Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Book #47: When We Wake

Title: When We Wake

Author: Karen Healey

Date started reading: July 10, 2013
Date finished reading:  July 12, 2013

Publish date: March 2013
ISBN: 978-0316200769
Number of pages: 304

Official summary: "My name is Tegan Oglietti, and on the last day of my first lifetime, I was so, so happy. ... Sixteen-year-old Tegan is just like every other girl living in 2027 – she’s happiest when playing the guitar, she’s falling in love for the first time, and she’s joining her friends to protest the wrongs of the world: environmental collapse, social discrimination, and political injustice. But on what should have been the best day of Tegan’s life, she dies – and wakes up a hundred years in the future, locked in a government facility with no idea what happened. Tegan is the first government guinea pig to be cryonically frozen and successfully revived, which makes her an instant celebrity – even though all she wants to do is try to rebuild some semblance of a normal life. But the future isn’t all she hoped it would be, and when appalling secrets come to light, Tegan must make a choice: Does she keep her head down and survive, or fight for a better future?" (http://www.karenhealey.com)

Official book trailer:


How I obtained the book: Got a free copy through my now-former employer (a newspaper)

My commentary:
  • Before thoughts: I love this book's cover. It was definitely drew my attention as it sat on a table with all the other books that the newspaper had received from publishers. I'm pretty good at judging books by their covers, and I hope this is one case where my first impression is right.  I wish the newspaper's editors would've let me review "young adult" books because this one would've been one I'd have reviewed. (The paper only covers "adult" books and children books, not stuff they view as geared toward teens.)  This book is similar enough to the genres I normally read -- which are usually either paranormally or psychologically based -- so that I would be a good judge of the book's plot. The science fiction storyline has a more widespread appeal than just teenagers, so the readers of the paper could've really enjoyed it.
  • Thoughts at half-way point: Tegan's point of view is given as though she's telling the story to someone who already knows about the futuristic society, so she seems really out of place, but, of course, she is out of place since she was "asleep" for 100 years. Writing it this way, the author really drew me in because I can see myself in Tegan's place. I'm learning about the future world as Tegan is learning it. I've struggled somewhat because of the Australian terms/phrases being used. Some words are used in Australia that just aren't used much here in the U.S. I have one online friend from Australia, and I have the same issues when we have a conversation. I have to figure it out as I go.


Buy on Amazon.com: When We Wake

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