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A review by canderson
Awakened by Ciara Duggan
2.0
I received an ARC copy from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review
I'm torn regarding this novel. First off, the cover is beautiful and was the reason I initially clicked the title. Second, the premise of the novel is awesome and sealed the deal for me to pick up and read. And third, the comparison novels set the bar HIGH. That being said, I'm not totally sold on the execution. Hannah, our main character, is revealed as a troubled young woman embarking on a new adventure in college. She lost her parents when she was young during an accident, and carries survivors' guilt with her wherever she goes. Perfect starting point with a tragic character with SO much room for growth.
The first few chapters had me flipping pages quickly into the dark of night as we nestle ourselves into the world the author, Ciara Duggan has created for us. The suspense was being built beautifully. We were meeting characters slowly, learning who they were, seeing Hannah start to possibly come out of this shell the narrator tells us she has been hiding in for most of her life. We connect with Hannah; we see the difficulty she has making connections with those around her; but her want/need to make those connections is equally as powerful in getting us connected to her.
We meet a love interest, we feel weirdness around a particular stretch of beach, and then find ourselves starting to tease the edges of occult through Hannah's courses at college, her research, her own weirdness. Perfect.
But then, the story seems to accelerate too quickly. 60% of the book goes by in about two days, with the remain 30% occurring in one; and by the end Hannah is in love with someone she just met. The suspense gets lost in the rushing, and I did have to force myself to continue reading through the middle. I loved the beginning so much though, and I didn't want to give up on the story.
But the main story line was jumpy and erratic—and in a few instances, the story didn’t make sense or was way too easy. The development of the magical world was a little lackluster, I wanted to know more of the history, the battle between light and dark – not just the answers to Hannah's quest. There were some plot holes that I think need refining, maybe even a developmental edit, because the holes break down the story's integrity; and the author did such a fantastic job at developing the first few chapters it's unfair to lose readers in the middle.
I'm torn regarding this novel. First off, the cover is beautiful and was the reason I initially clicked the title. Second, the premise of the novel is awesome and sealed the deal for me to pick up and read. And third, the comparison novels set the bar HIGH. That being said, I'm not totally sold on the execution. Hannah, our main character, is revealed as a troubled young woman embarking on a new adventure in college. She lost her parents when she was young during an accident, and carries survivors' guilt with her wherever she goes. Perfect starting point with a tragic character with SO much room for growth.
The first few chapters had me flipping pages quickly into the dark of night as we nestle ourselves into the world the author, Ciara Duggan has created for us. The suspense was being built beautifully. We were meeting characters slowly, learning who they were, seeing Hannah start to possibly come out of this shell the narrator tells us she has been hiding in for most of her life. We connect with Hannah; we see the difficulty she has making connections with those around her; but her want/need to make those connections is equally as powerful in getting us connected to her.
We meet a love interest, we feel weirdness around a particular stretch of beach, and then find ourselves starting to tease the edges of occult through Hannah's courses at college, her research, her own weirdness. Perfect.
But then, the story seems to accelerate too quickly. 60% of the book goes by in about two days, with the remain 30% occurring in one; and by the end Hannah is in love with someone she just met. The suspense gets lost in the rushing, and I did have to force myself to continue reading through the middle. I loved the beginning so much though, and I didn't want to give up on the story.
But the main story line was jumpy and erratic—and in a few instances, the story didn’t make sense or was way too easy. The development of the magical world was a little lackluster, I wanted to know more of the history, the battle between light and dark – not just the answers to Hannah's quest. There were some plot holes that I think need refining, maybe even a developmental edit, because the holes break down the story's integrity; and the author did such a fantastic job at developing the first few chapters it's unfair to lose readers in the middle.