Katie Kacvinsky

In the year 2060, when people hardly ever leave the security of their houses and instead do everything online, Madeline Freeman, the seventeen-year-old daughter of the man who created the national digital school attended by all citizens, is wooed by a group of radicals who are trying to get people to "unplug."

Awaken

Mae Erceg

this book was SO good. so so so good but she'd better make a second one!

Stefanie  Uwah

I give this a 2.75. I plan on doing an influx depth review soon!

Danielle H.

So I picked this book up with pretty much no expectations; it was just there at the library and I thought, "Hmmm, this seems interesting." It looked really good, but I didn't want to get my hopes up. After reading the book, I have to admit it was really good and I'm glad I picked it up by chance.

Out of all the dystopian YA novels I've been reading lately, I can actually see this happening in reality. The book takes place in the future, 2060. In Kacvinsky's world, people have virtually no interpersonal relationship anymore. They rarely even set foot out of their homes. Why? Because they've been basically brainwashed into believing it's safer that way. I can understand where they're coming from, but I believe it's a bit too radical. They wanted to protect everyone from ridiculous crime, rape, murder, etc., rates, especially among teens. Why go out and see a movie with friends when you can watch a movie online with your friends and chat? Kids go to DS (digital school), which is basically our equilavent of online school. They no longer use paper products; everything is done on a digital screen of some kind. They don't even have trees! This made me think of the Lorax, having recently seen it :) 

Anyway, enough about the plot. From page one, I was hooked. The storyline was intriguing and had me captivated. I couldn't help thinking about how easy it would be for us to evolve into this fictional world. With all the technology we have today, people spend hours and hours everyday staring at some sort of screen, and less time with eachother. The idea of this becoming our reality was slightly more terrifying than any other dystopia I've ever read mostly because it was the most realistic. 

Justin is old fashioned. He despises technology. He prefers pens and paper to digital screens. He is part of a rebel society and therefore does alot of traveling. He uses this as an excuse to push Maddie away, telling her it wouldn't work out and that he doesn't deserve her. 

Maddie appears to be sitting on the fence, trying to decide which way to fall off. Her father being the founder of DS puts in her the spotlight, forcing her to go along with all her father does even if she thinks its wrong. She grew up with everything digital, never really having to deal with the outside world or seeing what it had to offer. But once Justin shows her freedom, her whole world changes forever. 

Maddie and Justin's relationship...it was alright I guess. I just couldn't help but wonder if she really liked him because of who he was and/or what he does, or if it was more of an instant-love type thing where she just fell for him because he was one of the first and only guys she was able to have face-to-face contact with.

Overall, I think this was an amazing book. I believe it gave some insight as to what might happen in the future when it comes to technology. It sends us the message that we should not let computers and phones take over our lives. We have to remember our friends and family, and remember that life exist beyond the digital screen. No one is their true self online. People use the internet as a way to live the life they want; to create their perfect world. But in the flesh, it's more difficult to hide who you are because you're more vulnerable and have less defenses. Don't be afraid to be who you are, because who you are is better than anyone you could make yourself up to be. This is what I learned from this story :) Cannot wait for book 2!

Jessica Nottingham

Now that I've read this book the cover makes so much more sense! Wow. I'm pretty sure that about sums up how I feel about Awaken, unless you'll permit me to say FREAKIN' WOW! Yup. That's more accurate.

I think what most drew me in about the world that Katie Kacvinsky builds is how close to home it hits. In Maddie's world, everyone is trapped behind computer screens. Constantly plugged in, because that is the best way to stay "safe". For a long time Maddie has seen this as the norm, and a happy existence. Then Justin enters her life and everything is thrown upside down. Don't think that the irony is lost on me that I'm sitting at a computer screen typing this review. Watching Maddie's life change, and her story unfold hit really close to home. It made me think about how much time I spend behind these devices. If she wasn't living, am I? Thank you Katie Kacvinsky for making me think about that.

Maddie is a character I fell into step with instantly. Her questioning attitude, her need to please her parents despite how she feels, her inability to voice her own opinion, it's all woven into a girl who has been trapped for too long. I felt for her. Then sweet, reserved, and life changing Justin comes onto the scene. The Maddie that exists after this happens is entirely different, and yet the same person at the same time. It's a metamorphosis of the best kind. I promise that if you fall in love with her in the beginning, you'll love her even more as you watch her be born all over again.

It also needs to be said that this is one of the sweetest and most frustrating romances I've read. Justin keeps to himself because that's how he has always been. Maddie used to, but Justin breaks her out of that and now the one person she wants she can't seem to have. Frustrating right? However lest you think that this is another book with a girl pining hopelessly after a boy, Maddie is different. It made my heart soar when one of the characters in the book explained to her that pining never did anyone an ounce of good (not her exact words but I'm paraphrasing here). She tells Maddie that we must learn to love ourselves and feel whole alone, before we can truly be invested in someone else. Are you floored? I was! Thank you to an author for finally saying that! Thank you for showing us a girl who knows she needs to learn to be alone! I'll end my slightly feminist rant here, but that made me fall in love with Awaken even more than I already had.

Point being, if you couldn't tell from my incoherent thoughts above, I completely adored this book. The message is clear, and I fully agree. Maddie and Justin teach us how important it is to get out there and really live, and to do it for yourself and no one else. Awaken crawled into my mind and made me think, and if a book can do that then I'm sold. Pure and honest love is all I have for this book.

Amy Buckle

This book is a dystopian novel which allows the reader to imagine what horrors await us in the future. Similarly to The Hunger Games and Divergent series, Kacvinsky envisions a world which is nothing to be desired and paints a unappealing future where technology rules everything we do. Maddie, the protagonist, is a seventeen year old girl who finds using technology as normal as breathing. From waking up in the morning to attending digital school, (of which her father is the creator,) Maddie relies on computers for everything. Face to face interaction between people is almost inexistent... read the full review here: https://www.amybucklesbookshelf.co.uk...

Milana Marie Waller

goodreads recommended this book to me i wanna say in seventh grade ? i know i liked the plot then and i had put it on my to buy list and then when i stumbled upon it at books a million as a used copy for like, 3 dollars i bought it and it’s just kind of been sitting on my shelves ever since just because i doubted it would be good since i pocked it out in seventh grade but it actually ended up being really good and i prefer the second book on Amazon so


also the cover is gold

Awaken

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