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Wide Awake (The Wide Awake Series #1)

by Shelly Crane (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 2,798 ratings · 376 reviews

A girl.
A coma.
A life she can't remember.

When Emma Walker wakes up in the hospital with no knowledge of how she got there, she learns that she's been in a coma for six months. Strangers show up and claim to be her parents, but she can't remember them. She can't remember anyone. Not her friends, not even her boyfriend. Even though she can't remember, everyone wants her to...more

202 pages

Published March 22nd 2013

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Apr 24, 2013 Isis rated it 3 of 5 stars

Update March 26th
I can't even describe this book. It's sooo good. Everything that happens in the book should make it depressing to read, too dramatic or something like that, but it isn't. I could still read through it in one session without throwing it against the wall in irritation for being a depri kind of book.
I LOVED IT. will post a longer review soon.

Update March 24th
O M G IT'S OUT!
I GOT IT!
Now I'm just going to lock myself up in my room and read it in one sitting. I can't wait iiiiiiii...more

10 likes · like · see review

Mar 27, 2013 Jenn rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: buddy read with Jennifer

Shelves: death-illness-coping-grief, teens-highschool-teenybop

3 Stars for the things I liked about the book.

I didn't feel the connection with this book nor the characters or story line. I liked it but didn't love it. I had high hopes but it lacked in depth for me. Also, certain people and story lines quickly fell off the face of the book too fast. Some parts of the story were never fully developed and too many loose ends were left. Too many people were let off easily and some of those people didn't have enough of a role in the story as they should have.I a...more

9 likes · like · see review

Mar 27, 2013 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, contemporary, favorites, romance, ya

Absolutely AMAZING!!! Shelly is a brilliantly talented writer and this story was so powerful... Just blew me away!!
For full review go to my blog..
http://www.tsktskwhattoread2.blogspot...

6 likes · like · see review

Apr 20, 2013 Raquel Valldeperas rated it 3 of 5 stars

2.5 STARS

Once upon a time, I read a Shelly Crane novel called Significance. And I hated it. But that's another story for another time. From then on, I promised myself I would not read another Shelly Crane novel to keep from gouging my eyes out.

And then I read the sample of Wide Awake. At first I didn't know it was from her. Don't ask me how I missed that. But when I found out, I thought, you know what? I'll give it a try. After all, it was only .99 cents. And while this book was leaps and bound...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Manda rated it 5 of 5 stars

I found this book on Amazon under the suggested titles section and bought it on a whim. And I'm really happy I did so.

Emma has been in a coma for six months. But what's worse is when she wakes up and discovers that she doesn't remember anything or anyone. And so begins her journey of finding out who she is and what matters most to her.

I really liked the character of Emma. She was well-thought out and you just connected with her as you followed alongside her discovering bits and pieces of her lif...more I found this book on Amazon under the suggested titles section and bought it on a whim. And I'm really happy I did so.

Emma has been in a coma for six months. But what's worse is when she wakes up and discovers that she doesn't remember anything or anyone. And so begins her journey of finding out who she is and what matters most to her.

I really liked the character of Emma. She was well-thought out and you just connected with her as you followed alongside her discovering bits and pieces of her life. There were times I wished I could reach out and just hug her during her struggles to make the people around her see that she was no longer the Emma they all once knew but rather the Emma she wanted to be.

Mason was a close second for favorite character. It was obvious from the start that he cared about Emma and wanted to see her be truly happy and succeed. And the love he had for his mother and brother, even if it was fueled somewhat by guilt, was admirable. The curveball at the end regarding him surprised me a bit although I knew he was hiding something.

I wanted to throttle Emma's parents. I know that it had to be hard for them to realize their daughter didn't remember them or anything about her life with them but sometimes they just came off as really unsupportive to me, like that couldn't bear the thought of Emma following her own path. And it made me wonder just how blind they were to the kind of person Emma was before her accident. The same goes for her "friends", who were the epitome of Mean Girls.

And as much as I hated Andy throughout the book as I had him pegged correctly in the end, I hated how his story ended. It was a bit dramatic but definitely showed just how far guilt can push a person.

All in all, I think the story flowed well. I enjoyed seeing Emma find out who she truly was and what she wanted to be without everyone else running her life. In the end, I'm happy that she was on the road to getting her happily ever after as she deserved it.

Looking forward to reading more of Miss Crane's books!(less)

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Apr 27, 2013 Skye Turner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: angsty, contemporary

Wide Awake... one word A. M. A. Z. I. N. G!!!
At 33 years old, I am a BIG fan of young adult novels. While as a woman, I do enjoy smut, sex, and adult romance, I also LOVE books like Wide Awake with a hint of sexuality, without full out sex, and young romance.
Emma oh Emma. I felt for her. Every teenager feels the pressure to please everyone and often at some point succumbs to being someone they are not simply because it's who they feel others want them to be.
Through the events that happen to her...more

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Apr 07, 2013 ♥ Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to ♥ Sarah by: Anna

Shelves: ya-na, romance

Four. Solid. Stars.

***
Song on Repeat: Jason Reeves- Nobody Else Could Be You

"I want to kiss you when, if we go another second without it, one of us will combust." -Mason

"I know that bad boys are all the rage now, but... I want someone like you. Someone good and who I know cares about me. The tattoos do help your bad boy image though." -Emma

***
I haven't read much of Shelly Crane's books, but I was honestly very impressed with Wide Awake. It was one of the sweetest (and cleanest, with little...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Nadd marked it as to-read

March 24 2013

The synopsis blew me away

I will give this book a shot, IF i could get my hand on this book.

The cover is so pretty. They focused only her eyes. From my view of that, it is like she's seeing the world and trying to understand what's happening around her. Even the title of this book is Splendid

description

When i first found this book and saw the title i sang 'Wide awake' by Katy Perry

description

Girls, to be honest shits happened and good things happened too

description

Looking back is like seeing your past li...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Ana rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review was done in conjunction with Celeste at thebookhookup.com

First Thoughts:

Celeste: 4.5 stars! I have so many emotions and all of them good. I loved Mason so much I want to cry this book. I saw this photo on facebook and was like, “omg, what book is this? I HAVE TO have it.” Then click, click, click it was bought and sent to my kindle and I read it in one sitting. That’s right, one sitting.

Ana: I loved this book. I loved the story and the characters. I’m so glad Celeste sent me some quo...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Maggie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, 5-star, favorites, hp-hof-readers

Check out The Alternative Kryptonite's stop on whe Wide Awake blog tour with an INTERVIEW and GIVEAWAY: http://bit.ly/ZqkNNu
FINALLY Shelly Crane becomes NY Times Bestselling Author.....

I can't say that Shelly Crane has made a novel as endearing and charming as this one. Ever. Yes, the Significance series is being made into a movie, and her other books are works of art, but this one was different. I am continually astounded by Crane's ability to capture the soul, rip it apart, and gently sow it b...more Check out The Alternative Kryptonite's stop on whe Wide Awake blog tour with an INTERVIEW and GIVEAWAY: http://bit.ly/ZqkNNu
FINALLY Shelly Crane becomes NY Times Bestselling Author.....

I can't say that Shelly Crane has made a novel as endearing and charming as this one. Ever. Yes, the Significance series is being made into a movie, and her other books are works of art, but this one was different. I am continually astounded by Crane's ability to capture the soul, rip it apart, and gently sow it back together, leaving you in awe of the story. Wide Awake is, in my opinion, one of her best books (maybe the best, CONSIDERING IT GOT ON THE NY TIMES BESTSELLER LIST). I can only describe Wide Awake as a brilliant quilt. Woven together near-perfectly, with dark colors and light colors. The book demonstrates these dark and dangerous emotions, along with bright, wonderful ones. With characters expertly written and a plot that takes twists and turns, this book is one of - if not - her best novel yet.

Emma Walker wakes up in a hospital to find that she had been involved in a hit-and-run and no memory of her past life. Throughout the book she has to grapple with re-discovering the old and discovering the new Emma. As always, the emotions in the novel were wonderfully written like you were inside her head, feeling the things she feels. But I think the thing that stands out about this book is the amount of things she has to worry about and how she handles and reacts to situations. I was surprised to find how... independent Emma was. I noticed in the Significance series, for example, conflicts arose with both Maggie and Caleb having to deal with them. In Wide Awake, she has to take a more individual approach with how to handle things, even if it wasn't the best way. I guess you could say I was a great example of the "human condition". Everything felt so real and Emma had such human reactions to everything that you couldn't help but connect with her.

Mason brings most of the charm to this story I have to say ;-). In Wide Awake, the main love interest is most definitely not perfect in my eyes. But I think that's what makes Mason so great. He has a completely human reaction to everything that makes you connect with not just Mason or Emma or Isabella, but everyone in the novel. This brilliant novel was able to capture me from the first page because of ALL the bad, ALL the pain, but also all the happiness, the swoonyness (that is a word.....), and relationships that are formed, broken, and reformed.

Overall, I loved this book with every kink and bump. The characters were wonderfully relatable, and the plot was as well. There were so many twists and surprises that it just heightened the awesomeness. Bravo, Shelly Crane, bravo.
5 out of 5 stars
P.S. NY-FREAKING-TIMES......(less)

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Apr 28, 2013 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I started doing book reviews last year, I was new at it all. So any book that I found to be 'really good' was rated a 5 star rating.. I then realized, I was reading epic books that were worthy of much more than 5 stars and I was putting them on my 5 star shelf, with average 'just really good' books. I had to try and change that, because I have found epic books and it just wasn't fair..

This book is one of them.. This a book that deserves every single ounce of the 5 star status.. This a book...more When I started doing book reviews last year, I was new at it all. So any book that I found to be 'really good' was rated a 5 star rating.. I then realized, I was reading epic books that were worthy of much more than 5 stars and I was putting them on my 5 star shelf, with average 'just really good' books. I had to try and change that, because I have found epic books and it just wasn't fair..

This book is one of them.. This a book that deserves every single ounce of the 5 star status.. This a book that will stick with me.. This book was amazing, it was real, it was uncertain, and it was emotional without going over the top and leaving me in tears..

I loved Em. She wakes up from a 6 month coma and she doesn't remember a thing, she doesn't know who she is, what she likes, what she doesn't like or even who she loves. It's sad to read. It's hard to see her parents sitting by her side, and wanting their baby back and not knowing if she will ever wake up, and when she does, having her not know who you are. The mom in me, found that so terribly sad..

Mason who happens to be her PT was HOT.. he was sexy, and he was the sweetest guy, I believe I can honestly say I have read in all the 400 romance books I have read since last year.. He fights for her to get better, he holds her up and lets Em be who she wants to be, and the for me was huge. Even when he had things that kept him away from her, you always knew how much he cared for her, and how much he was willing to give up to make sure that she had the best life she could possibly have. That she didn't miss out on the things that are important to a girl, no matter how unimportant they seemed to Emmie at the time..

There are really sad, yet truthful parts of this book, that we know happen all the time.. Kids get drunk, they drink and drive, people's lives are shattered to bits when these things happened, and this book touched on all of that.. It didn't just skim and let us know it's possible, it slammed down and made us walk through the wreckage of what happens when these things happen.. Accidents can change lives, Em was changed, several other characters were changed by other accidents.. It was just all so real, and so beautifully done..

I don't think I say that often, that a book was 'beautifully' done. I can say it was good. I can say it was hot and full of sex and steam, which hey I really like, and almost seek out when looking for a read.. But this book is rare for me... This book was real and it was love.. It was about the kind of love we all want.. The kind of love not many people get a chance to find or feel.. and that is why I honestly know this book will be one that stands out in my mind for a very, very long time..

So read it.. Please(less)

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Apr 06, 2013 Laura YA indie princess rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, 2013-wishlist

4.5 stars. A enjoyable read but not my favourite Shelly Crane book!!

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Mar 29, 2013 Tami rated it 5 of 5 stars

4.5 out of 5 stars

Wide Awake is the latest offering from Shelly Crane. It is a stand alone novel about a young woman (Emma) who wakes from a six month coma following a hit and run accident. Her friends and family had been given little hope that she would ever wake, and when she does, Emma has absolutely no memory of her life before the accident. She must subsequently rebuild her life - her physical abilities, her personality and the relationships with her family and friends.

Understandably, this...more 4.5 out of 5 stars

Wide Awake is the latest offering from Shelly Crane. It is a stand alone novel about a young woman (Emma) who wakes from a six month coma following a hit and run accident. Her friends and family had been given little hope that she would ever wake, and when she does, Emma has absolutely no memory of her life before the accident. She must subsequently rebuild her life - her physical abilities, her personality and the relationships with her family and friends.

Understandably, this presents a significant challenge for Emma, particularly as those around her seem set on only accepting the 'Emmie' they knew and loved. Emma, on the other hand, can't seem to understand why any of the things people tell her about her old self were things she would value and works incredibly hard to become the person she wants to be, rather than the person she is expected to be.

Mason is the one person who encourages her to find 'Emma'. Mason is Emma's physical therapist and has spent the duration of her coma working with her to help keep her body in some form of condition. From the moment she wakes, Emma connects with Mason and feels a sense of security with him, as if there is an unspoken understanding of the challenge before her and a commitment to support her through the process. Of course it doesn't hurt that he is gorgeous.

The relationship that develops between Mason and Emma is just beautiful. Crane has created two characters struggling with the expectations of others and themselves, who manage to help each other navigate this complex maze and come to terms with who they are. Together they seem to have the capacity to find the best of themselves, which in turn makes them stronger for each other and the people around them. Along this path there are many twists and turns that they must negotiate - the most challenging ones involving Andy, Emma's pre-coma boyfriend. Despite having moved on fairly quickly after Emma's accident, once she wakes Andy is adament they will be the couple they used to be once again.

I can't imagine losing all memory of the life I've lived. The trauma for Emma was evident, as was the grief and loss of her parents, not to mention the confusion for her friends who almost didn't know how to be without their leader. There was one scene involving Emma, her dad Rhett and a peach that was just heartbreaking as the two of them were struggling to come to terms with what they had lost. The stark contrast between 'Emma' (post coma) and 'Emmie' (pre coma) was extreme and yet it was convincing.

While I was not surprised by the path the story took, Crane's writing style is so engaging that I was immersed in the story and happy to travel to what I felt was a very satisfying conclusion. There were a number of errors in the book, some that interrupted my connection with the story, and it is these that have kept me from giving Wide Awake a five star rating. I still very much loved the story, the characters and the messages that Crane has delivered in Wide Awake. I also want to acknowledge that this book was completed at a time when Crane was battling significant health issues (which she has publically disclosed). As a staunch fan of her work I would like to take this opportunity to wish her well as she takes some time out to focus on her health. Wide Awake will help me to wait patiently for the release of Altered (book 3 in the Devoured Series) and, of course, Significance the Movie!(less)

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Apr 12, 2013 Mandy (I read Indie) Anderson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Let me start off by saying that I absolutely, wholeheartedly, 100% love me some Mason. But what about Merrick you ask? Oh if you didn't know already, Merrick (from Crane's COLLIDE series) is my all-time favorite book boyfriend. Many have come close to stealing his thunder, but alas, he is still my main man. But wait! Mason seems to be coming in close, sneaking his way to the front on my heart. Ah, you are quite the catch Mason, but Merrick will probably always be in that top spot. Sorry,but you...more Let me start off by saying that I absolutely, wholeheartedly, 100% love me some Mason. But what about Merrick you ask? Oh if you didn't know already, Merrick (from Crane's COLLIDE series) is my all-time favorite book boyfriend. Many have come close to stealing his thunder, but alas, he is still my main man. But wait! Mason seems to be coming in close, sneaking his way to the front on my heart. Ah, you are quite the catch Mason, but Merrick will probably always be in that top spot. Sorry,but you are a close runner up.

Now let me tell you about a girl named Emma. I just adored this girl for who she was…after the coma. Because apparently she wasn’t the greatest person before. But that is ok. While working through the therapy with Mason and her deleted memories we see her becoming such a strong person physically and emotionally. Every now and then we see her vulnerable side show, and that is ok too. I don’t know about you, but I like seeing someone that isn’t always strong…doesn't always got it together for sake of show. It makes them more human and easier to relate too. Crane has always given us those types of female leads. And to me it is refreshing for once. Females that are too strong or too hard headed can be exhausting at times.

There is a feeling I get before I start one of Crane's books. It’s an intense feeling of anticipation. I know her book is going to contain something beautiful...something that will make my heart ache in a 100 different ways. And I look forward to that feeling, because every time I read one of her books I am never disappointed. Ever. It is such a special thing knowing that a person can write a book and make you feel that way. Crane writes about romance...the kind that makes your breath shudder in a wonderful way…the kind that makes your eyes flutter when that absolute perfect line is read...the kind that makes you remember exactly what you felt the first time your realized you were in love. Yeah, she is that good.

WIDE AWAKE was written perfectly and had me in such an emotional state. Even though I kinda, sorta figured out a part in the storyline, the ramifications I did not. That blew my mind. I was reeling from that moment on until the very end. And I know Crane says this is a one-time deal, but she really should think about giving us a little more. I mean, just a little. Ah! Listen to me, I sound as if I am addicted and Crane is my supplier. Well, she kind of is, right? And I will gladly accept all she dishes out.

This is an awesome story that had my heart from the moment I cracked this book open. I think anybody who loves weak-in-the-knees romance will love this one. WIDE AWAKE is definitely in my TOP 3 books of 2013! Yeah, it is that swoony.

FAV LINES...
“He stole my first kiss. I mean,” I twists my fingers in the air in frustration, “I know it wasn’t my first kiss, technically, but I don’t remember any of the other ones. He just swooped in and stole it. And I let him.” (Emma)
****
“You know…every room in this place is just dark and tainted, and yours is the only light and life here. This job is going to suck without waiting to see you every day.” (Mason)
“Then you’ll just have to come see me,” I said coyly. (Emma)
****
A little later, he took me home. The make-out session in the front seat was another level of amazing that I had yet to experience until then. I felt like my lungs couldn’t keep up with my want to keep going. I was dying, drowning, and was perfectly fine with it. (Emma)
(less)

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Mar 30, 2013 Stay Blu Reads rated it 5 of 5 stars

Usually when I read a book, I get lost in the story, almost picturing myself as the character and living their lives along with them. But with this one, I felt like I was standing beside my best friend as she was living her life. I was cheering her on, telling her how awesome she was, and generally just being the cheerleader Emma didn't want to be.

Emma wakes up from a 6 month coma, brought on by a hit and run, staring at strangers. People who claim to be her parents, but she has no recollection...more Usually when I read a book, I get lost in the story, almost picturing myself as the character and living their lives along with them. But with this one, I felt like I was standing beside my best friend as she was living her life. I was cheering her on, telling her how awesome she was, and generally just being the cheerleader Emma didn't want to be.

Emma wakes up from a 6 month coma, brought on by a hit and run, staring at strangers. People who claim to be her parents, but she has no recollection of them. As she proceeds to learn more about the girl she was, she's even more confused, unable to reconcile herself and this Emma that they say she is. By all accounts, Emma appears to be a spoiled, self-centered B*$(# and she can't imagine herself acting this way.

"How does one gain weight when they aren't eating anything? I was in a coma! I was literally eating nothing and I gained weight. Which can only mean that I had a serious problem before I went into a coma"

Emma learns she has a boyfriend, Andy, that she's having some trouble understanding why she would ever be attracted to him. But everyone tells her that the best way to get back to who she was is to immerse herself in that life. To be Emma. To be with her boyfriend, to hang with her friends, to dress, talk and act like Emma would. But none of it feels right.

Through all of this, she is falling in love with her physical therapist, Mason. To say he's swoon worthy would be an understatement.

"I want to give you back your first kiss, the one that jerk stole from you. And I want it to be something that even a coma can't make you forget."

But must like everyone, he's far from perfect. He's hot and cold with Emma has he tries to resist his feelings for her. Mason also has some secrets that could burn out any potential relationship with Emma before they even get going.

Shelly is such an awesome author and this story gripped me. Also, her chapter titles were AWESOME! Each chapter was a different useless fact that was all together, too funny. I looked forward to each chapter, partially just for that.

Useless Fact number Six
Every time you sneeze, brain cells die(less)

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May 05, 2013 Paula Phillips rated it 5 of 5 stars

As people who read The Phantom Paragrapher will know is that I am a huge fan of the "New Adult Catergory" and for those who know me personally I love the whole Amnesiac storyline. So when I saw that Shelly Crane whom of course I loved as well had written a new one with all my favourite aspects combined I just had to read it.
Wide Awake tells the tale of Emma whom has been in a coma for the past six months, not knowing if she will ever wake - her family have been preparing for the worst. Six mont...more

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Apr 10, 2013 BookHookup rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was originally reviewed on The Book Hookup.

First Thoughts:

Celeste: 4.5 stars! I have so many emotions and all of them good. I loved Mason so much I want to cry this book. I saw this photo on facebook and was like, “omg, what book is this? I HAVE TO have it.” Then click, click, click it was bought and sent to my kindle and I read it in one sitting. That’s right, one sitting.

Ana: I loved this book. I loved the story and the characters. I’m so glad Celeste sent me the picture below…becaus...more

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Jun 15, 2013 Cathlin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Yes, I'll take a Mason please!

I really enjoyed this one by Shelly Crane. I wasn't totally blown away, but it was still fantastic. I loved Emma's journey to find out who she really is and how she tries so hard to be who she was. It was definitely an interesting concept and Ms. Crane does an excellent job of pulling the reader along on the emotional journey with her. I also loved Mason...sigh...swoon. He's amazing! What girl wouldn't want a guy like that?!

I was a little disappointed in the lack o...more

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May 22, 2013 Books By The Glass rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this story! I thought it had some great twists and turns and was something a little different from the other Coming of Age books I have read lately.

I truly loved Mason. I found him to be a kind and loving soul that has just had so much hurt and pain in his own life but stands by Emma through her recovery and transition into becoming who she is now. As I was reading I couldn’t help but think that in the end he would break her heart and she would be alone but stronger. But as you...more

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May 22, 2013 Shelley rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have to admit that I wasn't really expecting much from this book when I started it. I don't know why I like a lot of Shelly Crane's writing, I just wasn't. I zoomed right through this book. It is a sweet heart warming story about a girl who wakes from a coma and doesn't remember her life. She has loving parents, but they are loving parents to a girl that no longer exists. Emma must decide if she wants to start living as she is now or try and be the girl she use to be. The only problem with tha...more

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May 19, 2013 Jennie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-most-faves

Wow! I just finished Wide Awake after staying up almost all night to read it and I am once again in awe of one of my most favorite authors. What a great story! To be honest I wasn't sure if i was going to enjoy it when I read the synopsis. I knew it was so different from her Significance and Collide series (both of which I ADORE) and at first I thought it might not hold my interest - a girl loses her memory of her life before her accident. But boy was I WRONG! From the first page this book sucke...more

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May 09, 2013 Wern Darge rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really really liked this book. I put off reading it for a while not knowing what to expect and as soon as I started it, I couldn't put it down. The idea was original, the characters well developed and the writing itself was smooth and effortless. There were quite a few editing errors that were distracting but not enough to take away from my enjoyment of the story.

I especially loved the relationship between Emma and Mason and how the attraction between them developed so subtly and slowly and wi...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Between the Bind rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelly Crane does it again! I am a huge fan of Shelly and her Significance series, so when I was given the opportunity to read Wide Awake, I was more than excited.

The concept of this novel intrigued me immediately. The idea of being stuck inside a body you don't recognize, with expectations to live someone else's life who had a life that seems meaningless to go "back" to...well, you can see why I was interested.

Shelly quickly paints an honest picture after Emma's tragedy. She begins the story w...more Shelly Crane does it again! I am a huge fan of Shelly and her Significance series, so when I was given the opportunity to read Wide Awake, I was more than excited.

The concept of this novel intrigued me immediately. The idea of being stuck inside a body you don't recognize, with expectations to live someone else's life who had a life that seems meaningless to go "back" to...well, you can see why I was interested.

Shelly quickly paints an honest picture after Emma's tragedy. She begins the story waking in the hospital, slowly coming to her senses. Once she understands her prognosis, she is devastated, and rightfully so, but slowly rises from her horror and begins the long process of healing - finding herself.

Now, while this makes the story sound like a simple coming-of-age, wet eyed, uplifting story, Wide Awake is so much more. I found myself laughing often with these characters and enjoying with the roles each is trying to play when their script hadn't yet been written.

Emma is completely likable. Finding the balance between the girl she feels like she is and the girl she finds she was before her accident is the purpose of the story...but she draws you in with her kindness and confusion. I felt like I would make similar choices if, forbid, I put myself in that situation. The romantic triangle between Emma, her "boyfriend" Andy, and Mason, the man who's attracted her from the first time she opens her eyes. Shelly writes some lovely romance that doesn't overwhelm the development of Emma as herself, without her complete association with one life or the other based on a childish idea of love. That being said, Emma's decisions at times can be frustrating, but it forces the reader to be patient with her and remember that she is simply trying to find herself.

Things that I love and therefore made me fall in love with Mason: tattoos, mama's boys, and true kindness. Don't get me wrong, I love me a bad boy, but in real life? My sweet, loving, handsome, tattooed husband is it for me. And Wide Awake made me feel like I was reading real life. Each page turned seemed to get faster and faster until suddenly I was finished and sighing at a book well done.

Congratulations Ms. Crane! Another knock out.(less)

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Apr 19, 2013 Buffy Kennedy rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is an interesting and emotional journey of healing for one girl who suddenly wakes up from a coma after six months. It’s awkward, but of course it would be if you woke up and didn’t remember your own name let alone your parents or anyone. There is some romance here, which is what I feel Shelly Crane’s strength is, but the focus is more on the rehabilitation of Emma. The best part is that the romance is gradual and not that insta-romance that’s so popular.

Frankly, I think this book could hav...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Michelle Morris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Imagine waking up and seeing two strangers who claim they're your parents. A guy you've never seen before comes storming into the room, yelling at you for not remembering him because he's your "boyfriend." There are doctors around you, hospital lights glaring down at you. You look in the mirror and you can't even recognize yourself.

Welcome to Emma Walker's new life.

Emma -

After a hit-and-run accident that put her in a coma for six months and took away her memory, Emma is finally awake. Except sh...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Stephanie Cage rated it 4 of 5 stars

I loved the story of Emma, the girl who wakes up from a coma to discover she's no longer the girl her friends and family believe she is. The old Emma was shallow and lazy, valuing a perfect ponytail above a perfect term paper. She cribbed all her work and got away with it, because she was the centre of a group of equally vapid friends and together with her footballer boyfriend, she ruled the school. Her mother, strangely, encouraged her interest in cheerleading and make-up and maintaining a perf...more I loved the story of Emma, the girl who wakes up from a coma to discover she's no longer the girl her friends and family believe she is. The old Emma was shallow and lazy, valuing a perfect ponytail above a perfect term paper. She cribbed all her work and got away with it, because she was the centre of a group of equally vapid friends and together with her footballer boyfriend, she ruled the school. Her mother, strangely, encouraged her interest in cheerleading and make-up and maintaining a perfect size zero.

But when she wakes up, all this changes. While she’s desperate to overcome her physical injuries and walk again, she no longer has any interest in cheerleading or make-up. She just wants to live a normal life and graduate from college. Her friends and family are so scandalised by her sudden interest in schoolwork that she’s forced to give them the excuse that ‘she can’t bear the thought of another year in school’ to explain why she’s working so hard! She’s constantly encountering girls in the hallways at school – the less pretty ones, the ones who actually work – who shy away from her in terror, and she’s finally forced to confront the truth: the old Emma was a vicious bully to those who didn’t meet her ‘high’ standards of success, beauty and popularity.

Of course, if we’d met the old Emma first off, we’d have hated her, and rightly so. She’s the embodiment of vanity, greed and selfishness. When her parents give her a new car for her birthday, she barely speaks to them for a week because the seats are the wrong colour leather. But we meet Emma for the first time in a hospital bed, coming out of a coma after an accident that we don’t fully understand. We come to care about her as she struggles to remember her parents and to get to her feet. We follow her as she finds out, and is horrified by, the details of her old life.

By the time we learn what truly happened on the night she ended up in hospital, we also understand that the accident, in one way a terrible tragedy, was in another way the start of a new life for her, one in which she is able to find meaning, real friendship and even love, all of which were missing from her shallow Queen Bee existence. Much of this comes from her developing relationship with her physical therapist, Mason, whose tattoos and beat-up old car make him look like a quintessential bad-boy hero… until you find out a few things about him that prove just how much heart there is hidden under the tattoos. He feeds Emma’s new life of the mind by buying her books of useless facts, and helps her to feel normal by taking her to a festival and dancing in a field.

All in all, he's just about the perfect man, and there would be no doubt they'd get it together if there weren't a few small problems: the commitments that make him feel he can't have a normal life; Emma's lack of memory; the fact her parents are dead set against him; and worst of all, the fact that Emma's jock ex-boyfriend is practically stalking her. So there's plenty here to keep you reading right up to the shocking finale.

This would be a 5-star review if only Shelly Crane had edited a little more carefully - now and again a typo distracted me from the sense of the story. But it's still very much worth reading, especially if you enjoy YA fiction with a moral. (less)

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Apr 11, 2013 Beth (Curling Up With A Good Book) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, guest-review

Shelly Crane did not disappoint! I loved the Significance series and I was so excited to read Wide Awake! It was wonderful just as I thought it would be! Have you ever wondered what it would be like to wake up one day and remember nothing about your life? This book tells the story of Emma who had a terrible accident and was in a coma. Everyone thought she would die but one day after 6 months she woke up. The reader learns about Emma's life along with her. She could not believe the things she lea...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Abbie's Book Nook rated it 2 of 5 stars

Well Poo!!!

2 Stars

I really really really wanted to love this book!

The synopsis read...

When Emma Walker wakes up in the hospital with no knowledge of how she got there, she learns that she's been in a coma for six months. Strangers show up and claim to be her parents, but she can't remember them. She can't remember anyone. Not her friends, not even her boyfriend. Even though she can't remember, everyone wants her to just pick up where she left off, but what she learns about the 'old her' makes h...more

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Apr 08, 2013 Lexie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads, chick-lit, contemporary, giant-disappointment, fiction, insta-love-just-add-water, horrifying, new-levels-of-boring, owned-ebook, realistic, romance, special-snowflake-syndome, tbs, will-not-reread, young-adult

This was so disappointing.

I loved the premise; I wanted Emma to really explore who she was and the world around her, before the accident. Something carefully labelled and resonating about identity and teenagers.

Instead, we got shallow, overwrought fluff. (view spoiler)...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Morning After a Good Book rated it 4 of 5 stars

“The things we should focus on in any life shouldn’t be what we’ve lost, but what we’ve gained” – Shelly Crane, Wide Awake

No one knows you better than you know yourself! Well that is not the case in this book. Emma Walker was involved in a hit and run accident that lands her in a coma. When she finally wakes up six months later she realizes that she has no idea who anyone is, including herself. She struggles to get her life back in order, while dealing with the pressure of learning who she used...more

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About Shelly Crane

Shelly is a New York Times & USA Today Bestselling author from a small town in Georgia and loves everything about the south. She is wife to a fantastical husband and stay at home mom to two boisterous and mischievous boys who keep her on her toes. They currently reside in everywhere USA as they happily travel all over with her husband's job. She loves to spend time with her family, binge on ca...more

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Quotes from Wide Awake

“It doesn't matter who you were or what you've done in the past. The only thing that matters is who you are right now.” — 37 people liked it

“The things we should focus on in any life shouldn’t be what we’ve lost, but what we’ve gained” — 22 people liked it

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