25th September, 2014
Wake
| Name : | TAN HOONG WEI |
| Class : | K3B |
| School Num. : | 12196 |
| Book Call Num. : | FMCM |
| Book Title : | Wake |
| Author : | Lisa McMann |
| Publication Year/(Edition) : | Simon and Schuster (2009) |
Settings:
Modern time in the United States
Characters:
Janie, is the main character. She tells us what is going on in her life, and she is the most important character. She is able to see into other peoples dreams and whenever she sees someone in class, or riding the bus sleeping, she starts to get nauseous and feels like she is sick when this happens.
Cabel Strumheller, Develops a romantic relationship with Janie and is the only one who knows her secret. He does not play a major role until late in the story. He has a covert identity and helps police with drug busting. He is also plagued with dreams of killing a man whom Janie later realizes is his father.
Carrie Brandt, Janie’s best friend, who usually hangs out with the wealthier kids. She is also Melinda’s best friend. She has recurring nightmares of the death of her younger brother, who drowned. She becomes entangled in the drug bust in the end.
Miss Stubin, an elderly woman who lives in Heather Home where Janie works. Also a dream catcher, she helps Janie realize her abilities.
Captain Fran Komiski, Cabel’s boss, and the one who is in charge of the drug busting operation.
Summary:
The book begins with multiple flashbacks,all leading to Janie’s extraordinary powers and where she stands in the present day. Janie Hannagan is an independent, 17-year-old senior at Fieldridge High School, living at home with her alcoholic mother and trying to find ways to fund her future college education. What makes Janie so different from her peers is that she has the involuntary ability to witness others’ dreams. Janie discovered this ability at 8 years old, when she was able to witness a businessman’s dream of him giving a presentation in his underwear. From that day on, she is somewhat cursed by the long struggle and suffering of being part of others’ dreams and nightmares. By taking part in others’ dreams, she can see their fears and/or desires.
After several encounters, Janie and Cabel fall for each other on a class trip to Canada, during which time Cabel becomes aware of Janie’s strange powers. Although Cabel helps Janie protect her secret, they are unable to maintain a close relationship.Even as Janie and Cabel grow apart, their desire for each other increases. Cabel seems to fall away from Janie and into the drug trade.
But all is not as it seems, for Janie soon finds out that Cabel isn’t a drug dealer and he was not involed with Shay in any way. But rather Cabel is a sort of underground cop and was on the trail of a major drug bust.
The climax of the story comes as Cabel, along with a number of other Fieldridge students and parents, are imprisoned on narcotics charges. Janie witnesses the dream of Shay’s father who was the leader in all this drug dealing business. The dream is very intense and lasts for hours and Janie soon becomes completely numb and falls out of her chair. Then Captain Fran ( Cabel’s boss) asks Janie what she saw in the dream, hoping that the dream would indicate the location of the drug dealers major stash. Janie describes the dream to Fran and concludes that the drugs are sown inside the life jackets on the drug dealer’s yacht.
Reviews:
Overall, this book was interesting. Janie gets sucked into other people’s dreams and is often overwhelmed by the. The writing is cut up and choppy. The details aren’t subtle so one has to presume by herself. However, this is a nice book to read, especially for new readers. It is easy to comprehend. New readers will definitely find this an easy read. Wake has a great blend of mystery, romance and supernatural elements. There isn’t much romancing. The thrill is meek in this book but still acceptable. I highly recommend this book for young adult readers.
Posted at 5:39 pm | Comments (5)
5 Comments
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On February 20, 2015 at 11:54 am s4b.ppc@smjk.edu.my said:
February 20, 2015 at 11:54 am
Name: Caryn Tan Khye Lyn
Class: K3B
This is some rather peculiar book. The dreams of an oblivious girl turned awry. Who would have guessed I fell in love with this short novel? It’s simple to read, and by that, I mean it’s really simple to comprehend. The sentences are short, the vocabularies used aren’t all that deep and difficult to understand. For novices of English novels, I would recommend this book to you. I assure you it is a really good book to read with much romance and mystique dreams.
On February 20, 2015 at 11:54 am s4b.ppc@smjk.edu.my said:
February 20, 2015 at 11:54 am
Name: Koay Yi Yun
Class: K3C
Wake is an impressive book. With much love and support from the characters, this gives me a clearer view of how the world is. Though I must say that lucid dreaming is currently one of my favourite topic to discuss after reading this book. It’s a new scientific term for me and I am glad I had the chance to learn about it. If it weren’t for this book, I wouldn’t know what lucid dreaming is. I am thankful the I had the chance to read this book. Plus, it’s really easy to comprehend. 5 stars for this book!
On February 20, 2015 at 11:55 am s4b.ppc@smjk.edu.my said:
February 20, 2015 at 11:55 am
Name: Ding Kah Wen
Class: K3C
I do approve of what the above comments have said. The writer uses simplistic term to write this book. She doesn’t try to dig up complicated words which leave you scurrying for the dictionary. For starters, this would be a great book to begin with. Instead of starting of with novels, this could be a substitute as a short story. That way, readers wouldn’t find it too hard to comprehend. Furthermore, readers would be gripped by the story plot.
On February 20, 2015 at 11:55 am s4b.ppc@smjk.edu.my said:
February 20, 2015 at 11:55 am
Name: Yeap Yu Xian
Class: K3C
As a fantasy lover, I am totally in love this book. The vocabulary used in this book is not too hard so it is easy for new readers like me to understand. I do not think Janie’s abilities are a curse. To me, as long as she learns to control it, it could actually be a blessing. Despite the lack of romance, this book is still interesting. The way the author portrays Janie’s abilities and how the cops manage to use her powers to rescue hostages of a drug dealer is fascinating. Keep up the good work Lisa!
On March 13, 2015 at 8:53 pm s4b.ppc@smjk.edu.my said:
March 13, 2015 at 8:53 pm
Name: Stella Anne Teoh Ming Hui
Class: S4B
Really amazing. This book composes of brilliant dreams and how the mind acts as a machine in the human. Easy to decipher what the author is trying to imply without having to use much brain power. A must-read for romance reader and novice in reading novels. This is a great start for new readers. I am rather impressed with the book.