Those That Wake

Those That Wake #1

by Jesse Karp

New York City’s spirit has been crushed. People walk the streets with their heads down, withdrawing from one another and into the cold comfort of technology. Teenagers Mal and Laura have grown up in this reality. They’ve never met. Seemingly, they never will. 

But on the same day Mal learns his brother has disappeared, Laura discovers her parents have forgotten her. Both begin a search for their families that leads them to the same truth: someone or something has wiped the teens from the memories of every person they have ever known. Thrown together, Mal and Laura must find common ground as they attempt to reclaim their pasts.

Genres: Young Adult, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Mystery, Teen, Fantasy, Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

here be f-bombs!!
in the book, not my review. i am a lady.

i don't know.
this book is all right, i just didn't really get caught up in it, despite my high expectations.

my annotation for the world's best RA group reads thusly:

Mal's brother has vanished. Laura's parents do not recognize her. People on the streets are glued to their devices and do not interact. A building that no one seems to notice, one which is bigger on the inside than the outside, contains doorways that lead to farflung places in the city. Set in a dystopian New York City, several people attempt to find answers to the questions that haunt them, and try to salvage what remains of humanity.

(yeah - when i annotate, i use capital letters, so what?)

but it sounds fun, right? well, it is only so-so. my gripes include the big bad force being called global dynamic which, even though i have totally missed this last season of fringe, still sounds awfully familiar. in fact, a lot of this book could play as a mid-series x-files or a fringe episode. and that's fine, i like teevee, but i was hoping for something a little more "wow," a little less familiar, something with zazz.

the character of mike was pretty poor, in my mind. an adult character, regardless of whether the book is intended for teens, should behave like an adult character. as a teacher, even a disillusioned teacher who has begun to dislike students, resorting to playground-style taunts and mannerisms w/r/t the deepening closeness of mal and laura is just absurd. i can't picture any of my high school teachers, even the cruelest of them, performing the equivalent of "ooooh - you like a girrrrrrrrl" dance, even drunk at the prom. surely by that point some dignity has been achieved?

but it had definite high points: i did like the ending, i appreciated that there was no falling into a hallmark feel-gooderie zone,it had good energy and characters with a lot of damage, the way i like...

so - yeah - this is utterly unhelpful to anyone considering reading this. sorry. it is a fine way to pass the time, but all in all, i am glad i borrowed this from work instead of owning it for all time.

come to my blog!

[R.M. Archer · Rating 3 out of 5]

So... this book has a depth, vocabulary, and fascinating style of description lacking in much of YA. I very much appreciate that. I also appreciate the intended theme and some of the insights on hopelessness, the transmission of ideas, and how companies profit. The blend of genres and the overall tone is also really interesting; a little trippy, but in a good way.

On the other hand. There's an excess of crass vocabulary alongside the more sophisticated vocabulary. I did not need R-rating levels of language, thank you very much. And the ending felt hollow. I'm not convinced of the manner in which the antagonist was defeated, and I'm disappointed in the lack of resolution for all the characters lost.

Overall, I have very mixed feelings and they're settling into a summary of "meh."

[Autumn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled to read this. It was confusing. The characters were flat. The world was boring. The explanations for the events that happened were too hard to comprehend. The "romance" was lacking.

In the end, I can see the message being portrayed, but it could've been told slightly different. Maybe explained a little better? This book was lacking so much for me. I understand stand-alones aren't as detailed and engulfing as series, but I've read plenty of stand-alones with more closure and details than this one.

[Silver Thistle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in a New York of the near future and people are mostly oblivious of each other and the world around them. Instead they choose technology as a constant companion. Cell phones in particular have become essential in their day-to-day existence. Electronic devices have replaced human interaction and people are now reliant on digital media.

A terrorist attack some time after 9/11, called Big Black, caused huge explosions and power outages across New York and the resulting damage (both physical and mental) has never been repaired. The ground level damage has simply been covered over with a huge dome which can be seen for miles around. People say it now contains toxic substances, although there is no concrete evidence. The easiest way to deal with the decay and devastation is to keep their heads down and their eyes averted. The only thing guaranteed to get a person's attention are the huge HD screens which have replaced the windows in the old subway cars. These screens constantly bombard captive audiences on the transport system with advertising campaigns, slogans and infomercials. Corporations now run the entire world and the audiences, who are hooked on digital media, are easy targets.

The story is told from the perspective of 4 unconnected characters. Each has their own story to tell and gradually, by piecing each persons tale together, we come to realise they're all hold answers to help complete the big picture. Mal's brother Tommy has disappeared without a trace, Laura has ceased to exist for everyone who has ever known her - including her parents, Mike has found a door in the basement of his school which appears to lead to a place that can't exist and Remak is a secret agent investigating strange occurrences in the neighbourhood. These four people are thrown together in strange circumstances and find themselves in a terrifying and bizarre situation and they will all have to work together if they are ever to discover what's really going on....and how to stop it.

The cover is gloomy and depressing and judging by cover alone it looked like it was right up my street. There wasn't a lot to go on, but the blurb led me to believe it might be on the dystopian side so I jumped at the chance to give it a go. This is a debut title so I went into it with an open mind and no high hopes...

It's the kind of book that makes you take a step back and think. It seems to be a cautionary tale and I couldn't help but compare the world I was reading about and our own that I live in. How many gadgets and electronic devices do you use on a daily basis? How quickly would you fall apart without them? Yeah. Me too.

This is a very hard book to pigeon-hole. It's a dystopian, dark fantasy, horror story with liberal doses of science fiction and weirdness thrown in.

From literally the first few pages I was grabbed by the scruff of the neck and flung into the story. As I've mentioned I am the slowest reader. Usually. I read this whole book, all 300+ pages of it, in a few hours and could not put it down.

I thought it was purely dystopian at the beginning but as I read on some things started to take on a menacing air and the horror started to seep in. However, it's not scary blood and gore type horror it's more of a sinister background horror that you only see glimpses of.

The character development is great and I really felt the terror that was bubbling just underneath the surface for each person as their story unfolded. I really felt like I knew these people. I cared about what happened to them and had my fingers crossed that things would work out for them. Likewise the world building is full and realised. I got a real feel for how hopeless and lost everything was. It all seemed dark and grey and dismal but by seeing it through the eyes of Mal, Laura, Mike and Remak I was hopeful that solutions were just on the horizon if only they could piece together the puzzle. Their characters grew right before my eyes and even Mike (who I wasn't that fond of for most of the story) developed a depth of character that I hadn't seen in the beginning.

I was left guessing all the way through the story. Some new piece of info would be shared and I would think "Ah ha! That's what's behind it all. I bet I know what's coming...." Only to be foiled by another piece of info and taken back to square one.

Now then, the ending, the conclusion and the reveal of all... I have no clue what the hell happened there at the end. Not. A. Clue. It all sort of whooshed over my head and I had a hard time understanding what was said, far less what was happening. I think that has more to do with me than with the story though. The ending is really, really complex and to stop and re-read passages over and over again until I got it would have torn me out of the story so I just trusted that Mr Karp knew what he was on about and took things on trust. Better just to surrender to it and let things unfold.

The only little niggle I have with any of it was that it felt a little preachy at the end. A little bit... The internet and all things globally interactive seem to put us in a great position to interact with each other and broaden our horizons, but actually the world is shrinking and we're becoming even more isolated than when we started. Carry on the way we're going in this age of the internet and all hell will break loose. I get it.

This title is billed for ages 12+ but I think it may hold more appeal for a slightly older audience. I seem to be in a minority with this one as lots of people don't like it, but I thought it was great :)

[Saskia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the kind of book that will make you look around nervously to see if there are holes appearing in your world.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know, I know, two-star again? Well, hear me out on this one. I was going to give it a one-star, as I really didn't like it, but there was enough promise in the premise that it could have been good, but wasn't, which is my criteria for a 2 star. It started out good, and there were some good points interspersed, but...my land... There was a major problem (along with some really 2-d characters and slightly off plotting), and it begins with an "F".

Books like this--books that include 'f this' and 'f that' and 'f you' and 'ff-ity f f f' until I feel like it's a friggin' rage comic instead of a novel--really piss me off, and not because I don't personally employ expletives myself. It's a type of speech; you've got a freedom to use it. HOWEVER, cursing in YA is unique, in my opinion, because it tends to paint a picture of how the author views young adults/teenagers. Cursing should be character-driven. For instance, your street-rat-druggie-tough-guy prolly won't say 'oh golly gee' when and if he trips, where as your Evangelical-Christian-straight-laced-good-girl just might. Cursing serves a purpose, and should be used with judgement.

Making all of your characters use language like the 'mother of all swear words' does not make them come off as hardened gangster types (especially when the only thing we have for character development for the MMC is fighting and cursing), it, in the words of the inimitable Dorothy Parker, "add[s] neither vigor nor clarity; the effect is not of shock but of something far more dangerous--tedium."

To curse in excess is to invoke tedium. And tedium in books? That's the bell of death (the repeated, obnoxious, never-ending bell).

And that is why I can say that cursing in YA shows how authors think of young adults. If it's character driven, if it serves a purpose, then it shows that the author thinks of Y.A.s as people, as individuals. When cursing is done the way it is in TTW, it shows an incredible lack of understanding at best and an utter disdain at worst for the Y.A. population.

In short:

**Those That Wake, rated 14+, rated 2.2/5 stars.

[Violeta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the book. I would've rated it 4 out of 5, but I felt that it had some spots that could have been better. It took me a bit to figure out the plot and what it was about because it kept on switching from one person's point of view to another's. It was a bit confusing, but as soon as I read more into the book I slowly got what the book was about. It's books like this one that make me cautious about how much time I spend in the internet and using technology, but the effect wears off after a few days.

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The issue with this book is that it portrays people drowning in hopelessness and apathy so well that it depressed me to read it. The ending is hopeful, but very bittersweet, and I just...I admire the premise and the plot, but it wasn't an enjoyable read, and I can't imagine recommending it unless someone asks specifically for a story of hopelessness and inner turmoil.

[merr · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is all over the place and nowhere all at once. A lot happens, but nothing really happens. If that makes sense. Like there’s so much going on, different characters and perspectives and themes and plot lines, but none of it goes together well and none of it truly makes sense. It starts off slow, doesn’t really pick up from there, just adds a bunch of confusing things that don’t work well and make the story a roller coaster of confusion. It’s like dystopian mixed with wanna be science fiction mixed with suspense and mystery but it wasn’t working and isn’t good.

I feel like I honestly can’t even give a good explanation of the book. The world they live in is technologically advanced and it’s a play on how all that controls humans, but also somehow the world is like being controlled by a parasite to your mind and the four main characters wake up and realize the mind control that they are under or something. I don’t know, it’s really just a mess of ideas that suck.

It has four main characters but then it adds so many perspectives and different people that all the characters end up falling flat. The whole book talks about hopelessness and maybe that’s what you’ll also feel for the characters. You got nothing to root for, plus the ending doesn’t do anything but just blow up how awful the book is even more.

I will also point out that on page 230 one of the main characters calls another character “retarded”, which I know this book isn’t new by any means. But that word wasn’t acceptable then and definitely not a cool addition. And I’m not even offended by stuff easily, I just do not get the point of the author adding that.

Obviously I don’t know the author but the best way I can describe this book is that it sounds like someone who hates our government to the extreme decided to write a book about how they mind control us and how we are all going to die and be so mind numbing dumb that we let it happen. Which fair, there are some things that like yes we do lack as humans but this just comes off so angrily and badly written that it just sucks so terribly bad.

The only quote I liked was this, “you have to use your anger. If it uses you, you crash and burn.”

I definitely wouldn’t recommend this book. Because honestly I don’t know what the heck I just read it was that all over the place and nothing comes together. If you like to be jerked around and have no recollection of anything that makes sense maybe this is for you. But if you don’t wanna waste time on a book that makes zero sense and has a terrible ending, with weird stuff and whatnot, don’t even pick this book up.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Those That Wake is riveting and unnerving science fiction thriller. With first class world-building and character well-constructed characters, Karp’s debut novel grips the reader from the very beginning. It’s a frightening premise, to be forgotten and erased. While it is disturbing to know that we could die and/or disappear, having fallen prey to some terrible circumstance or evil deed, there is a sort of cold comfort in knowing that someone out there will be looking for us, missing us, loving us still. There is no such comfort for Laura. She finds herself in a nightmare, rejected and displaced, with no one to turn to. Karp’s adept hand at describing the strange events and settings paints a perpetually eerie mood that, at times, intensifies to become viscerally disturbing. The unseen and empty-but-not-empty office building is a tantalizing enigma that the reader wants to both explore and run from.

That being said, the novel does suffer from two weaknesses. First, while it is conceivable that Mal and Laura would bond under these harrowing circumstances, their immediate attraction (and it seems to be described as such, with all the glances and lingering gazes) does not ring true. Karp shows that he is able to portray the hidden feelings and motivations of characters but makes a minor misstep in not doing so with the relationship between these two and, as a result, their immediate connection feels contrived.

Also, there is some loss of tension in the last portion of the book. The story seems to shift gears rather suddenly from a horror/thriller to straight science fiction. There’s a bit too much exposition as the mystery is unraveled in long-winded monologues (think science lectures) given by Remak, The Librarian, and The Man in the Suit. And once we know what’s going on, the finest elements of the book lose their teeth. This is a common trap movies and novels fall into when they begin with unexplained phenomena; once the phenomena is explained, the imagined monster isn’t quite so scary anymore. Fortunately for Those That Wake, the “monster” turns out to be more complicated than most found in young adult science fiction. This novel addresses the human condition, corporate greed and how we soothe ourselves with mindless diversion. This is a true science fiction story, holding a mirror to society and challenging us to question the status-quo. If you like your sci-fi dark and thoughtful, there is plenty here to enjoy.

[P.E. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Those That Wake has the appearance of a book about zombies but, you should know, it isn't. The book is instead about helplessness and fighting it.

To be honest, after finishing the last page my reaction was "What happened?" I was thoroughly confused. I couldn't really grasp the concept Jesse Karp was using so many things had me puzzled. I read one passage three or four times and still didn't understand what was going on. Maybe someone else will understand or there could have been better explanations. You had to pay very very close attention to understand what was going on and I honestly wasn't willing to put that much effort in a book I had hoped would entertain me.

The characters... What can I say? I didn't actively like any of them. I thought they ranged from "I hate them" to "normal." I just couldn't seem to connect with them or what they did. For example, the "romance." It didn't make sense. It wasn't needed. Does all it take for love to appear is a girl to see a guy? There wasn't any foreplay. No one ever questioned their feelings. They just felt protective from the start. I couldn't understand it.

The world building wasn't really amazing. I couldn't tell if this world was supposed to be a near future or an advanced future. They referenced 9/11 so it could be near but based on how people were so technologically advanced I really don't know. We were told people never looked up from screens. Besides a few events, I couldn't really picture the New York in Those That Wake.

You may have gotten the impression I wasn't too impressed by Those That Wake,but there were good things. A lot of cool stuff happened like Laura being forgotten and having to deal with that. The characters' backgrounds were also interesting. Those That Wake make you want to stop using the Internet and testing all the time and instead look around the world. It also raises awareness of media's influences.

This book wasn't the book for me. I couldn't get into it, I didn't find myself liking the characters, the plot confused me... Definitely not for me. I'm sure someone else may enjoy this book. If Sci-fi with conspiracies against media and corporations is your thing, you'll probably like this. 2 stars,

**

[Nikki (Wicked Awesome Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those That Wake is one of those books that really makes you think. The book is labeled dystopian, but I’d say it’s much more sci-fi. Normally, I’d say I don’t do sci-fi, but I really enjoyed how Jesse Karp created this story based on society’s disconnect from human nature and our growing dependency on technology. That, coupled with this crazy, ‘I can’t believe this is actually what this book is about,’ twist, make Those That Wake such a thrilling story.

The post-terrorist attack New York isn’t so different from our actual NYC and that makes it just a little bit scary. People walk around with their hands and eyes glued to their cell phones, trapped in the world of technology and interacting with people less and less. The four main characters of the story, Remak, Mike, Laura, and Mal, see that when no one else does. They’re left in this world where no one knows or remembers them, seemingly hopeless, but still fighting.

At times confusing, always thrilling, and definitely high concept, Those That Wake is a story to ponder. It’s split into four parts and starts off a bit slow, but once part 2 rolls around, the energy picks up. It’s almost necessary to read this one quickly, otherwise the reader will get lost. I found myself re-reading passages just to make sure I was clear about what was going on, but it’s worth it. The ending messes with your mind, switching realities, confusing the reader, but ultimately hopeful. That last word there is important…read the story and find out exactly why.

Those That Wake is a fascinating, fast-paced, mind-blowing take on our collective thoughts and how much life is actually worth. It’s a thought-provoking story with intricate twists and tension-filled scenes. Fans of dystopia, sci-fi, and Inception-style stories should get a kick out of it. Jesse Karp has given the YA community something truly unique that stands out and should be noticed. Not only is it well-written, but very well executed as well. I’ll be on the lookout for his future work.

[Amanda (Born Bookish) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dystopian is one of my favorite YA genres! One that I've become completely obsessed with over the summer. So when I read the synopsis for Those That Wake I couldn't get my hands on it fast enough. A dystopian world plus cool futuristic technology, and memories being erased, what could be better? Or so I thought... this book was a huge disappointment and quite frankly not worth the time it took me to drag myself through all 336 pages.

The setting of a book is a huge part of the story. A well-thought out and well described settings helps draw the reader in, as well as bring the story to life. I feel that setting is even more important in dystopian fiction than anywhere else. The world has to be brilliantly created and described to make it believable. With that being said, I don't think the author spent enough time setting up and describing this futuristic New York City and how it came to be. Except for mentions of a terrorist attack known as "the big black" and the ever looming giant dome that now covers part of the city.

I had a really hard time connecting with any of the main characters. Each chapter was written from a different perspective, which made it so that you never really got too deep into the mindset of any one character, instead you got more of an overview, bits and pieces of everyone. When Mal and Laura found themselves in life threatening situations I tried to make myself care, but I honestly couldn't care less weather they survived or not, because I couldn't relate to them on any level.

There was quit a bit of science fiction elements to the story as well as dystopian, which really only worked to confuse me so much so that when the book was over I didn't even know what had really happened.

I know other people have read and really enjoyed this book. I read some good reviews for it beforehand. I guess those people saw something in it that I apparently did not. I would say don't waste your time with this one; cause you can't get that time back.

[Chanelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted so much to like this book. From the summary, it sounded like something I'd really enjoy. I just wish it had been written differently.

It centres around four people. Two teenagers and two adults. This is supposed to be for Young Adults, but I felt like this was more of an adult book. Explanations to solve the mystery were jumbled and told in huge chunks. It used termionology that wasn't explained. I felt like I was going cross-eyed reading it - and I'm used to reading huge psychology text books.

The characters were the best part of this novel. Laura, especially, was my favourite. She was strong, and vulnerable, naive and brave. The relationship blooming between her and Mal was sweet, and I wished that it had been more delved into. But, as it followed two adults, the book was split into other POVs and they were POVs I had no interest in.

The mystery behind the doors was interesting in the way it was introduced. The explanation, however, was poor and ruined the entire plot for me. I don't even think I could explain the reasoning behind the doors - that's how much I didn't understand it. We had one scene where a voice is telling our characters what is going on. It wasn't nearly enough. Not to discuss a new kind of science.

All in all, there was a good sense of urgency and a good adventure. I liked two out of the four characters, but not enough to make me like the book. I didn't get the plot, and I didn't enjoy the plot either. I'd recommend to anyone wanting a heavy, older read within YA. This was more of an adult book, though, which is not my kind of thing.

[Miss Amelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finally read this book over the summer and just never wrote a review for it. As a dystopian novel, it didn't really offer me anything original.

And apart from Brian Jacques and Neal Shusterman, I am not a fan of a MULTITUDE of POVs in a given novel. By multitude, I mean...more than 3. The near-constant change in perspective made Those That Wake seem extra clunky.

And six months after reading this novel, the only things I can tell you about it are that it's set in the future (a rather 'duh' statement for a dystopian) and that it had a mess of perspectives. Nothing else stuck with me or stood out.

However, I do remember that it's a clean book, so it's one that I would recommend to younger readers. Am I saying that young readers aren't picky? No. But I know less picky young readers than I know picky adult readers (like me!). So there's nothing really wrong with this book, but there wasn't anything special about it, either. At a time when dystopians seem to be the next big thing and authors and publishers are trying to milk the popular genre for all it's worth, novels like this seem more like riding the wave than dropping substantial, long-lasting anchors.

[Jeremiah Demster · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a YA novel in tone and story, but the ideas that are wrestled with here are definitely adult. I love a book that challenges young folks (as well as us older ones) to grapple with big ideas...ideas not normally attributed to young kids in the first place.

The book certainly has its flaws. I would have liked for it to have been a bit longer as it's too focused on its characters to be truly story driven, but they aren't developed deeply enough to be truly character driven. But the story is just a good one. I'm reminded very much in some ways of two authors I like love very much, Stephen King and Margaret Atwood. The ensemble cast and sinister supernatural plot, with a touch of what we're all capable of in the ending, is very much King. I think specifically of The Mist (the story, not the butchered movie) or Cell. And the descriptions of descent into corporate America, and the inevitable consequences, as well as the talk about how ideas spread, reminds me of Oryx And Crake, one of my favorite books of all time. And while I personally would like to have one of either the characters or the story more flushed out, I will admit that the quick-read nature of the book means that the ideas just kinda linger.

It's a really fun and smart story for people who just love stories.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written. The author has chosen every word carefully and has some eloquent insights. His thought process is clear and believable. I could relate to each individual character and their personality.

His social commentary on today's technology causing us to be out of touch with one another is quite timely, and necessary. Everything is colorless, and everyone is alone. The cell does everything - unlock the house, start the car, order and pay at Starbuck's. No human interaction required!

The emphasis is on the power of the mind, and who is in control. Negativity is a virus.

"Many. You were in one before, a place in the forest that people stopped going to and so it ceased to matter, and so I claimed it. It disappeared then, and abandoned, it started to lose things that made it real: color, smell. It will cease to exist at all eventually, and the world will be that much smaller. You think that the world exists apart from your apathy, your inadvertent disdain for things, but it doesn’t. They are bound together. Your minds are far more powerful than you know. Your conception destroys things even as it creates them. As evidence, witness me."

I think I'll remember what a tessaract is!

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book felt more like a science fiction read than a dystopian genre. I have to say that I found the first part of the book confusing and slow. So many times I was going to give up on this book but I was intrigued. I wanted to know what was happening. Thank goodness for part two where finally the reader gets some hints as to what is going on. However, you don't really get answers as much as possibilities and scientific, technological mumbo jumbo that made my head spin. Still I liked the idea. What do you do when everyone you know and love no longer recognized you? Set in a futuristic world where cell phones have taken over and the human race has stopped caring about everything, this book takes you on a wild fantasy ride. I just feel that the characters needed more depth. I loved Mal's never-give-up attitude and tough as nails exterior but I wanted to feel even more for him. The other main character's fell a little flat for me and so it was hard to care for them at all. I liked the dark scary edge this book had but again I just feel that nothing really grabbed at my heartstrings.

[Tamara Nelson-Fromm · Rating 1 out of 5]

Originally posted: http://tamaraniac.tumblr.com/post/892...

This book was my bane for months. The beginning was just so slow that I would set it right back down again after a chapter. I must have read the first few chapters twenty times. Eventually I pushed my way through, and while it does get better later, I wouldn’t say it’s really worth it.

The beginning part (150 pages or so) is very nonsensical. It hops around to different people but nothing really happens. The ending is interesting and thoughtful and has a little bit of action, but that itself is still slow and hard to get through.

It’s a lot like what I consider to be “old” sci-fi (The Foundation Trilogy for example) without the classical or cultural significance. But it’s not a bad book, just a slow one, so if you like the look of it go ahead. You could like it.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paranoid and muffled, like a thriller in slow motion, like a ghost story set in the cement landscape of Roosevelt Island, it called to mind the frightened, frightening work of Philip K. Dick . Like Mulder's quieter, more desperate X-Files moments. The characters - and the reader - don't know what's going on, why everything around them keeps breaking and why everyone they encounter seems so hostile. The atmosphere is chilling and hopeless - magnetically written, it seeps into the reader's head like silence and inertia and entropy.

Full review on Pink Me: http://pinkme.typepad.com/pink-me/201...

[7706julian · Rating 1 out of 5]

im didn't like it. i just couldn't get into it. it was about a boy who's brother went missing and a girl who's parents forgot about her. then they meet, and they go and do a bunch of stuff to get there families back. in my opinion, it was really boring. i recommend it to people that love reading non stop boring things. the end

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the best I’ve ever read. The characters are intricate and the plot is thought provoking. Events throughout the book constantly make the reader reconsider the word they live in. This book exceeded all of my expectations. While not really having any personal connections, I felt as if I personally knew the characters while reading the book. A significant idea Jesse Karl includes in the book is the importance of family. In the book the character are seperated from the ones they love. Their families completely forget they exist and have no memories of them. Throughout the book the reader is constantly reminded of how important the small things in life are. Everyone should read this book, however some elements may be too intense for younger readers. This book is a great read for anyone looking for a thought provoking book.

[Nicole A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very interesting and futuristic. I would recommend this book to people who like suspense, mystery, and science fiction. Those That Wake is a story in the perspective of many different characters who undergo strange, but similar, phenomenons. At the beginning of the story, readers learn the backstory of four very different people who all have one thing in common. They are completely forgotten by everyone they ever met or loved. Overall, this was a very good read with lots of twists and surprises. One thing that was a bit confusing to me was following all the different stories in the beginning of the book. Everything else about Those That Wake was exceptional, and I would definitely read it again!

[Oliviaolivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is more like three separate stories with the same characters. The three parts relate to each other but are very different stories. Positives: vivid description of all the scenery and the future world, and original ideas for the plot and the worlds. Negatives: really hard to follow sometimes, ending was told from to perspectives that contradict each other, one sided characters (all good or all bad), too many points of view, and too many different stories that tried to be smashed into one.

[David Griffith · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.5 Stars more realistically) Interesting premise that is thought provoking and entertaining enough. The execution of the plot is fine, but sometimes the characters feel a little flat. It’s not a spectacular book, but it’s a good enough sci-fi to pass the time. It goes into the social dynamics and how ideas affect culture and people.

[Brianna Peace · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't finish. After getting nearly halfway through the book, I was still lost in the plot and was bored with the writing. There wasn't a moment where I was drawn into the story, not even for a moment.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story line - this one really made me think.

[Kris Hennon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea but I just couldn’t stay in the story. It was missing some depth.

[Joseph McDermott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast easy read. Kind of predictable, yet an interesting concept.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and 1/2.