Review: Captivating
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 3, 2013
Wake was a fabulous read for me.  It gripped me from early on.  There are 4 things that stood out for me that made this story different from all other books out there involving two teenagers who are messed up.  I will be the first to admit that some of these differences people will not like, they won't work for everyone, but they worked great for me.1. I was always wondering if this book would have a happy ending or not.  Jem, the hero, is in remission from cancer, it is very early days.  I was frequently worried that he was going to die.  I'm not going to say if he does or not, but this anxiousness I had for his wellbeing throughout the whole book worked for me.  It made me so caught up in his story, I just had to keep reading to find out what would happen to him.  Some people may hate this feeling of worrying about not getting a happy ending.  It didn't bother me for this story, it made it feel more real.2. Jem and Willa (the heroine), who also has huge issues due to her sister dying of cancer and her own depression, are also very different from other characters.  They could be very unlikable characters at times.  They were both rude, cold, closed off, defensive, and attention seeking at times.  But they were just so interesting and real, and even though they had these unlikable characteristics they were so engaging to read.  I can understand why someone would say they find them hard to like.  But this was why I liked them even more, because I became invested in what made them who they were.  I found their story fascinating.  I couldn't wait to find out how they were going to breakdown each other's defences and ultimately help each other.3. This is a long book.  There is a lot of time to actually get to know the characters, for them to develop a real relationship, for them to actually get to know each other.  Nothing is rushed in this book.  It is not one big problem after another after another.  It is like life, where sometimes not a lot happens, but then things do.  As a reader you get time to breathe and take in everything that is happening.  It really is a slow burn.  I can see some people saying that the book is slow because of this, but for me I loved the pacing.  Another thing that was great about the pacing was that when something bad did happen it did not take up more of the book then the good stuff.  The story was written in a way that time seemed to travel at the same pace, it was not like half the book is two months then the second is two days.  It was even, just like life.  This allowed you to feel so much without it feeling forced.4. You get a great insight into how the actions/behaviour/illness of the main characters affects the people around them.  These characters have people around them that love them, support them, and want what is best for them.  That was great.Will I read it again? YesWould I recommend it? Yes