Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky (Review)

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

Age Warning: Possibly 12 and Up. It depends, because there is some violence in the book.

Published By: Houghton Mifflin

Genre: YA Dystopia Romance

Date Released: May 23, 2011

Provided By: Netgalley.com and A Cornucopia of Dystopia Blog Event

Synopsis: 

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.

My Review:

I just want to start of saying that this book is amazing! I typically don't enjoy Dystopia books, but when Casey and Danya approached me with A Cornucopia of Dystopia and I saw Awaken on the list and reading the synopsis I was up for the read. Awaken takes place in the near future, were brick schools no longer exist, there's only meeting rooms and online learning. And chat rooms to assist with associating with other teens and online profiles galore. Here we meet Maddie, the daughter of the Digital School Program inventor, and a girl that wants to be independent.


Maddie is a character you can connect with right off the bat. She's someone you want to find out more about from the start, and really figure out why she did what she did to get on house arrest. A plain, normal teen of the times Maddie tries to disconnect herself from the stereotype of being the Digital School Inventor's daughter. But when she meets Justin things change, he's fighting Digital School with his friends, wanting to implement schools of the current times back. And bring communities together again. He's cute, and the reader automatically see's something developing between them. And it doesn't hurt that he actually has his own car either (A MUSTANG! I love mustangs :) ). When Maddie comes out of her digital world she sees the real 2060. Where, neighbors don't know neighbors, and friends exist halfway across the world only seeing each other through face talks and the constantly connected computers. And there are no real paper books, nothing that will catch on fire really exists anymore.


This book is something that everyone needs to read. Awaken addresses the current technology boost, and teens obsession with always Tweeting and on Facebook. For me Awaken made me look back on the way I use technology. I can see myself as Maddie in ways. But at the same time I know that I'm not, I still have real friends and real books and a real school I attend. And don't Tweet or Facebook as much as any others. Yet, Awaken makes you look back. And that's why Katie Kacvinsky has a real winner in her debut novel.


I'd also like to mention how much I like the cover. It's a really creative and innovative; I mean the mason jar means the society and past that is closed off from the future. And the nature and beauty of the outside world stopped by technology, hence the pixils on the rest of the cover. I love the cover, and I can't wait to see what happens later on, because I know there needs to be a sequel to Awaken. (Find out if this is true on my interview later with Katie!:))


So check out Awaken on May 23, 2011!

Links:

Publisher's Site

Check out my interview with Katie!
And I'd also like to remind everyone of the Cover Remake Contest, submissions are due April 4th for Awaken. Check this post here for more information.