New York : Simon Pulse, 2009, c2008.
210 p. ; 21 cm.
I finally read Wake because it is popular with students and has been reissued (along with its companion books) by Simon & Schuster. It was an easy read, but a bit uneven.
McMann creates a very clever plot - a girl, Janie, who finds that she is uncontrollably drawn into other people's dreams. As she comes of age, she gradually learns to control this condition and even learns that she can shape content and direction of the dream she enters.
A lot of the novel revolves around her growing attraction to a male friend Cabel - a relationship that moves from friendship to a sweet romance.
I found the writing to be uneven at times, occasionally feeling very choppy and disjointed. I found myself wondering why the editor didn't take a more active role in shaping the final production of the novel. I also felt that the introduction of spirituality (a dead person visits Janie in her dreams and it is clear that the spirit is real) undercuts the understated realism of Janie's dreamworld powers. Finally, I found some of the plot twists toward the end to be more like TV show plotting instead of good fiction.
Overall, a strong start, but a vision that fades (and so the title of this post). Problems aside, Wake is a fun read and one that clearly appeals to young readers, so I'll give it a thumbs up with some qualifications.
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