Lily Dale: Awakening

After reading the Hunger Games trilogy and some other really well written YA lit, I'm finding I compare the new stuff I read with the good stuff. Everything I read now must reach expectations I have set for it based on what I've read previously. It's unfair, I guess, but good writing is out there.

Once in awhile I'm going to run into some not-so-great writing. Wendy Corsi Staub isn't a bad writer, but she's not fantastic either. Her characters don't have a lot of depth. The story is formed but formulaic. Heck, even "Twilight" is better written than "Awakening". Even though the main character is a junior in high school, her voice seems more junior high, even middle school at times. I don't think this book was written with high school show more kids in mind. And that's where I have problems.

What exactly is Young Adult fiction? I wish it would be a more defined genre because I probably wouldn't have read this book if I had known how much younger the voice was written in.

The story isn't bad, at least the bones of it isn't bad. But I'd like to see a better writer flesh out the characters more, not drag out the suspense on certain things, etc. It seems as if the book was written in a rush. It's a serial story but even then Corsi Staub didn't need to rush. She could have added another hundred pages for us to really get to know the characters, to learn the back-story in more detail.

This reads more like one of those elementary school "chapter books" than it does a young adult novel. I only give it 3 stars because the topic is interesting to me. show less

When I saw this on the library shelf, I remembered conversations on Kath's (mckait) thread re. Lily Dale, a town 60 miles south of Buffalo, NY that is possibly the largest Spiritualist community in the United States...or the world.

As a child who lived near Lily Dale, the author was a frequent visitor, and thus was inspired to write a fictional series using the town and spiritualism as a reference.

Teenaged Calla Delaney's happy life is shattered when she discovers the body of her mother at the bottom of the stairs. Grief stricken, she temporarily moves with her psychic grandmother.

Calla learns that she also inherited the gift of second sight and is very unsure of how to deal with this knowledge or how to fit into a company of people who show more seem very strange, and yet normal.

While there is nothing profound about this book, yet I enjoyed learning about Lily Dale and I liked this first-in-the-series book enough to follow with the remaining ones. show less

When Calla's mother dies, she goes to live with her grandmother in the town of Lily Dale. Calla doesn't understand the strange people who inhabit Lily Dale until her grandmother confesses that Lily Dale is the home of psychics and other mystics and that she is one of them. Calla thinks her grandmother has gone off the deep end until strange things begin to happen. Calla starts to wonder if she might be psychic just like her grandmother. She begins to question the life she lived with her mother and consider that her mother may have lied to her about much of her past. This is the first book of the Lily Dale series. I picked this book up in the clearance section of at Half Price Books and quickly realized what a bargain I had gotten. This show more is a wonderful book with a little bit of danger, romance, and adventure all rolled into one exciting book. show less

Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com

Calla Delaney was sure that when her boyfriend, Kevin, who also happens to be her best friend's brother, dumped her three months ago, it was the worst thing that could ever happen to her. She had never been so wrong. Standing at the edge of her mother's grave proves that. Her mother, who was way too young to die, especially in some crazy freak accident, before Calla even had time to talk to her about everything that you're supposed to get to talk to your mom about.

Before she has much time to process everything, Calla's dad sends her off to spend the summer with her weird grandmother, who she barely knows. It was that or live in an already overcrowded house with her aunt, uncle, and show more cousins. Or live with Lisa's family and risk running into Kevin on a regular basis. No thank you. Crazy Grandma it is.

Grandma Odelia lives in a very small town in western New York, in the middle of nowhere. Literally. Lily Dale gets no cell phone reception, and Odelia doesn't own a computer. Calla has no idea how she's supposed to get through all of this. Especially once she finds out what really goes on in Lily Dale, and why her Grandma always seemed so weird. When it starts to seem like Calla herself may have a place in this town, as well as in a family mystery, well... There's only one thing she's sure of -- nothing will ever be the same again.

If you like anything about the supernatural, ghosts, psychics, whatever, you will love this book! It's very well-written, and very absorbing! Calla is a perfect disbeliever, even with "reality" staring her in the face, and Odelia is just plain fun! This story has mystery, danger, romance, and so much more. You won't be sorry you read this one. It may even prompt a cool vacation, since Lily Dale is apparently a real place! I just hope I'm not wrong in assuming that there are many more books about Calla and Lily Dale on their way. show less

Calla's world falls apart after the death of her mother, just when she thought her boyfriend breaking up with her with a text was the worst thing that could happen. Calla decides to stay with her Grandmother over summer vacation. Calla had never visited her mom's childhood home and is shocked to find out that her grandmother makes her living doing psychic reading and in fact her whole town is full of psychics. Calla starts to realize that she might have the gift as well and gets involved in the case of a disappearing girl and wonders if there is more to her mother's death than meets the eye. Plus there are two handsome boys in this new town that she has to try to figure out. A quick read and an interesting mystery. It does leave the show more reader hanging a little bit for the next book in the series. show less

One of my favorite things about this book was Calla's grandmother. What a lovable weirdo! She was eccentric, funny, and I enjoyed getting to know her. What a surprise Calla gets when she discovers that not only does her grandmother talk to dead people, but that the whole town shares this special talent. What a lot to absorb, right?

Calla starts to make friends and get settled in while, juggling the attentions of two town hotties! Now, maybe she can get over that loser ex-boyfriend of hers!

The mysterious death of her mother, coupled with a creepy town full of ghosts and pschics is just enough to keep you wanting more. I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to the next on in the series!

Following her mother's death, Calla Delaney goes to visit the grandmother she barely knows in the small town of Lily Dale. She soon learns that her grandmother is a psychic in a town of psychics. How could her mother never have mentioned that? Well, it is only three weeks. She can handle it for three weeks. But soon Calla begins to understand that her gammy is not the only psychic in the house.

I really enjoyed this young adult paranormal mystery. Calla is a typical teen, but one who has had a terrible experience that she needs to face and resolve. Her grandmother, Odelia, is a hoot. This is a very entertaining read. The writing is simple but good. I felt I was in the town. Heck, I want to move in with Odelia myself. Looking forward to show more the next book. show less