Tuesday is usually the day for new book releases, but that’s not always the case. And on this Monday morning, you can brighten off your day by picking up Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky, a thrilling new YA that takes place in the future, but touches on issues relevant to today’s readers.
On Friday, Katie stopped by to offer us a guest blog from Awaken’s main character — and now, we want to remind you to head out to your local book store and snatch up a copy of Awaken and start reading! (Need some extra motivation? Just check out the AWESOME playlist Kaite put together for Awaken … that’ll show you just a taste of what to expect!) Once you’ve read it, be sure to come back here and tell us what you thought in the comments!
Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.
Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.
In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.
Novel Novice 
Great read, and re-reading it for the second time. (Can’t recall how I stumbled upon it, but I found it after reading Divergent.)
Awaken has a good story to it, and ends where you can just feel a follow-up book will be like the next chapter in Maddie’s life. The story seen through Madeline’s eyes, is good look at how dysfunctional society could easily become in a very digital age that we’re already experiencing. It explores emotions, interactions, discovery, and more; and makes you stop and look back on your own life and how much computers play a part in it. There’s drama, action and romance… with the story allowing you to feel life through Maddie’s experiences, although the story does have a few cliche’s in it.
Definitely worth a read as it’s an interesting take on what life could be like in the very near future.