Awaken
by Katie Kacvinsky
I don’t usually like futuristic novels; in fact, I tend to avoid futuristic books and movies like the plague. But the premise for Awaken was irresistible: In the not-so-distant future, people rarely interact face-to-face. It started with the school shootings, and when the violence got out of hand, people got frightened. In this world, in order to be safe, interactions and relationships are created and maintained entirely online. The protagonist hasn’t spoken to another person—in person—besides her family in years. Then one day. . .
Lots of dystopian young adult novels are set in a place and time utterly unrealistic. This book doesn’t have any magic, superpowers, or fantasy species. In my opinion, the premise of this book is totally realistic. Since most futuristic books involve a “bad system that needs changing” theme, I was drawn to this premise. I’m a very old-fashioned girl, so if the environment in need of a change is one in which everything is digital, count me in!
The protagonist of the story is a teenage girl who yearns for connection. Her family is detached and critical of one another, and her only friends are online. The start of the book shows her writing in a diary, something she heard about from her mother, since real books are also obsolete. The characters are, for the most part, likable, and the plot is fast-paced. There are lots of action scenes for male readers, and a cute romance for the girls out there.
Those of you who are entirely plugged in might not enjoy this book, since it stresses the importance of human connection. If you’re like me and don’t even have a Twitter account, you’ll probably like it. And if you liked Fahrenheit 451, you’ll definitely like it! In a way, this reminded me of a teenage version of the classic, like 10 Things I Hate About You was based on Shakespeare.
Lots of dystopian young adult novels are set in a place and time utterly unrealistic. This book doesn’t have any magic, superpowers, or fantasy species. In my opinion, the premise of this book is totally realistic. Since most futuristic books involve a “bad system that needs changing” theme, I was drawn to this premise. I’m a very old-fashioned girl, so if the environment in need of a change is one in which everything is digital, count me in!
The protagonist of the story is a teenage girl who yearns for connection. Her family is detached and critical of one another, and her only friends are online. The start of the book shows her writing in a diary, something she heard about from her mother, since real books are also obsolete. The characters are, for the most part, likable, and the plot is fast-paced. There are lots of action scenes for male readers, and a cute romance for the girls out there.
Those of you who are entirely plugged in might not enjoy this book, since it stresses the importance of human connection. If you’re like me and don’t even have a Twitter account, you’ll probably like it. And if you liked Fahrenheit 451, you’ll definitely like it! In a way, this reminded me of a teenage version of the classic, like 10 Things I Hate About You was based on Shakespeare.