Review: The Awakened


Title: The Awakened
Author: Sara Elizabeth Santana
Series: The Awakened #1
Genre: YA, Dystopian, Adventure
Publication Date: December 1st 2015
Publisher: Oftomes Publishing
Pages: 317 pages
My Rating: 4 stars










People get sick, and then they die.

When people in New York City start getting sick, everyone thinks flu season has arrived early. A city of over 10 million? Flu spreads like butter in this place. However, when people begin dying, and medicine becomes short in supply, maybe it isn’t a normal flu.

Zoey Valentine has a busy schedule, martial arts, gun lessons, honour roll, you name it. She’s your classic overachiever with an overprotective dad and an overly present neighbour who seems to flirt with her at every opportunity while making her life a living hell.


When her classmates begin to get sick, and even die, her dad attempts to cart her off to Nebraska to live with her absent mother. But when the dead start waking up again, they might find that a bit more difficult than they originally anticipated. With her dead best friend knocking on her door, her annoying neighbour by her side and a mission to find safety, will Zoey, Ash and her Dad survive this apocalyptic American society? Or will they become one of the Awakened? 

This book reminded me a lot of The Rain duology by Virginia Bergin.

Not in the fact that the stories were the same, but in the writing style and the kickass main female leads. I liked Zoey, she was pretty good at being self-sufficient and didn’t rely too strongly on a love interest until the last 25% or so of the book. She was likable, with a strong personality, however, although she had all of this badass training in martial arts and gun shooting, she didn’t seem very appreciative. I know, it’s a busy schedule, and I know that her dad was overprotective but characters that complain bother me a bit. She wised up though for the middle section of the book and I think by the end she was a well-rounded and enjoyable character.

I really liked Ash’s character, you could tell something tragic was going to happen to him by how happy he was in the beginning of the book. The happy ones always get hit with the sad storylines. I feel like my only issue with him was by how he called Zoey baby. I hate when people call other people “Baby,” unless it’s Dirty Dancing and you’re Patrick Swayze, don’t call me Baby ever.
But other than that, he was precious.

Zoey’s parents bothered me a little too, especially her mother. What an assbutt. (Shout out to you if you get that.)


This book to me is just if the Walking Dead got punched in the face with The Rain and had a love child with a Resident Evil main character. For this being Sara’s debut novel, I think it’s incredible. Her talent is evident throughout this fast paced book and I am excited for the second book to be released to see how they deal with the Awakened. 


Four "It was a good shot" Stars





Labels: , , , , ,