Wild Awake

May 12, 2013 Keertana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: debut-author-2013, arc-galley-and-first-reads, books-that-linger, beautiful-prose, wishlist

I think the last time I felt this strangely disjointed and certifiably insane after reading a book was shortly after closing the cover of This is Shyness, which is pretty darn perfect. Wild Awake is...life. Hilary T. Smith's debut is one of those books that will spark controversy once the right people read it; the kind of people who don't fully understand this book and want to tear it down. For others, though, Wild Awake will sing a special tune, will whisper a secret world, and unlock a store o...more

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May 13, 2013 Blythe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-favorites, 2013-reads, arc, brb-biting-my-nails, caught-in-a-bad-romance, clever-plot-twists, creeeeepy, cried-my-eyes-out, deserves-the-hype, didn-t-see-that-coming, exceeded-my-expectations, favorites, freaking-brilliant, highly-anticipating-2013, hand-me-some-tissues, i-totally-saw-that-coming, i-will-have-children-with-this-book, judge-a-book-by-the-cover, loved-it, netgalley-edelweiss-arc, this-book-and-i-are-eloping, i-e-i-will-always-love-you, read-reviewed

People are like cities: We all have alleys and gardens and secret rooftops and places where daisies sprout between the sidewalk cracks, but most of the time all we let each other see is is a postcard glimpse of a skyline or a polished square. Love lets you find those hidden places in another person, even the ones they didn't know were there, even the ones they wouldn't have thought to call beautiful themselves.

Wild Awake is not a book that will appeal to every reader. While I found it to be won...more People are like cities: We all have alleys and gardens and secret rooftops and places where daisies sprout between the sidewalk cracks, but most of the time all we let each other see is is a postcard glimpse of a skyline or a polished square. Love lets you find those hidden places in another person, even the ones they didn't know were there, even the ones they wouldn't have thought to call beautiful themselves.

Wild Awake is not a book that will appeal to every reader. While I found it to be wonderfully strange and hauntingly beautiful, with a gorgeous and euphoric atmosphere developed with undertones of grief, sorrow, and unmistakable depth--all of which bears the same gorgeous and breathtaking ambience as the blatant euphoric facade the main character, Kiri, is living--there is no doubt in my mind that the opinions for this novel, as fantastic as I think it is, will be rather polarizing due to some of the novel's somewhat controversial content.

Drug use, predominately if not entirely weed, plays a significant role throughout Wild Awake, but more notably it plays a significant role in Kiri's recovery after finding out that her sister had really been murdered, after believing for years that she was instead killed in a car accident. Whether or not Wild Awake will be a book you love or a book you hate is based, in my opinion, on how drastically you react to drug use in novels, to the point where said drug use may become excessive. I, for one, found Kiri's use of drugs throughout Wild Awake to be an original and refreshing perspective on dealing and coping with new and life-changing information, and seeing the world through Kiri's eyes as she was in a high was similar to being in an absolutely stunning trance I didn't for the life of me want to escape from.

Hilary T. Smith's writing style is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and immersing I have ever come across in young adult, and is an absolute perfect example of how purple prose should be written--sufficient enough that it makes the reader stop and admire the gorgeous quality of the prose, yet not too much of it such that it is almost overwhelming and makes the reader feel the need to stop and take a break. The prose in Wild Awake is crazy and chaotic and it's utterly and undeniably spellbinding--in other words it's alive, and it manages to capture the essence of Kiri and her state of outright derangement so masterfully, believably, and beautifully, and it leaves you stopping to inevitably sympathize and deeply care for Kiri and what she's going through throughout the duration of Wild Awake, whether you like her as a character and grasp the rash and perhaps foolish decisions she may make or not.

Dealing with stunningly portrayed grief, secrets, and how just one of them could practically shatter your entire world, touching family bonds (and even lack thereof in some cases), and an unexpected romance that is as lively as each sentence deftly written on every page of this novel, with an often hysterical, witty, and insightful inner-monologue within the head of Kiri, Wild Awake is a crazy, passionate, and profound rollercoaster ride, and it's one which I would gladly ride again.(less)

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Feb 09, 2013 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2013

This summer, Kiri's parents are on an extended vacation, leaving her to her own devices at home. She's poised to spend it hanging out with best friend/bandmate/crush Lukas making music and competing in battle of the bands. She's also made plans to practice piano because she's quiet accomplished and only wants to get better and better. Really, not that awful a summer.

But it's a phone call from a stranger who changes everything. He says he has some of her dead sister's things.

The sister who died...more

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Apr 23, 2013 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: looks-awesome, may-2013

Everyone has been talking about this book lately, amiright? I was thrilled to get the chance to check it out. Reviews have been mixed. Some LOVE it. Some don't get it, but still kinda like it. Some can't stand it. My thoughts after reading Wild Awake? It's odd. It's written in a stream of consciousness type narration that can be a distracting and hard to follow. It has this almost dreamlike quality to it. As you are reading you are kind of wondering "what's going on? Is this really happening or...more Everyone has been talking about this book lately, amiright? I was thrilled to get the chance to check it out. Reviews have been mixed. Some LOVE it. Some don't get it, but still kinda like it. Some can't stand it. My thoughts after reading Wild Awake? It's odd. It's written in a stream of consciousness type narration that can be a distracting and hard to follow. It has this almost dreamlike quality to it. As you are reading you are kind of wondering "what's going on? Is this really happening or is this something else entirely?" BUT. At the same time it's creative. It's emotional. It's realistic in it's approach of teens (at least in my experience.) And it's really, really addicting. The plot meanders about a bit but I had a hard time putting this book down. It was crazy to read, like MANIC crazy, but I had to know what was going to happen next. Reading it, and getting inside the main character Kiri's head feels like you have run a mile in record time: you are both exhilarated and exhausted in the same moment. In short, Wild Awake is like nothing I have ever read before and I REALLY liked that.

Did you know that many scientists believe there is a link between creativity and certain types of mental illness, such as depression and bipolar disorder? Having my degree in art history, I would tend to agree. And Wild Awake seems to support this theory. Kiri is a talented musician. She spends HOURS practicing and takes very expensive lessons from an instructor whose students often go on to prestigious schools like Julliard. Sukey, Kiri's sister, who passed away several years earlier, was a painter. And I mention these things because I think it's relevant. Wild Awake is not a book about crazy people. It's not a book about mental illness. But Kiri, Sukey and a few other characters clearly have some experience with this topic. So, know that going in. I personally think this is fascinating subject matter, and that is probably one of the reasons why I enjoyed this book, even if it was weird and disconcerting at certain times.

The impression I got of our narrator Kiri is that she's an artist. Not a visual artist like her sister, but an artist in terms of creative genius. She's not only creative, she's obsessive, especially with her music. She's manic, she barely sleeps, and by the end of this book she doesn't sleep AT ALL. She's reckless and makes some terrible decisions and really doesn't seem to have much regard for her well being. But you know what? She's also just your typical teenage girl. She's got a crush on her best friend. She's in a garage band that wants to win the local "Battle of the Bands" (she plays synths). She feels the pressure to be the best pianist and not disappoint her parents and her music teacher. She smokes pot and drinks, often to the point of excess (that's actually putting it mildly.) And she really, really misses her dead sister Sukey.

I disn't understand Kiri's motivation at times and I didn't relate to the manic side of her personality, but I still really liked her. Her actions scared the crap out of me sometimes, but it added to her overall development as a character and that is key. You could never accuse Kiri of being a flat, two dimensional character.

Wild Awake tells the story of Kiri discovering what really happened to her sister Sukey and in turn who Sukey really was. Losing her sister at a young age meant that Kiri had this idealized vision of Sukey in her mind. One of the most compelling aspects of Wild Awake is witnessing Kiri realize her sister was a complicated person who lived a complicated life.

Wild Awake also tells the story of Kiri falling in love. And it turns out to be with a boy who is NOT her longtime crush (no spoiler, that's right above in the book's synopsis). Kiri's relationship with Skunk is without a doubt my favorite part of this book. It is so authentic and so TRUE. It's not a prettied up romance like you find in some fiction. Skunk's not Prince Charming, he's got his own issues. And their story is real and it's raw and it is still SO FREAKING ROMANTIC, people. He calls her Crazy Girl. She calls him Love-Bison. And that nickname will make NO sense to you now, but trust me, you are going to love it when you read it:)

And by the way, the writing in this book? Amazing. Whether it'ss the description of Skunk's room filled with radios; or the manic thoughts skipping around in Kiri's head as she talks about music; \or the past memories of time spent with Sukey; or the swoony scenes between Kiri and her love-bison, Smith's ability to create a mood with her words is truly remarkable.

And there are a few scenes in this book that are utterly unforgettable: the Biker Midnight Mass; Kiri's thrill ride and bender with some random dude while HIGH as a KITE; the amazing 48 hours (or so) of rain spent in Skunk's room. And most of all I loved the "twist" with Skunk at the end (PERFECT.) The imagery is so strong that I KNOW I will never forget those parts of the book.

And for me, that is what makes this book so special. Isn't that the mark of something special when certain passages and scenes stick around haunting you for days after reading? It is for me.

Issues? Well there are the somewhat typical absentee parents found in a lot of YA, BUT I honestly do not think this story would have worked any other way.

In summation, Wild Awake is a different kind of book. It's not your standard grief story/ coming of age/ voyage of self discovery story/ falling in love for the first time type of story AT ALL. It's complicated and kind of messy. But that is what I loved about it. It's also lyrical and emotionally charged. It's not going to be for everyone, but for me it was a thought provoking read that I thoroughly enjoyed.(less)

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Apr 30, 2013 Kat Heckenbach rated it 3 of 5 stars

My thoughts on this book went a bit like this:

Opening: Not thrilled that the book opens with Kiri getting stoned. But give it chance...maybe that will be a lesson learned later. The writing is pretty good, but not blowing my mind. NOT buying the parents going off and leaving a 17 yr old girl alone for six weeks--especially on a cruise--when their other daughter died in a car accident.

A few chapters in: The writing is getting pretty stellar in places. I'm loving Kiri's voice for the most part, al...more

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Katherine Coble You know I've been reading Acts heavily when my first thought is "if she's stoned in the beginning, is the whole thing a flashback?"

It seriously took...more
May 01, 2013 04:09am

Katherine Coble Also might I add that this is what does not thrill me about the upsurge in YA titles. Authors who feel like the story has to compromise human integrit...more
May 01, 2013 04:14am

Kat Heckenbach Katherine wrote: "Also might I add that this is what does not thrill me about the upsurge in YA titles. Authors who feel like the story has to comprom...more
May 01, 2013 06:52am

Mar 04, 2013 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-bridget

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.

Quick & Dirty: This was an interesting book that covered some very serious issues, but I found it to be a little bit weird and disturbing.

Opening Sentence: It’s the first day of summer, and I know three things: One, I’m happy.

The Review:

Kiri Byrd has a bright future ahead of her. She is an amazing piano player and hopes to one day go to Julliard or another big art school. She is also in a band with her bestie Lukas, and they are getting ready to perform...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Caren rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: may-13, galley, review

This book should be part of the advocacy campaign for child welfare laws. Seriously. What kind of parents, after losing one daughter to a brutal murder, leaves their only remaining daughter alone for SIX ENTIRE WEEKS so they can go on a romantic vacation for two?

Ones who should not ever be allowed to parent, that’s who.

I’ll admit, this book…it riveted me. Because it was crazy. Full-on batshit. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not being insensitive to those with mental health problems, trust me. I und...more This book should be part of the advocacy campaign for child welfare laws. Seriously. What kind of parents, after losing one daughter to a brutal murder, leaves their only remaining daughter alone for SIX ENTIRE WEEKS so they can go on a romantic vacation for two?

Ones who should not ever be allowed to parent, that’s who.

I’ll admit, this book…it riveted me. Because it was crazy. Full-on batshit. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not being insensitive to those with mental health problems, trust me. I understand it better than you will ever know, but I’m not sure I get the point of writing about it in this way. If anything, I think it’s the author here who’s been insensitive. Don’t tackle a subject like this if you’re not going to do it right! Where’s the lesson here? Where is the resolution? What did this book teach me? Nothing, other than that this author has the ability to mimic a pretty well detailed psychotic episode on paper, and to demonstrate the ways in which to grind up a nug and pack a bowl.

I’m baffled as to how this was bought and is now being marketed as a young adult novel, because I can tell you right now, if I had a young adult…I would never, ever allow him or her to read this. This book isn’t suitable for children with impressionable minds who might think Kiri’s summer adventures are something to mimic. Like riding a bicycle into downtown to meet some sketchy guy after dark. Like going into said strange guys sketchy apartment building even after being warned that it could be a scam. Like going home with someone she doesn’t know who’s offered to fix her bike. Like accepting drugs from strangers!

I’m cringing at my own words right now, because I feel like I sound like one of those old crotchety ladies who shakes their fingers at anything fun, but really. I dare you to read this and then come back and tell me you don’t agree with what I’m saying. And if you don’t, I’d like to hear why, maybe you can enlighten me on something I missed.(less)

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Apr 05, 2013 Lola Sharp rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemp, young-adult

This is a tough one, because on some levels this is a 5 star for me, and on other levels, some issues ...meaning, I have a love-with-reservations thing happening with this book, made harder still by my fondness for its author.

How to rate it? How to rate it honestly???

I love aspects of this daring book...and yet, like I said, I have some serious reservations about other parts.

I'll split the difference with 3.5-4 stars overall....but with bright dazzling moments of 5.

On a prose level this is a b...more

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May 17, 2013 Jenny rated it 3 of 5 stars

Loose and meandering, Wild Awake takes us on a strange and jumbled multi-week journey through young Kiri’s life while her parents are away on vacation, watching through a haze of detachment as she finds herself slowly but brutally knocked off one life path before stumbling her way onto another. Reading this story is a bit like attending the exhibition of a renowned painter, standing in front of one of their pieces, and realizing you are perhaps the only person in the room that doesn’t fully unde...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Daisy Dardon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, favorites

*won through Goodread's giveaway*
Can I just start off by saying HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS BOOK. I am so glad I got an advance reader's copy. Once you start this book you don't want to put it down. This book brought almost every emotion out of me. I got mad, frustrated, happy, sad, I even cried *but happy tears though* I fell in love with "Skunk's" character even though at times I did get a little annoyed. And I hated Lukas, although I have to admit at first I was rooting for him but then I thought, w...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Erin Arkin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: galley-arc

This was an interesting book. I avoided reading any reviews prior to opening this one as I didn’t want them to impact what I thought. I have heard from a number of people that they either really liked it or really disliked it. I have to say, I am more middle of the road on this one. The main reason for that is that I have to enjoy not only the story but the characters and I just didn’t get this here.
First, the story – I honestly liked it and it kept me turning the pages as I wanted to see what w...more This was an interesting book. I avoided reading any reviews prior to opening this one as I didn’t want them to impact what I thought. I have heard from a number of people that they either really liked it or really disliked it. I have to say, I am more middle of the road on this one. The main reason for that is that I have to enjoy not only the story but the characters and I just didn’t get this here.
First, the story – I honestly liked it and it kept me turning the pages as I wanted to see what was going to happen to these characters…not so much because I liked them but because I was curious. The story itself is beautifully written and I was interested because with a blurb that included the words, love, loss, chaos, and murder in it I was intrigued.

Kiri is the main character. She is 17 years old and home alone for 6 weeks. She has a list of things to do but her main focus is practicing her piano for her showcase and also winning Battle of the Bands with her BFF Lukas. Kiri gets a phone call one night that throws everything off track and ultimately changes her plans for the next 6 weeks. That call is from a man named Doug who says he knew Kiri’s sister Sukey when she was alive and he tells her that if she wants Sukey’s things, she needs to come get them. The rest of the story is about Kiri coming to terms with what happened to her sister as her parents and brother never told her the truth about how she died as well as dealing with the impact of what she learns. I liked seeing the relationship and friendship develop between Kiri and Skunk but I honestly wasn’t invested. Here’s why….I thought Kiri was a bit annoying and made some really stupid decisions.

So the characters….First let me talk about Kiri. As I mentioned, Kiri made some (really) stupid decisions – which happens at 17 but seriously – who is going to make the decision late at night to ride their bike through a shady part of town to meet someone they don’t know??? Then, I understand Skunk was being nice, but based on the initial description of him, I would never go off with someone I don’t know in the middle of (again) a shady area of town because he says he will fix my bike tire.

As the story progressed, it was clear that Kiri was acting oddly and she had no support system in place to help address her issues. Her brother wasn’t consistently around and her parents are gone.

I did like Skunk and once his back story was revealed, I liked him more. He still struggled with everything going on in his head and clearly his aunt thought Kiri wasn’t the best thing for him. Despite that he was trying to get through each day the best he could. Ultimately I was happy to see Kiri come through despite her manic approach to getting him to face his fear.

Lukas was a douche and I was so glad that Kiri finally realized it. The only thing I wish would have happened between him and Kiri is that she had the opportunity to tell him off. He knew she had feelings for him (before the embarrassing movie night) and didn’t really do anything to discourage her….the “we should focus on the music” conversation was lame. Maybe it's me but I would most likely have taken the chance to let Lukas know exactly what I thought of him and his inability to do anything but focus on what he wanted.

I honestly have no words for the parents – other than I found it somewhat unbelievable that any parents would leave their teenage daughter home by herself for 6 weeks. Yes, Kiri may have given them the impression that she had it together but that timeframe is not realistic…Forget the fact that their eldest daughter was brutally murdered 4 years ago, she is 17. That is all I have to say about that.

Overall I can’t say that I loved this but I also didn’t hate it. I rate this between 2.5 – 3 stars as I enjoyed the story – just disliked most of the characters. (less)

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Jan 04, 2013 Shanyn (Chick Loves Lit) rated it 5 of 5 stars

The first book I officially read start to finish in 2013, WILD AWAKE gives me more reason to shout about contemporary YA from the mountaintops. Or from my couch-top, seeing as how the mountains here have many feet of snow and it would be hard to get up there.

The current synopsis for WILD AWAKE is mostly bullet points, which sometimes doesn't do a book much justice, but somehow works for this one. You get enough of a glimpse into the story to be intrigued, and the bullet points are actually quite...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Carina Olsen rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don't know how I feel about this book. I'm still unsure why I read it. I had seen a lot of people excited for it, so I requested it via Edelweiss, and I got accepted. Then today I looked at the summary again, and I thought that it sounded a bit fun and sweet, so I started reading it. And it was. But yeah. It was a weird book, and I'm not sure I liked it at all. I do want a sequel. And I loved some things. But it also wasn't what I had thought.

The main character in this book is Kiri. And that b...more I don't know how I feel about this book. I'm still unsure why I read it. I had seen a lot of people excited for it, so I requested it via Edelweiss, and I got accepted. Then today I looked at the summary again, and I thought that it sounded a bit fun and sweet, so I started reading it. And it was. But yeah. It was a weird book, and I'm not sure I liked it at all. I do want a sequel. And I loved some things. But it also wasn't what I had thought.

The main character in this book is Kiri. And that book is told from her point of view. I sort of liked her as a character. She seemed pretty awesome. But yeah. I didn't like the way she thought things. She seemed a bit weird at times. I didn't understand her feelings for Lukas. But yeah. I did think she was pretty cute and nice. But she also changes a lot in this book. Goes kind of crazy. And I'm not sure how I felt about that at all.

I think one of the main reasons for why I didn't love this book was the writing. I feel a bit sucky saying it, but yeah, I just didn't like the writing. I didn't like the way Kiri was thinking and such. It just wasn't for me. But despite that I did find the book kind of interesting. And while I sometimes considered quitting it, I never did because I wanted to know what happened next. In the end this is a three star book for me. Maybe a three point five. But only at certain times in the book.

I don't know how to explain this book. And I'm pretty sure my review won't be long this time. But yeah. That's just the way it is :) I did love reading about Kiri. She lives with her parents, her brother is at college. She's awesome at music. Her older sister died five years ago. Then something happens that make Kiri see what really happened when her sister died all those years ago. Thing is, I thought it would be a murder-story-book. But it isn't. And that disappointed me. I wanted it to focus on that more.

Anyway. There are a lot of things happening in this book. I'm not sure how to describe it all, so I'll just mention a few things. Kiri is very good at playing music and singing. And I did love that. But then she goes a bit crazy later on. Sigh. But before that she's sort of in a band with her best friend Lukas. Who she totally have a crush on. I disliked that a bit. The way she was thinking around him; it was weird. But anyway. I just didn't like Lukas. He seemed very selfish and mean, to be honest. Not a nice person.

Things go bad for Kiri when she gets a phone call from someone who claims to have some of her dead sister's things. She goes downtown to get them. Things go a lot worse from there. But also better. She meets Skunk. Who I adored. But I wished we had gotten to know him even more. But I did love what we did know about him. He's kind of huge. But so sweet and kind. He has a Thing. And it was a bit heartbreaking and I hated it but also loved it, because I loved Skunk and he was an amazing character.

Another one I loved was the old guy calling Kiri, Doug. He was sweet. Well. Okay. Not really. He was a drunk and kind of bad. But I did adore him a bit. I loved his three legged cat. We get to read about him a lot. And so much about Skunk. Skunk and Kiri has a great romance, and I loved that, but yeah. I wish it hadn't been so damn crazy. I wanted this to be a sweet book with maybe a bit horror or mystery. But it wasn't. It was crazy, full of drugs and other crazy things. I sort of liked it, but I didn't like it enough.

I don't want to spoil anything else, and I don't really have much else to say about this book. I hated the drug use. How crazy Kiri ended up getting. I didn't like it at all. Sigh. But I did like the ending to this book, and I do want a sequel, because I want more of Skunk. Anyway. Wild Awake was an interesting book. I did enjoy reading it at times. But it wasn't perfect. At least not for me. Others might like it, but I just didn't. I had too many faults with it. But yeah. Skunk was a bright point for me. I loved him a lot.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Katherine Tegen Books, and Edelweiss for the chance to read and review this book early. <3 I'm still unsure how I felt about it. But I am glad I read it. I think :)(less)

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Apr 26, 2013 Thomas Pinkerton rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Young adults, teens (both genders!)

Shelves: first-read

My top book of 2012 was "The Miseducation of Cameron Post". It's possible that teenage girls might just take the top spot in 2013 as well.

Wild Awake, is, simply, an enthralling book. Like Cameron Post, Kiri is one of those engrossing, inviting narrators that simply make a book click. You begin the book a little bored, following her daily routine while her parents are away on vacation, and she's home alone, simply practicing her piano, pining for her (sole) bandmate, and wasting time. And then sh...more My top book of 2012 was "The Miseducation of Cameron Post". It's possible that teenage girls might just take the top spot in 2013 as well.

Wild Awake, is, simply, an enthralling book. Like Cameron Post, Kiri is one of those engrossing, inviting narrators that simply make a book click. You begin the book a little bored, following her daily routine while her parents are away on vacation, and she's home alone, simply practicing her piano, pining for her (sole) bandmate, and wasting time. And then she takes a chance -- she leaves home to collect some of her dead sister's things after getting a call from a former neighbor.

And... the book just takes off. It's hard to go into any amount of depth without spoiling it, suffice it to say that the facade she put up of an organized life and put-together daughter begins to crack. Then shatter. Then disintegrate. The narration itself becomes more disjointed and frenetic as she falls further into a this mania, and leaves you dizzy (literally... more than once I looked up from the pages to difficulty focusing on the world around me).

One of the things that really sets apart a great novel from a good one, in my book, is when there is that one passage (or two, three, more, etc) that sticks in your head, and I'd like to share it (from pg. 98 of the ARC):

(view spoiler)

Just... a phenomenal book. Easily the best I've read this year.(less)

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Mar 12, 2013 Celeste_pewter rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Literature students studying style, and older readers. Not for the YA crowd.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Two-second recap: Wild Awake is an interesting meditation on narration and writing style, but the characterisations and plotting leave a lot to be desired.

***

Full review:

Sometimes, you'll come across a book where you find the writing quirky and enjoyable. However, the plotting and world-building of that same book is slightly more questionable, and you find yourself torn as to whether you want to:

1) write the book off immediately

or

2) Try and find something to like about the book, even if you wou...more

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Mar 14, 2013 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. It is down to earth and it feels real. This is something most teens go through, maybe not finding out the truth of your sisters death but the first love, rebellion and wanting to be in a band.

Kiri is a down to earth and has some high goals she is gong to achieve this summer. She is going to hang out with her boyfriend who is also a band mate and spend time playing the piano, but all that changes with one phone call. Tis phone call changes everything, and she will do w...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Eileen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, arc, ebook, edelweiss, for-review, owned, romance, young-adult

Check out more of my reviews at ***Singing and Reading in the Rain***!

Never in my life have I been this infuriated with a character, a story, a plot. Never in my life have I been thisconfused with everything that was going on. Never in my life have I wantedthis muchnot to see a turtle ever again in my entire life.

The first and foremost thing I noticed was the lack of a plot. This is actually a big deal for me. The plot is the thing that can make or break a story for me, and sometimes when a book...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Anna (Gatsby's Girl) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Kiri Byrd is spending the summer alone at home, while her parents are away on their anniversary cruise and her older brother Denny stays at school for extra classes. She counts on hanging out with her best friend Lukas and finally making him see her as more than just a friend. Kiri expects to practice almost every waking second for the piano showcase that is supposed to change her life and secure her future - all while winning Battle of the Bands with Lukas and getting the acclaim they deserve....more Kiri Byrd is spending the summer alone at home, while her parents are away on their anniversary cruise and her older brother Denny stays at school for extra classes. She counts on hanging out with her best friend Lukas and finally making him see her as more than just a friend. Kiri expects to practice almost every waking second for the piano showcase that is supposed to change her life and secure her future - all while winning Battle of the Bands with Lukas and getting the acclaim they deserve. She doesn't expect for things to come crashing down with just one phone call: it come from someone named Doug telling her to come pick up her dead sister Sukey's stuff before her old building is torn down for good. After suppressing the pain and anger at her parents for Sukey's death, Kiri begins to break - especially once she learns that Sukey's death was no accident after all. Can Kiri pick up the pieces with the help of an unusual new friend named Skunk, and turn her life into something worth living again? Or will she let grief consume her until there's nothing left?
This book was about the pain of family, losing someone you love, growing up and falling in love for the first time. Most of all, it was about learning to accept and express feelings, even negative ones, for what they are. Kiri spends most of the book trying to numb herself with weed and alcohol, hoping to forget everything that's wrong with her life. Kiri starts the novel as someone with no self-worth, who is living for other people. I absolutely loved the way she grows and changes, but the best thing for me was relationship with Skunk, the guy who fixes her bike when she's in the city getting Sukey's things. He is obviously in a bad place as well and the way they connect to each other is sweet and her acceptance of his crazy, messy existence speaks volumes for Kiri and the woman she's becoming. I felt like the open ended way this book resolved went with the almost aimless wandering of the plot. It wasn't meant to change the world, just to tell the story of Kiri Byrd and her dysfunctional family, trapped in their grief and trying to make their way out of it. This reminded me a lot of a Sarah Dessen or Simone Elkeles book and the prose was beautiful. The one thing that irked me was how little time was spent with the musical side of Kiri's life (except to show how badly she was screwing it up), when she's basically described as a prodigy. It just felt like background noise to me, put there to fill in some vague character details. Overall, an interesting and well written novel, but something was always keeping me from connecting to it with that last little thread. Worth a read for anyone who enjoys contemporary YA fiction, with major family issues and some romance mixed in for good measure.

VERDICT: 4/5 Stars

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. It became available for purchase on May 28th, 2013.*(less)

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May 16, 2013 Beth (Curling Up With A Good Book) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Man this book was intense! I have never been around someone with a mental disorder, at least not someone that has been diagnosed! At first everything seemed great with the main character Kiri. Kiri has the house to herself while her parents are on a trip for 6 weeks! It is every teenagers dream! Kiri is a very disciplined and talented young woman. However, she gets distracted when she takes a phone call regarding her older sister that had died several years prior. Kiri starts on a journey to lea...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Ally rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, edelweiss, debuts, kindle, printz-watch-2014, fiction, mental-illness, grief

Wow, wow, wow. I thought if I waited for a day after I read this one to write a review, it would be slightly more coherent. But I guess not.

Kiri is a pianist who is working towards a major showcase. She also plays synth in her best friend's band and is practicing for Battle of the Bands. She probably doesn't have time to do both, but she's a little bit in love with her best friend. Her parents are out of town for a few weeks, and this is her time to really buckle down: to practice for many hours...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Ashley (Nose Graze) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, e-arc, physical-arc

BookNook — Young Adult book reviews

I am so completely confused by Wild Awake. I read it, and I swear nothing happened. If you were to ask me to describe the plot of this book or the major conflict, I would have no idea what to tell you. Because there isn't really any overarching story or obstacle. It's basically about "a day in the life of a girl on weed" for an entire summer, and that amounts to a lot of randomness, weirdness, stream of consciousness, and plot points that are all over the place...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Brittany rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen

I honestly don't know what to make of this book. It began kind of quirky and weird and just kept spiraling and spiraling further into strangeness. After Kiri's sister dies and her parents leave on a six week long vacation, she is left grieving. She bottles this grief and spends all her time pining away for her bandmate and practicing to win Battle of the Bands. When the grief surfaces is when the book really takes a turn into the dark. There is no doubt the writing is superb and Kiri makes for a...more

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May 17, 2013 Mirka Breen rated it 5 of 5 stars

While other reviewers summarized this book, I’ll go straight to my reaction. This is a brilliantly written book.
To the reviewer who considered it for her pre-teen daughter, this is clearly a YA and the issues as well as the tone are best suited for older readers. But in places the writing is so gorgeous I can see its appeal for a wide range of readers.
Poignant, funny, smart, beautiful and occasionally truly different. I’m staying out of all moral judgments here. This is good fiction.
Ms. Smith g...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Chloe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith is absolutely amazing.
I can honestly say this book has changed my life and I was very sad when I finished it. I wanted it to go on and go on and I wanted more and more.

I read here that someone said there was no plot, but I guess you just have to sort of put yourself in the character's mind to truly understand the book. You have to be open minded and just take it as it comes.

This book gave me such an exhilarating rush I couldn't help but smile and laugh along with th...more

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May 09, 2013 Frankie Brown rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I am obsessed with this book. It kept me up at night, woke me in the wee dark hours, followed me around until I finished it. It's been almost two months since I read it, and still I find myself thinking about a particularly beautiful or disturbing scene.

It's not a sweet book. It's not simplistic, feel-good YA. It's a character study of a girl, Kiri Byrd, who realizes she's not the same as everyone else. No, she doesn't discover magical powers or a government conspiracy. She doesn't get sent of...more

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May 13, 2013 Steph Su rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: debs13, cover-lust, writing-learn, best-of-13, poc, want-to-own

When a strange caller informs young pianist Kiri Byrd he has the remains of her dead sister’s stuff—a sister who had been dead for years—Kiri’s life turns upside down. Kiri struggles to piece together what she’s learning about her sister, but doing so sets her on a crash course towards a breakdown, and only by acknowledging it can Kiri hope to live with it, to make it a part of herself.

With the weight of the expectations I placed upon its spine after declaring its synopsis to be one of the best...more When a strange caller informs young pianist Kiri Byrd he has the remains of her dead sister’s stuff—a sister who had been dead for years—Kiri’s life turns upside down. Kiri struggles to piece together what she’s learning about her sister, but doing so sets her on a crash course towards a breakdown, and only by acknowledging it can Kiri hope to live with it, to make it a part of herself.

With the weight of the expectations I placed upon its spine after declaring its synopsis to be one of the best I’d ever encountered, Hilary T. Smith’s debut novel WILD AWAKE had a lot to live up to. Fortunately, it was more than up to the task. WILD AWAKE reminded me of the best type of our favorite and revered Aussie YA: it’s whimsical and more than a little odd, but ultimately grounded in the solid reality of common emotions.

WILD AWAKE has many strengths, one of which is its startling and beautiful prose. It startles you because Smith is, oftentimes, just noting in passing an everyday detail or thought—only she does so in a way that makes you pause and actually notice what you otherwise would not. The prose tinkles like water trickling over crystal. Its brightness combines with the darker undertones of Kiri’s situation for a full symphony of bass emotions and soprano wonder.

From the start, Kiri as protagonist stands out. She is many things, has many identities—a serious pianist, a quipper; a dutiful daughter, a monomaniac—but she owns them all unabashedly, deliberately. Unlike other, forgettable YA protagonists who claim to be artists or rebels or whatever, Kiri doesn’t say: she just is, and that makes her being genuine. She’s unafraid to plunge herself into making mistakes, with the result that she gets more out of life than those who hang back. The times when she descends into a whirlwind of monomania are thrilling yet terrifying to read, because you see why she does it, why she needs to let herself go like that, and yet despite how seemingly carefree she is in those moments, you know it’s barely masking a deep, deep hurt. I desperately wish Kiri was real, because I think that her fearlessness, whether or not it’s enviable or reckless, would make me a better person.

That being said, in the end, it’s difficult to say what this book is about. The synopsis emphasizes the mysterious circumstances of Kiri’s sister’s death, but besides for being the catalyst for what happens in the book, finding out more about Sukey and what happened to her becomes less and less of a priority as the book flows along, replaced by Kiri’s deterioriating mental state. Which is a fine direction for a story to go, but still, a little…disorienting.

Nevertheless, WILD AWAKE was a story that lived up to its promises. It is more than the sum of its parts, more than just delectable prose, sympathetic character, and endearing family mystery. Go in with no anticipation of conventions, and enjoy the wild-awake ride.(less)

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Apr 06, 2013 Mari rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: edelweiss

Kiri is a responsible daughter and a disciplined pianist. She keeps a rigid piano practice schedule to perfect her craft and her parents trust her enough to leave her alone in their house while they go on a vacation cruise. Everything was going well enough, until she gets a phone call from someone who claims to have some of her dead sister's stuff.

To be honest, Wide Awake was not the story I expected it to be. I was expecting a cute, light read insterspersed with sad stuff about Kiri's sister a...more

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May 18, 2013 Nikki (Fiction Freak) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, absolute-fave

Wild Awake was a...memorable book. It was interesting and I'm not quite sure how to write this review! I had a ton of mixed feelings about it and this book was like a roller coaster--wait. Isn't that how you describe a relationship? But it's an apt description. I would adore it one moment, hate it another, find it disgusting, go back to loving it, then starting to cry. It was weird, and I don't think I've ever felt this many emotions in a book before!

This story deals with a lot of issues and has...more Wild Awake was a...memorable book. It was interesting and I'm not quite sure how to write this review! I had a ton of mixed feelings about it and this book was like a roller coaster--wait. Isn't that how you describe a relationship? But it's an apt description. I would adore it one moment, hate it another, find it disgusting, go back to loving it, then starting to cry. It was weird, and I don't think I've ever felt this many emotions in a book before!

This story deals with a lot of issues and has that gritty feel to it. Kiri is all but abandoned, her sister dead, her dream boyfriend not interested, her brother estranged, and her parents leaving her alone for six whole weeks. There's a sense of loneliness around our character and she was far from perfect--she was flawed and had scars all over (in the metaphorical sense), but she was real and she was hurt. While I enjoyed her sarcasm and her own way of understanding heartbreaking and sorrowful things, she did get annoying whenever she gave up and drank, or did drugs, or anything like that. She was horrible as a person and I hated what she did a lot of times. She was pathetic at times, but other times, she was so...understanding and almost sweet.

I loved the romance in the book. In a lot of ways it reminded me of What Happens Next--so perfectly imperfect and so bittersweet. Kiri and Skunk both had their issues and they were both in desperate need of one another. And I found it so perfect how it was Kiri's dead sister who brought them together in a way. Almost like she was looking after Kiri even then, which is really just me being all Happy-Ever-After, but I'll stick with it.

But as much as it was great and amazing, it was horrible too. What couple, who lost one of their daughters, would let their only other daughter stay home alone for 6 weeks? What girl would visit a virtual stranger at near midnight? There were so many stupid decisions in this, but it was riveting at the same time. There was a lot of drinking and drugs and partying going on that made me want to smack my head--a lot of times, Kiri ended up being stoned in important scenes. The ending was just so awkward and I honestly didn't get it and I felt like there were a ton of questions left unanswered and there were so many abrupt scenes that just ended.

Wild Awake is a gritty book that made my heart race and mouth drop open in shock. But it was also one that made me want to hit something and just shake my head in pity. Wild Awake was unbelievable, in one word. Good or bad, I can't say. Though I'm almost 75% sure it's good.(less)

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May 06, 2013 Ashley (Loves Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: wishlist, dac-2013

**A version of this review will be posted to Ashley Loves Books at a later date.**

Wild Awake was one of my most anticipated reads of this year – the moment I heard about it on TeaTime, I knew it was something I HAD to read. I got a little scared once I saw some of the reviews for it, but I still had every hope and faith it would appeal to me. And now that I’ve read it? I get the mixed reviews, but I am definitely one on the positive side. But for, surprisingly, very technical reasons!

Has anyone...more **A version of this review will be posted to Ashley Loves Books at a later date.**

Wild Awake was one of my most anticipated reads of this year – the moment I heard about it on TeaTime, I knew it was something I HAD to read. I got a little scared once I saw some of the reviews for it, but I still had every hope and faith it would appeal to me. And now that I’ve read it? I get the mixed reviews, but I am definitely one on the positive side. But for, surprisingly, very technical reasons!

Has anyone read Hunter S. Thompson? I think if you have, and you like his stuff – you’ll love Wild Awake, too. It’s got that same stream-of-consciousness flow, the drug-addled imagery and plot. And I don’t mean that figuratively about the story: there are so many drugs going on in this novel I would never, ever give this to my 12 year old cousin to read. Not that I expect to shelter him forever, but I’m not going to deliberately expose him to this stuff, either.

Anyway, Wild Awake was one part thrilling, one part terrifying, and one part completely adventurous. I never really knew what to expect with each end of the chapter, each turn of the page; and sometimes I hate that, but it really worked for this book. I wanted to go on this ride with Kiri, I wanted to figure out what was going on with Skunk, what happened to Sukey. In some ways, I felt like I was the one tripping out and freaking about the cops or my messed up family, because I was so drawn into this turmoil Kiri was going through.

I feel like this is going to be a very polarizing book: you’re either going to hate it, or you’re going to appreciate it. Each scene evokes such distinct reactions that were so strong for me, I definitely had to pull back a few moments and consider how I was feeling towards it. Like how I’m actually kind of grossed out by Sukey and her story; but ultimately, it all makes sense and it had to go down that way. Or how repulsed I was by Doug and his imagery and that disgusting pile of junk he kept stuff under. Or like how I can’t stand synth music but the connection the characters have to it – so powerful for each even though it’s completely different for both – was so familiar to the connection I have to certain music that I couldn’t resist feeling that emotion, too.

I have to say, this book also has one of my favourite scenes in any book I’ve read this year: the midnight bicycle run that is kind of the kickoff of a lot of this book. It was so much fun, so filled with adrenaline that I swore the herd of bicycles was going to come bursting out of my book, right at me. I was with Kiri every pedal of her bike, every dark turn through the city – and even though I’ve never once been inclined to ride a bike, I so wanted to hop on one myself and find them to join in.

Skunk is definitely my favourite character here. He’s fantastic. He’s got so many unique elements to him, from things as obvious as collecting weird vintage radios to as subtle as his physique (former and current) to as surprising as his little part in the ending quarter of the book. He kept me on my toes, and I kind of wish I was the one who needed his help to fix the bike.

Awkwardly though, I kind of hate Kiri. I find her obnoxious and self-serving. I think she’s overly dramatic and entirely too much of a privileged kid with nothing better to do. I understand her obsession with music and how it’s practically her savior, but she drove me bonkers through her descent and how she treated her talent and piano. If it wasn’t Skunk and Kiri on the page, I wanted to scream and shout at her.

What really did save this story to me though was Skunk and his relationship with Kiri. I loved how they’re both completely messed up, in entirely different ways with their own types of problems. I loved how they reacted to each other, I loved the affection that was so prevalent through all their scenes. Even the ones where I was kind of scared of both of them and for both of them (that will make sense once you read the book), I was still so in love with him and them. I was kind of surprised how touching their scenes were, because they’re not particularly delicate or sentimental characters. But when they’re together…it just works.

Wild Awake is a trip, in the sense of a journey and a bad drug habit. It is the every bit as colourful and chaotic as the cover depicts it – possibly even more so. And while I’m not certain that’s for everyone, it was definitely for me.(less)

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Mar 11, 2013 Maggie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, pbook, 2013, best-of-2013

Part of me wanted to wait until closer to this book's release to post my review, but the other, larger, part of me just can't keep my feelings about this book inside.

Kiri's parents go away for six weeks during the summer, leaving her alone. During this time they expect her to religiously practice the piano, water the plants, take accurate phone messages, and win the Battle of the Bands with her friend/crush Lukas. But shortly after they go away Kiri receives a mysterious phone call from a guy cl...more Part of me wanted to wait until closer to this book's release to post my review, but the other, larger, part of me just can't keep my feelings about this book inside.

Kiri's parents go away for six weeks during the summer, leaving her alone. During this time they expect her to religiously practice the piano, water the plants, take accurate phone messages, and win the Battle of the Bands with her friend/crush Lukas. But shortly after they go away Kiri receives a mysterious phone call from a guy claiming to have a bag of her dead sister's belongings. Kiri decides to take a night time journey on her bicycle to the sketchy part of downtown to investigate. This opens her up to a whole new group of people, reveals that her sister's death might not have happened how Kiri was always told, and completely changes the trajectory of Kiri's summer.

First, I was told I had to read this book by a bookseller at an educational conference that I attended. Her description of this was nothing like the book I read but I'm so happy she recommended it to me. When I first looked it up and saw the cover I was pretty turned off. It's really strange colors, the image is weird, it's just not appealing. It kind of looks like an iPod ad. I will say that after reading the book I kind of get the cover, I still wouldn't say I like it, but it makes sense. However, I hope the strange cover doesn't turn people off from reading it.

Moving on...I could have given this book five stars or I could have given it one star. Let's start with the five star review. Kiri is amazing, I absolutely loved her. She has these crappy parents, a really dumb friend/crush, and is just kind of lost, although she doesn't realize it until secrets about her sister start to come to light. I really loved Kiri's do-anything attitude and the way she seized life and all the opportunities that came along. She also has some hilarious lines in this book and does some hilarious things. Skunk, the guy Kiri ends up falling for, is also great. When Kiri first sees him she describes him as being Hagrid-like. I had no clue who Hagrid was so I kind of skipped over it, but later I wanted to re-read her description of Skunk so I went back to that part and then Googled "Hagrid." I assume she's referring to the Harry Potter character? I couldn't stop laughing. I also LOVED that she constantly describes Skunk as her "love bison."

The story is crazy. Kiri smokes an incredible amount of weed, drinks a good amount, and even takes mysterious pills from a stranger at one point. And all of that results in a lot of craziness that I won't ruin here, but it's pretty damn entertaining.

Now, for the one-star review. This book was so incredibly sad and disturbing. Kiri is pretty much neglected by her parents, who leave their 17-year-old alone for six weeks, and even before they left her alone they lied to her about her sister's death and forced her to practice piano for six hours a day (not exaggerating). Whether Kiri showed signs of it before they left she is most certainly experiencing a mental break while they are gone. She doesn't sleep, she has illusions of grandeur, and she's convinced she's discovered a revolutionary way of practicing piano in her head. She needs help and no one, not her parents, not her brother, not Lukas' mom who is a social worker, and not her piano teacher actually do anything to get her help. Skunk is the same, and even though he's getting treatment, the pills he needs to take aren't painted in a very positive light.

Mental illness is a tough subject for me, I've witnessed a family member go through mental breaks like Kiri's and they're not funny or exciting, they're sad and terrifying even if the person is in a hyper-manic state. The more of Wild Awake I read the sadder and sadder I became for Kiri and Skunk and their situations. Then I got kind of hopeful, but then the end left me feeling pretty sad again. If you've never witnessed someone close to you going through something like that I don't know if you would have quite the same reaction, but hopefully everyone will find Kiri's actions sad and destructive.

All that said I think it's a very good book. The writing is very strong and the story is unique and fascinating. I read this book in pretty much one sitting, pausing only to make and eat dinner. The reviews I've read on Goodreads seem to be a combination of what I've said here and I'm curious to see what other people think as more people have the chance to read it.

I borrowed this ARC from a friend at Harper Collins. Her only expectation is that I return it to her unharmed.

This review first appeared on my blog: http://justacouplemorepages.com/2013/...(less)

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