Awake

Jul 22, 2012 Twyla rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, amazing-magical, read-in-2012

Cool, I won a First Reads! Can't wait!
Thank you!
--
Update:
Well that was pretty awesome. Took me a bit to get into it, but then it was allright. Can't wait to read the next in the series. I did find it a bit unplausible that in today's society these kids didn't know fairytales and hadn't been "disneyfied" by the age of three like everyone else.
I am ashamed to say however my copy of the book looks like I've read it a dozen times; with pages and cover all curled and, um, some pages bent. But then I...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Eliza Baum rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-library

Very cute and fun story. Essentially, it's what would happen if Sleeping Beauty didn't wake up as the original stories said...along with a few other details they got wrong. The characters were solid and I was really rooting for them. My only [minor] complaint was with Nicholas, who was rather underdeveloped and inconsistent. Thankfully, the focus of the story is on the others, and they're great.

It appears that this is the first in a series, and I'm looking forward to reading what comes next for...more

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Dec 25, 2012 Patty rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love Los Angeles. Despite growing up in one of the poorest and most dangerous parts of this city, my father made sure that I was well acquainted with the museums in this city. I spent many of my birthdays at Disneyland whose castle belongs to one of my favorite princesses: Sleeping Beauty. So when I found out that Jessica Grey had taken Sleeping Beauty’s story and placed it in modern-day Los Angeles, I was ecstatic. And having read the entire book, it was not what I expected and I loved it.
Co...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Emma Barry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fairy tale retellings aren't something that I seek out, largely because when I do read them, they tend to be so hit or miss. They are often poorly done, either straight-up retellings where just the costumes/setting change or seem to miss the point and the magic of the originals. Luckily, Awake is not one of those. It's one of the ones that inspires other authors to write less compelling versions.

Intended for a young adult audience, Awake follows Alex, a recent high school graduate whose internsh...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Justine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First of all I just want to say that I really love this cover.
This is a modern day re-telling of the classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty. Or should I say Sleeping Beauty brings her fairy tale to the modern day. The biggest twist of the story..... sleeping Beauty is half - fae.
I found this book a cute, fast paced easy to read book. I liked how it was based on a fairy tale but was made better by introducing the fae. It sort of a love story, sort of an action story and a girl finding herself sto...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-fantasy, ebook, fantasy, faeries, owned, ya

A very fine debut from a promising author. This novel details the story of a very self-conscious, unconfident high school girl as she spends her last summer before college interning at LA's Gem and Mineral Museum, as usual. What's not usual is the fact that her old friend Luke, whom she had a falling out with in high school, is now interning there as well. And what's more unusual still is when the "major artifact finds" brought to the museum by her supervisor, the slightly smarmy, self-involved...more A very fine debut from a promising author. This novel details the story of a very self-conscious, unconfident high school girl as she spends her last summer before college interning at LA's Gem and Mineral Museum, as usual. What's not usual is the fact that her old friend Luke, whom she had a falling out with in high school, is now interning there as well. And what's more unusual still is when the "major artifact finds" brought to the museum by her supervisor, the slightly smarmy, self-involved Nicholas, turn out to involve a massive gem-encrusted bed, complete with sleeping princess.

When Luke wakes up the sleeping girl and accidentally takes her place in the enchanted bed, Alex and her friend Becca have to help the princess navigate modern life and unravel the truth behind her enchantment and her family history.

And, of course, all of this is interwoven with a tale of youthful true love and self-discovery.

While it is, at it's heart, a "special snowflake" story about how an unassuming nerdy girl finds out she's Truly Special and Powerful, it's wrapped up in an interesting take on the Sleeping Beauty myth, with a nice dose of cynicism from the teen girls who've suddenly been exposed to magic and enchantment. There's a few great one-liners about attempting to attribute the oddities they've seen to genetics or scientific explanations, and their hesitant acceptance of the situation is very realistic. Even the love story feels appropriate, given the setup for it and the sweet way it evolves.

The novel is bogged down a little by some clumsy dialogue, and there are a lot of missing commas and awkward punctuation that made me have to read a few sentences over again. But really, that doesn't detract from the story or the engaging characters.

Two major quibbles. First, there's absolutely no reason why a gem and mineral museum would be receiving a shipment of artifacts, particularly a wrought-metal bed studded with sculpted gemstones. That's something that would go to an art museum or a historical gallery, not a museum that specializes in gemology and mineralogical study. There's some deus ex machina handwaving that covers that at the very end, but it was EXTREMELY distracting for this archaeologist when the shipment was first coming in. My other quibble is that Lilia, the enchanted princess, figures out modern American life a little too quickly - there's a few perfunctory moments of "this soft book; no, you mean magazine" but by and large, she just goes from the 12th century to today without blinking. Again, there's some handwaving for this, but it's a little forced - some more time spent showing Lilia being awkward and out of place, rather than perfect, would've added a little more depth.

But in the end, this was a delightful little fairy tale romp, and I look forward to reading more by this author!(less)

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Apr 28, 2012 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, ebooks, humor, fantasy, review-books, ya

First, I have to let you know that while I do not personally know the author, I have been friends with her mom for years through an internet group. And I totally took advantage of that friendship to request a review copy of this book after reading an excerpt.

Alexandra Martin is pretty and smart and believes more in science than fairy tales. Until she stumbles onto her very own USO (Unidentified Sleeping Object). Along with her friend Becca, who also prefers facts over fantasy, Alex is suddenly t...more First, I have to let you know that while I do not personally know the author, I have been friends with her mom for years through an internet group. And I totally took advantage of that friendship to request a review copy of this book after reading an excerpt.

Alexandra Martin is pretty and smart and believes more in science than fairy tales. Until she stumbles onto her very own USO (Unidentified Sleeping Object). Along with her friend Becca, who also prefers facts over fantasy, Alex is suddenly thrown into a mixed-up version of the Sleeping Beauty story. Of course, there is also a beautiful princess involved. But what happens when true love is nowhere to be found?

This was such a fun story; there was just nothing I didn’t like about it. It was funny; there were some silly scenes and the girls (even the princess) didn’t mind laughing at themselves. The dialogue was realistic (well, as realistic as dialogue about 900-year-old princesses can be). Alex and Becca were self-described nerds and weren’t the least bit ashamed of being smart. Princess Lilia even jumped right in to help solve the mystery and was very sweet to the other girls.

It’s not all sunlight and roses, though. Actually, there are roses. Lots of them, but that’s not really a good thing. But I digress. Alex has no idea how attractive men find her beauty and brains and has very little self-confidence at the beginning of the story. Her confidence grows, and it’s not just because of men (which would kind of ruin the whole girl-power thing the story has going on), but because with her friends’ help, she realizes just how much she’s capable of.

There was just enough foreshadowing to keep drawing me in, but not so much that it gave away the end of the story. I read this in two nights, only because I couldn’t stay awake long enough to finish it the first night. I loved reading about Alex and her friends fighting the evil fairy and rescuing her prince.

I got this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review.(less)

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Apr 16, 2012 Lisa Markson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Awake: A Fairytale by Jessica Grey

My opinion of he book Awake: A Fairytale by Jessica Grey was a wonderful YA book. It was a very touching story with Alex, Luke, Becca, and Lilia. Alex worked as a intern in a museum with Becca and Luke. Alex grew up with Luke and their moms are best friends, but in high school they had a falling out and rarely spoke anymore which was making work difficult. A new shipment came in and they stumble on a Demi-fae princess by the name of Lilia who was enchanted aslee...more

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Mar 16, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As a child, I never believed fairy tales. I never bought into the whole "happily ever after" line. There was no prince to wake the sleeping princess, there were no birds to sing her to sleep or help her dress for the ball. Fairy tales did not exist outside of the brightly colored Disney world.

Alex thought the same way. She spent her days and nights alone with hardly any friends. She was the introverted geek who never quite found her way out of invisibility. She spends her summers interning at t...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Erin Searles rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Awake was a fun and fast-paced read.

Alex and Becca are interning for the summer at a museum. One morning Alex discovers a her childhood friend Luke in an enchanted slumber in a cursed bed and an 800-year-old princess, Lilia, skulking in a storage cupboard. Alex, Lilia and Becca have to figure out how to break the curse, wake Luke up, and take on the malevolent fae who set the curse.

All three of the main characters (four if you count Luke) were well drawn. The portrayal of Alex, and her grossly i...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Kate Dana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fairytales have an enduring quality and thanks to Disney every girl can dream of a Happily-Ever-After, but its how you get there that is the true story. The work one has to do for the relationship to succeed is what makes the ending all the more satisfying. In fact, it is the requirement of any good relationship.

Debut author Jessica Grey has created a world suspended just above reality, but with its Los Angeles setting it’s not a stretch. I admit that I have only ever seen the Disney film about...more Fairytales have an enduring quality and thanks to Disney every girl can dream of a Happily-Ever-After, but its how you get there that is the true story. The work one has to do for the relationship to succeed is what makes the ending all the more satisfying. In fact, it is the requirement of any good relationship.

Debut author Jessica Grey has created a world suspended just above reality, but with its Los Angeles setting it’s not a stretch. I admit that I have only ever seen the Disney film about Sleeping Beauty and have never read the actual fairy tale, but Grey keeps the basic Disney elements (for people like me perhaps) so that the story is not completely unrecognizable and then Grey twists the elements to make it exciting. In Awake the tale of Sleeping Beauty is tilted on its axis and given a dynamic and captivating new approach.

Alex Martin is a classic heroine because she doesn’t try to be one. Alex doesn’t realize the real power she holds, literally and figuratively. She is the girl that is beautiful and smart, but does not see it herself, but our hero Luke does. So to progress with Alex throughout the novel and to watch her really come into herself is one of the best parts. Alex still doesn’t really understand how others see her at the end, but she is embraced and held up by the love and affection of Luke which is all that she needs to be successful.

Luke is sexy. I have a quote on my blog which I try to live by when I create the heroes in my novels and I think it represents Luke exceptionally well. Author Umberto Eco said “The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest coward like everybody else”. Luke acts in the manner of a hero, but he does not purposefully try to be the hero. Luke’s feelings for Alex are what compel him to act the way he does and it is because Luke is being true to himself that he is heroic.

When the romance of Luke and Alex finally comes to fruition it is a meeting of equals and because of that we can only imagine what an enduring relationship occurs beyond the pages of Awake. It is relationships like the ones in Awake that keep me reading because it portrays the hope that even the least conspicuous individuals can have a happy ending.

Awake has my endorsement.

Final recommendation: Add a little magic to your life and read Awake.

(less)

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Feb 07, 2012 Candy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I loved this story!

What would happen if after more than 800 years had passed, Sleeping Beauty was kissed by the wrong person? And what if that person switched places with Sleeping Beauty?

Alex, Becca and Luke are interning at the Gem and Mineral Museum for the summer when a new exhibit comes in. In the exhibit is this beautiful bed encrusted with gems. Alex arrives early to the museum and finds Luke sleeping in the bed! Sitting on a crate nearby is a Princess! It turns out the Princess, Lilia d...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Nancy Kelley rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fantasy

It’s the last summer before college, and Alex Martin is looking forward to spending it… in a museum. No, she’s not a normal 18 year old, but she and her best friend Becca Ward have interned at LA’s Gem and Mineral Museum every summer. This year however provides one crucial difference—her childhood friend, Luke Reed, has joined the geeky rock squad.

Alex and Luke haven’t really talked since their freshman year of high school, when Luke’s status as a baseball star put him on a different social leve...more It’s the last summer before college, and Alex Martin is looking forward to spending it… in a museum. No, she’s not a normal 18 year old, but she and her best friend Becca Ward have interned at LA’s Gem and Mineral Museum every summer. This year however provides one crucial difference—her childhood friend, Luke Reed, has joined the geeky rock squad.

Alex and Luke haven’t really talked since their freshman year of high school, when Luke’s status as a baseball star put him on a different social level than Alex. She is none too pleased by the thought of sharing her favorite place with him, especially since she was kind of hoping to catch the eye of their advisor, the dreamy Nicholas Hunt.

But when Alex finds Luke lying on an enchanted bed, trapped in a magical slumber, suddenly all her summer plans are out the window. She and Becca are joined by Lilia, a 12th century princess who’s been asleep for 850 years. Yes, Luke tried to wake up Sleeping Beauty with a kiss, but instead, he simply took her place.

Now the three girls have to figure out exactly what the spell is, who cast it, and how they can save Luke from the evil fairy behind it all. To do that, Alex and Becca will have to come to terms with the fact that magic actually exists, and accept their own ability to use it.

Awake is a phenomenal story. It takes all the familiar elements of Sleeping Beauty and twists them into something that is both recognizable and new at the same time. The dialogue between the three girls sparkled, and the relationship between Alex and Luke was romantic and real.

The magic scenes were my favorite parts of the story. Jessica Grey invented an entire system of magic for her book, and it is brilliant and consistent. Even though I know diamonds and precious metal have no magical qualities, I could easily believe Alex and Becca were able to work spells with them.

I read Awake in one day, which is not something I often do anymore. My brain usually starts to wander after about five chapters, and I’ll switch to another book or a movie. This time though I was too eager to find out how it all turned out in the end to put it down.

Grey’s style is smooth and easy to follow. Her characters are real, and her story is delightful. I can’t wait to read the next book in this trilogy. (less)

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Feb 06, 2012 Kimberly Truesdale rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What would you do if you found yourself in the middle of a fairytale?

Alexandra Martin is a bespectacled, recent high school graduate excited about starting her fourth summer internship at the local Gem and Mineral Museum. She is excited about the work and about seeing her best friend — and fellow self-described “nerd” — Becca. But she is most excited about seeing her boss, Nicholas, an attractive graduate student Alex has quietly crushed on for four years. Everything is set for a great summer.

Un...more What would you do if you found yourself in the middle of a fairytale?

Alexandra Martin is a bespectacled, recent high school graduate excited about starting her fourth summer internship at the local Gem and Mineral Museum. She is excited about the work and about seeing her best friend — and fellow self-described “nerd” — Becca. But she is most excited about seeing her boss, Nicholas, an attractive graduate student Alex has quietly crushed on for four years. Everything is set for a great summer.

Until gorgeous and popular Luke Reed enters the picture. When they were children, Luke and Alex were inseparable. But then high school struck and the two followed different paths: Alex, the path of scholarship and social invisibility; Luke, the path of superstar sports player and top of the social food chain.

Alex is not happy about Luke’s presence and she does her best to fight her feelings for him — still a mixture of love and hate. But then Luke makes the mistake of kissing an enchanted princess and all bets are off. Alex must come to his rescue. But will he prove to be her Prince Charming?

Author Jessica Grey has created a believable and enthralling fantasy world balanced between our familiar reality and the realm of fairy enchantments. Her teenage characters feel like teens, though they are on the verge of adulthood. They deal with problems eighteen year olds have — school, life, love — without spouting annoying, pretentious, or overly adult dialogue. At the same time, I think that Awake, though listed as Young Adult Fantasy, holds enough adult appeal that older readers (like this one!) will still find much to love.

Grey engages very consciously with the ideas that we hold about the Sleeping Beauty story upon which Awake is based, most of which come from Disney. She gives us some recognizable signposts pointing toward what we already know, but adds quite a few new turns that add wonderful layers to the story. The biggest turn being that here it is Prince Charming who is asleep and the Princess who has to rescue him. It is a delight to see what ingenious (and potentially criminal) schemes Alex and Becca invent to rescue Luke.

I highly recommend Awake as a quick and enchanting read. Go on, indulge your inner princess.(less)

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Mar 05, 2012 Madeline rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2012

An old fairytale, retold in a interesting way...the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty. Glad I found it, and for free, what's better?

While interning at a Museum during her last summer before college, Alex is thrown into a fairytale world she was not expecting. She stumbles upon an enchanted bed with a sleeping person on it, and while fascinated at the sight, she realizes she recognizes the sleeping form upon the bed...Luke. She and Luke had been really close since young kids up until freshman year o...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Tracey (YA Book Addict) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a wonderful story!! Awake is a modern retelling of Sleeping Beauty with a few twists and turns to add it's own originality to the classic fairytale.

Alex is kind of nerdy. She doesn't have many friends and really has no social life outside of the time she spends on her internship at the Gem and Mineral Museum. She is more than happy to blend into the background and not have any real attention focused on her. She has a bit of a crush on Nicholas her mentor and pretty much when he says jump sh...more

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May 24, 2012 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, sci-fi-fantasy, romance, debut

Awake: A Fairytale is a modern retelling of the classic story Sleeping Beauty, a personal favorite of yours truly, by the by. I learned about this book when I entered the Once Upon A Time flash fiction contest hosted on Yearning for Wonderland. Between the beautiful cover and the subject matter, I couldn't resist it. Let's talk about it, shall we?

a description:
Alexandra Martin has just graduated high school and is interning at a local museum over the summer. Bright and caring, Alex has always f...more Awake: A Fairytale is a modern retelling of the classic story Sleeping Beauty, a personal favorite of yours truly, by the by. I learned about this book when I entered the Once Upon A Time flash fiction contest hosted on Yearning for Wonderland. Between the beautiful cover and the subject matter, I couldn't resist it. Let's talk about it, shall we?

a description:
Alexandra Martin has just graduated high school and is interning at a local museum over the summer. Bright and caring, Alex has always felt like she didn't fit in and finds solace in the familiar surroundings of the museum. When her childhood friend, Luke, unexpectedly signs up to intern at the museum and a mysterious shipment of artifacts is delivered, Alex is forced to learn not only to believe in her own inner strength, but the possibility that magic is real.

some rambling thoughts:
Awake: A Fairytale is extremely refreshing. Ms. Grey does a fantastic job of taking an old classic and making it her own. At the heart of this fairy tale is a bond of friendship between three girls, Lilia, Becca, and Alex. The girls learn to not only rely on each other, but help build one another up. They present a fantastic example of what true and lasting friendships should be build upon, trust, caring, and fun. Luke is a-flippin-dorable, handsome, snarky, and smart. He's not your typical jock nor your traditional "hero." He's an even keeled character willing to protect those he cares about, while at the same time being brave enough to let others save the day.

The twist and turns of the plot line were what kept me reading. I enjoyed seeing how Ms. Grey weaved the classic tales of Sleeping Beauty with her own modern musings. The main focus of this story is the developing plot. Ms. Grey does not play up the angst and drama between Luke and Alex in order to make for inorganic tension, but trusts her story and her writing to do it naturally.

The best part, this is a stand alone novel that will be part of a three part series of modernized fairy tales. Can I just say-- YES PLEASE. I am a huge fan of companion books. I get the resolution I need NOW and look forward to (hopefully) revisiting old friends later without worrying about them in between meetings.

Overall, I highly enjoyed Ms. Grey's debut novel and look forward to procuring meself some more of her lovely books in the future. If you are a fan of fairy tales retold and looking for something fun and heartfelt, this is the book for you. (less)

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May 12, 2012 Marva rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Awake follows up on Sleeping Beauty, but in this case, no true love woke Princess Lilia. Instead, she and her cursed bed end up being found in an archaeological dig.

Alexandra is an intern at a museum which receives the mysterious bed. Thing is, nobody else could see the sleeping princess. Well, Alex didn't either, but she did find her old boyfriend, Luke, asleep in it. It ticks her off (although they hadn't been together in years) that her heartthrob would actually KISS the sleeping beauty and...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Dani rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-literary-boyfriends, read-2012, favorites, fantasy, goodreads-authors

This was such a lovely book! I got it free on my kindle app and I didn't know what to expect because some freebies are truly awful.
Awake was really good, it reminded me a little of some of Alex Flynn's novels.
It was filled with humor, adventure, and even some romance.
I mean how can you help but love Luke, such a great guy the fact that he was present in the novel even though he technically wasn't was very original.
I also loved the fact that Alex learns so much about herself and Becca and Lilia a...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Bonnie at A Backwards Story added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, ebook, fairy-tales, fantasy, contemporary

What would happen if Sleeping Beauty never woke up? She never discovered her prince, never found true love. Jessica Grey explores this issue in her debut novel AWAKE, complete with a unique spin where we wind up with a modern-day Sleeping Handsome, where the girl gets to be the hero for once.

Alex has always been very scientific. She loves gems and rocks, making her yearly summer internship at the Gem and Mineral Museum of Los Angeles a dream come true. When GeMMLA scores a huge coup and brings o...more What would happen if Sleeping Beauty never woke up? She never discovered her prince, never found true love. Jessica Grey explores this issue in her debut novel AWAKE, complete with a unique spin where we wind up with a modern-day Sleeping Handsome, where the girl gets to be the hero for once.

Alex has always been very scientific. She loves gems and rocks, making her yearly summer internship at the Gem and Mineral Museum of Los Angeles a dream come true. When GeMMLA scores a huge coup and brings over the precious stones from a recent archaeological dig, the practical world she knows and loves crumbles. She goes to work early only to discover a strange girl in Medieval clothes wandering around, and a guy who looks strangely like her childhood friend Luke sleeping on a stunning, gem-ladden bed. The strange girl, Lilia, claims that he kissed her and fell into an enchanted sleep himself. Alex must now come to terms with whether or not fairy tales are real, since Lilia is claiming to be a princess from a kingdom long-dead and there's no way Luke could have grown such a long beard overnight. Teaming up with her friend Becca, the three girls set about researching the curse and attempting to save Luke while keeping Lilia a secret. They also discover stunning truths and find themselves in more trouble than they could have ever envisioned...

Jessica Grey's book of short stories, out now!

I don't know what I was expecting when I read AWAKE, but it never occurred to me that we'd get a Sleeping Handsome out of the deal. It was really interesting to consider, "What would happen if the man who found Sleeping Beauty and kissed her awake wasn't her true love?" Well, obviously the curse would transfer. She'd wake up and he'd fall into his own enchanted sleep. I thought that was pretty creative. I also enjoyed watching three girls put on their thinking caps and use their brains to solve the mysteries of the past. It does take a while for the book to get off the ground, but once the fairy tale elements are introduced, the story begins and it's easier to fall into. I was never a scientific, pragmatic girl, but I love that Alex is, and think that we need more girls like her in YA for the teenagers who are that way. I liked that science blended with fantasy to create a tale that actually could take place in today's world.

According to Grey, a sequel entitled ATONE is tentatively set to release by the end of June. It's another fairy tale, this time featuring Alex's friend Becca!(less)

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May 06, 2012 Ronna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fantasy, free-kindle-books

Interesting take on the tale of Sleeping Beauty. Loved the twist of the "true story" of "Sleeping Beauty" - how the enchantment came to be, who was good and bad, how the magic worked, who worked the magic, as well as the history of it. However, the story moved just a little too slowly and even the build ups and final confrontations didn't pack as much power as I would have liked to see. Nonetheless, I very much liked the hero, heroine and her fabulous sidekicks. I also liked the twist of who the...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Bridget rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5 Stars. Cute modern day update of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. Got it free on Kindle but was good enough I would have paid for it. Strong female characters overall and a fun read.

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May 06, 2012 Beth Adams rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So far loving this intelligent creative take on fairytales like Sleeping Beauty. The author has done her homework, incorporating various versions with a fresh modern setting. I have been having trouble putting it down each night!
Just finished Awake and I really did enjoy it. If there were anything I would change it might be that there were times I wished it were written in first person. Sometimes the voices of the characters were a bit detached. It was hard to get a feel for Alex's emotions. May...more

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May 04, 2012 Myrnie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novel

A fun, fast-paced, retelling of the sleeping beauty fairy tale, set in modern-day LA

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Apr 21, 2012 Kate Maxwell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who believes in magic!

Shelves: ya, paranormal, fairy-tale, contemp

Alex Martin just graduated high school was looking forward to her summer internship at GeMMLA, that was…until Luke Reed showed up! Why would the high school baseball star be working at the museum? Just because their moms were friendly, Alex did not like being around Jake, ever since Freshman year. But, Alex did have her best friend, Becca, working with her for the summer; now she had to convince Becca that their boss, Nick, was not a bad guy! And, no, Alex did not have a crush on her boss.

Alex g...more

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May 19, 2013 Kristin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

2.75 stars.

Let me start off by saying the story is not what made this a 2.75 star book for me and that others may not have a problem with what bugged me about this book.

Alexandra Martin is interning for her fourth and final summer at GeMMLA, the Gem and Mineral Museum of Los Angeles. A shy loner, she’s more comfortable at the museum, especially since there’s another intern there from a rival school named Becca who, though she’s more popular and outgoing, has been friends with Alex ever since tha...more 2.75 stars.

Let me start off by saying the story is not what made this a 2.75 star book for me and that others may not have a problem with what bugged me about this book.

Alexandra Martin is interning for her fourth and final summer at GeMMLA, the Gem and Mineral Museum of Los Angeles. A shy loner, she’s more comfortable at the museum, especially since there’s another intern there from a rival school named Becca who, though she’s more popular and outgoing, has been friends with Alex ever since that first summer. It also doesn’t hurt that Nicholas Hunt, the PhD candidate who’s the intern advisor at the museum is totally hot, even though others seem to think he’s obnoxious.

Luke Reed is a childhood friend of Alex’s and though they were best friends until the seventh grade when Luke started to become popular, their friendship didn’t really end until ninth grade when Luke did something to effectively end their friendship, they haven’t been completely off each other’s radar as Luke was a popular jock at their school, destined for the major leagues, and their mothers are best friends. Though Alex has managed to avoid Luke throughout high school, with the exception of the time when he asked her to junior prom at his mother’s request (needless to say, she turned him down), Alex is shocked to find him at orientation and even more shocked to find that he’ll be interning at her museum.

Everything seems pretty normal until Nicholas calls Alex to inform her that the museum has acquired some artifacts from a dig in France. When he asks her to meet him early at the museum, she is unable to find Nicholas and instead finds Luke with a long beard and long hair asleep on a jewel encrusted bed, with a real-life newly awakened sleeping beauty named Liliana nearby.

So the trio of girls go on a quest to stop (view spoiler) and break her spell. Yeah, that’s right, there’s a pretty nifty twist on the Sleeping Beauty story here, and I’m not going to be the one to give it away, even though it’s not something you have to wait until the end to find it out.

Though they were trying to learn how to cast spells and harness their powers and despite the fact that Alex is told she has some of the strongest powers ever seen in a human, it didn’t quite make sense that she would be able to grasp how to use them and cast the spells she did so quickly.

While the story is cute and the idea is original, this just wasn’t a can’t-put-down book for me. The writing was a bit wooden and, as another reviewer on Goodreads said, contractions aren’t just for pregnant women. It makes sense for Lilia to speak more formally, she’s from another century (and the whole understanding English thing was touched on but majorly, underwhelmingly glossed over), so that’s fine. But eighteen-year-olds from America? It just sounds weird and awkward. Seriously, the lack of contractions was so freaking distracting, I started caring less and less about the story and more about trying to figure out what the hell this woman has against the apostrophe. Also, though the girls were at times a little snarky with each other, goofed around and lightly swore occasionally, they were a bit too “Golly gee!” for me, I don’t know any teen who thinks or says some of the stuff that comes out of these characters’ mouths.

And the scene in the meadow went on for waaaaay too long. I was sort of hoping the vines would come take me away.

Alex’s progression from introverted young woman to one that is strong and believes in herself was realistic and the message for younger girls is definitely a good one. Like I said, good idea, but not loving the execution. At some time I may pick up the sequel, but at this point, it’s not something that’s high on my reading list.
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Jan 06, 2013 Thebakingbookworm rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: supernatural, young-adult

For more of my book reviews, please visit my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca)

My Thoughts: When I saw this ebook I figured it was right up my alley. Young Adult, supernatural element, a good, light read. Yay me! What really drew me to this book was it's take on fairytales in the modern world. The main idea behind the storyline was a very interesting twist on a traditional tale -- what if the wrong person kissed Sleeping Beauty? Unique idea but the execution of the sto...more For more of my book reviews, please visit my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca)

My Thoughts: When I saw this ebook I figured it was right up my alley. Young Adult, supernatural element, a good, light read. Yay me! What really drew me to this book was it's take on fairytales in the modern world. The main idea behind the storyline was a very interesting twist on a traditional tale -- what if the wrong person kissed Sleeping Beauty? Unique idea but the execution of the story left a lot to be desired.

I found the pace very slow, the dialogue felt forced (and a little corny at times) and there wasn't a lot of action. When we're talking sleeping princesses under an ancient curse I was expecting more twists, more 'fairytale' elements and a lot more action. Granted, it is the beginning of a series so a little room for story set up/character intro has to be given but this story just didn't grab me as much as I was hoping.
Now, because we're dealing with fairytales I know that the reader has to give the author some room when it comes to ancient curses and sleeping beauties. That said, a fantasy/supernatural read still has to be plausible for me to jump on board. It's a very fine balance between the 'real world' and introducing a believable magical element/world. Some authors, like J.K. Rowling, excel at bringing magic into our world in a believable way. This book almost got it. Almost.

I think the thing that bothered me the most was how fast Lilia, the ancient princess, seems to jump into modern-day Los Angeles and all its colloquialisms, fashion etc. She's been asleep for 900 years. A LOT has changed in that time and yet she gets 90210'd much too fast to be believable (for me, anyway). I'm such a cynic.

Now before you assume that I didn't like this book I have to say that I did enjoy it overall. The characters were interesting and I loved how Alex transforms from a gem lovin' nerd to a much more confident, strong young woman. There is some good foreshadowing that occurs at the end of the book which tweaked my interest in possibly reading the next book in this series.

My Rating: 2.5/5 stars

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Apr 30, 2012 Dava Stewart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I didn't expect to like this one. The first few pages did much to confirm that I wouldn't. But then, I did. The story took some unexpected turns, and I'm a sucker for any bending of the space/time continuum. It's not literature for the ages, but it is entertaining. There is a strong romantic element throughout, so if you don't care for that, I wouldn't recommend it; however, it's not a trite, knight-in-shinig-armor sort of romance which redeemed it for me.

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Mar 14, 2012 Aimee rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

3.5 stars

This was a fun and fast paced read. I like fairytale spin-off's and I love when there is a bit of girl power. :) This was more about the magic story and less about the romance, but the romance was there. And it was sweet.

I would have gladly given this book four stars if I could have taken the swearing out of it. There was also quite a bit of profanity which is usually hard for me to swallow. Just a personal preference for me.

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Feb 14, 2012 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fun, smart, enjoyable read. I enjoyed Alex's strong character and how she worked thru her own perception of herself. I never felt she didn't like herself, even when she felt "unpopular" and I really liked that about her. Interesting take on Sleeping Beauty. Thoughtful and well written. Loved that it took place in Los Angeles and that the cute boy was soft spoken and protective. Looking forward to more from Jessica Grey!!

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Awake: A Fairytale (A Fairytale Trilogy #1)

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