We Awaken by Calista Lynne

Publication Date: July 14, 2016.

Publisher: Harmony Ink Press.

Genres: Young Adult, LGBTQIA, and Fantasy.

Rating: 

Selling points: Asexual girls, cute romance, and a happy ending.

Purchase here: Amazon | The Book Depository

Synopsis: Victoria Dinham doesn’t have much left to look forward to. Since her father died in a car accident, she lives only to fulfill her dream of being accepted into the Manhattan Dance Conservatory. But soon she finds another reason to look forward to dreams when she encounters an otherworldly girl named Ashlinn, who bears a message from Victoria’s comatose brother. Ashlinn is tasked with conjuring pleasant dreams for humans, and through the course of their nightly meetings in Victoria’s mind, the two become close. Ashlinn also helps Victoria understand asexuality and realize that she, too, is asexual.

But then Victoria needs Ashlinn’s aid outside the realm of dreams, and Ashlinn assumes human form to help Victoria make it to her dance audition. They take the opportunity to explore New York City, their feelings for each other, and the nature of their shared asexuality. But like any dream, it’s too good to last. Ashlinn must shrug off her human guise and resume her duties creating pleasant nighttime visions—or all of humanity will pay the price.

Thank you Calista Lynne for my advanced review copy of We Awaken. I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review; this does not affect my opinion. Any quotes mentioned below are taken from the ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

We Awaken is such an important book, this book shows us that interracial couples within the LGBTQIA community can thrive, survive and get the happy ending they deserve. This book is about two asexual girls and their journey together realizing who they are and how they can be together. We Awaken is a reminder that one’s sexuality is yours alone, yours to claim, yours not to claim and no matter what, you are valid just as you are.

“No woman in reality could ever possess such grace. That’s how I realized it had to be a dream. Her skin was barely lighter than the dark of night and a hood was pulled so far over her head it was impossible to make out whether she had any hair. The whites of her eyes stood out greatly in contrast to her skin, matching the intense purity of the lace parasol hanging over her right arm. Her clothing was iridescent and looked almost like oil as it reflected cloudy rainbows with her movements.”

I love We Awaken, this book is character driven and there is so much to love about it. We Awaken is about two asexual girl who tackles everyday problems as well as otherworldly problems involving the realm of dreams. However, Ashlinn helping Victoria in the real world can lead to a horrible fate for all of humanity.

What I like the most about We Awaken is how it explores asexuality. Though I can see why some might think this book is very informative I’d say that is not a bad thing. Sure if you google asexuality all of this information will appear, however, if you don’t know what asexuality is it is kind of hard to do this. We Awaken is a young adult book, it’s written for young people and teenagers. They might be confused, or unsure, just like Victoria is. They might not have an Ashlinn to tell them what being asexual means. That is why this book is so important and powerful. It will give teenagers who are finding themselves a place where they can see themselves and finally understand who they are. Nobody else but you can decide who and what you are. There is incredible magic in that. 

“I draped myself over her shoulders as her arms snaked around my waist. It felt safe in her embrace, and she still smelled like summer nights. This was acceptance, not of her but of myself. Our foreheads were so close we were breathing the same air. Who needs kissing when you can share oxygen?”

If you want to read something fluffy, romantic and light then We Awaken is the book for you. It has a perfect mix of fantasy and magic in the real world, with characters you will admire and moments so adorable you will never forget them. In a time where the A is still mistaken for Ally instead of Asexual by huge companies in the world, it’s more important than ever we show the world books like We Awaken. Everyone needs to see that asexual people (as well as everyone else in the LGBTQIA community) can get the happy ending they deserve.