Review: The Awakening (Gifting #2) by K.E. Ganshert

Published: July 1, 2015 by Createspace
Genre: YA, Dystopia, Paranormal
Format: ebook
Source: purchased

Goodreads Summary

"I can't go home. It's not safe. Nowhere is."

Tess Eckhart isn’t crazy. She’s not suffering from psychosis. She and Luka Williams are part of The Gifting. Before they can find out what that means, the man with all the answers turns up dead. The only thing he left behind? A few patient files that lead to the nation’s most lawless city.

With authorities chasing them, Luka and Tess escape into the very heart of peril and against all odds, find an underground community of people just like them. They aren’t gathered together for the sole purpose of survival, either. They have a plan and a purpose—to awaken as many people with The Gifting as possible. It’s dangerous and deadly work. Tess wants to help. Luka is desperate to keep her safe—a task that proves increasingly difficult as Tess’s gifting comes to light.

Could Tess Eckhart be the One they’ve been waiting for? The One who can save them all?

"Our mission resulted in three dead ends - a dead man, a missing man, and a runaway teenager."

The Good

Such a great follow up to The Gifting. I'm amazed at where this series is going. The Awakening has a great mix of meeting new characters, learning more information, action, and suspense.

Our two main characters Tess and Luka are on the run. They meet a fountain of other great characters on their trek. We also get to see some of the characters from the first story every now and then which I enjoyed. I love that there is no one you can trust in this series.

This is a very creative and interesting story. The Awakening spent a large majority of the time with our characters in the dream world where they are training to hone their skills as a Fighter and a Shield against a darkness that the rest of the world says doesn't exist.

The Bad

Very cliffhanger ending that has you wanting to immediately jump into the next book. Thankfully, I don't have to wait. I would've been very annoyed reading this one before the third was out.

The Romance

In The Gifting, Tess and Luka pretended to be in a relationship to explain why they were spending so much time together. This has blurred a lot of things and caused quite a bit of confusion on Tess' part who doesn't feel that Luka could actually have any feelings for her beyond the connection they share with their gifts. I enjoy both of these characters. Even though Tess is brash and often does exactly what she's told not to, I appreciate that she is willing to do anything to save people she cares about. While Luka is a great guy, he doesn't do a good job of talking about his feelings and just assumes that his actions tell Tess all she needs to know. I would agree with that if not for the pretending to be in a relationship before and the appearance that he is overly concerned with her safety. That part comes off more big brotherish, so honestly I understand Tess' confusion.

There are characters added in this one, Link and Claire, who are attracted to Tess and Luka. It causes quite a bit of jealously. I don't feel it's an actual love square, but it adds confusion on the feelings between Tess and Luka and where they stand. Wouldn't it be nice if they talked a little more about how they feel.

Conclusion

A little unnecessary jealously thrown in for conflict in the relationships. A lot of action and suspense, mixed with amazing characters. Some you feel you can trust, but really I won't be trusting anyone until the final pages of the third book. I love the concept of this story and how it seamlessly mixes the Paranormal with Dystopia genres. Amazingly gut-wrenching cliffhanger ending. Definitely recommended.

Excerpts

"You're right. the dreams are getting worse. But if you think going back to Thornsdale without you will make them better, then you don't know anything." He removes the hemp bracelet from his back pocket and wraps it around my wrist. "I'm not going back. I want to find these others as much as you. So please, do us both a favor and stop trying to save me."

No white-eyed men are lurking around the corner. No big burly government officials will drag me away. No nurses are waiting to jab needles into my neck. Still, I'm a teenage girl. And this is a creepy warehouse basement. I clutch my bag and hurry out into the antechamber. Someone grabs my arm. I let out a shriek that is quickly smothered by someone's hand. My nostrils flare, but my fear vanishes, because I smell wintergreen toothpaste.

But I force myself to concentrate on everything I know about Cap and just as his wife's face swims into focus, he's there making a tally of everyone here - Link, Claire, Jillian, Rosie, and now him. "You seeing this, Cap? She just linked five of us without breaking a sweat."