Book Review
Title: A Death’s Awakening
Author: C. E. Wilson
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Romance
Rating: *****
Review: The opening to A Death’s Awakening was amazing, we are introduced to Hadley who is followed by Death wherever she goes. One day she meets Hunter – he is death personified – and I really like the fact her was a little person it made the encounter they had in the tree a lot more funny than it should have been. Although when Hadley and Hunter meet again he is far taller than when we initially meet him.
As we cross the 1/4 mark in the novel, we get to know more about Hadley and see her and Hunter’s personalities clash. I loved how Hadley is a real spitfire despite being so ill and how laid back Hunter is despite what we believe him to be. We learn that Hunter is a servant of Death and while he isn’t necessarily there for Hadley I have a feeling Hunter is there for someone close to Hadley which would explain why she feels Hunter is following her. We also see a tentative friendship forming between the unusual pair and I liked the fact both characters are unusual and there’s no insta-love they actually start off on a really bad foot. I must also once again commend Wilson’s writing style as you just fly through the pages and before you know it you are staring down the half way mark of the novel, it’s astounding.
As we approach the half way mark in the novel, we see Hadley and Hunter trying to form a relationship but her morbid fascination with what he does gets in the way. It is a bit strange she pushes and he pulls away and via versa so it is quite frustrating at times because you just want them to kiss and get it over with rather than have to wade through the awkward and tense moments between them but it does makes for fun and interesting reading. We also see both Hadley and Hunter change in order to understand the other, Hunter opens himself up more and Hadley tries to be more considerate of his feelings when she asks about what he does and what he is. As we cross into the second half of the novel, Hadley is desperately trying to understand Hunter but struggles because there are so many things that Hunter can’t tell her and she can’t seem to cope with not knowing what is going to happen.
As we approach the 3/4 mark in the novel we see Hadley get sicker and she begins to struggle with controlling her fits and the aftermath that goes with them but Hunter turns up once again to save the day. It is also around this point we begin to see a different side to Hunter, a side that scares Hadley and could very well be the true Hunter but I understand his motivation. As things come to a head Hadley gives Hunter an ultimatum but he is so lost himself he has no idea of what to do other than break down and cry. In this moment I felt so sorry for him and Hadley because they are so similar and yet so different, they have both felt pain at the hands of others and both have confronted death; one literally, one metaphorically. As we cross into the final section of the novel the truth comes out and we learn who Hunter really is and how he died which was brutal and heartbreaking. But in the end it is Hadley that holds the key to his freedom and he holds the key to her heart. In the final scenes of this novel Hunter lets go of everything chaining him to Earth and Hadley lets go of her fear, specifically her fear of dying because she knows when she dies she might be able to meet Hunter once more.
Overall I can only sum this novel up with one word and its heartbreaking. Throughout this book I was crying almost constantly especially towards the end. In the beginning it was a sad crying but in the end it was a happy crying. I was happy to understand that Hunter and Hadley were both in better places even though they weren’t together anymore. I highly urge everyone to read this novel and all others written by C. E. Wilson and I can’t wait to see what comes next from this amazing author.
This book was sent to me for review consideration by the author
Buy it here:
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Also see: Cruel and Unusual By C. E. Wilson
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