Book Review: Awakening

Awakening by Janet V. Forster


Kate has always wanted to search for her birth parents, and now that she’s 18 it’s time to take the plunge. Her mom probably won’t like it, but every adoptee needs to find their roots if they can. However, Kate gets a lot more than she bargained for when she locates her birth father, Nick. His family history brings her into a world that she had no idea even existed, and one where she plays a huge role, like it or not.

Full disclosure - I work for an adoption agency. I generally cringe when I read adoption stories because of all the misconceptions and myths. I am unashamedly pro adoption because I feel like it is an often underutilized alternative for tough situations that can work for everyone if you put the effort into it. Although not perfect, I was honestly okay with the adoption story in this one, although I’m wondering how it will play out with the supernatural element. I think that the portrayal of a desire to know your roots is accurate, but the acknowledgement of your adoptive family as your real family too is present. Kate’s birth mother is in a totally relatable situation and obviously places her out of love and the desire to protect her, rather than rejection, which is true for most voluntary placements, although the totally closed aspect of it is not as accurate now with open adoption being the more common scenario. What I hope continues in this series is while Kate inherited supernatural stuff from her bio family that she has to engage, her parents are still her biggest champions, and her greatest allies, and the adoption story, much like the Christian salvation story that the Nephilim and other supernatural elements seem to be drawn from, becomes the reason she can be the heroine, rather than the convenient plot point to which it is usually relegated.

Giveaway - there is a giveaway for this book on Goodreads right now! Go enter to win a copy. Ends 5/4/16.

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