To learn more about why I started doing this Save The Date feature and how it differs from my reviews — go here!
* Release date according to Goodreads
Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith
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What Wild Awake Is About: Kiri’s parents are cruising around the world for most of the summer — leaving Kiri alone to devote her time to playing piano, practicing for Battle of the Bands and hanging out with Lukas — her best friend and bandmate and maybe something else. Her summer plan is in full swing until she gets a mysterious phone call that brings her into a seedy part of the city to retrieve some stuff that belonged to her older and now deceased sister whom she looked up to. Her perfectly planned summer suddenly spirals into something she couldn’t have planned for as she learns the truth about her sister’s life, relives her loss over again and meets someone who helps her to live and learn to be free.
Why You Should Be Saving The Date:
1. This book is something else!In a good way, for me. I’m going to be honest with you, it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea! On the outside it looks like this cute, straightforward contemporary read with a happy ending but it’s not. It’s fresh and unique and I totally loved it. It’s not at all a plot driven novel so if you are cool with that than I think you and this book could quite well get along.
2. The writing makes this book engaging and all absorbing. It’s very “in the head”, kind of stream of consciousness writing with that vivid imagery I dig & more “flowery” writing. For me, her writing reminded me a bit of Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, a hint of Jandy Nelson’s The Sky is Everywhere but Hilary T. Smith is completely her own. I’ve read few books where the writing matches the energy the character exudes — chaotic, frenetic and sometimes deliriously mad (and high haha). She feels EVERYTHING so intensely — both joy and plunging sadness — that’s her energy just pulses through you and holds you captive.
3. Wild Awake was emotional in an unexpected way and in unexpected places. I went into this knowing there were going to be some emotions because Kiri had lost her sister but some of these scenes were so emotional in unexpected ways and I LOVE WHEN A BOOK DOES THAT TO ME. Whew. Lots of feelings. And not just crying kind of emotional but also rage inducing — at Kiri’s parents and at some of the things Kiri does. It’s just INTENSE being in Kiri’s mind and watching her just do things (sometimes dangerous, stupid & reckless) and KNOW that she is just having a very scary breakdown.
Who Should Save The Date: Fans of contemporary YA looking for something truly different, people who love beautiful imagery and energetic prose, a story charged with emotion and energy in a less obvious way, people who don’t need a plot driven novel
A Sneak Peek: “There’s an exaggerated kind of industriousness to their movements, bright and false, like kids pretending to be absorbed in taking notes so the teacher doesn’t call on them. Mom is unscrewing a giant bottle of vitamin pills that gives off a scent like rubber flowers, Dad’s pouring himself a glass of water at the sink, and for the first time since Sukey died I can see us clearly, hovering at the intersection of love and avoidance like lost tourists who can’t decide which road will bring them home.” (this is taken from the advanced copy I received from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review, and could be subject to change)
Be on the lookout for my FULL review closer to the release date where I will flesh out my thoughts a little more!
Have you read this one? Are you excited for it?? Putting it on your TBR list?
DannyBookworm says
Ahh!! I’m so excited for this one!!!! And now, I’m even more excited after your little burst of awesome :))
Jamie says
YAY! I hope you enjoy it! I can’t wait for more people to read it because I think it’s going to be a LOVE IT or HATE IT kind of novel!
Carla says
this book was incredible. INCREDIBLE. I just can’t wait to let my fingers loose on the keyboard to talk all about it.
Jamie says
I cannot wait to read what you have to say!!
Ashley says
I’m super glad that you loved this book because I wish I could have shared that same opinion! I thought I was going to love this book, but for me, it ended up being quite the opposite. I think I just fall into that “it’s not going to be everyone’s cup of tea!” category that you talked about! Ultimately the writing style and plot were not to my tastes. 🙁
But I’m really happy you loved it!!
Jamie says
Aw sads! I hate when that happens! But sometimes books just aren’t our cup of tea unfortunately! Will be interested to read your thoughts! Did you review it yet?
Dianna (Stories After Twelve) says
I ‘m so exciting for this book! And I like it that it’s ‘a different thing’. I’m really looking for books like that and I can’t wait until this book comes out! : )
Jamie says
Same here! I just find it refreshing to read something that takes me out of my comfort zone a little bit and is DIFFERENT. Hope you will enjoy it!
Jenny says
I am definitely looking forward to this one. It looks like one of those amazing character stories.
Jamie says
It’s so interesting because I can’t even say that I really LIKED Kiri that much but I was intrigued by her. She has gone through things, has found out things and I was so invested in her while watching her spiral out of control. It was hard to watch sometimes!
Magan @ Rather Be Reading says
Oh, Jamie! I’m so excited for this one! SO EXCITED! Estelle just passed along the copy she had to me. (I believe courtesy of you, so thank you!) I love when books make this kind of impact that you just CANNOT WAIT to talk about them. 🙂
Jamie says
YES we must talk when you finish/while you read!! I hope you enjoy it like we did!
Christa says
I’m not a huge contemporary YA fan but your enthusiasm for this book has definitely caught my attention!
Jamie says
It’s definitely DIFFERENT than most contemps out there right now I think!
Christina (A Reader of Fictions) says
That awkward moment where you read a really positive review-ish thing for a book you really want to read and realize you probably shouldn’t read it. 🙁
Here’s what concerns me:
“It’s very “in the head”, kind of stream of consciousness writing with that vivid imagery I dig & more “flowery” writing.”
I feel like this book and I probably wouldn’t be friends. It sounds like it MIGHT read like Fear and Loathing in Shatter Me, which would probably be the worst thing for me ever. Stream of consciousness and I are not generally friends, and the samples I’ve seen from Shatter Me made my eyes get really wide.
BUT I am so glad that this book gave you all the feels. I love when that happens.
Jamie says
Ahh I’m scared that maybe I shouldn’t have said Shatter Me…because it’s not THAT stream of consciousness compared to that book but had some of those qualities. Really vivid descriptions and stuff. I just wanted to show that it wasn’t like a straight up contemporary read like a Jenny Han or a Stephanie Perkins. It’s way different. I hope maybe you’ll give it a try…though you know better what you’ll like!
Christina (A Reader of Fictions) says
Well, I didn’t remove it from my to-read on GR, but I also didn’t request a review copy because it would be so awkward to hate it after that. So. Maybe at some future date I will try it and love it, but I’m not going to freak out to get a copy when I have reservations, you know?
Jamie says
Makes perfect sense!! I will be suuuuuper interested if you do read it!
Rachel says
AHH I CAN’T WAIT FOR THIS ONE. No, but really. Like everyone I know has been reading it lately and it’s making me all excited for it. I’m kind of obsessed with books that take place over the summer for some reason (wishful thinking, maybe?), so this sounds perfect. Also, the fact that this reminds you of Mafi’s reading makes me go all YES inside because I love her style. And the feelings. I Love the feelings.
Jamie says
ALL OF THE FEELS for sure. It’s just easy to be swept away in the midst of Kiri’s chaos. I just felt like everything was swirling and intense. ahhhh.
Allison L says
I’m really excited for this one!
I think April may have already received an advanced copy so I might just have to steal it from her when she’s done. 😉
Jamie says
Yes steal it from her!! 😛
Blythe Harris says
Oh, I didn’t request this one on EW because of a review, but this is definitely eye-opening. I’m glad you enjoyed this one so much, Jamie! I’m not too huge a fan of flowery prose, and the drug abuse in this one may be a bit too tedious after what I’ve garnered from other reviews, but I’ll definitely keep an open mind towards this should I ever receive an ARC. Thanks!
Also: I love this feature. Do you mind if I use it whenever the need be, but give credit to you? I keep putting off books I’m dying to read that are released in a few months because I don’t want to be behind on blog content, but this looks like it’d clear that up.
Jamie says
Yeah I’ve seen a few scathing reviews for it (but also talked to friends who enjoyed it too) but I think, from what I read, it’s a matter of taste and also what you take from it. I personally didn’t find the drug use that excessive…I think a lot of it was the fact that she was spinning out of control and having a psychotic breakdown of sorts. I mean, she did smoke a lot of weed too lol
And sure thing! It was the most perfect solution I could come up with for this dilemma! 🙂
Tara says
Cannot WAITTTTT for this one!!! I can’t stop staring at the cover and its bright colors and now with your rave review I want to read it even more!
Jamie says
Eee! And Estelle and Jen and Carla loved it too! 🙂
Asheley Tart (@BookwormAsheley) says
YES! This sounds excellent. I’m quite captivated by the cover, I have to say. And the description sound intriguing. But you had me at T Mafi’s writing style, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE and totally connect to. I love that you call it “flowery” and “high” because I think I can almost imagine what you’re talking about. This makes me really excited and I hope I get to feature this one during my contemporary month in May.
Jamie says
I really think you will enjoy this one (I’m going to feel bad if I’m wrong though haha)
Alexa Y. says
I’m definitely looking forward to this book! It certainly sounds like it’s going to be the type of book I enjoy tremendously, especially since the MC sounds like a character I’m really going to like.