Fade (Wake Series, Book 2) (edition 2009)

I love the slow build-up in this one. I love how bad-ass Janie is both with her martial arts and her training - and she's really smart as well. I love how she took care of the bad-guys, even after she got drugged.

I didn't love how Cabe couldn't handle things after the bust - I felt so sorry for Janie, the way she had no idea how or why it happened that he needed a break. But she's strong. And I love how she is able to pick herself off the floor, even when there's noone else around - except for maybe the captain. ( )

I was very impressed with the first book in this series, WAKE, for its subdued and menacing take on a supernaturally gifted high school student - but I was surprised when a sequel came out, because WAKE felt very much like a stand-alone. I had a sense of closure and wasn't sure where the story would go.

So I was pleasantly surprised by FADE - it has the same eerie, present tense writing, the same atmosphere of grim reality punctured by moments of sweetness and humor. It also has a great story, one that stands alone in this volume but also hooked me on the idea of a series.

I have to say, I find it hard to believe that the police would be drafting high school students onto the force as covert agents. But I suspended belief and moved on - aside from that, Janie's hunt for a sexual predator among her own teachers had a very Veronica Mars feel. The sleuthing felt a little too easy, too convenient, but I have to respect McMann for committing to her plot - Janie gets to the bottom of her mystery, and what she discovers is not pretty.

Janie also learns some interesting things about what it means to be a dream catcher, and I really look forward to seeing how this element of the plot is developed in future books. Which, by the way, I will definitely read. ( )

Janie continues to improve on her dream catching abilities (as introduced in Wake), but also learns the horrible physical toll that deam catching is going to take on her. As she learns about the side effects and processes that information, she's also involved in investigating the possiblity that a teacher at her high school is a sexual predator. Throw her new relationship with Cabel on top and the fact that it must remain secret due to their undercover jobs with the police department and Janie's a little stressed. Honestly, I didn't find anything profound in this book, but I greatly enjoyed it and didn't want to put it down. The plot flies and the main characters are interesting and engaging. Solid work for the supernaturally interested teenage crowd, this would be a great recommendation for those who enjoyed Meg Cabot's Mediator series. ( )

I liked listening to this one but I don't get what all the hubbub is about. Why does everyone love this series so much? I read the last few chapters of [b:Wake|1661957|Wake (Dream Catcher, #1)|Lisa McMann|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1293806190s/1661957.jpg|1656772] and didn't really enjoy the writing style. ( )

How sad and moving is this book? I loved it so much more than its predecessor and the worst thing about is that I am refusing to read the conclusion to the trilogy: [b:Gone|7124095|Gone (Dream Catcher, #3)|Lisa McMann|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1269866682s/7124095.jpg|6474015]. I feel that the stage I am at seems to need some kind of conclusion and I desperately want to read more but, on the other hand, I refuse to ruin a story that has so far held me captivated by its depth of emotion and well-built mysteries with an ending that is mediocre.

And I have read enough reviews by trusted goodreads friends to know this ending will not be the one I wanted. But it's more than that, sometimes it takes a very brave author to create an ending that will upset the readers... I could just about handle a change in where it seems the story is headed, but what I can't and won't accept is a poorly written and dragging end (which I've read is all that can be expected here).

I don't want to put you off starting this series; in fact, the reason I'm not reading on is because of how much I liked [b:Wake|1661957|Wake (Dream Catcher, #1)|Lisa McMann|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1293806190s/1661957.jpg|1656772] and [b:Fade|3657138|Fade (Dream Catcher, #2)|Lisa McMann|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1293805966s/3657138.jpg|3700340]. This book was particularly good. Janie and Cabe's relationship is so sweet and touching that you can't help but be caught up in their romance regardless of whether or not you're usually a fan of romances. There's something about the story of two outsiders who find comfort in one another that gets me every time (it did the same in [b:Numbers|6609758|Numbers (Numbers, #1)|Rachel Ward|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1265496213s/6609758.jpg|6313339]) and I found myself blinking back tears during parts of the novel.

It's also about far more than just the difficulties of finding love when you have a weird, supernatural ability. [b:Fade|3657138|Fade (Dream Catcher, #2)|Lisa McMann|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1293805966s/3657138.jpg|3700340] has a very dark and sometimes scary mystery story going on as well. Janie is sent to investigate the case of a sexual predator amongst the teaching staff at her high school. It leads to some very frightening and creepy scenes with drugs and attempted rapes... plus, the whole scene towards the end of the party had me completely on edge and made my skin crawl.

This book is truly fantastic and I would recommend it to everyone. I'd also like to point out that I nearly gave up on the series in [b:Wake|1661957|Wake (Dream Catcher, #1)|Lisa McMann|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1293806190s/1661957.jpg|1656772] because the 3rd person present tense reads like stage directions and it was driving me crazy, but trust me and stick with it - it's more than worth it in the end. ( )