Awoken

Why it's still living in the basement:

• Main character is too angsty and spends too much time in her head
• Pacing is too slow, especially through the middle
• Too much time spent on training and preparation before the main action
• The story takes too long to reach its strongest, most exciting material

Why this book could still be your favorite child:

• The dream-traveling concept is unique, imaginative, and still one of my favorite worlds I've created
• Readers consistently love the supporting cast, their relationships, and the witty banter
• Once the story hits its stride, it delivers action, twists, romance, and an exciting finale
• It may show its first-book growing pains, but it also has all the imagination and enthusiasm that made me want to become an author

Life story:

Falling in love is hard enough. Try doing it while the world is ending and your dreams are trying to kill you...

Roya Stark is just an average sixteen-year-old from the backwoods of Texas—until the premonitions start. Now, she isn’t just sleeping; she’s drowning in vivid nightmares every night while the waking world begins to lose its mind.

As global hallucinations spread and society teeters on the edge of collapse, the mysterious Lucidite Institute identifies Roya as the key to stopping a coming catastrophe. Whisked away to a secret, sterile underground compound, she is thrust among strangers who seem to know more about her past than she does.

But the Institute holds more than just answers. As Roya uncovers the terrifying truth of her identity and masters her burgeoning psychic powers, she finds herself at the center of a fierce, otherworldly battle. Now, she must save a world on the brink of destruction—all while navigating a treacherous new reality and surviving a shattering romance.

Lose yourself in AWOKEN, a heart-pounding dystopian adventure from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Noffke.