Awaken (New Bloods, #1)

by Michelle Bryan

[shannonmiz]

Full Review Here

When I first started reading, I was a bit thrown off by the dialect, but it wasn't too hard to get accustomed to it. It wasn't that strong of a dialect that it was hard to read, which was helpful. It did, however, immediately conjure thoughts of Blood Red Road, especially when the village is destroyed and Tara sets out on her own. But very quickly, the BRR vibe dissipates, because the story takes a much, much different turn.

When Tara finds some fellow travellers along the way, the story begins to pick up. Finn, Tater, and Jax all really add to the story in different ways, but I loved them all. Tara was stubborn and didn't know much about the world around her, which really worked for the story. I am okay with some lacking backstory if there is a reason for it (in this case, Tara has grown up in a secluded village isolated from the outside world, and fully admits to not knowing much of what has happened with everyone else).

What I liked: Tara, for all her faults, is very, very believable. When met with some very unusual information, she completely resists and is sure that everyone has basically lost it. Which is basically how any one of us would react, which is really refreshing. The supporting characters were amazing. Finn was so sweet, and brought some light to an otherwise dismal situation. Tater was a piece of work, and I never quite knew what to make of him, but I was glad he was around. And even when Jax was being a jerk, there was still something about him that made him likeable. I liked the ways that Tara related with them all, never knowing who was completely trustworthy, but enjoying them nonetheless.

The plot was good, including a few twists and turns that I absolutely did not see coming. And I, for some reason, am always game for a group of people galavanting around in hopes of finding refuge. I don't know why, and maybe this is just a personal preference, but either way, I enjoyed it.

What I didn't: Okay, this might seem odd, but I didn't quite get why she was so completely dead-set on finding her kin, and so incredibly set on finding Ben. Yes, they were very close, and I understood that, and I assume that she probably will discover some stronger feelings, but this girl was risking her and everyone else's lives on the regular on the off chance that Ben was around. Maybe if she'd explained it more, I'd have understood more, but I kind of wanted to tell her just to abandon him already. Part of this was likely because we have very, very little interaction with Ben, so I wasn't particularly connected to him as a character, and Tara didn't really convince me that I needed to be. And while the plot generally moved along well, there were a few points that I did find my attention waning (but luckily, it definitely picked back up again!). I also felt like Tara's dialect faded in and out a bit. Maybe I was just getting used to reading it, but it seemed a little inconsistent.

Bottom Line: I enjoyed this book, and I especially enjoyed these characters. I will definitely pick up the next book when it comes out!
3.5*

*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.