A Satisfying Conclusion

  I think writing a trilogy is hard for a writer. One has to pace the story throughout each book while having each book a separate entity. I've read many series where I loved the beginning books, but then the final book was a big let down. I was left feeling unsatisfied and jibbed out of a good book not to much my time reading, waiting, and following the series. Luckily, I didn't feel this way when I finished Gone, the last book in the Wake trilogy, by Lisa McMann.

Description: In the first two books, Wake and Fade respectively, Janie discovers she has the ability to enter people's dreams and she struggles on how she should handle her special power. When Fade concludes, Janie is now aware that her powers also have consequences. As Gone opens, Janie must decide how she wants to face her future while discovering her family's painful past.

Review: I've read many mixed reviews on Gone, but I can understand why some did not like it while others did. Gone is very different from Wake and Fade. Those who were expecting another paranormal mystery and romance will be disappointed with this conclusion.
   While the first two books focused on romance and a paranormal mystery, Gone is a more personal story about Janie's attempts to come to terms with her troubled family and with the ways that her ability will affect the rest of her life. Faced with an alcoholic and irresponsible mother, she finds some solace in her relationship with her boyfriend but then, unexpectedly, the father she's never known enters her life and seeks her help. The writing is much stronger and the themes are much maturer. Gone is a fast-paced read, written in flashbacks and sentence fragments that suggest the dream state.
   Janie is a strong, appealing character, and the depictions of her emotional turmoil and her painful dilemma are absolutely believable and ring true. I think you really need to read the first two books in order to really appreciate Jane's journey. Overall I really enjoyed this book, but I wish I was able to read a bit more of Janie and Cabel's discussion towards the end of the book.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is pretty strong language in the book. There is also a few suggestions of sex. I'd recommend this book to mature 8th grade readers to high schoolers.

If you like this book try: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting