Review – Fade by Lisa McMann (4/5 stars)

This is the second book in the Wake series by Lisa McMann. The last information I was able to find said that the third book in the series “Gone” will be out next year some time. I couldn’t find anymore plans for additional books in the series after that.

This book was a good addition to the series. It takes place shortly after Wake ended. The police have been getting occasional calls on their high school crime tip line that are worrisome; they point to the possibility of some serious sexual harassment happening in Janie’s high school and the police think high school teachers might be involved. They want Janie and Cabel to keep an eye out and see if they find anything suspicious. Janie is making some progress in controlling her dreams but other things are happening that are disturbing to her. Her and Cabel continue to have to pretend they are not a couple in order to do their under cover spying at school which is putting stress on their relationship.

I found this book to be disturbing but well written. There is a lot of student/teacher sexual harassment going on. There is also a lot ofdiscussion of date rape drugs and their use; that actually might be good as to raise awareness as to the use of these drugs. It is a suspenseful read and moves quickly. The characters are easy to identify with and I felt like Janie is kind of getting a bum deal overall. Cabel is my favorite character by a long shot.

I really don’t have any complaints about this book. People who find sexual crimes and drug use especially disturbing might want to stay clear. This book was more of a thriller, mystery than the last book. It is a good addition to the series and I am sure teen readers will be glued to the pages. It was again a quick read; it only took me 3 hours to finish the book. It is a testament to the book that I finished it in one sitting; the story really grabs you and pulls you right through. It is a complete story on its own but I think readers will want to read the first book in order to understand the background of all of the involved characters.

I look forward to reading “Gone” when it comes out.