When She Woke

This story had the setup to address any number of serious political and religious issues: women's rights, crime & punishment, religion and persecution. Instead, it ducked the issues, and became a teen coming of age romance. All it needed was a vampire to complete the picture. I was disappointed.

An unbelievable roller coaster of emotions. Being transported into a completely different world through beautifully described passages. Even the the people who are a tiny blip in the grand scheme of the story have deep character. At times a challenge to get through due to subject matter, it was a challenge I enjoyed. It took me out of my comfort zone, made me think, and put me right there by Hannah's side. This book will have a permeate spot on my iPod.

I couldn;t even fathom where this author was going by trying to relate her story that went from actual history to some kind of mad cap rieliguous/political mania & ended up a pure pity party & then went beyond belief. i guess my big question was how did this book ever get published? I could not finish the book because of the nausea it created. Sorry but in this case the less reading was the better. .

The story was sort of boring and not realistic. I can't give a proper review because I didn't even finish it.

I saw it promoted as a "reimagining" of The Scarlet Letter - which, let's face it, is quite a tall order - but it seems to me as if Hillary Jordan used The Scarlet Letter only as a fruitful springboard and inspiration. She isn't slavishly devoted to the text, although she certainly paid tribute to some of the Hawthorne's key insights into the human condition. This is all to the good.

Although the novel wasn't marketed as a "young adult dystopia," it easily fits into that category, as twenty-something Hannah Payne experiences a true coming of age as she grows into and accepts herself.

Set in a not-too-distant future United States that suffers from excessive surveillance, moral superiority, and inhumane "justice" (creating the dyed "Chromes" whose bodies telegraph their crimes), the novel manages to achieve a number of impressive objectives. Hannah is a deeply sympathetic character who gradually becomes aware of how small her world has been, and how many "boxes" she's willingly confined herself in (mentally, spiritually, and physically) over her young life. We experience the unfairness and brutality of her sentencing and ostracism, and yet the horror of what she chose to do -- abort the baby of a famous married minister -- is never underplayed. Despite the fact Hannah rejects the unquestioning fundamentalism of her upbringing, she fully embraces the central importance of religious faith in her life.

Every time I expected Jordan to descend into stereotypes -- about Southerners, Christians, straight or gay people, men or women, those who are made victims or those who refuse to become so -- she instead offered layered and complex characterizations and thought-provoking twists. The father who is loyal to his traditional church and nuclear family is painted with sensitivity, as is the lesbian revolutionary and her dedication to the underground movement that opposes the status quo. Even the weak-willed minister, the father to Hannah's unborn baby, is poignant in his shame, self-loathing, and lack of moral courage.

There are some true villains, but all of them are opportunists who exploit the system(s) for their own perverse and personal enjoyment of control over those who have no recourse or self-defense. In the end, this dystopia challenges us to examine our assumptions and to accept responsibility for our lives, souls, and decisions. I appreciate Jordan's ability to critique the deeply flawed institutions humans have created without casually dismissing the reasons they came to exist in the first place.

This novel is challenging in the questions it raises and unflinching in its warnings, as any quality dystopia should be. I'm very glad that I listened to it.

I am not into religion books and I would not say this is a "religious" book. There is a lot about religion but it is more about finding the right path for yourself. This has a great plot and story. I could not "put it down"! I have recommended it to my brother and nephew. I would say that you might find it offensive if you are a very religious person. For example, I would not suggest this to my mom as she would probably not like it. But if you like a good story, good characters and a good book, then READ THIS!

This was a riveting disturbing book I couldn't turn it off! I will recommend it to friends. I will listen to it again sometime.

low

No. The initial idea is great and the first half of the book opens up a lot of possible story lines. Most aren't pursued, unfortunately.

In the second half of the book the author switches to lots of interior monologues full of psycho-babble revelations that are trite. It was a big come-down from the first half of the book where readers were allowed to make their own conclusions about characters based on their words and actions. In the second half of the book I felt as if the author lost faith that the reader was smart enough to think for herself.

I finished this book disappointed that so many interesting story lines stopped midway and angry that I had wasted my time on this book. This book can't hold a candle to The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

The narrator did a great job of changing her voice so that each character had a distinctive sound.

I like that this story is set in the distant future and that the author did not see it necessary to put everyone in silver suits driving flying cars. I can see how America could revert back to very stringent religious views and mannerisms in response to an epidemic. The author's choice of "chroming" was imaginative and I applaud this unexpected element of the story.

I had a real sense of each character, as well as some insight to his/her personality.

In addition to the main character, Aiden was a complex character and I enjoyed reading about him.

This is a really good story with a lot of unexpected twists and turns. At one point, I did find myself thinking "what else could possibly happen to this girl" because the story veered off in a direction that I don't think the character actually would have. However, I also understand the author's desire to add more depth and complexity to the character's story to show just how much one person can change based on their circumstances.

I can honestly see our judicial system adopting the scenario that is unfolded in this novel. But more poignant is the character building and revealing that Hilary Jordan is capable of.