04/08/11
Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
Posted In: Book Review
Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
Release Date: March 31, 2011
Publisher: Speak
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 304
Source: ARC from Publisher
Interest: Debut Author
Challenge: 2011 Debut Author Challenge
Buy the Book: Amazon
A haunted castle, a handsome young man dead for four hundred years, one heck of a scary portrait of a witch, and a treasure hunt — not to mention a princess for a roommate! — all await 15 year old American girl Caitlyn Monahan when she earns a scholarship to a French boarding school.
There are secrets behind the stone walls of Chateau de la Fortune, buried for centuries along with the mystery of who killed Raphael, the charming ghost who visits Caitlyn at night. But as Caitlyn unearths the history of the castle, nothing scares her as badly as the secret she learns about herself, and the reason she was chosen to come to the Fortune School.
And nothing breaks her heart as badly as falling in love with a dead guy.
Why was I not more aware of this book and it’s awesomeness!
Ghosts, romance, an intriguing history and a mystery hundreds of years old…. yeah I’m going to say it again. AWESOME.
This novel was totally not what I was expecting. I think perhaps I was anticipating the same old paranormal romance, but that is not what I got at all. And it was a welcome change!
I have to admit that I wasn’t gripped by the story initially, I remember thinking that perhaps I should put this story down… mostly because I wasn’t a fan of Caitlyn. I don’t belong here, nobody understand me… a sob story I’ve heard one too many times. But then something happens to Caitlyn, and she gets interesting! And the rest is history!
One of the unexpected things was the history in this novel, I know from the authors notes that most of it was based on places she had been or seen, and that a lot of the story was based on legends, so it’s not exactly factual, but it was still very fascinating!
The story was beautifully written. Cach’s descriptions of Chateau de la Fortune, in the present and past were utterly enchanting! I felt like I was there along with Caitlyn experiencing the beauty along with her. And I can’t fail to mention the many unexpected twists that Cach throws at the reader. Did not see a few of those coming at all! And I do love to be surprised.
Wake Unto Me is an unforgettable story layered in mystery, love and history! You’ll be at the edge of the abyss, err I mean, the edge of your seat unraveling this gothic tale!
Related posts:
- Wake
- Fade by Lisa McMann
- Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
- The Liar Society by Lisa & Laura Roecker
- Far From You by Lisa Schroeder
27 Comments
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I'm glad you ended up liking it. I love it when a story does the 180 degree turn like that and you end up not being able to put it down.
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That sounds like a really different book! I might go pick it up one day
Thanks for the review xo -
I loved this book too! Glad you enjoyed it as well!
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Ooh, that looks awesome. Adding it to my list! Thanks for the review!
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Wasn't it a lovely surpise?! I thought the same thing, I wasn't instantly hooked but when it picked up, boy, did it ever. I absolutly loved this book and am glad that you enjoyed it, too!
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Thanks for the review! I've been looking forward to reading this for a while now. Seems like the beginning was slow for a lot of people, too. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
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This sounds like a great book!
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Sounds like a fun book, but…. does anyone else absolutely hate the cover?? I definitely think they could have done a little better with it.
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Dude, you just hit all my soft spots. Definitely adding this to the list!
And I actually really love the cover. It reminds me of Crazy Beautiful, but with a spooky ghost!
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Many thanks to Kristi for the "awesome" review!
And Sarah — the version of the cover on this page is actually from the 'concept' phase of the design process; it's not the finished art. It looks like the heroine is wearing a big fake wig, doesn't it? You can read more about the cover design process for the book here: http://lisacach.com/2010/12/on-cover-art/
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This one sounds like a winner! I do had expected to be just another paranormal romance, but I'm glad that it's not! Looking forward to reading this book!
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oops… got the right cover up there now! prettier one!
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Dear Story Siren,
I really enjoy reading your blog, I always have. However, lately I feel as if every single one of your posts are the same. Before you used to have a star rating, and now every post is the same… you love the book.
I don't mean to be rude or hateful. I love your blog. I'm just wondering why you changed your reviews?
Thanks.
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Dear Anonymous,
I'm still writing my reviews the exact same. Not sure why having a star rating would make such a big difference? Perhaps you are the change. Now that you don't have the star rating to tell you what to think, you're forming your own opinions from my reviews.
As far as loving a book, I know this may seem weird, but I read books I like! If it's not something I'm liking, I don't force myself to read it. I have too many books on my shelves that are waiting to be read, there isn't time to waste on one I don't.
You can read more about why I don't do star ratings tomorrow in Dear Story Siren.
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Kristi, why did you do this to me??
I want to read this way more, now!!
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i just finished this, and I agree, it was quite refreshing. I really didn't like Caitlyn at first either, but she suddenly got more interesting once the story got moving. Great review Kristi!
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I am so glad to hear that you liked it! I am actually reading this book right now and like you said it hasn't really captured my interest all to much. But I'm really glad to hear that it changes for the better!=)
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Okay. Sorry
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I'm glad you enjoyed it! I really love the sound of the premise, though I'm also scared that it will be like another cliche supernatural read — so I'm so happy it's not. Nice review, thanks!
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I'm glad you really liked this one; I can't wait to read it!
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Anonymous, there is no need to apologize!
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I almost forgot about this one. Glad to hear it gets better after a slow start. I know to stay with it! Thanks for the review. I'm adding it to my list.
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oh wow, just reading the synopsis got me all excited! This story sounds wonderful! I'm totally adding it to my list now, and the cover looks pretty good too
I'm glad you liked it, and I really wanna get my hands on Wake Unto Me now!
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I've wanted to read this book since I first saw the cover… now after this review I want to pick it up even more. Perhaps a run to the bookstore is in order for tomorrow. Thanks for the review. – Kate
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I'm so glad you loved this one! I can get a signed one at my local bookstore, so i think I'll go ahead and pick it up next time I'm there (i hope it's still there). I've been on the fence with this story, but you've sold me.
I like the way you do reviews. I can see why some people like to see a rating, but I agree that it can be hard to rate books equally when they are so different. I rate on Goodreads, but not on my blog. I have a hard time picking a number to represent how I truly feel about a book. Maybe this will change later, but for now I don't have a rating system either.
Love your blog by the way!
Jennifer of Little Shelf
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I can't wait to read this book! I love the cover and ghost stories.
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Gothic! Yes! That's the word I've been looking for. I don't usually do ghost stories, but the Gothic vibe of this one definitely caught my eye. I cannot wait to read it!
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