Mar 10, 2012

Dreaming Awake By: Gwen Hayes


 Dreaming Awake
 Author: Gwen Hayes
 Pages: 322
 Rating: 3.5/5
   She fell for him in a nighttime world. But the time for dreaming is past—and the here-and-now can be just as fragile their love…

   When Theia Alderson first encountered a mysterious, handsome boy in her dreams, she never imagined how finding Haden Black—and falling in love—could change her life. To save Haden, Theia sacrificed everything. And the dangerous bargain she made could have lasting repercussions.

   Now Theia has returned to Serendipity Falls, and she finds herself struggling with the same deadly hungers that have tortured Haden. When students at their high school fall prey to a mysterious illness, Theia can’t help but wonder if Haden’s control is slipping—and how much longer she’ll have a grip on her own.

   And still the nighttime realm of Under won’t let them go. Someone from Haden’s past is determined to destroy Theia from the inside out, starting with those closest to her, forcing Theia to choose between family and friends and a love that may have been doomed from the start…

   Dreaming Awake is the sequel to Gwen Hayes' Falling Under. I really fell (get what I did there?? Fellfallfalling.....I make myself laugh....) in love with Falling Under. It had a really great romance and the storyline was unlike anything I've ever read. At the end of Dreaming Awake I was happy with it- but that opinion kind of changed when I did some research online. I'll go further into depth in "What I Didn't Like".

What I Loved...
   Unlike the first book, Dreaming Awake really focuses on Theia Anderson's struggle with the temptations she has for consuming souls and staying in the Under. Because of this, I felt Theia's character was able to grow a lot more due to the fact that she has to practically fight against herself.

   I loved, loved, loved seeing  Theia and Haden as a "typical" couple in high school. They're relationship, at the beginning (because god forbid our characters stay happy) was so sweet- I just couldn't help myself from smiling whenever Haden referred to Theia as love.  *swoons*  There were also some very steamy scenes between the two of them, but of course, they were restricted by the fact a demon can't take a virgin.......if you get what I mean. ;)

What I Didn't Like...

   The ending was kind of a let down for me. The huge build-up towards the killing of Mara made me expect this big scene. Unfortunately I felt Mara's death came too soon (as if this needed to happen in book three) and way to easy. All Theia had to do was consume Mara's soul- the huge build-up made this scene kind of, ehhh.

   Now, the whole reason I was confused on what the rating of this book would be is because of the question of whether or not there will be a third book. Here's what Gwen Haye's says:

"There is no sequel in the works right now...but never say never. "  -Question answered on Goodreads

   This really made me confused, because, it means Dreaming Awake was intended to be the end. To me an ending in a series should feel like the end. Right?  When I finished Dreaming Awake I was very confident that there was a third book. For one, after we find out  Haden and Theia can now, you know, do it, we get nothing. We don't get any indication on when or if it happend. Ughhhh I hate it when authors do that to us. But most importantly I felt that now that Theia and Haden are basically ruling the Under, we need to see how this transition happens. There are very obvious signs in the book that indicate that problems will arise, so it's easy to assume the third book would have/will centre around the struggle between ruling the Under, and living a "human" life.

The Cover...

   What I loved about the cover for Dreaming Awake was how it basically was everything opposite from the cover of Falling Under. The position of Theia, the colour of the roses in the back, and the font style/colour were completely different but also, strangely similar. I love it when books in the same series tie together, and I felt that tie between these two books.

Favourite Quotes...

"I don't know. If I forgive you, what will we do instead of fight?" 
"I'm sure we can find something to pass the time." His eyes darkened even more and my belly fluttered at his words."
-Theia and Haden
  ~
"I can hear your pulse racing faster. Do I still make you nervous, love?""Yes," I admitted, thinking that I gave him more power than I wanted to as the world slipped out on a quick breath. "
-Haden and Theia
  ~
"What had I been hoping for? The Secret Way Out of Your Room? Maybe a copy of What to Expect When Your Expection Satan's Offspring?" -Donny
  ~
Overall...

   I really did want to fall in love with this book, and I did, but only with certain parts. There was a lot of loose strings at the end that, without the assurance of a third instalment, make me have to look at this book as the end. The climax of the story fell short of my expectations and there were a few parts to the story that I just felt were unnecessary. If you've read Falling Under then you should definitely read Dreaming Awake because, who knows, you might like it better than I did. Let me know your thoughts on the book in the comments and be sure to follow me on twitter! Keep Reading!

Your YA Bookworm,
Caitlin <3

2 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The struggle for control and the impending dangers made it an enthralling read. The character growth for Theia amidst her inner battles was a standout. The portrayal of their high school romance was delightful, peppered with some steamy yet restrained moments. If you are looking for the best fashion dissertation topics in the UK. I am here to help you out.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...