their way, and Zoey is determined to stay away from him at all costs!
The zombies in The Awakened aren’t your typical zombie. They aren’t mindless creatures, stumbling around craving flesh…they’re smart and fast – nothing like what you expect. I found that to be really refreshing as a lot of books/TV/films tend to lean towards the more out of control, brainless zombie. Sara’s creations were a lot creepier! I definitely wouldn’t want to have to face a pack of Awakened! Of course if you’re Zoey and have crazy good martial arts skills and a police officer for a dad then you’re probably more likely than most to survive!
I don’t want to accidentally leak any spoilers here, but let’s just say that there is a really unique twist to The Awakened that I so did not expect. The path this book goes down is a lot more sinister and intriguing than I was anticipating…but wow its good! After all the twists and turns The Awakened has taken I am so so excited to read the sequel which I believe Sara has been working on during NaNoWriMo in November! So hopefully I won’t have to wait too long to get my hands on it!
Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Awakened, it was an apocalypse novel that stands out from the rest, and is packed with suspense, humour, and of course zombies!!
May 16, 2016
2.5/5
I'm sorry. For one there were errors all over the book, not just here and there. Ignoring that I couldn't stand the romance in the beginning and middle of the book. Ash...infuriated me so much. I don't like how some things were done or what it seems to say (to me at least) is ok behavior. Most of the book didn't draw me in, though certain parts did. I never ended up thinking about what was going to happen next in the book in between readings, and I was never excited to pick it back up. In fact it felt like a chore to get through. Which is a shame because the premise sounded very interesting, and as I said I did like certain parts. I don't hate the book. I just don't personally like it myself that much.
I'm sorry. For one there were errors all over the book, not just here and there. Ignoring that I couldn't stand the romance in the beginning and middle of the book. Ash...infuriated me so much. I don't like how some things were done or what it seems to say (to me at least) is ok behavior. Most of the book didn't draw me in, though certain parts did. I never ended up thinking about what was going to happen next in the book in between readings, and I was never excited to pick it back up. In fact it felt like a chore to get through. Which is a shame because the premise sounded very interesting, and as I said I did like certain parts. I don't hate the book. I just don't personally like it myself that much.
October 6, 2015
I read the manuscript on Swoon Reads and the 1st 8 chapters that were on Wattpad and I fell in love!! This book is spectacular and I am beyond excited to see it turned into a physical book! Make sure to check out The Awakend! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
March 17, 2016
Actual rating - 3.5
I liked the characters in this, but it took me a while to warm to them.
This was a bit slow to start, but after a while the pacing picked up, and I started to enjoy it.
Overall, A decent read.
I liked the characters in this, but it took me a while to warm to them.
This was a bit slow to start, but after a while the pacing picked up, and I started to enjoy it.
Overall, A decent read.
March 2, 2016
At the time of writing this review I have literally just finished reading The Awakened. I don’t know what I feel. Confused mostly. Angry. Sad. Desperately needing the sequel. Ugh. So many emotions.
Zoey Valentine is a normal teenager with a normal life. Ha ha, not! Normal life my backside. Walking, talking zombie vampires are hardly normal. Speaking of those creatures, freaking genius. They are probably the best version of zombies – or Awakened - I’ve read/seen on TV. I love those freaks of nature.
This novel wasn’t normal. No way. Every single chapter had me on the edge of my seat. I felt so many emotions, I may be broken. That death… We shall never speak of it. Ever. It’s too painful.
But with every page turn I knew nothing would stop me from reading this book. I am so glad I didn’t give up after be traumatised. There were so many twist. My suspicions of the Awakened turned out to be correct and once again I prove I am female Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock and Chloe… I’m coming for you Cumberbatch.
Throughout this monster of a novel I thought I was Zoey. I’m not kidding. The writing style is so good, I felt like I was in the story, like I was Zoey herself, battling the Awakened and fighting for my life. I felt every loss, I felt her love for her dad and Bandit and I couldn’t help but love the feeling. Everything Zoey felt I felt and that’s why I know this book will do amazing. When a book makes me feel like that, oh my goodness…
Can we please talk about the villain of the story? Oh wait. It’s my review. No, I am not talking about the zompires (that’s their new name, no arguments) but a completely different kind of evil. I mean I understand that her loss was a big one and what happened shouldn’t have happened because that is an evil unto itself but at the end of the day, that doesn’t justify what she is doing. No one gets to have that kind of power. Yes, I did sympathise with her on that but everything else was just plain crazy and just when I thought that evil was eliminated… Anger. Pure anger.
What else can I say? I am just feeling a lot of emotions right now so excuse me if my writing is not up to par.
There were several times I had to put the book down. Okay, I did it twice. I put it down and had to contemplate everything. The trauma was too much. Just too much. I may have cried. I am not ashamed. I am surprised that my emotions are not shot to pieces.
With all this in mind, I am afraid this book is not without its faults. There was a change in tenses early on in the book which kind of confused me. And at the end the POV changed suddenly. But do not take this to heart. The prologue, I think gives us an insight to what may occur in the sequel. And the epilogue that is where the biggest twist of this book. I almost threw my Kindle in shock. Wow. Just wow.
This book was amazing from start to finish and as much as I want to give it a 5/5, I’m going to have to give it a 4.5. It was the tenses that did it but it didn’t take anything away from the story.
I will definitely be buying this book on December 1st and then getting the paperback in the new year. I am in love with it.
Also, I do have to say this because I am determined. Ash. Is. Mine. Got it. Ash is just amazing. And I realise I haven’t talked about the characters so let’s do that now.
Zoey. Zoey Valentine is our heroine is this tale and by golly, she is amazing. She is so kick-ass, so awesome that I was consumed with jealousy. I wanted to be her so bad. She goes through a lot of changes in this book. She loses everyone she loves and it almost destroys her. But she perseveres and gets through with the help of her loving and cheeky friend. Her character really evolves and matures in this story. She is strong, physically, mentally and emotionally. She goes through so much and comes out the other side stronger and I totally envy her for it. I don’t think I could have done it. I would have crumbled so fast. In the face of danger, Zoey stands with her head held high and refuses to back. I applaud her.
And Ash. Oh Ash. Why can’t I find a guy like you? His character is the one that matures the most in my opinion. At first I thought he would run but no, he stays and takes care of Zoey and becomes strong in every way. For him, everything is about Zoey and her safety. He doesn’t do it because Zoey’s dad *sniffs* asks him to, he does it because he does genuinely care about Zoey and her wellbeing. I legit cried when Sara was so evil and tried to make us believe the very worst. *grumbles* It doesn’t matter how much she pushes him away, he always stays and always looks after and because of that I just crumbled. He was sweet and caring and I just love him so much.
Wow. Okay. I may be in love with Ash.
So, uh, moving on.
Again I absolutely loved this book. I can’t believe how much I loved it. I need the sequel. I have to have it. Now. This very minute. I NEED MORE.
Okay. I highly recommend you go and get this. I have so much love for these characters and I just know you will to.
Zoey Valentine is a normal teenager with a normal life. Ha ha, not! Normal life my backside. Walking, talking zombie vampires are hardly normal. Speaking of those creatures, freaking genius. They are probably the best version of zombies – or Awakened - I’ve read/seen on TV. I love those freaks of nature.
This novel wasn’t normal. No way. Every single chapter had me on the edge of my seat. I felt so many emotions, I may be broken. That death… We shall never speak of it. Ever. It’s too painful.
But with every page turn I knew nothing would stop me from reading this book. I am so glad I didn’t give up after be traumatised. There were so many twist. My suspicions of the Awakened turned out to be correct and once again I prove I am female Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock and Chloe… I’m coming for you Cumberbatch.
Throughout this monster of a novel I thought I was Zoey. I’m not kidding. The writing style is so good, I felt like I was in the story, like I was Zoey herself, battling the Awakened and fighting for my life. I felt every loss, I felt her love for her dad and Bandit and I couldn’t help but love the feeling. Everything Zoey felt I felt and that’s why I know this book will do amazing. When a book makes me feel like that, oh my goodness…
Can we please talk about the villain of the story? Oh wait. It’s my review. No, I am not talking about the zompires (that’s their new name, no arguments) but a completely different kind of evil. I mean I understand that her loss was a big one and what happened shouldn’t have happened because that is an evil unto itself but at the end of the day, that doesn’t justify what she is doing. No one gets to have that kind of power. Yes, I did sympathise with her on that but everything else was just plain crazy and just when I thought that evil was eliminated… Anger. Pure anger.
What else can I say? I am just feeling a lot of emotions right now so excuse me if my writing is not up to par.
There were several times I had to put the book down. Okay, I did it twice. I put it down and had to contemplate everything. The trauma was too much. Just too much. I may have cried. I am not ashamed. I am surprised that my emotions are not shot to pieces.
With all this in mind, I am afraid this book is not without its faults. There was a change in tenses early on in the book which kind of confused me. And at the end the POV changed suddenly. But do not take this to heart. The prologue, I think gives us an insight to what may occur in the sequel. And the epilogue that is where the biggest twist of this book. I almost threw my Kindle in shock. Wow. Just wow.
This book was amazing from start to finish and as much as I want to give it a 5/5, I’m going to have to give it a 4.5. It was the tenses that did it but it didn’t take anything away from the story.
I will definitely be buying this book on December 1st and then getting the paperback in the new year. I am in love with it.
Also, I do have to say this because I am determined. Ash. Is. Mine. Got it. Ash is just amazing. And I realise I haven’t talked about the characters so let’s do that now.
Zoey. Zoey Valentine is our heroine is this tale and by golly, she is amazing. She is so kick-ass, so awesome that I was consumed with jealousy. I wanted to be her so bad. She goes through a lot of changes in this book. She loses everyone she loves and it almost destroys her. But she perseveres and gets through with the help of her loving and cheeky friend. Her character really evolves and matures in this story. She is strong, physically, mentally and emotionally. She goes through so much and comes out the other side stronger and I totally envy her for it. I don’t think I could have done it. I would have crumbled so fast. In the face of danger, Zoey stands with her head held high and refuses to back. I applaud her.
And Ash. Oh Ash. Why can’t I find a guy like you? His character is the one that matures the most in my opinion. At first I thought he would run but no, he stays and takes care of Zoey and becomes strong in every way. For him, everything is about Zoey and her safety. He doesn’t do it because Zoey’s dad *sniffs* asks him to, he does it because he does genuinely care about Zoey and her wellbeing. I legit cried when Sara was so evil and tried to make us believe the very worst. *grumbles* It doesn’t matter how much she pushes him away, he always stays and always looks after and because of that I just crumbled. He was sweet and caring and I just love him so much.
Wow. Okay. I may be in love with Ash.
So, uh, moving on.
Again I absolutely loved this book. I can’t believe how much I loved it. I need the sequel. I have to have it. Now. This very minute. I NEED MORE.
Okay. I highly recommend you go and get this. I have so much love for these characters and I just know you will to.
December 15, 2015
Living in New York, Zoey Valentine is only concerned with two things... Surviving through several intense self- defense classes that her New York chief police dad puts her in, and Ash Matthews.
Plowing her way through senior year of high school,self defense classes/gun classes her life only gets harder when Ash Matthews is around. Trying to stay completely away from him, Zoey spends her time helping her friend Madison decorate for the fall dance that the seniors are having.
All until shit hits the fan and the party goes completely wrong. Knowing something isn't right Zoey soon realizes that most of the kids are sick, with what looks like food poisoning.
With everything that's completely a disaster Madison and Zoey convince themselves that all of the seniors got sick off of the cupcakes.Several weeks go by and it seems like people are still sick, and getting worse.
Forcing herself to think that everything is fine, Zoey presumes to go to school and of course making it her goal to stay as far away from Ash Matthews as possible.
Realizing that it's not just food poisoning, Frank (Zoey's dad) makes it his job to protect everyone. Especially his daughter and her best friends.
Things are getting scary and weird for Zoey. Most of her friends she went to school with are dying from what people call "The Z virus". Being cooped up in her house hanging out with Ash and Madison isn't bad at all... Maybe hanging out with Ash was. But she had more to worry about because people were dying left and right. Things were wrong. Very very wrong.
They all found out the hard way.. when Zoey's best friend Madison gets the Z virus and dies,all hell breaks loose in Zoey's world.
Both Ash and Zoey don't know what's in store for them when Madison comes back from death. And when she comes back.. She isn't normal. She's hungry,strong,fast,smart,and manipulative.
That's when it finally dawns on Zoey, Frank, and Ash. There are zombie like humans that are out to kill and there's nowhere safe to go. Not even the mountains and the peaceful forests are safe.
So many feelings had gone through me while I was reading "The Awakened". But for the most part I was so enthralled in this novel I had to buy a physical copy. The way that Sara Elizabeth Santana delivers the story is truly remarkable. It was at a great fast pace but it also had such great descriptive aspects to it, that it really felt like the story was never ending! Which is great since I never wanted it to end! The development is so outstanding! At the beginning of the novel, we go through learning about the main characters life, but soon after that we're sucked into a world of suspense that makes you feel as scared,adrenalized,and determined in your everyday life.
I'm not sure if I'm an easily scared person. But the way that Sara Elizabeth describes and executes the overall story and "Awakened" literally kept me up the entire night.
The characters were equally amazing!
I love how caring Frank was! He truly is the ultimate dream father!
Zoey was amazing as well! She was fierce,determined,outgoing,and strong. But as we get to know her throughout the novel we learn that she's also scared,caring,sweet,lonely,and even sad.
Ash overall is the character I admire. Just because he and Zoey have always picked on each other throughout elementary school through high school. And I really liked how secretly in love he is with Zoey. I love that both male characters (Frank,and Ash) are both willing to die by protecting Zoey.
The romance between Ash and Zoey was juicy! And I loved every bit of tension that rolled off of the two in "The Awakened".
The writing style that Sara Elizabeth Santana uses in "The Awakened" reminds me a lot of Jennifer L. Armentrout just because Sara has the same talent that Jennifer has in the way of drawing in the reader. Plus the romance was killer. I also feel that Sara has a little bit of Melissa Wright's talent in her too just because they both do an outstanding job of creating a beautiful world to go with their story.
The Awakened isn't your average "Zombie" novel.It's much bigger than that. Sara Elizabeth Santana creates her own world. That breaks you, and builds you up. And it makes you want more.
Plowing her way through senior year of high school,self defense classes/gun classes her life only gets harder when Ash Matthews is around. Trying to stay completely away from him, Zoey spends her time helping her friend Madison decorate for the fall dance that the seniors are having.
All until shit hits the fan and the party goes completely wrong. Knowing something isn't right Zoey soon realizes that most of the kids are sick, with what looks like food poisoning.
With everything that's completely a disaster Madison and Zoey convince themselves that all of the seniors got sick off of the cupcakes.Several weeks go by and it seems like people are still sick, and getting worse.
Forcing herself to think that everything is fine, Zoey presumes to go to school and of course making it her goal to stay as far away from Ash Matthews as possible.
Realizing that it's not just food poisoning, Frank (Zoey's dad) makes it his job to protect everyone. Especially his daughter and her best friends.
Things are getting scary and weird for Zoey. Most of her friends she went to school with are dying from what people call "The Z virus". Being cooped up in her house hanging out with Ash and Madison isn't bad at all... Maybe hanging out with Ash was. But she had more to worry about because people were dying left and right. Things were wrong. Very very wrong.
They all found out the hard way.. when Zoey's best friend Madison gets the Z virus and dies,all hell breaks loose in Zoey's world.
Both Ash and Zoey don't know what's in store for them when Madison comes back from death. And when she comes back.. She isn't normal. She's hungry,strong,fast,smart,and manipulative.
That's when it finally dawns on Zoey, Frank, and Ash. There are zombie like humans that are out to kill and there's nowhere safe to go. Not even the mountains and the peaceful forests are safe.
So many feelings had gone through me while I was reading "The Awakened". But for the most part I was so enthralled in this novel I had to buy a physical copy. The way that Sara Elizabeth Santana delivers the story is truly remarkable. It was at a great fast pace but it also had such great descriptive aspects to it, that it really felt like the story was never ending! Which is great since I never wanted it to end! The development is so outstanding! At the beginning of the novel, we go through learning about the main characters life, but soon after that we're sucked into a world of suspense that makes you feel as scared,adrenalized,and determined in your everyday life.
I'm not sure if I'm an easily scared person. But the way that Sara Elizabeth describes and executes the overall story and "Awakened" literally kept me up the entire night.
The characters were equally amazing!
I love how caring Frank was! He truly is the ultimate dream father!
Zoey was amazing as well! She was fierce,determined,outgoing,and strong. But as we get to know her throughout the novel we learn that she's also scared,caring,sweet,lonely,and even sad.
Ash overall is the character I admire. Just because he and Zoey have always picked on each other throughout elementary school through high school. And I really liked how secretly in love he is with Zoey. I love that both male characters (Frank,and Ash) are both willing to die by protecting Zoey.
The romance between Ash and Zoey was juicy! And I loved every bit of tension that rolled off of the two in "The Awakened".
The writing style that Sara Elizabeth Santana uses in "The Awakened" reminds me a lot of Jennifer L. Armentrout just because Sara has the same talent that Jennifer has in the way of drawing in the reader. Plus the romance was killer. I also feel that Sara has a little bit of Melissa Wright's talent in her too just because they both do an outstanding job of creating a beautiful world to go with their story.
The Awakened isn't your average "Zombie" novel.It's much bigger than that. Sara Elizabeth Santana creates her own world. That breaks you, and builds you up. And it makes you want more.
January 17, 2017
The Awakened by Sara Santana was a thrilling read and I’m glad i could participate in this blog tour to share my thoughts about her awesome debut!
It known that almost every blogger and booktuber are writers. Surprisingly I am too, and seeing that Sara -who runs her own blog at What A Nerd Girl Says– has been writing for a long time, trying to get published, I jumped at the chance to read this while it had its time on SwoonReads. Just a short time afterward, she had announced the great news she was getting published with OfTomes –booktuber Benjaminoftomes own indie publishing house-! I was completely happy that the dream had come true for her. But the wait for her debut was a little agonizing because I needed to read it all, so there I was entering myself into the Blog Tour and I’m so happy i did.
The Awakened by Sara Santana begins before a mysterious virus sweeps the nation. We meet main character Zoey Valentine, who is a very athletic but nerdy student living in New York with her father. In spite of her normal life, the boy next door she’s known since childhood is the last person she’d like to spend any time at all with. Despite her confusing and at times sudden affection for him, together as hell breaks loose and the dead rise, Zoey, her father and Ash begin their journey through the ruins in search of safety.
Zoey and Ash are a new ship of mine. Although I thought it was a little rushed in the beginning -because ummm… zombies- I still loved the amount of sass from them both and the friendship they had together made It ten times better.
The zombies were unique and a fresh change from the usual slow type zombies. They were still somewhat alive in a way and fast.
Let it be known that the dialogue between Zoey and Ash was extremely enjoyable and swoonworthy. Sara has great skills in being consistent with conversations that made me crack a smile quite a few times. The descriptions were also very vivid and the story itself, flowed quickly and easily. There were some instances in the story where the writing was telling more than showing but I wasn’t too bothered by it because I was so engrossed in the story.
In all, I enjoyed The Awakened very much and i can’t wait for the sequel to follow.
It known that almost every blogger and booktuber are writers. Surprisingly I am too, and seeing that Sara -who runs her own blog at What A Nerd Girl Says– has been writing for a long time, trying to get published, I jumped at the chance to read this while it had its time on SwoonReads. Just a short time afterward, she had announced the great news she was getting published with OfTomes –booktuber Benjaminoftomes own indie publishing house-! I was completely happy that the dream had come true for her. But the wait for her debut was a little agonizing because I needed to read it all, so there I was entering myself into the Blog Tour and I’m so happy i did.
The Awakened by Sara Santana begins before a mysterious virus sweeps the nation. We meet main character Zoey Valentine, who is a very athletic but nerdy student living in New York with her father. In spite of her normal life, the boy next door she’s known since childhood is the last person she’d like to spend any time at all with. Despite her confusing and at times sudden affection for him, together as hell breaks loose and the dead rise, Zoey, her father and Ash begin their journey through the ruins in search of safety.
Zoey and Ash are a new ship of mine. Although I thought it was a little rushed in the beginning -because ummm… zombies- I still loved the amount of sass from them both and the friendship they had together made It ten times better.
The zombies were unique and a fresh change from the usual slow type zombies. They were still somewhat alive in a way and fast.
Let it be known that the dialogue between Zoey and Ash was extremely enjoyable and swoonworthy. Sara has great skills in being consistent with conversations that made me crack a smile quite a few times. The descriptions were also very vivid and the story itself, flowed quickly and easily. There were some instances in the story where the writing was telling more than showing but I wasn’t too bothered by it because I was so engrossed in the story.
In all, I enjoyed The Awakened very much and i can’t wait for the sequel to follow.
March 25, 2016
I haven't read many zombie books before but for some reason I am drawn to anything similar to them. And luckily I was not disappointed with this book! Although I do have to say - these aren't your typical zombies. They are fast and clever.
I really, really enjoyed reading this book! While the main character Zoey wasn't quite as relatable to me, I still loved her. She was so kickass - it made me want to take a few self-defense classes myself.
The love interest Ash had me a bit conflicted. Some things he apparently did in the past were kind of stupid and childish and it didn't really add up with him saying he likes Zoey and wants to be with her. But I still ended up loving Ash and him with Zoey together. Especially their banter. I LOVED IT.
I thought the Awakened (the creatures in this book) were quite creepy with their blue skin and black eyes and so on - but also SO INTERESTING.
One of my favorite things about this book was Zoey's relationship with her dad. And I loved that he was actually part of their journey
Needless to say, I am very excited for the next installment!
I really, really enjoyed reading this book! While the main character Zoey wasn't quite as relatable to me, I still loved her. She was so kickass - it made me want to take a few self-defense classes myself.
The love interest Ash had me a bit conflicted. Some things he apparently did in the past were kind of stupid and childish and it didn't really add up with him saying he likes Zoey and wants to be with her. But I still ended up loving Ash and him with Zoey together. Especially their banter. I LOVED IT.
I thought the Awakened (the creatures in this book) were quite creepy with their blue skin and black eyes and so on - but also SO INTERESTING.
One of my favorite things about this book was Zoey's relationship with her dad. And I loved that he was actually part of their journey
Needless to say, I am very excited for the next installment!
May 10, 2016
Shocking, steamy and syfy-0-licious! I must say I always love a kick-ass heroine in my books and wasn't disappointed! Sara drags her readers through an arsenal of emotions from fear to love to lust to utter grief. These aren't your average zombies and the twists Sara takes her reader on are fabulous. I can't wait for the next book in the series, I must know what happens to Zoey and Ash! (Love that name by the way... Ash, mmm)
July 11, 2016
Rating: 5/5 Stars
I've always been a huge fan of zombie novels. Whether it be YA, MG, or adult, you can throw them right at me! However, the more you read of a genre, the more the books in that category seemingly melt together into one large blob of generic novels with the same exact stories, only told in different styles. I had no idea what to expect with The Awakened, but I knew that I had to get my hands on it because of the beautiful cover and intriguing synopsis. Now, before I go further, let me just say that this book surpassed any possible expectations that I remotely had and threw me into a world where I completely forgot my own! This book went in directions that I didn't even know were possible. I never saw the bends and sudden turns that Sara through at me. It was a wild ride full of heart-wrenching loss, devastating love, unforeseen twists, and a unique take on zombies that you will not get anywhere else. This was a fresh, rare gem that you absolutely have to look into! Even if you're not a fan of the living dead, The Awakened is sure to have something for you, and you're bound to fall in love with it.
While it may sound cheesy, I was completely taken with this novel after reading only the first chapter. The story has this natural, alluring quality to it that whisked me away. The Awakened possesses an action-packed journey told with descriptive writing and engaging characters. The love-hate relationship that Zoey and Ash share is brimming with snark and an underlying spark that is ready to burst. The witty dialogue and engrossing storyline kept me on the edge of my seat. I could not have asked for more! I loved Ash and Zoey, even though I was slightly hesitant about Ash in the beginning. However, as the story progressed I could not help but fall for him as so many readers are sure to do. The character development for both of these characters was flawless, and their stories were ones that I could easily feel for. It literally amazes me when I sit back and think of where the story began and where the story ended. So much happened, that by the last sentence, the beginning of The Awakened felt like a dream. I loved this aspect, though!
Zoey is one of my favorite female characters of all time! In more reviews than I can count, I mention my constant problems with female characters in the YA universe and their awful tropes. Sara Elizabeth Santana renewed my faith in YA female protagonists! Zoey was a kick butt heroine who was still just a teenage girl. She was not obsessed with her beauty, but she was gorgeous all the same. She was often confident when it came to certain matters, but she was also insecure about others. She's even an animal lover! (Can we be best friends, please?!) And not only is Zoey all of these things, she is also someone that I feel many people could relate to and even look up to.
Lastly, you're probably wondering about the zombies. I haven't really mentioned them much, but let me assure you that The Awakened showcases some of the scariest flesh eaters I have ever read about. They're intelligent and fast, cunning and ruthless. Zombies are typically mindless people who only have one thought on their mind: DON'T THINK, JUST EAT! These zombies, cleverly named the awakened, are so much more than that. They can speak complex, coherent sentences and are just as intelligent as as when they were alive. I've never been more chilled. I won't say much more because I don't want to spoil you, but they really do give you the heebie-jeebies.
For those of you out there reading this, please go pick up a copy of The Awakened right now! I can't stress enough how unbelievably marvelous Sara Elizabeth Santana's novel is! You have to read it!!!
I just wanted to express a special congratulations to Sara for the release of her book! She's an amazing author with mad skills!!!!!!
Please note that I received a free ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review. However, all of my opinions are my own and were in no way influenced.
You can see reviews like this one and more at http://knightingalereviews.blogspot.com/.
I've always been a huge fan of zombie novels. Whether it be YA, MG, or adult, you can throw them right at me! However, the more you read of a genre, the more the books in that category seemingly melt together into one large blob of generic novels with the same exact stories, only told in different styles. I had no idea what to expect with The Awakened, but I knew that I had to get my hands on it because of the beautiful cover and intriguing synopsis. Now, before I go further, let me just say that this book surpassed any possible expectations that I remotely had and threw me into a world where I completely forgot my own! This book went in directions that I didn't even know were possible. I never saw the bends and sudden turns that Sara through at me. It was a wild ride full of heart-wrenching loss, devastating love, unforeseen twists, and a unique take on zombies that you will not get anywhere else. This was a fresh, rare gem that you absolutely have to look into! Even if you're not a fan of the living dead, The Awakened is sure to have something for you, and you're bound to fall in love with it.
While it may sound cheesy, I was completely taken with this novel after reading only the first chapter. The story has this natural, alluring quality to it that whisked me away. The Awakened possesses an action-packed journey told with descriptive writing and engaging characters. The love-hate relationship that Zoey and Ash share is brimming with snark and an underlying spark that is ready to burst. The witty dialogue and engrossing storyline kept me on the edge of my seat. I could not have asked for more! I loved Ash and Zoey, even though I was slightly hesitant about Ash in the beginning. However, as the story progressed I could not help but fall for him as so many readers are sure to do. The character development for both of these characters was flawless, and their stories were ones that I could easily feel for. It literally amazes me when I sit back and think of where the story began and where the story ended. So much happened, that by the last sentence, the beginning of The Awakened felt like a dream. I loved this aspect, though!
Zoey is one of my favorite female characters of all time! In more reviews than I can count, I mention my constant problems with female characters in the YA universe and their awful tropes. Sara Elizabeth Santana renewed my faith in YA female protagonists! Zoey was a kick butt heroine who was still just a teenage girl. She was not obsessed with her beauty, but she was gorgeous all the same. She was often confident when it came to certain matters, but she was also insecure about others. She's even an animal lover! (Can we be best friends, please?!) And not only is Zoey all of these things, she is also someone that I feel many people could relate to and even look up to.
Lastly, you're probably wondering about the zombies. I haven't really mentioned them much, but let me assure you that The Awakened showcases some of the scariest flesh eaters I have ever read about. They're intelligent and fast, cunning and ruthless. Zombies are typically mindless people who only have one thought on their mind: DON'T THINK, JUST EAT! These zombies, cleverly named the awakened, are so much more than that. They can speak complex, coherent sentences and are just as intelligent as as when they were alive. I've never been more chilled. I won't say much more because I don't want to spoil you, but they really do give you the heebie-jeebies.
For those of you out there reading this, please go pick up a copy of The Awakened right now! I can't stress enough how unbelievably marvelous Sara Elizabeth Santana's novel is! You have to read it!!!
I just wanted to express a special congratulations to Sara for the release of her book! She's an amazing author with mad skills!!!!!!
Please note that I received a free ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review. However, all of my opinions are my own and were in no way influenced.
You can see reviews like this one and more at http://knightingalereviews.blogspot.com/.
March 18, 2016
Overall, I’m not really a fan of zombie stories because they stress me out. But I still liked this book! I picked it up because it was an Oftomes publication, and I really like this business. It’s different from what I usually read, and a bit out of my comfort zone, but it was still a good read! It's a zombie story and an apocalyptic story, but it's also more in my opinion, and that makes it a really interesting book.
Here are a few small points that I wanted to discuss because they made me enjoy this book even more:
_ Zoey’s favourite book is Mists of Avalon. I love this book so much, and I never hear anyone talking about it, so when I so the title, it really made me smile! Also, Zoey is a major bookworm, and I love reading those characters because they feel so relatable... Though she is more than a bookworm, since she has many fighting skills, she is a really interesting character, who has both strengths and weaknesses.
_ Zoey gets her periods during the Apocalypse. Why did I like this? But really, I think that’s important. It makes her human. Did Katniss get them in the arena? Did Teresa get them in the Maze or the Scorch? We never hear of that, and yet that’s really important. I mean, it makes the thing real. I always wonder why it’s never mentioned in books. In a way, I understand why. But I think it’s also interesting and important to mention it! It's natural, it happens, so it's interesting to see it also happens in books. People may fall in love during a zombie attack, so it makes sense girls also have their periods…
I really loved the relationship between Ash and Zoey too, and how it evolved through the book. It was totally predictable, but I wanted it too happen...
And I also like that this book is about more than zombies. I think it has a deeper dimension, and should make the reader think about the actual world we live in today, and how we react when we face catastrophes (*spoiler*: bombing all the major cities... It's totally something we could see. We actually see that today in war zones. And no, it's definitely not a good idea, but it was obviously a great plot twist in that context! *end of spoiler*)
And I like that there was more to the zombies, or should I call them The Awakened and we got to see a bit of that too. It's really interesting (yes I know I say interesting a lot in this review, but I think this book was really well made, and the word interesting definitely applies to it) to see what's behind them, and how we got there, and I don't know, I just like it.
There's so much more I could say about that book but I don't want to say too much spoilery things. I also really liked Zoey's parents, they were really great characters, and it's great to say Zoey having such a good relationship with her dad. It's really good to have such things in books, because it's not cliché and really enjoyable. (So congrats to Sara Elizabeth Santana for her great work!)
And now I'm just gonna add this: I can't wait for the sequel!
https://clemisbookishworld.wordpress....
Here are a few small points that I wanted to discuss because they made me enjoy this book even more:
_ Zoey’s favourite book is Mists of Avalon. I love this book so much, and I never hear anyone talking about it, so when I so the title, it really made me smile! Also, Zoey is a major bookworm, and I love reading those characters because they feel so relatable... Though she is more than a bookworm, since she has many fighting skills, she is a really interesting character, who has both strengths and weaknesses.
_ Zoey gets her periods during the Apocalypse. Why did I like this? But really, I think that’s important. It makes her human. Did Katniss get them in the arena? Did Teresa get them in the Maze or the Scorch? We never hear of that, and yet that’s really important. I mean, it makes the thing real. I always wonder why it’s never mentioned in books. In a way, I understand why. But I think it’s also interesting and important to mention it! It's natural, it happens, so it's interesting to see it also happens in books. People may fall in love during a zombie attack, so it makes sense girls also have their periods…
I really loved the relationship between Ash and Zoey too, and how it evolved through the book. It was totally predictable, but I wanted it too happen...
And I also like that this book is about more than zombies. I think it has a deeper dimension, and should make the reader think about the actual world we live in today, and how we react when we face catastrophes (*spoiler*: bombing all the major cities... It's totally something we could see. We actually see that today in war zones. And no, it's definitely not a good idea, but it was obviously a great plot twist in that context! *end of spoiler*)
And I like that there was more to the zombies, or should I call them The Awakened and we got to see a bit of that too. It's really interesting (yes I know I say interesting a lot in this review, but I think this book was really well made, and the word interesting definitely applies to it) to see what's behind them, and how we got there, and I don't know, I just like it.
There's so much more I could say about that book but I don't want to say too much spoilery things. I also really liked Zoey's parents, they were really great characters, and it's great to say Zoey having such a good relationship with her dad. It's really good to have such things in books, because it's not cliché and really enjoyable. (So congrats to Sara Elizabeth Santana for her great work!)
And now I'm just gonna add this: I can't wait for the sequel!
https://clemisbookishworld.wordpress....
April 15, 2017
*4.5 Stars *
I loved this book and I can’t wait to read the sequel, even though it broke my heart many times. I almost cried at some scenes. The connection between the characters and reader is really good (at least it was for me). I had my percentage of annoyance with the main female character, Zoey, for a considerable part of the book. I found her a little immature taking in consideration the circumstances in which they were living. But, if there is something good on this book, is the development. Not only plot development but also character’s development, and I’m talking about secondary characters too. Zoey grew up a lot throughout the book and I stopped seeing her as immature, instead, I found a very strong, courageous and determined young woman. I loved Ash, the main male character since the moment he steeped in. The romance on this novel is very good and I also loved reading about Zoey’s relationship with her father. The story is good, the action scenes are great and the pace is perfect. However, I think some scenes were not necessary or were over detailed, while in other parts of the book I felt as if something was missing. I also found some grammar mistakes. But to be honest, I loved this book so much and I was so interacted with the characters, that I simply forgot whatever was missing. In general, the book is great, it’s in my list of favorite books read this year. I totally recommend.
I loved this book and I can’t wait to read the sequel, even though it broke my heart many times. I almost cried at some scenes. The connection between the characters and reader is really good (at least it was for me). I had my percentage of annoyance with the main female character, Zoey, for a considerable part of the book. I found her a little immature taking in consideration the circumstances in which they were living. But, if there is something good on this book, is the development. Not only plot development but also character’s development, and I’m talking about secondary characters too. Zoey grew up a lot throughout the book and I stopped seeing her as immature, instead, I found a very strong, courageous and determined young woman. I loved Ash, the main male character since the moment he steeped in. The romance on this novel is very good and I also loved reading about Zoey’s relationship with her father. The story is good, the action scenes are great and the pace is perfect. However, I think some scenes were not necessary or were over detailed, while in other parts of the book I felt as if something was missing. I also found some grammar mistakes. But to be honest, I loved this book so much and I was so interacted with the characters, that I simply forgot whatever was missing. In general, the book is great, it’s in my list of favorite books read this year. I totally recommend.
January 7, 2016
Source: I downloaded this book via Kindle Unlimited.
Cost: Free
Title: The Awakened
Series: The Awakened #1
Author: Sara Elizabeth Santana
Overall Rating: 4 stars
I liked Zoey, she was pretty good at being self-sufficient and didn’t rely too strongly on a love interest until the last 25% or so of the book. She was likable, with a strong personality, however, although she had all of this badass training in martial arts and gun shooting, she didn’t seem very appreciative. I know, it’s a busy schedule, and I know that her dad was overprotective but characters that complain bother me a bit. She wised up though for the middle section of the book and I think by the end she was a well-rounded and enjoyable character.
I really liked Ash’s character, you could tell something tragic was going to happen to him by how happy he was in the beginning of the book. The happy ones always get hit with the sad storylines. I feel like my only issue with him was by how he called Zoey baby. I hate when people call other people “Baby,” unless it’s Dirty Dancing and you’re Patrick Swayze, don’t call me Baby ever.
But other than that, he was precious.
A full review will be on divergentgyffindor.blogspot.com on 13/01/16.
Cost: Free
Title: The Awakened
Series: The Awakened #1
Author: Sara Elizabeth Santana
Overall Rating: 4 stars
I liked Zoey, she was pretty good at being self-sufficient and didn’t rely too strongly on a love interest until the last 25% or so of the book. She was likable, with a strong personality, however, although she had all of this badass training in martial arts and gun shooting, she didn’t seem very appreciative. I know, it’s a busy schedule, and I know that her dad was overprotective but characters that complain bother me a bit. She wised up though for the middle section of the book and I think by the end she was a well-rounded and enjoyable character.
I really liked Ash’s character, you could tell something tragic was going to happen to him by how happy he was in the beginning of the book. The happy ones always get hit with the sad storylines. I feel like my only issue with him was by how he called Zoey baby. I hate when people call other people “Baby,” unless it’s Dirty Dancing and you’re Patrick Swayze, don’t call me Baby ever.
But other than that, he was precious.
A full review will be on divergentgyffindor.blogspot.com on 13/01/16.
June 2, 2022
** I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. **
I don't even know what to say about this book except WOW. This book was so much more than what I expected it to be. Not to be taken in a bad way, I always believed this book would be good, but it went so far beyond what I believed it to be about. Zoey, though a bad ass who is very capable of defending herself thanks to her police officer father, is incredibly relatable (mostly due to her nerdy and book loving personality). She is also very guarded, understandably, but it is still slightly infuriating to deal with, especially around Ash (FYI I ship it, and I have dubbed them "Zash". Clever, I know.) Then there are the things known as the Awakened. I want to call them zombies, but at the same time I don't. They are so much more than the average zombie we've come to read and see in movies. The Awakened are also much scarier. This novel has everything you could want in a novel, plus so much more. I'm obsessing over this series and am already in much anticipation for the second book!
I don't even know what to say about this book except WOW. This book was so much more than what I expected it to be. Not to be taken in a bad way, I always believed this book would be good, but it went so far beyond what I believed it to be about. Zoey, though a bad ass who is very capable of defending herself thanks to her police officer father, is incredibly relatable (mostly due to her nerdy and book loving personality). She is also very guarded, understandably, but it is still slightly infuriating to deal with, especially around Ash (FYI I ship it, and I have dubbed them "Zash". Clever, I know.) Then there are the things known as the Awakened. I want to call them zombies, but at the same time I don't. They are so much more than the average zombie we've come to read and see in movies. The Awakened are also much scarier. This novel has everything you could want in a novel, plus so much more. I'm obsessing over this series and am already in much anticipation for the second book!
November 30, 2015
This is exactly what I want to read in a novel about the undead. Sara is amazing and I absolutely am in love with this book. I have fallen hard for Ash and Zoey as the main characters and can't wait to see where they go in the next book!
November 26, 2015
Everyone should read this! It's heart pounding story and I'm loving it.
January 4, 2016
The Awakened by Sara Elizabeth Santana was a nice way to end 2015. As well as interesting start for my new year and first read book in 2016. I actually ended up getting this book for free on my new kindle. It was my choice on Kindle First during Christmas day. I do not regret my choice one bit. The few zombie novels I have read were nothing like this. Sure, it had combined elements of survival and gruesome detail but what I liked the most about this book was the fact that The Awakened are not like the typical Walking Dead slow walkers or Game of Thrones white walkers. They are crazy, intelligent, and blue.
Let's start with the cover. I thought when I started reading this book that the three main characters on the cover (Zoey, her dad, and Ash) were going to survive the entire thing. Ha, I was stupid. This is one of the few covers I've come across that I didn't adore. It was one of the few things about the book, that I actually did not like.
Zoey Valentine. Santana did an excellent job of writing Zoey as real. She's a likeable teenage girl who has everything going for her. Her attitude was real. Her dislike of her mom and stepdad was real. Everything about her was well developed.
The book starts off with her shooting some rounds in a gun range with her best friend Madison. Zoey's father Frank who is a New York police department chief puts her multiple defense classes and gun lessons. (She's even a cheerleader.) Her senior year is going well. Eventually, the fall dance arrives. Again, things are going well. Zoey even manages to avoid her charming bully Ash Matthews. Ash Matthews is your typical, charming, athletic, blonde girlfriend having, bully. And he lives right next to Zoey, has been since they were little. But, you know. Things change. Especially, when you go through what they have. :) I think Ash redeems himself.
At the dance, cupcakes may have been the culprit, but a bunch of kids start to get sick. Guys, I wish I could say it was food poisoning. But, it isn't. Tis the beginning of the end. Weeks go by, people get worse and worse. Zoey and Madison are trying to convince themselves that it is a sickness that will pass, both girls continue to attend school. Frank is a smart cookie and an awesome, protective, "good-looking" according to Zoey's friends, father. He is a good father who realizes it isn't just food poisoning and wants to protect everyone. Cop habits. At this point, things are getting even more weird and Zoey more scared. Lots of kids and friends are dying from what the population calls the "Z " virus. Sad name, considering Ash always Zoey "Z". Forced by Frank, Zoey stays home. She texts Madison to come over and reluctantly Ash being her neighbor as well. Along with Madison and Ash staying over watching Buffy: The Vampire Slayer (lovely choice, Ms. Santana) eating gummy worms, doesn't seem so bad. Still, don't forget. People are dying everywhere. Zoey has to realize the hard way. Madison, visiting her and Zoey's favorite band at a concert gets the "Z" virus. Ash and Zoey try to take her home but are stopped by a mysterious group of people in a van who take Madison and shoot her with a needle. Later on, Frank reveals that Madison died. Ash tries to help Zoey cope. In a crazy twist, Madison comes back to life waiting at Zoey's front door talking. But this time, she isn't herself. She constantly bugs Ash and Zoey to let her in because she's hungry. And manipulative, strong, fast, and once again hungry. Zoey tries to help Madison, but reluctantly ends up shooting her. Ash's parents were taken by the mysterious group just like Madison. Ash is now an orphan. (I did feel bad about his parents. Heather, his girlfriend I will not miss.) The realization hits them all hard of what's truly happening. Frank arrives safely but a mess back at the brownstone. He has a car packed and somehow Ash (a fact very much annoyed by Zoey), Frank, and Zoey are on the road away from New York. Frank found out (during the Z raid at the station) that major cities in New York are going to get bombed. The plan is travel to Nebraska where Zoey's mom is.
Now, with a tense world full of The Awakened infected by the Z virus, not even the mountains or forests are peaceful anymore.
If you wanna know what happens on the road and more, you definitely should read the whole book. But I neeeeed to tell you. There is more death, of course. I know it had to happen but I didn't like it. It felt....hurtful. And, shocked me. I was stunned. Anyway. The action scenes are amazing, gruesome, and make me want to sign up for martial arts classes and gun lessons.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes by Zoey.
"I felt stupid. I felt foolish. I read more than any person that I'd ever met. I worshiped strong female characters who knew how to fight, how to kill and save the day. I fell in love with the strong male leads. I escaped into these worlds, and I'd always wanted to live them."
"I didn't feel like Arwen or Katniss or Hermione. I didn't feel like a hero."
"He shifted a bit, his hand tightened around mine, and I felt for a moment like he was squeezing my heart."
There are at least twenty more. You should read and discover them for yourself.
The tension and relationship between Ash and Zoey is exactly how I hoped it would turn out. The slow and fast paces felt real. Some annoying moments, some sweet comforting moments, some yes, it is freaking happening moments. Usually, the nickname "baby" is one I find a little weird but this book just made it adorable. The constant thoughts of protecting each arise and I couldn't help but "awwww". And, oh! Chapter 34 is in Ash's point of view. :) So, that's a happy thing you can be spoiled on. They both survive.
Santana created a world full of chaos that is chilling and unlike anything I've read before in The Awakened. I am looking forward to what happens next with Ash and Zoey. If you loved Sara's book as much as I did, I highly recommend checking out her blog What A Nerd Girl Sayshttp://whatanerdgirlsays.com/
Let's start with the cover. I thought when I started reading this book that the three main characters on the cover (Zoey, her dad, and Ash) were going to survive the entire thing. Ha, I was stupid. This is one of the few covers I've come across that I didn't adore. It was one of the few things about the book, that I actually did not like.
Zoey Valentine. Santana did an excellent job of writing Zoey as real. She's a likeable teenage girl who has everything going for her. Her attitude was real. Her dislike of her mom and stepdad was real. Everything about her was well developed.
The book starts off with her shooting some rounds in a gun range with her best friend Madison. Zoey's father Frank who is a New York police department chief puts her multiple defense classes and gun lessons. (She's even a cheerleader.) Her senior year is going well. Eventually, the fall dance arrives. Again, things are going well. Zoey even manages to avoid her charming bully Ash Matthews. Ash Matthews is your typical, charming, athletic, blonde girlfriend having, bully. And he lives right next to Zoey, has been since they were little. But, you know. Things change. Especially, when you go through what they have. :) I think Ash redeems himself.
At the dance, cupcakes may have been the culprit, but a bunch of kids start to get sick. Guys, I wish I could say it was food poisoning. But, it isn't. Tis the beginning of the end. Weeks go by, people get worse and worse. Zoey and Madison are trying to convince themselves that it is a sickness that will pass, both girls continue to attend school. Frank is a smart cookie and an awesome, protective, "good-looking" according to Zoey's friends, father. He is a good father who realizes it isn't just food poisoning and wants to protect everyone. Cop habits. At this point, things are getting even more weird and Zoey more scared. Lots of kids and friends are dying from what the population calls the "Z " virus. Sad name, considering Ash always Zoey "Z". Forced by Frank, Zoey stays home. She texts Madison to come over and reluctantly Ash being her neighbor as well. Along with Madison and Ash staying over watching Buffy: The Vampire Slayer (lovely choice, Ms. Santana) eating gummy worms, doesn't seem so bad. Still, don't forget. People are dying everywhere. Zoey has to realize the hard way. Madison, visiting her and Zoey's favorite band at a concert gets the "Z" virus. Ash and Zoey try to take her home but are stopped by a mysterious group of people in a van who take Madison and shoot her with a needle. Later on, Frank reveals that Madison died. Ash tries to help Zoey cope. In a crazy twist, Madison comes back to life waiting at Zoey's front door talking. But this time, she isn't herself. She constantly bugs Ash and Zoey to let her in because she's hungry. And manipulative, strong, fast, and once again hungry. Zoey tries to help Madison, but reluctantly ends up shooting her. Ash's parents were taken by the mysterious group just like Madison. Ash is now an orphan. (I did feel bad about his parents. Heather, his girlfriend I will not miss.) The realization hits them all hard of what's truly happening. Frank arrives safely but a mess back at the brownstone. He has a car packed and somehow Ash (a fact very much annoyed by Zoey), Frank, and Zoey are on the road away from New York. Frank found out (during the Z raid at the station) that major cities in New York are going to get bombed. The plan is travel to Nebraska where Zoey's mom is.
Now, with a tense world full of The Awakened infected by the Z virus, not even the mountains or forests are peaceful anymore.
If you wanna know what happens on the road and more, you definitely should read the whole book. But I neeeeed to tell you. There is more death, of course. I know it had to happen but I didn't like it. It felt....hurtful. And, shocked me. I was stunned. Anyway. The action scenes are amazing, gruesome, and make me want to sign up for martial arts classes and gun lessons.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes by Zoey.
"I felt stupid. I felt foolish. I read more than any person that I'd ever met. I worshiped strong female characters who knew how to fight, how to kill and save the day. I fell in love with the strong male leads. I escaped into these worlds, and I'd always wanted to live them."
"I didn't feel like Arwen or Katniss or Hermione. I didn't feel like a hero."
"He shifted a bit, his hand tightened around mine, and I felt for a moment like he was squeezing my heart."
There are at least twenty more. You should read and discover them for yourself.
The tension and relationship between Ash and Zoey is exactly how I hoped it would turn out. The slow and fast paces felt real. Some annoying moments, some sweet comforting moments, some yes, it is freaking happening moments. Usually, the nickname "baby" is one I find a little weird but this book just made it adorable. The constant thoughts of protecting each arise and I couldn't help but "awwww". And, oh! Chapter 34 is in Ash's point of view. :) So, that's a happy thing you can be spoiled on. They both survive.
Santana created a world full of chaos that is chilling and unlike anything I've read before in The Awakened. I am looking forward to what happens next with Ash and Zoey. If you loved Sara's book as much as I did, I highly recommend checking out her blog What A Nerd Girl Sayshttp://whatanerdgirlsays.com/
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2016
RATING: 3.5 STARS
**This book was given to me in exchange for my honest review**
I'm honestly not one for zombie stories. They've never been my thing, mainly because I've never been able to envision the plot actually happening in reality. Part of the reason why I'm not a Walking Dead fan. But when a friend of yours writes a book about zombies, and she is able to get it published -- you HAVE to read it! And I am so glad that I did. Now, don't get me wrong, this book didn't make me like zombie books any more or any less, but it did give me a story that, quite frankly, I didn't think I'd be as interested in as I initially assumed.
THE AWAKENED follows the journey of a young college-bound woman by the name of Zoey, the boy of the nightmares (or so she says), Ash, and their escape from the type of Zombie called "the awakened". The Z virus, which is the thing that turns people into these creatures, has become an epidemic and Zoey must save herself, especially since the government decides to bomb every major city in order to keep the virus from spreading. Together, Zoey, Ash, and company go forth to find a place of safety.
The premise of the book was very intriguing, even to a non-zombie fan. It reminded me quite a bit of World War Z with a mixture of The 5th Wave, which are great compliments. I got so many familiar feels and cool elements from just the overall premise of the book. So, I went into reading it when the assumption that I'd at least find some solace in the fact that I might read something that shares similarities with something that I've read before and enjoyed. And that IS what happened for the most part.
The beginning of the book starts off a bit slow for me. But I understand why. The reader has to get to know the main characters, and understand the graveness of the actual problem at hand. I got a taste of Zoey's character, and understood who she was as a young woman immediately. She's strong, which I loved. She's independent. She's caring. She's loyal. She's stubborn. Her relationship, or lack thereof, with Ash is very apparent. Pretty much, the dynamic is set from page one. You know who is who and what their thoughts and opinions are.
Once things start kicking into high gear, the progression of the plot becomes pretty steady. The action scenes are very well done. The emotional impact was pretty decent as well. There were moments of disconnect for me, but that was mainly due to a lot of the dramatic dialogue between Zoey and Ash. I found myself rolling my eyes at some of it. But that's because I couldn't really imagine people actually saying some of the dialogue in real life. That's not to say that it hasn't or couldn't happen. I'm just saying that it's not my cup of tea.
And therein lies the reasoning for my rating of the story. While I loved the plot itself, despite the small disconnecting moments that took me out of the story, despite my dislike for zombie reads, I really overlooked all of those things. I found myself liking the story, especially around the midpoint. What I couldn't get past? The dialogue. And that's not the fault of anyone. Like I said, I'm very particular when it comes to conversations had in the middle of perilous situations or moments of high tension. And it's just not what I envisioned. BUT I will say that the dialogue is very consistent -- from beginning to end. I knew I wasn't going to like the dialogue by page 5. BUT I give the greatest credit to Sara for keeping the voices of the characters consistent. For keeping the portrayal of the characters the exact same from beginning to end. That's a huge feat. So kudos.
Overall, I think I would like to read more from this world. I want to know what happens next. It ends at a good place. A place that signals the end of this book, but also tells the reader that there is more to come. The characters are decent characters. Even some of the supporting characters aiding in the progression of the plot that I found to be very welcome. The plot itself is fantastic. It's probably the best thing about the book for me. The concept of fast, smart zombies is a good one.
This book reads like the voice of a relatively new published author. A young author. And it should. I see the potential that comes with this book. I see great things ahead. I think that book two will be even better than this one. I can't wait to read more!
**This book was given to me in exchange for my honest review**
I'm honestly not one for zombie stories. They've never been my thing, mainly because I've never been able to envision the plot actually happening in reality. Part of the reason why I'm not a Walking Dead fan. But when a friend of yours writes a book about zombies, and she is able to get it published -- you HAVE to read it! And I am so glad that I did. Now, don't get me wrong, this book didn't make me like zombie books any more or any less, but it did give me a story that, quite frankly, I didn't think I'd be as interested in as I initially assumed.
THE AWAKENED follows the journey of a young college-bound woman by the name of Zoey, the boy of the nightmares (or so she says), Ash, and their escape from the type of Zombie called "the awakened". The Z virus, which is the thing that turns people into these creatures, has become an epidemic and Zoey must save herself, especially since the government decides to bomb every major city in order to keep the virus from spreading. Together, Zoey, Ash, and company go forth to find a place of safety.
The premise of the book was very intriguing, even to a non-zombie fan. It reminded me quite a bit of World War Z with a mixture of The 5th Wave, which are great compliments. I got so many familiar feels and cool elements from just the overall premise of the book. So, I went into reading it when the assumption that I'd at least find some solace in the fact that I might read something that shares similarities with something that I've read before and enjoyed. And that IS what happened for the most part.
The beginning of the book starts off a bit slow for me. But I understand why. The reader has to get to know the main characters, and understand the graveness of the actual problem at hand. I got a taste of Zoey's character, and understood who she was as a young woman immediately. She's strong, which I loved. She's independent. She's caring. She's loyal. She's stubborn. Her relationship, or lack thereof, with Ash is very apparent. Pretty much, the dynamic is set from page one. You know who is who and what their thoughts and opinions are.
Once things start kicking into high gear, the progression of the plot becomes pretty steady. The action scenes are very well done. The emotional impact was pretty decent as well. There were moments of disconnect for me, but that was mainly due to a lot of the dramatic dialogue between Zoey and Ash. I found myself rolling my eyes at some of it. But that's because I couldn't really imagine people actually saying some of the dialogue in real life. That's not to say that it hasn't or couldn't happen. I'm just saying that it's not my cup of tea.
And therein lies the reasoning for my rating of the story. While I loved the plot itself, despite the small disconnecting moments that took me out of the story, despite my dislike for zombie reads, I really overlooked all of those things. I found myself liking the story, especially around the midpoint. What I couldn't get past? The dialogue. And that's not the fault of anyone. Like I said, I'm very particular when it comes to conversations had in the middle of perilous situations or moments of high tension. And it's just not what I envisioned. BUT I will say that the dialogue is very consistent -- from beginning to end. I knew I wasn't going to like the dialogue by page 5. BUT I give the greatest credit to Sara for keeping the voices of the characters consistent. For keeping the portrayal of the characters the exact same from beginning to end. That's a huge feat. So kudos.
Overall, I think I would like to read more from this world. I want to know what happens next. It ends at a good place. A place that signals the end of this book, but also tells the reader that there is more to come. The characters are decent characters. Even some of the supporting characters aiding in the progression of the plot that I found to be very welcome. The plot itself is fantastic. It's probably the best thing about the book for me. The concept of fast, smart zombies is a good one.
This book reads like the voice of a relatively new published author. A young author. And it should. I see the potential that comes with this book. I see great things ahead. I think that book two will be even better than this one. I can't wait to read more!
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