The Waking Dark
Author: Robin Wassermen
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: Sept. 10, 2013
Pages: 464
Source: Audiobook for review
Read By: Mark Deakins
Audiobook Publisher: Listening Library
Length: 13 hours, 40 minutes
About the Book: They called it the killing day. Twelve people dead, all in the space of a few hours. Five murderers: neighbors, relatives, friends. All of them so normal. All of them seemingly harmless. All of them now dead by their own hand . . . except one. And that one has no answers to offer the shattered town. She doesn’t even know why she killed—or whether she’ll do it again.
Something is waking in the sleepy town of Oleander’s, Kansas—something dark and hungry that lives in the flat earth and the open sky, in the vengeful hearts of upstanding citizens. As the town begins its descent into blood and madness, five survivors of the killing day are the only ones who can stop Oleander from destroying itself. Jule, the outsider at war with the world; West, the golden boy at war with himself; Daniel, desperate for a different life; Cass, who’s not sure she deserves a life at all; and Ellie, who believes in sacrifice, fate, and in evil. Ellie, who always goes too far. They have nothing in common. They have nothing left to lose. And they have no way out. Which means they have no choice but to stand and fight, to face the darkness in their town—and in themselves. (goodreads)
My Thoughts: Okay. It took me longer than average to finish this audiobook but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t good. The fact that I finished it at all is a testament to how good it was. You see, it’s creepy. Like, hardcore horror creepy. And, as I’ve mentioned before, I am a huge baby. There were points when I thought, “If I continue to listen to this right now I may never sleep again.” So I’d take a break from listening and then let more poor nerves recover. But I always came back to the story. I needed to know what happened!
I won’t go into any more detail then the book summary but I do want to mention a few aspects I loved:
*Multiple perspectives: We get the story from a number of different people. I always enjoy seeing the same event from different characters eyes. And while many of the characters are of a similar age, they all have very different backgrounds and/or takes on life.
*Questions about humanity: Are people inherently good or evil? Is the question that black and white? Do our impulses define us? Are they a reflection of our character? All kinds of questions about life!
*Relationships: A variety of relationships are explored. Romantic, familial, friendly, hostile, all kinds. Some are healthy. Others, not so much. It was interesting to see the ways these relationships shaped the characters and their actions
*Creep factor: Even though I cannot handle scary I still really enjoyed that aspect of The Waking Dark. This is unusual. Typically ,if it creeps me out, I hate it. Wasserman’s writing style kept me engaged and reading not only in spite of the creepy but because of it. I can count on one hand the number of times that has happened!
*Audiobook notes: I really enjoyed the narration and pacing of the story. I think it really reflected the atmosphere and tone of the book. It kept me on the edge of my seat!
Fans or dark and thought-provoking tales will find what they’re looking for in Wasswerman’s The Waking Dark. Just don’t plan on sleeping much!
Leave a Reply