Awake at Dawn Review

Book Review Feb. 20

Awake at Dawn (#2)

by: C.C. Hunter

★★★★  4 Stars

Blurb: From the moment Kylie Galen arrived at Shadow Falls Camp, she’s had one burning question: What am I? Surrounded by vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, fairies and witches, Kylie longs to figure out her own supernatural identity…and what her burgeoning powers mean. And now she’ll need them more than ever, because she’s being haunted by a new spirit who insists that someone Kylie knows—and loves—will die before the end of the summer. If only she only knew who she was supposed to save. And how…

But giving Kylie the most trouble is her aching heart. Gorgeous werewolf Lucas left camp with another girl, but he’s still visiting Kylie in her dreams. And Derek, a sexy half Fae who’s always been there for her when she needed him, is pushing to get more serious—and growing impatient, especially when Lucas returns. Kylie knows she needs to decide between the boys, and it’s tearing her up inside.

Yet romance will have to wait, because something from the dark side of the supernatural world is hiding in Shadow Falls. It’s about to threaten everything she holds dear…and bring her closer to her destiny.

Awake at Dawn was a great read. Kylie continues to be an interesting character and I cannot help but eagerly await her finding out the truth of what she is.  

“I suck at being human,” Kylie.

Luckily, Kylie has Holiday who not is acts as camp counselor but Kylie's best friend and surrogate mother. She is able to calm Kylie when the world is crashing around her and between her seeing ghosts, love struck between a wolf and a Fae and stuck at a camp full of supernaturals, Kylie needs all the calming she can get.  

This whole reading peoples’ mind energy is rather annoying. I can’t imagine having people stare at my forehead just to determine my race, if you will. And poor Kylie can’t read anyone’s and her own is unclear. She truly feels like the outcast at the one place she’s supposed to fit in. It’s so very easy to follow her along as she tries to find the truth with the help of her friends.  

Miranda and Della are so great. Not only as Kylie’s roommates and best friends but also detectives when Kylie needs some friendly support on her search for answers. Della continues to be the snappy vamp and Miranda the still-practicing witch. Minus all their powers the camp and the girls all fit perfectly into their age group.  But when Miranda turns Socks into a skunk, wow, that’s not nice friend behavior lol.

I hurt for Kylie in regards to her family. Aside from her own abilities she can’t decipher she has to deal with so much. Such as finding out her step-dad is a cheating scumbag, her real dad is a ghost, her dad’s adoptive  are impossible to track down and her mother continues to give her sex-pamphlets (like Ms. Pillsbury from Glee) but doesn’t show the affection Kylie so desperately needs. Let’s not even mention her boy troubles.  Like a normal teenager Kylie eventually snaps and though it was out of line, I could not help but laugh-out-loud as she yelled at her stepdad in front of the entire camp about his promiscuities. 

Poor Kylie, much of this book is her trying to come to terms with her feelings for Derek and the MIA Lucas. Feelings for Derek start to sparkle and grow but she can’t keep Lucas from her mind. Their shared childhood plays a part but even with him not in the picture, she can’t stop thinking about the ifs.

Kylie’s hidden honesty is refreshing. She’s so normal it’s hard not to like her and want everything to turn out well in the end. (I’m secretly hoping she finds a way to keep Lucas and Derek. A girl can dream!!!) She works hard to solve everyone else’s problems and issues without focusing on hers. Many of us do that because, hey, it’s easier and safer.

“Avoiding things that make me uncomfortable is my specialty” Kylie.

Holiday and Burnett continue in their denial of the inevitable and it’s only time till they realize it.

I will admit I often get angry with Kylie. At times, she is trying so hard to figure things out and as a reader it is so obvious to me I just want her to not over think things. But, in this book I had to wait till the end for her to figure out who needed help. Sort of frustrating, but since this was the whole point pretty much, of the book, I’ll let it go :)

My favorite part of this book, no contest, was the ghost tour. I’d gone on one myself in Key West so this brought back a few memories. And when the guide, rather than all the old folks with walkers passed out, I had to take a breather just to stop laughing. And then her mom outrunning all the 90+ seniors just to make it out the door=imaginative genius. 

“Face it, when you find yourself in chains in a pitch-black room, tea and scones weren’t usually going to be offered,” Kylie.

Obviously we don’t get all answers in this book. We probably won’t get them all till the last book of the series, book 5. But everything is written well and is easy to follow. Trust me when you get to the end, you better have Taken at Dusk ready and waiting, or you’ll realllllly wish you did.