Wild Awake

By: Hilary T. Smith

Narrated by: Shannon McManus

Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:

• 1. You will remember to water the azaleas.
• 2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.
• 3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.
• 4. You and your best friend/bandmate, Lukas, will win Battle of the Bands.
• 5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.

Things that actually happen:

• 1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.
• 2. He says he has her stuff.
• 3. What stuff? Her stuff.
• 4. You tell him your parents won't be able to -
• 5. Sukey died five years ago; can't he -
• 6. You pick up a pen.
• 7. You scribble down the address.
• 8. You get on your bike and go.
• 9. Things...get a little crazy after that.*

*Also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Both exhilarating and wrenching, Hilary T. Smith's debut novel captures the messy glory of being alive, as seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd discovers love, loss, chaos, and murder woven into a summer of music, madness, piercing heartbreak, and intoxicating joy.

©2013 Hilary T. Smith (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

Wonderfully Weird

Wild Awake is a wonderfully weird debut novel from Hilary T. Smith. It’s a creative mishmash of grief, love, art, drugs and mental illness that is strangely compelling. This story stands out in the YA landscape takes you on an unforgettable journey.

Kiri Bird is home alone for six weeks while her parents are on a cruise. She’s a responsible girl and has a list of things to accomplish, including preparing for a piano recital, and winning Battle of the Bands with her crush/ bandmate Lucas. But one phone call changes everything. A stranger calls and says he has Kiri’s sister’s stuff to be picked up. Kiri’s beloved sister Sukey has been dead for 5 years, and reopening her sister’s world brings new insight into her death and sends Kiri over the edge.

Once Kiri ventures to Sukey’s former home and into her world, it’s like a switch is flipped. Kiri becomes a brand new manic person, who is a whirl of creative energy. It’s quite jarring to experience, but awesome at the same time. Kiri’s voice is vivid and real and makes the reader feel the madness.

Kiri’s partner in crime is new friend Skunk, aka Bicycle Boy. Skunk calls Kiri Crazy Girl, and these two together push each other to the brink. The pair doesn’t have a typical romance and you’re not sure if they are good together but at the same time you can’t help but root for them. I wanted to re-title the book The Adventures of Crazy Girl and Bicycle Boy.

I listened to the audiobook, read by Shannon McManus (Lola and the Boy Next Door). McManus was the perfect conductor for Kiri’s crazy train, and illustrated her descent into madness. I could not stop listening to this audiobook to see how it would turn out. All the voices were spot on and the pacing matched the tone of the story. I’d recommend listening to this one to get the full effect of the character’s mental state. Kudos, Shannon McManus!

This book is not your typical YA contemporary and I love Hilary T. Smith’s creative voice. There is so much chaotic energy in the writing that is so different from anything else out there. I think a lot of YA’s will respond to this book and appreciate this unusual whirlwind of a story.