The Awakened

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The Awakened

June 12, 2018 by JBronder

I’m re-posting this book since I managed to get my review added. Sorry about that.

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The Awakened by Julian Cheek

My name is Sam. I am nothing special but apparently if I don’t wake up, both this world and that other one will be destroyed. Nice One! All I wanted was to disappear into my own world and be left alone. But, No! Even THAT was taken away from me.

Well just wait. You want me to fight? I’ll show you “fight.”

You took the most important thing in my life away from me, and now I am coming for you.

Hidden away in your mountain stronghold, even the rocks around you will not stop me getting to you.

You started this war.

I am going to finish it!

Seventeen year old Sam just wants to be left alone!

He has enough to cope with in his invisible, suburban, existence without having some fantastic and, frankly, unasked-for, alternate reality drop into his life asserting that he has powers beyond his wildest dreams. And that unless he does something, both his world, and that of Muanga-Atua, will come to a horrible end.

A terrifying episode one blustery night may be enough to start to erode the impregnable shell he thought he had built up around himself. A shell, not to keep others out, but to keep the rage in. Could he afford, as was the norm now, just to do nothing?

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Author Information

Living in Petersfield, Hampshire, Julian Cheek has worked for over thirty years as an architect working on several major projects including Mercedes World, a competition for Battersea Power Station, NikeTown and most recently a high rise, Versace branded residential building in London. When not designing he is embracing his other creative interests, writing. His first book, You should not wake a hibernating Puff-Adder (2011) was a series of short stories inspired by his childhood growing up in South Africa.

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My Review

4 stars

Sam recently lost his brother and is having a hard time adjusting. He can barely get through his classes and his home life is difficult. He feels invisible and that his parents cared more for David than him. His mother is a ghost and his father takes out the loss on Sam. Sam is turn up, feeling invisible, and angry all the time.

But when he sleeps he is taken to a strange land where the people know him as Sam of the Shade. They are expecting him to help them from the death that is wiping them out. Sam is convinced that this is nothing more than a dream. He has an inkling that something is familiar but can’t seem to get past the idea that it is a dream and a manifestation of his present situation.

I felt for Sam, his parents are suffering the loss of David in their own was and Sam seems to be getting the short end of the stick. I understand why he is so angry and lost as he constantly beats himself up and blames himself for David’s death.

I did have a bit of a tough time getting into the story. I felt for Sam but was getting tired of the whole this is just a dream things. It made the story drag and made me get a little irritated by Sam. Now, having said that, this is not one of those HEA stories. Sam is going through hell and things are not just going to get better magically. Sometimes you have to have everything taken away to see what you really have.

This was an interesting book and one I think you should check out. You might love it or hate it but I think it is one that she be given an opportunity to prove itself.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.