16-year old Jamie has developed an unusual-and unpredictable-power.  She is drawn into the dreams of anyone around her-riding along with the student dozing in study hall, the man sleeping on the subway.  When she’s drawn into the startlingly violent dreams of a classmate, it becomes clear that she’ll have to take control of her powers in order to solve the mystery.  

The Wake Trilogy is a creative modern fantasy, with simple plots that show off the excellent characters.   Jamie is smart, determined, self-sufficient, occasionally harsh and wonderfully complicated, with dreams of attending university and leaving her alcoholic mother behind.  

The books are short, and the informal, fragment-heavy writing style is very much a matter of taste.  I enjoyed it-I felt that combined with McMann’s keen eye for description and detail, it really captured the strange, hyper-realism of dreams.   

There is a lot of “mature” content in the Wake Trilogy-abuse, sexual assault, exploitation-and underage drinking, drug use, and sex.  However, it’s all dealt with in a surprisingly mature manner-characters struggle with what they’ve gone through, but aren’t defined by it, actually talk through their problems.  And, I really shouldn’t be so pleased by this, but this is the only young adult book I’ve read where it’s clearly stated that a. the couple is having sex and b.  they’re using condoms every time.   

Grade Level: Young Adult

Rating:  ★★★★