Review - Awoken

Awoken by Sarah Noffke
Genres: YA; Fantasy/Paranormal
My rating: 4.5 stars
Pages: 312

Image from Goodreads.com

It was just life as usual for 16-year-old Roya Stark, but then a visitor in her dreams changed everything.

Now, she's discovered she's a Dream Traveler. And she's expected to help save the world from the villainous Zhuang—a man who causes nightmares, hallucinations, and sleepless nights for people around the world.

She knows he must be stopped, but she did not sign up for this. Sure, she could quit...but what if she—plain 'ol, nothing special Roya Stark—is the only one who can defeat him?

My review: Well, well, well. What do we have here? A YA Fantasy with a strong heroine with special powers, who's caught up in a prophecy AND a love triangle? Sign me up.

I realize some of you may have groaned just now. A prophecy? A love triangle? Come on, Ally... Yes, I know. You think the prophecy thing has been overdone and you're so sick of love triangles. Just...please. Save all questions for the end.

First of all, can I just say that I LOVE love triangles. No, really! They create tension, and conflict, and oh so many awkward moments. And awkward moments are the best.

Although, one of the things I liked about this book, was that the romance wasn't front and center. I loved the plot. I can't really tell you much about it(spoilers, ya know) but the whole time I was cheering for Roya and the other Lucidites to kick Zhuang's—ahem--I mean, to defeat the contemptible scoundrel.

Why don't I just make a list of the things I loved about this book? Okay, here goes. 1. The humor. I laughed out loud at some parts. 2. The writing. Listen to this: “Although I haven't lived long, I know to exist in a world feeling capable of moving mountains and only allowed to dig tiny holes is wrong.” 3. The dialogue. 4. The voice. 5. The characters.

I really enjoyed the characters. Each of the teens had their own special gift and it was fun to see them develop their abilities and their friendships. There was a twist with one of them that I didn't see coming!

There's only a few things I would change.

There could have been more descriptions of the surroundings. Ms. Noffke's characters are spot on, but I never really got a good sense of the environment.

That, and I'll admit, the whole 'foretold chosen one' thing was a little overdone. But none of these things lessened my enjoyment of the story. I can't wait for the next book!

Content: Minor language. Some kissing.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Author Site / Amazon Link (Kindle price is only $2.99!)