Book Review: The Awakening
The Awakening. Lisa M. Lilly. CreateSpace, November 23, 2013, Trade Paperback and Kindle, 374 pages.
Reviewed by Serena Wadhwa.
The Awakening, by Lisa M. Lilly, begins with what appears to be a typical female college student discovering that she is pregnant. Only Tara Spencer is anything but typical. While Tara is a strong, independent, ambitious, and likeable young woman, she is also a virgin. The author shares this tidbit of information in the first few pages of the book, which provides only a taste of the juicy events the reader will discover.
When he reached the door to the office suite, he put on his gloves, struggling when the latex stuck to his sweating hands. When he fished out his lock-picking tools, the pick dropped on the carpet with a thunk. He snatched it, started again. Pushed away thoughts of the years he waited, the disappointment that could lie beyond the heavy glass door. He was right about this time, this girl.
Have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall during a conversation or live vicariously through someone else? Lilly provides an amazing opportunity for both in The Awakening. Let me explain. As a professor and clinical therapist, hearing the story of another person allows me a glimpse into how that individual moves in the world and how to collaboratively work with them to guide them to be more effective in what they want, so I don’t need to be a fly on the wall. In The Awakening, Lilly’s descriptions of Tara Spencer, attention to details, and the author’s keen observations and insights, provide an experience similar to being a fly on the wall or being able to live vicariously through this college student (as I’m not too sure I want to be chased by some ancient brotherhood).
Let me include a disclaimer. I love supernatural stories. When I was asked to review The Awakening, I read the synopsis. It was interesting, although from the synopsis, seemed similar to other fictional stories that existed within its genre. Yet, because I love this type of story, I agreed. I will say this book is anything but similar to others in its category. I was really surprised and intrigued. In fact, when I started reading this book, I was hooked.
Not only are there several twists within this book, the author addresses many day-to-day issues and struggles that individuals face. This was an interesting inclusion in and of itself. Lilly explores struggles relating to making life-changing decisions (being pregnant), not having others believe, let along support you (Tara’s family and boyfriend think she’s lying), and the spin of mental health issues, social issues, and gender issues that pervade our society. Religion and spirituality are also topics that are weaved within the book and make the reader question, or at the least consider, their own stance.
Nanor nodded. “You’ve reached the heart of it. If women enter an area men traditionally control, being accepted means adapting to men, and this many women do constantly day in and day out. Which is exactly why I treasure a place designed around women, not men. Willow Springs is not utopia. But it is a place that women designed for women. Which, sadly, makes it—“
Sirens pierced the air, and a red light flashed above the door.
Nanor gripped Tara’s arm. “Tara Spencer, what have you brought to our haven?”
Another important aspect The Awakening provides is the conflict most of us face with standing up for what we believe in versus what others think is right. The uncertainty of the outcome of either path lends to the exploration and turmoil of making a decision. This is illustrated throughout the book as Tara, an ordinary college-age and career–minded female finds herself amidst a surreal experience.
“I came all this way to find answers, but maybe there aren’t any. My best times since I got pregnant have been with the amazing people I’ve met, who’ve shared with me, and cared about me. Maybe that’s what’s holy. And if there’s something I’m meant to do, or my baby is meant to do, we’ll figure it out when the time comes.”
I thought for some time about what I struggled with when it came to this book. There are some questions at the end of the book for a group discussion and I wasn’t sure if this is the format for the publishing platform or the intention of the author. It was an unexpected addition for a fiction book. The only other thing that came to mind was that when I got to the last page, I wanted to keep reading.