Book Spotlight: AWAKEN

Title: AWAKEN
Author: Katie Kacvinsky
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Released: May 2011
Pages: 320

I'd like to thank the author for providing me with a signed copy of this book.

Favorite Line/Passage: I followed him outside to his car parked down the block. We were both silent while we drove down the desolate streets, and I concentrated on the soft sprinkle of rain hitting the windshield. My thoughts were shooting and firing in my mind so quickly it felt like there was a war going on in my head. I watched the windshield wipers swipe the glass clean and for a moment the world was clear again, but in the next second it muddled in a blur, like eyes brimming with tears. We pulled up to the side of an apartment building. The bottom floor had three large windows and they were all showered with light. There were no signs outside to advertise what the spade was, but Justin pulled the front door open and we were greeted with a chime.

Description: Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her. 

Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.

In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.

NIGHTSTAND WORTHY

My Splats: A thought-provoking glimpse into our digitally-connected world and what might happen if we allow it to go too far.

Touch is absent from most peoples' lives. No need to gather or chat with neighbors--or even leave your room. No intimacy. No need for other senses. Just fingertips tapping keys, keeping the world connected. 


Kacvinsky creates a possible (and thought-provoking) future world through the authentic voice of the main character, Maddie, and eventually her counterpart, Alex--the rebel. Initially, Maddie conforms to her world, although it's obvious that she's at quiet odds with the way things are. Then, as you can image, the rebel comes into play, giving Maddie pause and making her question. 


I really enjoyed how Kacvinsky mixed up the romantic angle, not having Maddie solely involved with the lone rebel. Instead, she's taken in by a group, who are desperately trying to remind people that living is about physical connections with people and nature. The digital age is to enhance humanity, not take it over. Teens will relate to Maddie's struggle to give herself permission to accept change, especially when that change goes against the grain of what she's been taught or lead to believe.


My only pause, while reading, was the vague descriptions of the futuristic technology. Personally, it didn't keep me from reading on. I was able to overlook those questions popping up in my mind and found more interest in the overall story and characters' growth.


I'd recommend this book to any young adult/adult interested in pondering our current world with a possible takeover by the digital age.