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Awakenings
Evie Shepard's nightmare begins when she finds herself buried alive, with no idea how she got that way. As she struggles to remember what happened to her, she begins to notice changes about herself. Her senses are heightened, her movements are quicker, she is incredibly strong, her heartbeat has stopped. It's then she makes a disturbing discovery. She wasn't buried alive. She was murdered. Somehow she has come back...and she wants revenge.
225 pages, ebook
First published July 29, 2013
5 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
About the author
J.E. Shannon
2 books18 followersI began writing stories when I was nine years old. My first story was about a fairy lost in the woods, and it was an assignment given to me by a teacher. I instantly fell in love with the process.
Books have always been a passion of mine. Some of my favorite memories are being in the library or hidden behind the couch reading books. I don't know why I hid behind the couch to read, I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time. As I read, I also evolved the stories in my own mind. What I would change and what I wouldn't. Even while I was reading, I was writing.
Though I pursued careers in other fields, I kept my writing close to my heart. It sounds so cliche I'm embarrassed to say it, but Awakenings did actually come to me in a dream. It scared the hell out of me and I woke up in a sweat. The dream stuck with me and eventually evolved.
Currently I reside in Florida but I'm a Missouri native. I spend most of my time reading, writing, and taking care of my small child and two crazy dogs
Books have always been a passion of mine. Some of my favorite memories are being in the library or hidden behind the couch reading books. I don't know why I hid behind the couch to read, I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time. As I read, I also evolved the stories in my own mind. What I would change and what I wouldn't. Even while I was reading, I was writing.
Though I pursued careers in other fields, I kept my writing close to my heart. It sounds so cliche I'm embarrassed to say it, but Awakenings did actually come to me in a dream. It scared the hell out of me and I woke up in a sweat. The dream stuck with me and eventually evolved.
Currently I reside in Florida but I'm a Missouri native. I spend most of my time reading, writing, and taking care of my small child and two crazy dogs
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 16, 2015
4.5★s
Seventeen year old Eve Shepard’s awakening was slow and torturous – the terror at finding herself trapped in what she perceived as a shallow grave but not knowing how she got there caused her to panic. The lack of oxygen meant she had to dig her way out quickly – but was she even breathing? Her awareness came suddenly – she didn’t need air; she had no pulse; no heartbeat – what on earth had happened to her?
Along with escape came a smattering of memories – the most important being that she and her younger sister Lyssa had been kidnapped. Evie had to find Lyssa; had to rescue her – and she had to have revenge on the evil people who kidnapped them and all the others…
Coming across Ethan as Evie made her escape – her mind filled with memories and dark thoughts – meant they could help one another. Ethan was working on a case which seemed to coincide – the fact that he knew who she was shocked her. As they moved forward the danger was intense – Evie’s new abilities were something she needed to come to terms with; but they helped her defeat the attackers. Her senses were such that she could hear and smell much more than she had been able to; her strength was incredible. She was a Vengador and her rage was building…
I thoroughly enjoyed Awakenings by author J.E. Shannon – a young adult/paranormal novel with an intriguing plot, there was also a mix of mystery, suspense and a light smattering of romance. Filled with fast paced action, it’s one I have no hesitation in recommending for lovers of Speculative Fiction.
Seventeen year old Eve Shepard’s awakening was slow and torturous – the terror at finding herself trapped in what she perceived as a shallow grave but not knowing how she got there caused her to panic. The lack of oxygen meant she had to dig her way out quickly – but was she even breathing? Her awareness came suddenly – she didn’t need air; she had no pulse; no heartbeat – what on earth had happened to her?
Along with escape came a smattering of memories – the most important being that she and her younger sister Lyssa had been kidnapped. Evie had to find Lyssa; had to rescue her – and she had to have revenge on the evil people who kidnapped them and all the others…
Coming across Ethan as Evie made her escape – her mind filled with memories and dark thoughts – meant they could help one another. Ethan was working on a case which seemed to coincide – the fact that he knew who she was shocked her. As they moved forward the danger was intense – Evie’s new abilities were something she needed to come to terms with; but they helped her defeat the attackers. Her senses were such that she could hear and smell much more than she had been able to; her strength was incredible. She was a Vengador and her rage was building…
I thoroughly enjoyed Awakenings by author J.E. Shannon – a young adult/paranormal novel with an intriguing plot, there was also a mix of mystery, suspense and a light smattering of romance. Filled with fast paced action, it’s one I have no hesitation in recommending for lovers of Speculative Fiction.
September 3, 2013
Awakenings has a very interesting concept where the protagonist comes back to life as a faster, stronger and full of vengeance. She was kidnapped, killed and buried, but she came back to life. With the intentions to get back at those who did this to her, and safe her sister from the people who took her.
I really liked the idea for the book, the characters, and the opening scene of the book. There's nothing more exciting than kicking off a book with the protagonist trying to fight her way out of the ground! It sets off a lot of questions, but also compels you to read more.
And of course our Evie couldn't go off and find her sister if she didn't have some companions! There is Ethan, a private detective, and his best friend, Bo; who seems to be the one who lightens the mood in any kind of situation. You've got to love entertaining characters.
Evie has a lot of supernatural powers that manifested over the course of the book. They are all really cool and I loved discovering each of them. Her powers made a nice addition to the action scenes. Why just have hand-to-hand combat when you can have a girl fighting with deadly superpowers?
I've heard that there will be a sequel, which I'm looking forward to. Awakenings is a paranormal/supernatural book with plenty of action and mystery, and even a small side of romance. Hopefully there will be all of that in the next book and more!
I really liked the idea for the book, the characters, and the opening scene of the book. There's nothing more exciting than kicking off a book with the protagonist trying to fight her way out of the ground! It sets off a lot of questions, but also compels you to read more.
And of course our Evie couldn't go off and find her sister if she didn't have some companions! There is Ethan, a private detective, and his best friend, Bo; who seems to be the one who lightens the mood in any kind of situation. You've got to love entertaining characters.
Evie has a lot of supernatural powers that manifested over the course of the book. They are all really cool and I loved discovering each of them. Her powers made a nice addition to the action scenes. Why just have hand-to-hand combat when you can have a girl fighting with deadly superpowers?
I've heard that there will be a sequel, which I'm looking forward to. Awakenings is a paranormal/supernatural book with plenty of action and mystery, and even a small side of romance. Hopefully there will be all of that in the next book and more!
May 10, 2017
It's rare to find a book that is able to capture your attention from the start to the end. This book did just that. The idea of waking up realising you have supernatural powers (no, not a vampire or zombie) for the desire for revenge is a fresh concept. Moreover, Evie is more than a vengeful person, she is well aware of her thoughts and desires to kill anyone responsible for hurting her family; that makes her a stronger and better character. We find out she is a Vengador; a creature of dark and death and there have been cases of others like her in the past as well as in the present, all documented in a special book with intricate carvings. She is lost at first of who she is but slowly her memories come back to her, where we find out she and her sister, Lyssa were taken by human traffickers to a remote location, with other young women and men subject to torture and abuse and becomes separated with her mother, father and brother in the process. She first meets with Ethan, a private investigator who seems to have some supernatural DNA in him to heal faster than human, and who has been looking in this case of human trafficking and his mother Patty, and later, Ethan's work associations, Bo and Aimee and together they develop a friendship with the goal to look for Evie's sister, Lyssa, who has been held captive as part of a human trafficking ring. The story then develops into an interesting twist of the creation of Evie as a Vengador was an intended ploy by Lyssa's captor, Yuri, using Lyssa as bait, for the purpose of Evie transferring her powers to him.
This book has a happy ending, in that all her family members are alive but not in the way where she begins a romantic relationship with Ethan. However, we are a left with a cliffhanger (whether this would be turned to a series or not) whether Evie would continue her current path studying in college or join Aimee in saving the world.
This book has a happy ending, in that all her family members are alive but not in the way where she begins a romantic relationship with Ethan. However, we are a left with a cliffhanger (whether this would be turned to a series or not) whether Evie would continue her current path studying in college or join Aimee in saving the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2020
Review up soon on my blog:
Http://www.booksrfab.blogspot.com
I received a copy of this book years ago from the author. I had started it once many years ago but at the time I struggled to get into the story. This time around though it was just what I needed. The supernatural mystery was captivating and had me on the edge of my seat from page one.
Http://www.booksrfab.blogspot.com
I received a copy of this book years ago from the author. I had started it once many years ago but at the time I struggled to get into the story. This time around though it was just what I needed. The supernatural mystery was captivating and had me on the edge of my seat from page one.
December 10, 2017
(Before I start, please note that the of Awakening that I'm reviewing is the older, small press version, so there may be some differences between the currently available version and the one that I have.)
Awakenings is an urban fantasy whose subtype isn't vampires or werewolves but an undead creature called a vengador (which is Spanish for "avenger"). These are creatures that get supernatural speed and strength, as well as electricity powers, but who are driven to kill their murderers, even knowing that doing so will end their own existence. I enjoyed reading about a different type of supernatural beastie.
There were a lot of things I really loved about Awakenings; the writing is generally very good (with a few copy edits that may be gone in the current version), and the story is action-packed, full of explosions, car chases and fight scenes. All good stuff. And I enjoyed both Evie (as she struggles with her loss of humanity) and one of the other female characters, Amie, who is a Russian super-soldier and hacker with a penchant for explosives. I'd totally read a book about Amie; she stole every scene she was in. I adored her.
The villains of the piece were murderous Russian slave traders, which stretched credibility a bit, at least for me. I think that Awakenings is meant to be set in a darker version of the USA (rather than in a parallel world that is roughly the same), but I never really got the real sense of that difference, and the villains seemed Bond-like and almost cartoonish in their evil ways.
But the main thing that made this a 3.5 star read for me rather than a four star read was the unnecessary romance. I just didn't feel any chemistry between Evie and Ethan. Also, she was seventeen and he was ... older. I don't know how old, exactly, but he'd been married and widowed, and had a PI business. I'm assuming at least late 20s. I don't mind an age gap between characters who are romantically involved, but when one of them isn't even a legal adult yet (even if they are an undead with superpowers), it just feels a little off to me. It's one of the reasons I couldn't get onboard with the Bella/Edward relationship in Twilight.
Still, I like that the book doesn't have a sugar-coated, happily ever after ending, and the action scenes were compelling. I'd recommend Awakenings for anyone after a fun summer (or winter) holiday read.
Awakenings is an urban fantasy whose subtype isn't vampires or werewolves but an undead creature called a vengador (which is Spanish for "avenger"). These are creatures that get supernatural speed and strength, as well as electricity powers, but who are driven to kill their murderers, even knowing that doing so will end their own existence. I enjoyed reading about a different type of supernatural beastie.
There were a lot of things I really loved about Awakenings; the writing is generally very good (with a few copy edits that may be gone in the current version), and the story is action-packed, full of explosions, car chases and fight scenes. All good stuff. And I enjoyed both Evie (as she struggles with her loss of humanity) and one of the other female characters, Amie, who is a Russian super-soldier and hacker with a penchant for explosives. I'd totally read a book about Amie; she stole every scene she was in. I adored her.
The villains of the piece were murderous Russian slave traders, which stretched credibility a bit, at least for me. I think that Awakenings is meant to be set in a darker version of the USA (rather than in a parallel world that is roughly the same), but I never really got the real sense of that difference, and the villains seemed Bond-like and almost cartoonish in their evil ways.
But the main thing that made this a 3.5 star read for me rather than a four star read was the unnecessary romance. I just didn't feel any chemistry between Evie and Ethan. Also, she was seventeen and he was ... older. I don't know how old, exactly, but he'd been married and widowed, and had a PI business. I'm assuming at least late 20s. I don't mind an age gap between characters who are romantically involved, but when one of them isn't even a legal adult yet (even if they are an undead with superpowers), it just feels a little off to me. It's one of the reasons I couldn't get onboard with the Bella/Edward relationship in Twilight.
Still, I like that the book doesn't have a sugar-coated, happily ever after ending, and the action scenes were compelling. I'd recommend Awakenings for anyone after a fun summer (or winter) holiday read.
November 1, 2015
Fun, fast, and entertaining. Although this is YA, this MAA reader greatly enjoyed the story. It is a fun paranormal adventure with just a dash of pararomance and for that, I'm grateful. As we are introduced to Evie, she is figuring out where she is and soon discovers that she is buried alive. Through some quick action and character introductions, the story unfolds and the transformation from 17 year old college-bound student, to reanimated (don't call her a zombie) butt kicker is set in motion.
She's quick, strong, and can consume information at remarkable speed. Rosetta Stone has nothing on Evie and learning languages. The main plot is something I'd like to dig into, but since the synopsis doesn't touch on it, I don't want to spoil the story. So, if you are reading this, do not read past the "spoiler alert."
I haven't a clue if this is the introduction to a series. It definitely is a complete story that leaves the door open for more. No cliffhangers. If this is a stand-alone book, then extra props to the author for penning a YA that doesn't read too much like a YA and concludes satisfactorily without kittens and rainbows.
The author provided a copy for review. I would not hesitate to read more from her.
PS - MAA= Middle-Aged Adult
<
She's quick, strong, and can consume information at remarkable speed. Rosetta Stone has nothing on Evie and learning languages. The main plot is something I'd like to dig into, but since the synopsis doesn't touch on it, I don't want to spoil the story. So, if you are reading this, do not read past the "spoiler alert."
I haven't a clue if this is the introduction to a series. It definitely is a complete story that leaves the door open for more. No cliffhangers. If this is a stand-alone book, then extra props to the author for penning a YA that doesn't read too much like a YA and concludes satisfactorily without kittens and rainbows.
The author provided a copy for review. I would not hesitate to read more from her.
PS - MAA= Middle-Aged Adult
<
August 9, 2013
My greatest fear is being buried alive. Actually, anything dealing with dirt over my face irks me. My face twitches base on smell of dirt. And dirt is itch enough when its on my skin.
When it comes to buried alive, I’m fear losing the ability to breath and becoming stuck in the narrow and tight space that is underground.
In Awakenings by J.E. Simmon, the protagonist Evie finds herself buried. But she neither is alive nor remains trapped. She is, in frank, a dead being bent on vengeance. Revenge for her killer and the awful people who enslaved her sister and many more people. These people had separated her family and many more families. Evie’s realistic struggle she had against her new supernatural urges was cleverly portrayed.
The dark subject matter explores a dangerous area of human nature filled with frightening descriptions. I enjoyed this story that highlights dangers of the world around us, but also the strength of good people, dead or alive.
This story has humor and good characters. It leans away from absolute happiness. Hope remains while Evie and her companions go through a story of great sorrow mixed with heroic action. The back-stories to ruthless Aime and determined Ethan were wonderful surprises that helped me completely care for them as I did for Evie.
All in all, I found Awakenings well worth reading.
Originally published at Unforgettable Books
When it comes to buried alive, I’m fear losing the ability to breath and becoming stuck in the narrow and tight space that is underground.
In Awakenings by J.E. Simmon, the protagonist Evie finds herself buried. But she neither is alive nor remains trapped. She is, in frank, a dead being bent on vengeance. Revenge for her killer and the awful people who enslaved her sister and many more people. These people had separated her family and many more families. Evie’s realistic struggle she had against her new supernatural urges was cleverly portrayed.
The dark subject matter explores a dangerous area of human nature filled with frightening descriptions. I enjoyed this story that highlights dangers of the world around us, but also the strength of good people, dead or alive.
This story has humor and good characters. It leans away from absolute happiness. Hope remains while Evie and her companions go through a story of great sorrow mixed with heroic action. The back-stories to ruthless Aime and determined Ethan were wonderful surprises that helped me completely care for them as I did for Evie.
All in all, I found Awakenings well worth reading.
Originally published at Unforgettable Books
October 25, 2015
This book grabbed my attention straight away! The book opens with the main character waking up buried underground. After she digs her way out of her grave, she finds things are different. She is faster, stronger and her heart isn't beating! What happened? What is she? I was so curious that I read this book in two evenings and the I didn't want it to end. In my opinion this storyline would make a great series.
Disclaimer: This book was given at a discount or complimentary in exchange for an honest review.
Disclaimer: This book was given at a discount or complimentary in exchange for an honest review.
June 30, 2015
This is yet another great tribute to the talent in North Florida for local writing.
I thoroughly enjoyed the character of Evie and glad she did not end up being a cliche hero. Would enjoy seeing this story as a graphic novel. This story is also easily a shoe in for a sequel.
I finished this book in 2 days... needless to say it kept me turning the pages. Good action, good characters and great writing style by J.E. Shannon
Another review done
Justin
I thoroughly enjoyed the character of Evie and glad she did not end up being a cliche hero. Would enjoy seeing this story as a graphic novel. This story is also easily a shoe in for a sequel.
I finished this book in 2 days... needless to say it kept me turning the pages. Good action, good characters and great writing style by J.E. Shannon
Another review done
Justin
October 3, 2015
Excellent Read!
I really didn't know what to expect from this book but I found myself fully engrossed with it till the end! I hope there will be a second book because I would love to see this story continue! I will follow this author and hope something just as good gets released soon! Loved this book!
I really didn't know what to expect from this book but I found myself fully engrossed with it till the end! I hope there will be a second book because I would love to see this story continue! I will follow this author and hope something just as good gets released soon! Loved this book!
January 5, 2014
AWAKENINGS had my pulse racing on the first page when the MC woke to find she was buried "alive" and did not let up. Fast-paced action combined with a kick-butt protagonist I'd follow anywhere and a sprinkling of romance earned this book five stars from me. Can't wait to read book 2!
February 15, 2014
Sequel ?
Sequel ?
I love this book it is by far my favorite. once I started reading I couldn't put it down , even after I read it I want to know what happens next . J.E Shannon did an amazing job and I think everyone should read this .
Sequel ?
I love this book it is by far my favorite. once I started reading I couldn't put it down , even after I read it I want to know what happens next . J.E Shannon did an amazing job and I think everyone should read this .
July 17, 2015
Gripping from the beginning. You're thrown into an everyday world where some mystical things happen to exist. Don't expect lots of explanation just action. And minor (unnessary) romance.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews