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Wake
Serve the community. Obey the laws. Exist on anxiety pills. This is all Monet, a ward of her city, can hope for until she and her friend, Luke, find an old book that shows the history of mankind—a past that’s been hidden from them and all the citizens of Titus. As their curiosity takes them down a dangerous path, extraordinary events begin to occur, showing them God may exist and is reaching out to them through illegal art and a realm of paranormal activity. Monet and Luke find themselves at a crossroads: live within the safe, logical confines of Titus, or embrace the wild truth and risk death.
238 pages, Paperback
Published February 1, 2016
19 people are currently reading
261 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 10, 2019
This story was definitely not what I expected. T o read of a society that exists without being apart of other civilization and to be murdered for belief astound me. The story is well developed and the charcters are as well. Luke is so far my favorite character. This book is a quick read and very good.
September 27, 2020
This started off good. It reminded me of The Giver in a lot of ways. Then it gets real heavy handed with the main character "finding God" and it totally lost my interest.
January 18, 2021
I have to admit that the setting of this novel is what really grabbed me. There have been a lot of novels about an authoritarian government oppressing the masses, but few of those address what role religion plays, if any. But that is the central theme of Wake. The government bas outlawed all religions - and to a good extent, any form of creative expression - under the pretense that such beliefs are harmful to society. They use drugs to keep the population complacent and obedient. In some ways, it echoes a scary parallel to some governments and belief systems of our world.
The main character, Monet, finds herself caught up in some of these subversive activities while one of her friends sculpts angels out of metal - apparently while in some sort of trance or unconscious state. The results of these illegal activities flows into a fascinating narrative about ghosts, the history of the land, and what happens when the desire for freedom and independent thought grows stronger than the government can contain.
Although a great read, the novel does have a surreal quality to it, and there were a few scenes that were difficult to understand because of the imagery that the author used. Fortunately, these scenes did little to disrupt the flow of the action. All in all, this book is very well written, and an excellent start to what promises to be a thought-provoking series.
The main character, Monet, finds herself caught up in some of these subversive activities while one of her friends sculpts angels out of metal - apparently while in some sort of trance or unconscious state. The results of these illegal activities flows into a fascinating narrative about ghosts, the history of the land, and what happens when the desire for freedom and independent thought grows stronger than the government can contain.
Although a great read, the novel does have a surreal quality to it, and there were a few scenes that were difficult to understand because of the imagery that the author used. Fortunately, these scenes did little to disrupt the flow of the action. All in all, this book is very well written, and an excellent start to what promises to be a thought-provoking series.
April 2, 2016
This is the first in a new dystopian series for young adults set in the future fictional city of Titus, where religion and all forms of expressive art have been banned. When Monet’s friend Luke discovers a history book containing pictures of angels – symbols of the ‘cult’ Monet’s mother belonged to before she was taken away for ‘rehabilitation’ – he is compelled to sculpt them from scraps of metal and other bits and pieces he has found. He is convinced that the ruling Triad is not telling them everything, and he plans to create a series of these illegal sculptures to place around the outskirts of the city.
It is a dangerous enough mission in itself, but when a meteor crashes to earth right where one of Luke's sculpted angels points its extended finger, Monet and Luke begin to suspect that there is much more going on than either of them understand. Their suspicions are realised when a strange phenomenon associated with the meteor produces ghostly images that allow them to watch history being replayed before their eyes. The quest for truth begins.
As the Triad closes in on Luke, Monet, and their friends Fox and Rand, they prepare to escape to the Wild Ones – those who live in the woods outside the boundary of Titus – but leaving Titus is forbidden and things don’t go according to plan. Monet is left behind in a city that is slowly fracturing, under the ever-watchful eye of The Triad. Can she awaken the citizens of Titus to the truth and find her way back to her friends before it’s too late?
This was a new-to-me author, and I found that I enjoyed the strong, well-paced writing. I also found the premise of a world where all forms of expressive art have been banned intriguing (although I can’t say I would like to experience it for myself!) although I would have loved it if this book had explored that concept a little more in its world building. For example, what impact would such a stricture have on society, apart from the obvious legal penalties for disobedience? How would it change individuals? In this novel we see the legal ramifications of challenging this law, but I couldn't help feeling that there would have been deeper consequences arising from the absence of expressive art; after all, it is a defining characteristic of our Creator. Nevertheless, this was an engaging read as Monet and Luke struggled to make sense of the events unfolding in Titus.
This is only the first part of Monet's story, so be prepared to be left anticipating the next part of their journey. I will be interested to see where it takes them.
I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for my honest review.
It is a dangerous enough mission in itself, but when a meteor crashes to earth right where one of Luke's sculpted angels points its extended finger, Monet and Luke begin to suspect that there is much more going on than either of them understand. Their suspicions are realised when a strange phenomenon associated with the meteor produces ghostly images that allow them to watch history being replayed before their eyes. The quest for truth begins.
As the Triad closes in on Luke, Monet, and their friends Fox and Rand, they prepare to escape to the Wild Ones – those who live in the woods outside the boundary of Titus – but leaving Titus is forbidden and things don’t go according to plan. Monet is left behind in a city that is slowly fracturing, under the ever-watchful eye of The Triad. Can she awaken the citizens of Titus to the truth and find her way back to her friends before it’s too late?
This was a new-to-me author, and I found that I enjoyed the strong, well-paced writing. I also found the premise of a world where all forms of expressive art have been banned intriguing (although I can’t say I would like to experience it for myself!) although I would have loved it if this book had explored that concept a little more in its world building. For example, what impact would such a stricture have on society, apart from the obvious legal penalties for disobedience? How would it change individuals? In this novel we see the legal ramifications of challenging this law, but I couldn't help feeling that there would have been deeper consequences arising from the absence of expressive art; after all, it is a defining characteristic of our Creator. Nevertheless, this was an engaging read as Monet and Luke struggled to make sense of the events unfolding in Titus.
This is only the first part of Monet's story, so be prepared to be left anticipating the next part of their journey. I will be interested to see where it takes them.
I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for my honest review.
March 20, 2016
Monet lives in a world where there is no religion or art. The citizens of Titus all the do is obey the laws and take their pills. If you veer from this path and start believing in something besides the laws then you are a cult member and are taken away. But Monet and her friend Luke have a secret. Luke builds amazing status of angels and they are based on an old battered book they found.
This is not going to be a secret for long. The angels are being discovered and the more people that are learning about Monet’s secrets mean more people that are not following the laws. The truth has a way of coming out.
This sounds like many other dystopian stories out there the difference is how it is executed and this book stands definitely stands out. Monet had her mother taken away from her so she is aware of the game she plays with the book. It’s amazing how far some people will go trying to control people. I admit that I don’t know how I would live without all forms of art or religion, especially if I discovered some fragment of its existence at one time.
I love dystopian stories and really liked Wake. It is the first in a series so now I have to patiently wait until the next book comes out. Make sure you get this book today, you won’t be disappointed.
I received Wake for free from Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
This is not going to be a secret for long. The angels are being discovered and the more people that are learning about Monet’s secrets mean more people that are not following the laws. The truth has a way of coming out.
This sounds like many other dystopian stories out there the difference is how it is executed and this book stands definitely stands out. Monet had her mother taken away from her so she is aware of the game she plays with the book. It’s amazing how far some people will go trying to control people. I admit that I don’t know how I would live without all forms of art or religion, especially if I discovered some fragment of its existence at one time.
I love dystopian stories and really liked Wake. It is the first in a series so now I have to patiently wait until the next book comes out. Make sure you get this book today, you won’t be disappointed.
I received Wake for free from Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
March 16, 2016
Wake
By Sherry Rossman
4.5
Monet Tinman's mom left when she was seven. "They" said her mind was crazy. They aren't telling the whole story. Monet lives in a world in which people must abide by the rules and take their pills. This world explodes for Monet when she and her friend Luke discover an old book. They discover history that was suppressed. History that "they" don't want anyone to know.
This is a great dystopian novel. I love the way art is used in the book to express things that the community does not want expressed. I love Luke. He is a great character. The plot was paced well. Some of the themes are reflected a little too well in the world we live in today. This is a very entertaining book.
By Sherry Rossman
4.5
Monet Tinman's mom left when she was seven. "They" said her mind was crazy. They aren't telling the whole story. Monet lives in a world in which people must abide by the rules and take their pills. This world explodes for Monet when she and her friend Luke discover an old book. They discover history that was suppressed. History that "they" don't want anyone to know.
This is a great dystopian novel. I love the way art is used in the book to express things that the community does not want expressed. I love Luke. He is a great character. The plot was paced well. Some of the themes are reflected a little too well in the world we live in today. This is a very entertaining book.
March 22, 2016
For full review please go to: 5girlsbookreviews.blogspot.com, Twitter @camartinez and Facebook "5 Girls Book Reviews"
REVIEW BY: Arianna, age 13 years, 3 months
MAY CONTAIN SPOILER:
Fans of books like The Giver will adore and love this book!
Monet lives in a society where everyone takes their daily pill and lives their life with no freedom. They can't express themselves and have to live with unbreakable rules.
At the start of the book I was a little lost and confused. However, as I kept reading I realized how powerful the character emotions were. They were dragged into a situation and had no idea what to do.
REVIEW BY: Arianna, age 13 years, 3 months
MAY CONTAIN SPOILER:
Fans of books like The Giver will adore and love this book!
Monet lives in a society where everyone takes their daily pill and lives their life with no freedom. They can't express themselves and have to live with unbreakable rules.
At the start of the book I was a little lost and confused. However, as I kept reading I realized how powerful the character emotions were. They were dragged into a situation and had no idea what to do.
December 26, 2018
This book hooks you on the first page and doesn't let go. It is well written with enough action and suspense to keep you turning the pages. If you like YA sci-fi and fantasy novels you will love this book. Thank you Darwin House Press via NetGalley for the copy of this book. This is my honest opinion.
August 22, 2021
Parts of this were almost lyrical in their prose. I will be watching for more works by this author.
February 11, 2021
Find my full *RANT* review in this video https://youtu.be/iji7KJRnVfA
I was really excited to start this book - it took me a little longer to get to it but I really wanted to be in the right mood for a good SciFi Dystopia. And ready I was.
Sadly I got really disappointed.
For the first 30% of the book I had no clue what was going on. It felt like we were running around with angel statues, which are forbidden but we have no idea why. A meteor shower that caused something incredibly important and scandalous. Of which we had no idea what the scandal really was. An angel statue pointing towards the meteor. A prophecy maybe?
The worldbuilding was so confusing that I had to go and read the synopsis to help me understand what this world was all about. Which helped me understand the framework. But shouldn't the book itself be able to do just that?
Slowly I understood that we are in a futuristic dystopian world where religion and art has been forbidden and is villified. Exciting premise! I love this type of idea and exploring what a society could come to if elements that we know in our world are taken away. Now I was excited to explore the world and understand the rules and limitations.
But alas, that is not the case. Instead, we are focusing on the main characters journey finding god. I love some religious exploration as well. But in this case, it is pushed onto the reader in a way where we are not only following the main characters thoughts, this book started to read like a religious pamphlet, trying to convert, "awaken" me to the word of god. The writing style was getting more and more preachy and religiously driven. In the end, our main charachters quest is to show the citizens of the place we are following "the truth", which translates to "God/religion". We are following a missionary in their quest to make everybody a believer. I still think it could be a really interesting premise, if the narrator would take a more neutral stance and explore the benefits of trying to convert people, but potantially also view the critical side and question this obsessively religious behavior. As such was not the case, this book was going way too far for my taste. I really would love to hear from some religious people how they experience this book! While reading I was really leaning between religious fanatics either loving this or considering this blasphemy.
This still does not mean that this is necessarily a bad book. I think the writing style is really nice at times and the overall premise/idea was nice. I just would have hoped for a little bit of a different execution.
I received Wake for free through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I was really excited to start this book - it took me a little longer to get to it but I really wanted to be in the right mood for a good SciFi Dystopia. And ready I was.
Sadly I got really disappointed.
For the first 30% of the book I had no clue what was going on. It felt like we were running around with angel statues, which are forbidden but we have no idea why. A meteor shower that caused something incredibly important and scandalous. Of which we had no idea what the scandal really was. An angel statue pointing towards the meteor. A prophecy maybe?
The worldbuilding was so confusing that I had to go and read the synopsis to help me understand what this world was all about. Which helped me understand the framework. But shouldn't the book itself be able to do just that?
Slowly I understood that we are in a futuristic dystopian world where religion and art has been forbidden and is villified. Exciting premise! I love this type of idea and exploring what a society could come to if elements that we know in our world are taken away. Now I was excited to explore the world and understand the rules and limitations.
But alas, that is not the case. Instead, we are focusing on the main characters journey finding god. I love some religious exploration as well. But in this case, it is pushed onto the reader in a way where we are not only following the main characters thoughts, this book started to read like a religious pamphlet, trying to convert, "awaken" me to the word of god. The writing style was getting more and more preachy and religiously driven. In the end, our main charachters quest is to show the citizens of the place we are following "the truth", which translates to "God/religion". We are following a missionary in their quest to make everybody a believer. I still think it could be a really interesting premise, if the narrator would take a more neutral stance and explore the benefits of trying to convert people, but potantially also view the critical side and question this obsessively religious behavior. As such was not the case, this book was going way too far for my taste. I really would love to hear from some religious people how they experience this book! While reading I was really leaning between religious fanatics either loving this or considering this blasphemy.
This still does not mean that this is necessarily a bad book. I think the writing style is really nice at times and the overall premise/idea was nice. I just would have hoped for a little bit of a different execution.
I received Wake for free through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 30, 2016
Great book!
I enjoyed reading this book. The action was at a good pace and the wards arranged beautifully. Well written and a great plot!
I enjoyed reading this book. The action was at a good pace and the wards arranged beautifully. Well written and a great plot!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews