Awakenings by Hally Willmott

Pages: 359
Intended Audience: Teens
Genre: Supernatural
Notes for Parents: Nothing for parents to be concerned about.

The Back Cover

When 16-year-old Jacey Adison’s parents tell her they must move again, she has never questioned their life style. Until now…When Jacey was two, her parents fled the protection of their birthplace, the mystical dimension of Nemele. Leaving was the only solution her parents believed might allow them to keep their family together and alive.
Her parents have never revealed their true identities to Jacey. Consequently keep her true lineage and unique birthright from her. Jacey’s family has pretended to be non-magical humans as a ploy to prevent an ancient omnipotent entity from killing more innocent beings in its relentless quest to possess Jacey.
Born as an anomaly, Jacey possesses rare abilities that both virtuous and corrupt entities seek to use as their own. Should either side prevail, Jacey may be the savior or downfall of every world within Nemele’s domains. Blindly thrust into life and death situations. Jacey learns of her true powers within her dreaming and conscious states.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

The back cover tells too much!!! This is the first book in a series.

What’s good?

The story follows a teenage girl whose family tragedy leads to the revelation that she and her brother are part of a mysterious community. The supernatural world of Nemele, which exists parallel to our own universe, is inhabited by all sorts of fascinating beings thought only to exist in mythology and fairy tales.
Best Part: The cover

What isn’t good?

It was an awkward beginning to a series that will hopefully get better with subsequent volumes. Putting editing and printing issues aside, the first person narration was poorly executed, especially since the reader – in part because of a back cover with too much information – constantly knew more than Jacey, the narrator. Jacey’s character was often disturbingly underwhelmed by the things happening around her even though she claimed not to know what was going on.
Worst part: Jacey’s strange, arbitrary knowledge of obscure mythology.

Recommendation þþooo

I never felt an emotional connection with Jacey. In fact, the entire story seems to lack some necessary emotion considering that grief, deception, and danger swirled viciously around the plot but was never really drawn into it. The world-building was admirable and the setup has potential, but ultimately I have no interest in the main character. This was a disappointment.

Willmott, Hally. Awakenings. Kailua, HI: Limitless Pub., 2013.