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The Awoken
A cinematic, speculative debut about a woman who undergoes cryogenic preservation at the time of her death and wakes up a century later in a world where her very life is a crime.
When Alabine Rivers, a politically active young woman with a bright career and romance ahead of her, finds out the devastating news that she has terminal cancer, the only thing that gives her solace is the possibility of a second life through the emerging field of cryogenics.
A century later, scientists have indeed discovered how to bring back the dead from preservation, but humanity has been locked in a philosophical battle over the ethics of this new Godlike power, a battle that has turned violent: those who are resurrected, the Awoken, have been declared illegal and are to be shot on sight.
This is the world Alabine is brought into by the Resurrectionists, an underground militia fighting for the rights of the Awoken. Finding herself in a completely unfamiliar world, and one where she is an outsider for the first time in her life, Alabine must figure out how to survive and determine her place in this new world, all the while being haunted by lucid memories of her previous life and the man she loved.
The Awoken is a gripping, action-packed story full of plot twists and high emotion. It's a look at prejudice, complicity, the fears that tear us apart, and the hope that can bring us together.
When Alabine Rivers, a politically active young woman with a bright career and romance ahead of her, finds out the devastating news that she has terminal cancer, the only thing that gives her solace is the possibility of a second life through the emerging field of cryogenics.
A century later, scientists have indeed discovered how to bring back the dead from preservation, but humanity has been locked in a philosophical battle over the ethics of this new Godlike power, a battle that has turned violent: those who are resurrected, the Awoken, have been declared illegal and are to be shot on sight.
This is the world Alabine is brought into by the Resurrectionists, an underground militia fighting for the rights of the Awoken. Finding herself in a completely unfamiliar world, and one where she is an outsider for the first time in her life, Alabine must figure out how to survive and determine her place in this new world, all the while being haunted by lucid memories of her previous life and the man she loved.
The Awoken is a gripping, action-packed story full of plot twists and high emotion. It's a look at prejudice, complicity, the fears that tear us apart, and the hope that can bring us together.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published August 9, 2022
64 people are currently reading
6930 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
August 4, 2022
A science fiction debut novel, The Awoken by Katelyn Monroe Howes is set a century into the future in the world of 2121. It begins with the death of Alabine Rivers, a young political activist, who awakens thanks to cryogenics and is hoping there is a cure for her cancer. Confused, and feeling out of sorts, Alabine is soon forced to flee amidst gunfire from pursuing armoured soldiers. She is resuscitated by the Resurrectionists, an underground militia who are fighting for the rights of the ‘awoken’, who are illegal and must be shot on sight. Struggling to survive and find her place in this new world, Alabine experiences lucid memories of her past life and the only person she ever loved. An easy-paced action saga that is used to convey a deeper message of ignorance, prejudice and systemic inequality. Whilst well intended, the story suffered somewhat and therefore only a three star read rating. With thanks to Penguin Group Dutton and the author, for an uncorrected advanced reader copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.
August 15, 2022
It’s finding books like this one, written by a debut author, that reaffirms just how powerful reading can be for your soul.
It involves cryogenics, dying young due to an undiscovered cure, in hopes to be awoken again when there becomes a cure. In 2021, this process cost 200k and that is exactly what Alabine did at the tender newly wed age of 21.
However, the world is a completely different horrific place when she is awoken a century later. She has no idea why they would bring her back in this time of war?
This is a love story like no other you have ever imagined and it is breathtakingly brilliant.
It involves cryogenics, dying young due to an undiscovered cure, in hopes to be awoken again when there becomes a cure. In 2021, this process cost 200k and that is exactly what Alabine did at the tender newly wed age of 21.
However, the world is a completely different horrific place when she is awoken a century later. She has no idea why they would bring her back in this time of war?
This is a love story like no other you have ever imagined and it is breathtakingly brilliant.
August 24, 2025
✦⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆✦
✧｡･ﾟﾟ･☾ Review ☾･ﾟﾟ･｡✧
1.5 stars!!
The concept of this book is good. I was hooked from the start but it got pretty bad pretty fast. I’m a little tired of books having potential but then it goes in the opposite direction. All around, not a good book and here’s why!
Cons:
-Alabine seems like she was written to be dumb. She is just not a smart girl. Just a weirdly written protagonist.
-Hidden agendas throughout the book that I couldn’t get on board with.
-Very very repetitive.
-This book has aspects about current day issues/politics but with a different face and not written well.
-The writing was straight up just bad. There were a few things worded in a questionable manner.
-We get it….you miss Max. He was mentioned every other paragraph and it made me roll my eyes every time. So annoying.
-Absolutely no character depth or evolution.
-Alabine is really bad at describing things. She also is not good at judging character.
-It was first person but also kind of third person? It got confusing.
-The story felt like it was going nowhere once you hit 20%. Like what is even the point?? And why?? The story would get slow and be pointless then something would happen to try to revive it with no avail.
-Did I mention ZERO depth???? Also skipping over parts after big events.
-Alabine was more worried about waking her boyfriend up than helping people but also wanted to save people? It jumped a lot. The moral of the story was so unclear.
✦⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆✦
✧｡･ﾟﾟ･☾ Quotes ☾･ﾟﾟ･｡✧
“ꜰᴏʀ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ, ᴡʜᴏ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ? ᴡʜᴏ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴇᴍʏ ᴛʜᴇɴ? ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴇᴇ, ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱɴ’ᴛ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴜꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʜᴀꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ. ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʟɪᴇꜱ ɪɴ ᴏʀᴅᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ꜱᴇᴇᴍ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴡᴇ’ʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴇᴍʏ, ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪɴ ꜰᴀᴄᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴇᴍʏ ɪꜱ ᴅᴇᴇᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ ʏᴏᴜ.”
“ɪ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀɪɴꜰᴜʟ ᴍɪꜱᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴀʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜰɪʟʟ ᴍᴇ. ꜱɪɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇɴ, ɪ’ᴠᴇ ʟᴇᴀʀɴᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴇᴍʏ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ꜰᴏᴏʟɪꜱʜ ᴅᴇᴄɪꜱɪᴏɴꜱ ɪɴ ᴘᴜʀꜱᴜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴍꜰᴏʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ʜᴏᴘᴇ.”
✧｡･ﾟﾟ･☾ Review ☾･ﾟﾟ･｡✧
1.5 stars!!
The concept of this book is good. I was hooked from the start but it got pretty bad pretty fast. I’m a little tired of books having potential but then it goes in the opposite direction. All around, not a good book and here’s why!
Cons:
-Alabine seems like she was written to be dumb. She is just not a smart girl. Just a weirdly written protagonist.
-Hidden agendas throughout the book that I couldn’t get on board with.
-Very very repetitive.
-This book has aspects about current day issues/politics but with a different face and not written well.
-The writing was straight up just bad. There were a few things worded in a questionable manner.
-We get it….you miss Max. He was mentioned every other paragraph and it made me roll my eyes every time. So annoying.
-Absolutely no character depth or evolution.
-Alabine is really bad at describing things. She also is not good at judging character.
-It was first person but also kind of third person? It got confusing.
-The story felt like it was going nowhere once you hit 20%. Like what is even the point?? And why?? The story would get slow and be pointless then something would happen to try to revive it with no avail.
-Did I mention ZERO depth???? Also skipping over parts after big events.
-Alabine was more worried about waking her boyfriend up than helping people but also wanted to save people? It jumped a lot. The moral of the story was so unclear.
✦⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆✦
✧｡･ﾟﾟ･☾ Quotes ☾･ﾟﾟ･｡✧
“ꜰᴏʀ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴋɪʟʟᴇᴅ, ᴡʜᴏ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ? ᴡʜᴏ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴛʜᴇʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴇᴍʏ ᴛʜᴇɴ? ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴇᴇ, ᴛʜɪꜱ ɪꜱɴ’ᴛ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴜꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʜᴀꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ. ʏᴏᴜ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʟɪᴇꜱ ɪɴ ᴏʀᴅᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ꜱᴇᴇᴍ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴡᴇ’ʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴇᴍʏ, ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪɴ ꜰᴀᴄᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴇᴍʏ ɪꜱ ᴅᴇᴇᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜɪɴ ʏᴏᴜ.”
“ɪ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀɪɴꜰᴜʟ ᴍɪꜱᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴀʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜰɪʟʟ ᴍᴇ. ꜱɪɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜᴇɴ, ɪ’ᴠᴇ ʟᴇᴀʀɴᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴇᴍʏ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ꜰᴏᴏʟɪꜱʜ ᴅᴇᴄɪꜱɪᴏɴꜱ ɪɴ ᴘᴜʀꜱᴜɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴍꜰᴏʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ʜᴏᴘᴇ.”
August 25, 2022
It has a strong start but started to fizzle out for me about 1/4 of the way through. The Awoken is an interesting take on the dystopian story with the cryogenic element but it still felt clichéd at points. Also, I wasn’t into the romance aspect which is a large part of the story. The characters lacked depth and I found myself frequently annoyed by Alabine’s thoughts and actions. Overall, this wasn’t the book for me but it was a quick read with lots of action which will definitely appeal to some readers.
September 19, 2022
Good story that was poorly written. Too much melodrama and exposition. If you are going to write in the first person, you have to accept that the narrator does not have god-like omniscience. It's a first novel, so I am willing to give leeway, but there has to be an editor involved sometime, right?
May 10, 2022
What a fabulous story. This speculative debut follows a woman who is awoken from a cryogenic sleep. She had chosent the sleep due to her pending death of lymphoma and hoped someday, somehow, there would be a cure.
What she finds instead is a dystopian world split over the rights of the "Awoken" or those who chose a Cryogenic Sleep. Even stranger, as an "early adapter" she is a poster girl for a movement. Follow Alabine Rivers' journey as she fights for her own rights to be alive.
If you like dystopian literature, light romance and strong female characters this is a book for you! #PenguinBooks #Duttonbooks #NetGalley #TheAwoken
What she finds instead is a dystopian world split over the rights of the "Awoken" or those who chose a Cryogenic Sleep. Even stranger, as an "early adapter" she is a poster girl for a movement. Follow Alabine Rivers' journey as she fights for her own rights to be alive.
If you like dystopian literature, light romance and strong female characters this is a book for you! #PenguinBooks #Duttonbooks #NetGalley #TheAwoken
September 27, 2022
HEY ALEXA PLAY BRING ME TO LIFE BY EVANESCENCE!
Wake me up inside (a goo filled sac!)
Call my name (Alabine Rivers!!!) and save me from the dark (with the Resurrectionists!)
Bid my blood to run
on behalf of the Awoken!
Save me from the nothing I’ve becOoOome!
(if you just sang the above to the chorus of the above song, I LOVE YOU!)
The Awoken is an action packed speculative fiction novel that will flood your nervous system with adrenaline and your mouth with audible gasps and “what the snickerdoodle-doo” ’s !
Looking into a crystal ball it appears that Alabine Rivers has a blazing future ahead of her…
-strapped on the fast track for a successful political career? CHECK!
-a passionate relationship with the love of her life? CHECK!
-a diagnosis of terminal cancer? *UGHHHH ☹ *
Upon learning her diagnosis, she decides to pursue cryogenics – freezing her body and hoping to awake a century later when a cure for cancer is readily available. *queue the thematic music now!!!!*
The world Alabine wakes up to is one in which her kind are ILLEGAL and shot on sight, EEEEK! What quickly transpires is a propulsive, whip lash of a ride! Plot twists, humanity, LOVE, politics, suspense… Monroe Howes’ latest novel has it all, my bookish folks!
A MILLION GLIMMERING, SHIMMERING BOOKISH THANKS TO DUTTON BOOKS FOR MY GIFTED REVIEW COPY!! ILY X INFINITY!
Alright, I’m off to go research cryogenics so I can freeze my body and wake up in a future world where I can get paid to read books and eat cheese all day! TAH-TAHHHH!!!!!!
Wake me up inside (a goo filled sac!)
Call my name (Alabine Rivers!!!) and save me from the dark (with the Resurrectionists!)
Bid my blood to run
on behalf of the Awoken!
Save me from the nothing I’ve becOoOome!
(if you just sang the above to the chorus of the above song, I LOVE YOU!)
The Awoken is an action packed speculative fiction novel that will flood your nervous system with adrenaline and your mouth with audible gasps and “what the snickerdoodle-doo” ’s !
Looking into a crystal ball it appears that Alabine Rivers has a blazing future ahead of her…
-strapped on the fast track for a successful political career? CHECK!
-a passionate relationship with the love of her life? CHECK!
-a diagnosis of terminal cancer? *UGHHHH ☹ *
Upon learning her diagnosis, she decides to pursue cryogenics – freezing her body and hoping to awake a century later when a cure for cancer is readily available. *queue the thematic music now!!!!*
The world Alabine wakes up to is one in which her kind are ILLEGAL and shot on sight, EEEEK! What quickly transpires is a propulsive, whip lash of a ride! Plot twists, humanity, LOVE, politics, suspense… Monroe Howes’ latest novel has it all, my bookish folks!
A MILLION GLIMMERING, SHIMMERING BOOKISH THANKS TO DUTTON BOOKS FOR MY GIFTED REVIEW COPY!! ILY X INFINITY!
Alright, I’m off to go research cryogenics so I can freeze my body and wake up in a future world where I can get paid to read books and eat cheese all day! TAH-TAHHHH!!!!!!
might-get
August 17, 2022I don't normally read fiction, let alone sci-fi, but this one intrigues me. It could be very interesting and have a philosophical and political story to tell which was made the The Handmaid's Tale a cut above the mass of dystopian novels. On the other hand, it might just be yet another doom-laden but unlikely view of the future including violence, romance, and the heroine gets through in the end or at least dies a protracted and lyrically-written death. We will see.
August 7, 2022
I was convinced from the moment I saw the synopsis that this was going to be my kind of book, through and through. And turns out, I was right. I love being right, and I love this book. Alabine wakes up a century after she died of cancer. That right there is a trip, right? Well, the problem is, even though she woke up in a world where it is possible to cure the cancer that was her demise, her whole existence was no longer legal.
Talk about a thought-provoking book! There are so many concepts in the story that had my mind reeling, in the best possible way. First, we have the issue that started it all: preserving oneself in cryo after death. I mean, talk about a loaded moral question, right? But beyond that, Alabine realizes that the world she awakens in is vastly different than the one she died in. For one, the concept of cryogenic preservation was just starting when Alabine decided to give it a shot. The scientific community was excited, and hadn't really considered much of the aftermath. Now, a hundred years later, what is left of the United States now deems The Awoken as "inhuman", and it is perfectly legal to murder an Awoken.
Basically, just like in our current era, a group of people decided that their morality needed to be inflicted upon the country as a whole. So, as they decided that their own beliefs didn't jibe with cryogenics, new laws were passed basically ensuring that the Awoken had no rights under the law. Alabine finds that she was woken by the rebellion, and they want her to be their spokesperson. Apparently, she became a beloved figure after her death, and her fiancé Max had taken up her cause to find a way to bring her back. And guess who else decided to take a trip to cryo? Max! Only he is being held somewhere that Alabine cannot get to, and so she ends up needing the rebellion as much as they need her.
I really loved everything about this book, from start to finish. Let us list a few things:
►Alabine was really relatable. Oof, can you even imagine being dead for a century and then popping back into a very different world? Yeah, me either. Alabine's reactions to everything around her seemed so very honest and realistic, and obviously she was incredibly empathetic. I felt for her, as she realized that everyone she knew was dead, along with the world she knew being dead. Hell, she woke up in a different country! I loved seeing the world through her eyes, and watching her rebuild her life as she went along.
►The messages of this book certainly were timely. A lot of things that the "United American" government was doing reeked of current events. Sure, they were fighting slightly different battles, but the outcomes were the same: stripping rights from groups of people based on the moral beliefs of one group who deemed themselves more important.
►Loved the backstory of how the world changed over time. It was so interesting to read about how we got to the world that Abaline was now a part of. The author did a phenomenal job of answering every question that popped into my head, and the world-building was kind of perfect.
►The world was bleak, but also hopeful. I love my dark, awful worlds with a side of hope, and that is exactly how this one felt from start to finish. Yes, Alabine woke in a terrible situation. The government was garbage, the people resigned to just take it. But there were glimmers of hope laced throughout the story. Hope that maybe people could change, that the world could change.
Bottom Line: A beautiful and thought provoking tale about a very plausible future, complete with an incredible cast of characters.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Talk about a thought-provoking book! There are so many concepts in the story that had my mind reeling, in the best possible way. First, we have the issue that started it all: preserving oneself in cryo after death. I mean, talk about a loaded moral question, right? But beyond that, Alabine realizes that the world she awakens in is vastly different than the one she died in. For one, the concept of cryogenic preservation was just starting when Alabine decided to give it a shot. The scientific community was excited, and hadn't really considered much of the aftermath. Now, a hundred years later, what is left of the United States now deems The Awoken as "inhuman", and it is perfectly legal to murder an Awoken.
Basically, just like in our current era, a group of people decided that their morality needed to be inflicted upon the country as a whole. So, as they decided that their own beliefs didn't jibe with cryogenics, new laws were passed basically ensuring that the Awoken had no rights under the law. Alabine finds that she was woken by the rebellion, and they want her to be their spokesperson. Apparently, she became a beloved figure after her death, and her fiancé Max had taken up her cause to find a way to bring her back. And guess who else decided to take a trip to cryo? Max! Only he is being held somewhere that Alabine cannot get to, and so she ends up needing the rebellion as much as they need her.
I really loved everything about this book, from start to finish. Let us list a few things:
►Alabine was really relatable. Oof, can you even imagine being dead for a century and then popping back into a very different world? Yeah, me either. Alabine's reactions to everything around her seemed so very honest and realistic, and obviously she was incredibly empathetic. I felt for her, as she realized that everyone she knew was dead, along with the world she knew being dead. Hell, she woke up in a different country! I loved seeing the world through her eyes, and watching her rebuild her life as she went along.
►The messages of this book certainly were timely. A lot of things that the "United American" government was doing reeked of current events. Sure, they were fighting slightly different battles, but the outcomes were the same: stripping rights from groups of people based on the moral beliefs of one group who deemed themselves more important.
►Loved the backstory of how the world changed over time. It was so interesting to read about how we got to the world that Abaline was now a part of. The author did a phenomenal job of answering every question that popped into my head, and the world-building was kind of perfect.
►The world was bleak, but also hopeful. I love my dark, awful worlds with a side of hope, and that is exactly how this one felt from start to finish. Yes, Alabine woke in a terrible situation. The government was garbage, the people resigned to just take it. But there were glimmers of hope laced throughout the story. Hope that maybe people could change, that the world could change.
Bottom Line: A beautiful and thought provoking tale about a very plausible future, complete with an incredible cast of characters.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
January 2, 2023
This is not one I would normally read but the premise sounded interesting and I enjoyed it overall. Alabine Rivers is diagnosed with cancer and undergoes cryogenic preservation upon death and wakes up a century later in a world where she is hated and is in the middle of a revolution against people like her, The Awoken, as others are afraid of what it really means. She finds herself as the leader of this effort somehow, meanwhile being haunted by lucid memories of her prior life and the man she loved.
The audio for this was great and the story was really well done, especially for a debut novel. I liked the concept, thought it was executed well, and read this in a couple of sittings. It kept my attention and I have found myself thinking about it after finishing, mostly because it is probably not too far from reality in how we would treat people if we ever figured this out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the digital copy to review.
The audio for this was great and the story was really well done, especially for a debut novel. I liked the concept, thought it was executed well, and read this in a couple of sittings. It kept my attention and I have found myself thinking about it after finishing, mostly because it is probably not too far from reality in how we would treat people if we ever figured this out.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the digital copy to review.
October 27, 2022
This book is exactly what I’ve been missing. As someone who read The Hunger Games trilogy 13 times and devoured Divergent, I can speak to the allure of dystopian young adult reads and this ranks with the best. The characters are relatable, the plot is solidly written, and the setting is painted clearly enough to feel as though this could easily be our future. Although the book ended well, I am hopeful there will be many more!
September 20, 2022
I think the concept in general was a good idea but a lot of the dialogue and writing came across as a little corny to me
August 12, 2022
This story is told in first person from the point of view of Alabine Rivers, 23 years old, madly in love and dying of cancer far too young. In a last hurrah, she and her beloved Max, decide that she should be cryogenically frozen in the hopes that there might be a cure found for her illness and scientists would figure out how to resurrect her. Approximately one hundred years later, Alabine is awoken to a new America divided by revolution where Resurrectionists are considered terrorists and they plan for her to play a vital role in their quest for the survival of the Awoken.
The way our political and governmental systems evolved in this dystopian future was realistically horrifying. There are no races, everyone is American. There is no culture except for American. Differences are not celebrated. Everyone is equally American, supposedly, except for the Awoken. There are no phones, tvs, or internet. Technology and science are both suspect and disliked in general. Alabine has some difficult choices to make including whether to support the group that has resurrected her for their own purposes, find out what happened to the love her life and whether she even wants to be in this new reality at all. Alabine also must navigate this new environment with no idea who to trust, the Resurrectionists, the other Awoken, the average citizens who appear to abhor her for reasons she doesn’t understand, or politicians who continuously make appealing offers with strings attached.
In her initial state of shock after being awoken, Alabine sometimes falls into a lucid dream state where her reality and key moments from her past seem to intertwine. This appears to be a coping mechanization created for the Awoken to mentally reconcile their new reality with their past. Alabine can use this process to destress and sometimes to avoid the scary reality of her new life. I really enjoyed the passages where her mental state was blended between current and past timelines. It was a creative way to flash back the reader to tell her love story.
I had a small quibble with the science behind the health status of some of the characters who had undergone cryogenics. Overall, I enjoyed the story and the characters, especially the friendships that Alabine found with several of the other Awoken. I also enjoyed the way the emotions were portrayed in all their complicated glory, in relationship with humanity and communities from love and hate to greed and apathy.
Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton Books for a copy provided for an honest review.
The way our political and governmental systems evolved in this dystopian future was realistically horrifying. There are no races, everyone is American. There is no culture except for American. Differences are not celebrated. Everyone is equally American, supposedly, except for the Awoken. There are no phones, tvs, or internet. Technology and science are both suspect and disliked in general. Alabine has some difficult choices to make including whether to support the group that has resurrected her for their own purposes, find out what happened to the love her life and whether she even wants to be in this new reality at all. Alabine also must navigate this new environment with no idea who to trust, the Resurrectionists, the other Awoken, the average citizens who appear to abhor her for reasons she doesn’t understand, or politicians who continuously make appealing offers with strings attached.
In her initial state of shock after being awoken, Alabine sometimes falls into a lucid dream state where her reality and key moments from her past seem to intertwine. This appears to be a coping mechanization created for the Awoken to mentally reconcile their new reality with their past. Alabine can use this process to destress and sometimes to avoid the scary reality of her new life. I really enjoyed the passages where her mental state was blended between current and past timelines. It was a creative way to flash back the reader to tell her love story.
I had a small quibble with the science behind the health status of some of the characters who had undergone cryogenics. Overall, I enjoyed the story and the characters, especially the friendships that Alabine found with several of the other Awoken. I also enjoyed the way the emotions were portrayed in all their complicated glory, in relationship with humanity and communities from love and hate to greed and apathy.
Thank you to Netgalley and Dutton Books for a copy provided for an honest review.
August 9, 2022
Published on Peeking Between the Pages (https://peekingbetweenthepages.com/20...)
The Awoken is the debut novel of Katelyn Monroe Howes and quite impressive! The concept of cryogenics is fascinating to me although I can’t imagine being preserved and then awoken into world that would likely be completely foreign and terrifying to me.
Alabine Rivers is one of those people who chose to undergo cryogenic preservation when she died because of a terminal cancer diagnosis. Her hope was that sometime in the future a cure would be found and they will wake her up and she can carry on with her life. A century later though finds the world in turmoil over these people who have been frozen, dubbed the Awoken. Essentially a war on them is occurring all over and buildings where they are preserved are being destroyed. Alabine ends up being awoken into a world she doesn’t want to be in. A world where the Awoken are illegal beings and should be shot on sight. As Alabine struggles to figure out how to survive in this world she is also battling lucid memories of the man she loved.
I listened to the audiobook which is so well done! This is one of those novels that are so great in audio because the action packed scenes and the high emotions of everyone are brought to life in such vivid detail. The audio is narrated by Sarah Naughton who I have listened to many times and she was a perfect choice. She is very talented with different voices and the emotion she brings to the story and the characters captures the reader and lands them squarely in the story itself.
I very much enjoyed this book and I’m hoping for more from the author. I love the kind of story that speculates on the future of the world. This novel is one of turmoil, strength, perseverance, loyalty and love. The Awoken releases today and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it!
The Awoken is the debut novel of Katelyn Monroe Howes and quite impressive! The concept of cryogenics is fascinating to me although I can’t imagine being preserved and then awoken into world that would likely be completely foreign and terrifying to me.
Alabine Rivers is one of those people who chose to undergo cryogenic preservation when she died because of a terminal cancer diagnosis. Her hope was that sometime in the future a cure would be found and they will wake her up and she can carry on with her life. A century later though finds the world in turmoil over these people who have been frozen, dubbed the Awoken. Essentially a war on them is occurring all over and buildings where they are preserved are being destroyed. Alabine ends up being awoken into a world she doesn’t want to be in. A world where the Awoken are illegal beings and should be shot on sight. As Alabine struggles to figure out how to survive in this world she is also battling lucid memories of the man she loved.
I listened to the audiobook which is so well done! This is one of those novels that are so great in audio because the action packed scenes and the high emotions of everyone are brought to life in such vivid detail. The audio is narrated by Sarah Naughton who I have listened to many times and she was a perfect choice. She is very talented with different voices and the emotion she brings to the story and the characters captures the reader and lands them squarely in the story itself.
I very much enjoyed this book and I’m hoping for more from the author. I love the kind of story that speculates on the future of the world. This novel is one of turmoil, strength, perseverance, loyalty and love. The Awoken releases today and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it!
October 12, 2023
"The Awoken" starts strong. I found myself wondering again and again how the ratings could be so relatively low, this book was a banger! I found out starting at around the quarter way point. Once the some of the feels started hitting towards the end of the book it felt like it was picking itself up a bit again. Then, the very last few pages made me roll my eyes so hard I almost had to be awoken myself.
It was a bummer, the book is about the plight of cryogenically revived people in a dystopic United States, that has regressed into a Luddite-esque fascist state where all discriminatory -isms have been replaced with hatred and fear of "The Awoken" in a Stepford Wives kind of way.
The door was open to explore all kinds of repercussions and effects of cryogenic revival, but the book came up a bit short here. Instead it leaned all the way into the teenage romance aspects of the story; a bad trade-off. Combined with uninspiringly written characters and it puts a damper on a promising start and idea.
Despite that, the book is still an enjoyable read - it would be worth picking up for the first quarter alone - and it feels like the current combined GR rating of 3.59 is a reasonable one.
It was a bummer, the book is about the plight of cryogenically revived people in a dystopic United States, that has regressed into a Luddite-esque fascist state where all discriminatory -isms have been replaced with hatred and fear of "The Awoken" in a Stepford Wives kind of way.
The door was open to explore all kinds of repercussions and effects of cryogenic revival, but the book came up a bit short here. Instead it leaned all the way into the teenage romance aspects of the story; a bad trade-off. Combined with uninspiringly written characters and it puts a damper on a promising start and idea.
Despite that, the book is still an enjoyable read - it would be worth picking up for the first quarter alone - and it feels like the current combined GR rating of 3.59 is a reasonable one.
August 9, 2022
Such a good one! I’m a sucker for a sci-fi adventure story (especially ones that star a strong female protagonist), so it’s perhaps no surprise I loved this book.
This epic novel takes place in a dystopian world where cryogenics have made it possible to preserve and revive the dead. When one woman is awoken from her cryogenic state a century after her death, she finds herself in an unrecognizable world… one where her very existence is illegal. With humanity’s newfound ability to “play God,” a war between conflicting ideologies inevitably ensues.
The opening line of the book is perhaps one of the best I’ve come across in recent years… “I was twenty three years old when I died.” How could you not continue reading after that!?
Fans of the later Hunger Games books (or movies) are sure to enjoy this one, as the leading character gives off major Katniss vibes once she finds her voice, steps into her power and becomes the face of a movement that seeks peace and justice for all humankind.
I originally rated the book four stars, but upgraded my rating a week later, as I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the story and connecting all the dots to real-life injustices.
This epic novel takes place in a dystopian world where cryogenics have made it possible to preserve and revive the dead. When one woman is awoken from her cryogenic state a century after her death, she finds herself in an unrecognizable world… one where her very existence is illegal. With humanity’s newfound ability to “play God,” a war between conflicting ideologies inevitably ensues.
The opening line of the book is perhaps one of the best I’ve come across in recent years… “I was twenty three years old when I died.” How could you not continue reading after that!?
Fans of the later Hunger Games books (or movies) are sure to enjoy this one, as the leading character gives off major Katniss vibes once she finds her voice, steps into her power and becomes the face of a movement that seeks peace and justice for all humankind.
I originally rated the book four stars, but upgraded my rating a week later, as I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the story and connecting all the dots to real-life injustices.
September 10, 2022
Thank you @duttonbooks and @netgalley for the complimentary ARC.
Could not put this one down and absolutely cannot believe it’s a debut! I love sci-fi, but sometimes they can get heavy on the science and my brain hurts. I didn’t feel like that was the case here; The Awoken was easy to read and understand and didn’t get bogged down in too much detail. This book had me thinking a lot about the ethics of cryogenics and how far is too far to go to save a human life, there were also a lot of parallels to today’s political climate. Why four stars and not five, I found it a little repetitive at times and lack of communication in some scenes bothered me. The ending though… LOVED, it was absolutely perfect. Highly recommend this to fans of dystopian fiction.
#brandysreads #theawoken
Could not put this one down and absolutely cannot believe it’s a debut! I love sci-fi, but sometimes they can get heavy on the science and my brain hurts. I didn’t feel like that was the case here; The Awoken was easy to read and understand and didn’t get bogged down in too much detail. This book had me thinking a lot about the ethics of cryogenics and how far is too far to go to save a human life, there were also a lot of parallels to today’s political climate. Why four stars and not five, I found it a little repetitive at times and lack of communication in some scenes bothered me. The ending though… LOVED, it was absolutely perfect. Highly recommend this to fans of dystopian fiction.
#brandysreads #theawoken
October 31, 2022
I really wanted to like this book. The premise is fantastic, the execution is not.
The Awoken centers around Alabine Rivers who, dying of cancer, decides to be cryogenically frozen in the hopes of being woken one day. She is brought back to life a century later in 2121 to a much different world. The western United States have broken off into its own country. The rest of the country is a dystopian nightmare, at least for the Awoken. In what is left of the US in 2121 the Awoken are illegal. It is illegal to bring a cryogenically frozen person to life, and those “Awoken” are to be shot on sight. They are not considered human but an other.
When Alabine is brought to life it’s amid gunfire and a quick flight to relative safety with the Resurrectionists who brought her back and rescued her. The Resurrectionists are an underground organization fighting for the rights of the Awoken and those still in cryogenic stasis. Most seem to have some familial connection to those either already brought back to life or still waiting to be brought back. Meanwhile, Alabine is having lucid memories of the love of her life, Max Waters, who plays a central role in the plot.
The novel is action packed and I hear it has been option as a TV series. It would make a fun movie to television show. But the relationships that form, especially near the end of the book, which are critical to the ending, are just completely and utterly unrealistic and makes the novel fall completely flat. Even with science fiction of this nature, a reader has to suspend disbelief and be engaged with the story. I don’t want to give a spoiler but the underpinning of the book is basically undermined by one poorly formed character and his interactions with Alabine. It spoils an otherwise fun read.
The Awoken centers around Alabine Rivers who, dying of cancer, decides to be cryogenically frozen in the hopes of being woken one day. She is brought back to life a century later in 2121 to a much different world. The western United States have broken off into its own country. The rest of the country is a dystopian nightmare, at least for the Awoken. In what is left of the US in 2121 the Awoken are illegal. It is illegal to bring a cryogenically frozen person to life, and those “Awoken” are to be shot on sight. They are not considered human but an other.
When Alabine is brought to life it’s amid gunfire and a quick flight to relative safety with the Resurrectionists who brought her back and rescued her. The Resurrectionists are an underground organization fighting for the rights of the Awoken and those still in cryogenic stasis. Most seem to have some familial connection to those either already brought back to life or still waiting to be brought back. Meanwhile, Alabine is having lucid memories of the love of her life, Max Waters, who plays a central role in the plot.
The novel is action packed and I hear it has been option as a TV series. It would make a fun movie to television show. But the relationships that form, especially near the end of the book, which are critical to the ending, are just completely and utterly unrealistic and makes the novel fall completely flat. Even with science fiction of this nature, a reader has to suspend disbelief and be engaged with the story. I don’t want to give a spoiler but the underpinning of the book is basically undermined by one poorly formed character and his interactions with Alabine. It spoils an otherwise fun read.
July 14, 2022
**I received this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review**
I think this book should have been expanded more, the idea of it sounded amazing, and it started off so strong, but some parts of it was a bit weak, we have the main character who froze herself suddenly get awoken to a crazy world, she kept asking for answers and it was always at a bad time, but the next chapter all of the sudden its like the answers appeared, no one talked to her it was just a whole chapter of background. The relationship between her and damien (I think that was his name? I forgot it already) kind of came out of nowhere, and I felt zero chemistry. I wasnt fond of it and thought that a friendship could have been just as well. I think the story needed just a little bit more world building done in a better way.
And the ending? no, it was all of the sudden and then there were no answers, it wasn't a cliffhanger ending, it was just an afterthought ending that didn't expand on what happened between then and now.
I will say that the writing is pretty good, I did get sucked into it, some parts I felt like I missed something because it jumped too much, from confusion and learning about the world to all of the sudden knowing something, i kept wondering if I somehow skipped ahead and missed a chapter or two, some relationships came out of nowhere, some situations that probably could have been left out. I think some people will think this book is great, I think its just night quite fully there yet, it's good not the great that I know it could be.
I think this book should have been expanded more, the idea of it sounded amazing, and it started off so strong, but some parts of it was a bit weak, we have the main character who froze herself suddenly get awoken to a crazy world, she kept asking for answers and it was always at a bad time, but the next chapter all of the sudden its like the answers appeared, no one talked to her it was just a whole chapter of background. The relationship between her and damien (I think that was his name? I forgot it already) kind of came out of nowhere, and I felt zero chemistry. I wasnt fond of it and thought that a friendship could have been just as well. I think the story needed just a little bit more world building done in a better way.
And the ending? no, it was all of the sudden and then there were no answers, it wasn't a cliffhanger ending, it was just an afterthought ending that didn't expand on what happened between then and now.
I will say that the writing is pretty good, I did get sucked into it, some parts I felt like I missed something because it jumped too much, from confusion and learning about the world to all of the sudden knowing something, i kept wondering if I somehow skipped ahead and missed a chapter or two, some relationships came out of nowhere, some situations that probably could have been left out. I think some people will think this book is great, I think its just night quite fully there yet, it's good not the great that I know it could be.
July 18, 2023
In a dystopian future with disturbing echoes of current events, Alabine Rivers is awoken from cryogenic sleep. She has been asleep much longer than planned, and her confusion and fatigue overwhelm her as she attempts to make sense of past & present.
Here's the problem: she's melodramatic, impulsive, and, quite frankly, not very bright. She makes stupid decisions on the regular. She doesn't really have a clue as to who she is. And to top it all off, she's ridiculously codependent.
I enjoyed most of the plot of the book, but the strange, untethered twist at the very end and Alabine's character flaws ruined it for me.
2.4⭐️
Here's the problem: she's melodramatic, impulsive, and, quite frankly, not very bright. She makes stupid decisions on the regular. She doesn't really have a clue as to who she is. And to top it all off, she's ridiculously codependent.
I enjoyed most of the plot of the book, but the strange, untethered twist at the very end and Alabine's character flaws ruined it for me.
2.4⭐️
June 2, 2022
Was paid to read this. Literally
August 10, 2022
3.5 stars. In this speculative thriller, 23-year-old Abiline wakes from death. She was cryogenically frozen 101 years earlier. She wakes to an entirely changed world--a world full of danger. The author hasn't met a cliche she doesn't like, but she tells an interesting tale. Unfortunately, some of the melodramatic emotion between characters felt unearned.
About 3/4 the way through I started to worry that there wasn't enough time left to resolve the story. Yes, an arc comes to resolution, but it ends on a cliffhanger. Ugh.
About 3/4 the way through I started to worry that there wasn't enough time left to resolve the story. Yes, an arc comes to resolution, but it ends on a cliffhanger. Ugh.
August 26, 2022
Wow! The Awoken by Katelyn Monroe Howes is an all-encompassing book. It has action, drama and so many emotions. I kept putting this down to contemplate what was happening. Thought-provoking and cataclysmic are two words I would use to describe The Awoken.
July 19, 2023
I feel like this novel almost had all the pieces. But... for my over-scrutinizing (or perhaps just science fiction veteran) self, I thought it could be better. I loved the concept of politicizing the resurrection of cryo-frozen dead people. (And no, the book never explains how resurrection works.) I also enjoyed the view of the dystopian future of a United America (as long as you don't count the west, not part of America anymore) but it was a little too scary given the political climate of 2023. But... the main character just was a little too.... well let's just say she made a lot of bad decisions. The storytelling mechanic wherein scenes of the past are explored was also very clever. Some things foreshadowed and some things not were predictable all the same, although the epilogue and both my wife and me looking at each other completely confused. The surprise ending just didn't feel... right? Still I liked it, but I think we're both glad it is over. On to our next libro.fm joint audiobook selection!
January 27, 2023
I LOVE THIS PREMISE SO MUCH. Brilliant, intriguing, intense!
I did not however love the narration style and wish it had been written from a different perspective. It lowered the stakes too much because you always know that the MC makes it in the end… because she survives to narrate it.
I also wish the author made it into a 2-3 book series and really dug into the story and characters more. I found myself not caring about the events or betrayals or loves because… it just went fast. It felt like the author did a lot of “telling” versus “showing”
That said, it’s worth a read! A great story overall.
I did not however love the narration style and wish it had been written from a different perspective. It lowered the stakes too much because you always know that the MC makes it in the end… because she survives to narrate it.
I also wish the author made it into a 2-3 book series and really dug into the story and characters more. I found myself not caring about the events or betrayals or loves because… it just went fast. It felt like the author did a lot of “telling” versus “showing”
That said, it’s worth a read! A great story overall.
August 11, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. I requested this book for two reasons. First, because I read an intriguing article about the author whose idea for the novel was sparked by her own death/near death experience. Second, because the premise of the story was so intriguing. And let me add, this is not the kind of novel I usually read. I don’t really like dystopian books, time travel books, books set in the future. I am not interested in science fiction or fantasy. I read The Handmaid’s tale when I was much, much younger. I couldn’t make myself reread it or watch the series. The news is depressing enough without dragging myself thru a depressing look at a possible future that is more like non-fiction than fiction.
So I had zero expectations when I started this book. Wow. Where to begin. The premise is, as I said, so intriguing. What if we could be frozen at death and awoken when and if a cure for whatever ails us has been discovered? Would you have the courage to do it? I mean, I guess if you had nothing to lose. But what happens when you wake up? Our heroine here, Alabine Rivers, was dying of incurable lymphoma and opts to be cryogenically preserved in the hopes that a cure in the future will allow her to be resurrected. With the assistance of her boyfriend, she is put to “sleep” and awoken 100 years in the future.
In an unforeseen twist, the future doesn’t appear to have moved much forward but backwards in its attitudes, and prejudices not only still exist but have morphed into a society that delineates paths by gender and discriminates those who have “awoken” vs the rest of humanity. There are no George Jetson flying cars, no teleporting, nothing that you or I might envision the future to look like. Gee, and here I was hoping that the world would “right” itself. I was so fascinated by the author’s ability to “create” this fictional future. I was about 20% into the book and asking myself, how is she going to manage to create this future world in the pages she has left?
Without giving away any vital clues, let me say she not only does that but creates a story blending past and future, family lost and family found, love lost and love found. The future imagined here is very real. It doesn’t take a huge stretch of your imagination to accept the premises laid out. I could very easily imagine that this is what a future might look like. It was a great story that I thoroughly enjoyed. I stayed up until 2 am last night finishing it. It is well worth a read even if like me, you don’t normally read books of this genre.
So I had zero expectations when I started this book. Wow. Where to begin. The premise is, as I said, so intriguing. What if we could be frozen at death and awoken when and if a cure for whatever ails us has been discovered? Would you have the courage to do it? I mean, I guess if you had nothing to lose. But what happens when you wake up? Our heroine here, Alabine Rivers, was dying of incurable lymphoma and opts to be cryogenically preserved in the hopes that a cure in the future will allow her to be resurrected. With the assistance of her boyfriend, she is put to “sleep” and awoken 100 years in the future.
In an unforeseen twist, the future doesn’t appear to have moved much forward but backwards in its attitudes, and prejudices not only still exist but have morphed into a society that delineates paths by gender and discriminates those who have “awoken” vs the rest of humanity. There are no George Jetson flying cars, no teleporting, nothing that you or I might envision the future to look like. Gee, and here I was hoping that the world would “right” itself. I was so fascinated by the author’s ability to “create” this fictional future. I was about 20% into the book and asking myself, how is she going to manage to create this future world in the pages she has left?
Without giving away any vital clues, let me say she not only does that but creates a story blending past and future, family lost and family found, love lost and love found. The future imagined here is very real. It doesn’t take a huge stretch of your imagination to accept the premises laid out. I could very easily imagine that this is what a future might look like. It was a great story that I thoroughly enjoyed. I stayed up until 2 am last night finishing it. It is well worth a read even if like me, you don’t normally read books of this genre.
October 9, 2022
First I want to say that I am sorry for taking so much time reviewing this book, it got lost in my books to read.
This story has it all, an amazing world building, really good characters, those character grow so much, almost more than the pages in the book allow them to grow, a really faulty society (that doesn’t seem that far from ours, even being 100 years in the future) and love, so much love, love for friends, love for a daughter and that daughter for his mother, love for a lover, ah, it really has it all.
It is beautifully written, in a way that even years after reading this book, it will live in my mind, of that I am sure, all that we learn in this story is through the eyes of Alabine Rivers (I must say that it really took me a while to fully accept this name haha, Alabine sounded so weird, but Rivers took me directly to River Song) and she tells her story in the first person, and some times the time of the verbs change and she speaks in an unknown future, and that keep me going, making me to want to know more, each turn and twist in the story keep me interested. I also loved the stories she told while in a dream state, that gave us glimpses of her story, how she got there, how she is who she is, of who Max Green, the man she loves grow to be the man that fought that much for her, who gave their love story to the world…
Alabine in 2021 she died, she had a cancer that we currently don’t have a cure, and after death, was keep under cryogenic, Max her boyfriend helped normalize the procedure telling the world about his love for Alabine and his wish to meet her when her cancer had a cure. In 2122 she is brought to life in a world she doesn’t recognize, and that is only the start of a story that will glue a reader to this pages.
The evil from the ones in power, the devil among them, all those things that give meaning to the story actually for me this was a really powerful read, and one that I will highly recommend.
For me this was a perfect read, a book that made me fell in love with it, so much, that in my time away from it, I was bothering everyone around me, telling them how good the story was and how they would like it as well. One thing that I know people sometimes complain, but for me was just the way it was, is that the chapters are long, some more than 30 minutes long. Its mind blowing that this was a debut and again I cannot praise it enough.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
This story has it all, an amazing world building, really good characters, those character grow so much, almost more than the pages in the book allow them to grow, a really faulty society (that doesn’t seem that far from ours, even being 100 years in the future) and love, so much love, love for friends, love for a daughter and that daughter for his mother, love for a lover, ah, it really has it all.
It is beautifully written, in a way that even years after reading this book, it will live in my mind, of that I am sure, all that we learn in this story is through the eyes of Alabine Rivers (I must say that it really took me a while to fully accept this name haha, Alabine sounded so weird, but Rivers took me directly to River Song) and she tells her story in the first person, and some times the time of the verbs change and she speaks in an unknown future, and that keep me going, making me to want to know more, each turn and twist in the story keep me interested. I also loved the stories she told while in a dream state, that gave us glimpses of her story, how she got there, how she is who she is, of who Max Green, the man she loves grow to be the man that fought that much for her, who gave their love story to the world…
Alabine in 2021 she died, she had a cancer that we currently don’t have a cure, and after death, was keep under cryogenic, Max her boyfriend helped normalize the procedure telling the world about his love for Alabine and his wish to meet her when her cancer had a cure. In 2122 she is brought to life in a world she doesn’t recognize, and that is only the start of a story that will glue a reader to this pages.
The evil from the ones in power, the devil among them, all those things that give meaning to the story actually for me this was a really powerful read, and one that I will highly recommend.
For me this was a perfect read, a book that made me fell in love with it, so much, that in my time away from it, I was bothering everyone around me, telling them how good the story was and how they would like it as well. One thing that I know people sometimes complain, but for me was just the way it was, is that the chapters are long, some more than 30 minutes long. Its mind blowing that this was a debut and again I cannot praise it enough.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.
July 27, 2022
𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜/𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨
The Awoken by Katelyn Monroe Howes
@KatelynMHowes
Pub date: August 9, 2022
Narration: Sarah Naughton
Duration: 14H 44M
“𝘐 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘐 𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴, 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘺. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.”
This passage right here resonates deeply with me! The story of The Awoken is centered around love - all kinds of love and though at first it may seem that The Awoken is centered around pure science fiction, know that it is so much more. It is about fear, intolerance, ethics and morality. And love.
When Alabine Rivers meets the love of her life, Max, she is sick. She doesn’t know it yet but it’ll be just a short time before she dies. She’s cryogenically frozen, awaiting a cure, and when she wakes some 100+ years later, the world is, of course, much different. What Alabine didn’t expect was that her very presence would be a crime and that she would be hunted as a fugitive by those that would see her dead. Luckily, the world is split and a group of Resurrectionists fight for the rights of the Awoken. Struggling to adapt to this new world, she must also fight for her right to survive in this hostile new world.
This is a gritty dystopian story that is full of action and adventure but also has a focus on social issues that are prominent in current times. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.
I can’t imagine a better narrator than Sarah Naughton! Full on emotive portrayal of all the characters and she really captured the essence of the story. Well done!
Thank you @PRHAudio for this gifted ALC and to @DuttonBooks for this gifted DRC.
The Awoken by Katelyn Monroe Howes
@KatelynMHowes
Pub date: August 9, 2022
Narration: Sarah Naughton
Duration: 14H 44M
“𝘐 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘐 𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴, 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘺. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.”
This passage right here resonates deeply with me! The story of The Awoken is centered around love - all kinds of love and though at first it may seem that The Awoken is centered around pure science fiction, know that it is so much more. It is about fear, intolerance, ethics and morality. And love.
When Alabine Rivers meets the love of her life, Max, she is sick. She doesn’t know it yet but it’ll be just a short time before she dies. She’s cryogenically frozen, awaiting a cure, and when she wakes some 100+ years later, the world is, of course, much different. What Alabine didn’t expect was that her very presence would be a crime and that she would be hunted as a fugitive by those that would see her dead. Luckily, the world is split and a group of Resurrectionists fight for the rights of the Awoken. Struggling to adapt to this new world, she must also fight for her right to survive in this hostile new world.
This is a gritty dystopian story that is full of action and adventure but also has a focus on social issues that are prominent in current times. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.
I can’t imagine a better narrator than Sarah Naughton! Full on emotive portrayal of all the characters and she really captured the essence of the story. Well done!
Thank you @PRHAudio for this gifted ALC and to @DuttonBooks for this gifted DRC.
August 4, 2022
This was a good book, it takes place in a future where the United States (and parts of Canada) have broken apart and reformed as United America. Alabine Rivers was in her early 20's in the 2000's and had been diagnosed with terminal cancer when she made the decision to cryogenically freeze her body to be revived when a cure for her cancer has been discovered. Zip ahead about a 100 years and Alabine is awoken in a world that is vastly different than the one she knew, though there is no flying cars like she thought there would be. The group of people that woke her did so because she became the face of the cryogenic movement after she was frozen, a movement that the government is opposed to and violently represses at every opportunity. The group is know as the Resurrectionists who are made up of supports of cryogenics or who were also awoken. They are hoping that with Alabine others will see that the movement is not the terrorist organization the government claims them to be. The start of this book was very good, there was some background on Alabine and the love of her life Max Green who is also currently frozen. There is a rapid pace to the story, the group is being tracked by government forces and is constantly moving from one safe camp to another. My one issue with the story was the amount of time spent on Alabine and Max's history and how much they loved each other, I got that they were very close early on, having it brought up over and over again dragged the story down at points. Overall though I did enjoy this and would recommend it. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Penguin Group for the ARC.
August 14, 2022
Awakening to a Changed World
Alabine Rivers, a young political activist, is devastated when she’s diagnosed with terminal cancer at twenty-three. With encouragement from her boyfriend, Max, she agrees to be cryogenically frozen in the hope that a cure will be discovered.
A century later, she’s revived and awakens to a changed world. America is no longer the place she remembered. She finds herself in the midst of a revolution. The governing class is against the people who have been brought back after being frozen. The Awoken have been declared outside the law with no rights. They can be shot on sight.
The Resurrectionists who are responsible for bringing Alabine back to life have an ulterior motive. They want her to be a leader in the movement for the survival of the Awoken.
This is a dystopian novel with echoes of America today. Society is not accepting of differences, everyone is supposed to think alike. This is a frightening world for Alabine. She struggles to understand her new environment while having flashbacks to the old way of life. I thought she was a great character. It’s not easy to have your entire world completely changed, but she struggles and survives.
This is a book that makes you think. It addresses many issues of the rights of groups that are not mainstream. It even tackles the moral question of cryogenics and the rights of people who have been brought back to life. If you enjoy dystopian novels, this is a good one.
I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.
Alabine Rivers, a young political activist, is devastated when she’s diagnosed with terminal cancer at twenty-three. With encouragement from her boyfriend, Max, she agrees to be cryogenically frozen in the hope that a cure will be discovered.
A century later, she’s revived and awakens to a changed world. America is no longer the place she remembered. She finds herself in the midst of a revolution. The governing class is against the people who have been brought back after being frozen. The Awoken have been declared outside the law with no rights. They can be shot on sight.
The Resurrectionists who are responsible for bringing Alabine back to life have an ulterior motive. They want her to be a leader in the movement for the survival of the Awoken.
This is a dystopian novel with echoes of America today. Society is not accepting of differences, everyone is supposed to think alike. This is a frightening world for Alabine. She struggles to understand her new environment while having flashbacks to the old way of life. I thought she was a great character. It’s not easy to have your entire world completely changed, but she struggles and survives.
This is a book that makes you think. It addresses many issues of the rights of groups that are not mainstream. It even tackles the moral question of cryogenics and the rights of people who have been brought back to life. If you enjoy dystopian novels, this is a good one.
I received this book from Penguin Random House for this review.
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