Fade

It’s a fast read! Finished in a day.

I loved WAKE, the first book in Lisa McMann's trilogy, mostly because the concept--a girl who is unwillingly pulled into other people's dreams, no matter how she fights it--was so exciting and creative. Loved the plot, loved the characters, and wanted to see much, much more of Janie and Cabe. So I was so happy to dive back into their world in FADE, another excellent installment, as thrilling and well-told as the first. If we thought Janie's "gift" was complicated before, now we get to see even more of what a curse and a blessing it can be. So exciting and impossible to put down! A quick read, mostly because you'll want to speed through it to find out how it all works out.

Title: Fade Author: Lisa McMann Publisher: Simon & Schuster Reading Level: Young Adult Publication Date: February 10, 2009 Pages: 256 Rating: A Plot - 19/20 Characters - 18/20 Writing - 20/20 Originality - 19/20 Entertainment - 10/10 Recommendation - 10/10 Total: 96/100 Summary: For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck. Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open -- but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both. Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability -- and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared.... Review: I read WAKE last March, so when I realized this would becoming out really soon, I had to read it. I got it in the mail one night, and finished it early the next morning at school! I could NOT stop thinking about it. It was completely amazing. FADE picked up where I imagined it would of, and it came on full force. Janie and Cabel were more intense then ever and it was deep. In the first novel, we didn't really know much about Janie, or Cabel, and, now, in Fade, we learn so much more about them. Janie's personality comes out more, and the characters in this book are a lot more shown then the first. Depending on the characterization, this book was much better then the first. FADE is even more action packed then WAKE. Janie and Cabel are now narc's against the school, and Janie is put into a dangerous position for her new role as trying to get into peoples dreams to bring down an alleged rapists. McMann writes cryptically. Mysteriously, and deeply. Her writing style is so different and unique, it leaves you wanting more with her way of words and she has such a writing style that is unforgettable. We also learn more about Janie's dream-catching abilities, she continues to work her ability to the highest and we learn what will happen to her if she continues on the road she is on, and it is heart breaking. I started bawling. May it be impossible that FADE be better then WAKE? Yes, heck yes. This novel rocked, and I can't wait for more of McMann's enigmatic writing and obscure story-telling. FADE is released today.

Fade, a sequel to the first novel, Wake, was awesome. Read them in order- well buy both first because you're not going to want to wait for the second to come in the mail. Both are short novels, if you're an avid reader, but it's an appropriate length for YA. Don't let the length or the price discourage you because they're keepers! Wake, the first, introduces Janie and her unusual "dream catcher" abilities. It may not be a new idea for a book, but it's refreshing and very interesting. Wake is about when Janie first discovers her ability and how she learns to deal with it, especially when she is surrounded by her classmates and gets dragged into their dreams everyday at school. It's hard and the reader will certainly feel for her but cheer and admire her inner strength at the same time. As she goes through most of her high school years she ends up befriending Cabel, a loner and boy with serious family issues of his own. He becomes the first person she reveals her secret to and turns out to be a staunch supporter. Wake is also an introduction to Cabel and the relationship the teenagers form. It is a short novel but ends well enough that the reader wants and feels like there's more in store for them, but won't be left unsatisfied. Fade picks up nicely where Wake ends. The two have another serious problem to deal with in their senior year. There are challenges both individually and as a couple. Janie adds another staunch supporter in the form of the police CPT they work with. Amidst the problem they're all working on, Janie comes to terms with some hard truths about her ability and with a maturity, begins to accept them at such a young and tender age. No temper tantrums, no whining- she's a trooper and a strong character. Fade also ends well and complete, but leaves the reader (at least this one) hoping that the journey doesn't end there. As far as this being a YA book, it is. There's some cursing, but not overdone. Few sex scenes (mostly hints and in short detail) but nothing parents would object to, unless they just don't want to find it at all. Wake and Fade both deal with real issues, real YA experiences and realistic thoughts and actions of teenagers. But it works just as well for adult readers. As a series, or a potential series, it's tender and heartbreaking, but hopeful. It's a wonderful story filled with great characters. A ten on anyone's scale. I'm going to order a set for my 16-year old niece because I'm keeping mine!

After reading Wake, I checked my calendar on a regular basis, waiting for February to come and the next book to be released. When I finally got my hands on the sequel, Fade, I was only disappointed that I devoured it so quickly. We revisit the lives of Cabel and Janie, two teens who have been mistreated and ignored by those closest to them, so it's perfect that their relationship becomes paramount to both of them. But Janie's involvement with a new police investigation pushes Cabel to the edge. He can't stand to see her in trouble, particularly the kind of trouble created by a sexual predator. But turning down the investigation when she knows her classmates are being targeted is not an option for her. And just as Cabel feared, Janie finds herself in the worst kind of danger a teenage girl can experience. McMann's smooth writing will keep you turning the pages. In Janie's interactions with the suspects, I read feverishly trying to guess which teacher was the culprit. The climactic scenes were well-written and suspenseful. The plot twists made perfect sense, yet they were also somewhat unexpected. Five stars all the way. I can't wait to see where Cabel and Janie go from here.