Saturday, March 1, 2014

Review and Giveaway: Eve of Awakening by Alisa Hope Wagner

Eve Pallue's facade of purpose falters when a near death experience exposes the frailty of her existence, and she must come to grips with a reality that death ultimately wins. A hidden memory of a forgotten mother surfaces, and Eve's bodyguard, Randall, takes advantage of her weakened state, trying to capture her devotion and lace her into his ambitious agenda. A dying therapist and her unlikely caretaker lead Eve on a journey of Truth; and a catastrophic fire catapults Eve into a life she has always feared, destroying the only one she has ever known. Eve awakens to severe burns and a pair of doting, elderly sisters who nurture Eve's newfound faith and guide her on the path to eternal purpose.




My Thoughts: What a thought provoking book! I was not expecting to receive deep messages concerning how I lead my life from this dystopian book. I thought I was going to read the typical futuristic world where the main character was trying to fight against the system. Instead, I was surprised to find out how much more this book had to offer.

Eve of Awakening had a refreshing plot. We met a woman named Eve who was caught up with the cold, futuristic world. In this world, communication had been simplified, sleep had been reduced in order to have more hours of productivity, family relationships were discouraged, leisurely things were seen as a waste of time, and religion was seen as a threat. Life was about being stuck to LPSs (similar to iPads) and being able to produce every single moment. Eve grew up in this type of world believing that productivity was the only right way to live. It wasn't until she almost died in her Sleeper--sleeping machine--did Eve began to realize that there was more to life.

I quite enjoyed Eve's character. She was the perfect example on how people are today when it comes to technology. She reminded me on how many of us are constantly glued to our devices and how our social skills have changed dramatically due to these new gadgets. As a result, we keep asking for more and newer technology to keep us occupied.  Reading how this future world was run by devices, it made me realize on how much I was spending on my gadgets. It made me evaluate my priorities. Next, Eve did not know who God was. She didn't believe that He was real. With her "awakening," she soon opened up to the idea that He did exist and struggled to accept him as part of her life. I was able to relate to Eve in this aspect for I too had and still have questions about my relationship to our Lord. Eve was a very believable character.

As much as I enjoyed this book and how much I learned from it, I could not give it five stars. The second half of the book got a little too "preachy" for me. I understand that the author was trying to show Eve's growth and acceptance of God, but I would have liked to have seen more action. I felt that the big problem on how the World Government that was trying to kill Eve was completely ignored in this part of the book. I wanted to know what was going on outside of the Colonies or how life was like in the Colonies. Other than that, this was still a very good book.

As a whole, I enjoyed this book. I usually don't read Christian fiction but I'm glad I gave this one a try. Eve's story is obviously not done and I am looking forward to reading where her adventures lead her. I rate it: 




About Alisa: 
Alisa Hope Wagner is aggressive about leading a simple life. She enjoys working out, reading, and communicating God's love and truth. She married her high school sweetheart, and together they homeschool their children in a Christ-centered home. Though an introvert by nature, Alisa easily expresses herself through social media, especially on her blog, Faith Imagined. Alisa has earned her B.A. Degree in English and her M.S. Degree in Applied English Linguistics.





The author is giving away a signed copy of her book to a US address!

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6 comments:

  1. The best review I've read yet!

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  2. I don't read a lot of Christian fiction either. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed this one. :)

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  3. Many thanks, Vonnie! I'm honored by your review.

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  4. What a nice review, Vonnie! I would definitely love to read this book! I especially liked how you related it to your own life, which is what I think the author would like her readers to do.

    Thanks for the giveaway!! : )

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  5. Hi, and here's a belated "THANK YOU!" to Vonnie and Alisa, because I won this book!! YAY!!!!!!! Hope to start reading it pretty soon!! : )

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