Mal is a
fighter not just with his fists, but with all he has against what life throws
at him: an abusive mother and a string of foster parents. Mal has learned
endurance. Laura appears to be set for success: her loving family, grade point
average, AP class schedule and extensive volunteerism appear to have her poised
to attend one of the best colleges. They have nothing in common, until….. Laura
is arrested by homeland security for “harassing” her parents who now have no
memory of her. Mal’s brother goes missing and Mal is attacked while
investigating the trail. Both wake up together with three others in a strange,
confined space.
As events
unfold everything seems to hinge on the mysterious building hiding in plain
sight in Midtown Manhattan. Unless someone physically points it out, the
building is beyond view almost as if one forgot to notice it. The building
houses an equally mysterious man in a suit who sends runners and secret
packages out into the city. On the 32 floor of this building is an impossibly
large room that contains nothing but doors. Doors that lead inexplicably into different
places: the boiler room in a basement, a hospital hallway, doors that all seem
to lead into buildings and places not physically connected to this one. Ever-present
in this building is the stomach churning fear, especially of the top floor.
What lies there? What is the mystery of this building and this man? What have
they done to Laura’s family and Mal’s brother? Why is everything (cell phones,
mirrors, tables) breaking around Laura and Mal? Is there a connection to the
dome looming high in everyone’s vision, a remnant of the Big Black power
failure?
Those That Wake is part of the growing collection of
books that look into the future and show us a possible truth. Those That Wake uses the experiences of
Laura and Mal to look at the growth and power of corporate marketing schemes,
the power of technology to dull us to everything around us, and what makes us
human. With some dramatic sequences, and air of mystery readers will be
propelled along. The question of whether Mal and Laura can survive is
compelling. The question of who will be turned against them next and who is the
biggest threat is equally compelling. The question readers will be left to
contemplate is this: “What’s a human life really worth beyond the capacity to
be a consumer?”
Related
Titles Worth Considering:
If you liked
the dual nature of Those That Wake,
as it alternated between Mal and Laura in a dystopia where technology bends
reality into the shape of something far more sinister, you may want to try Incarceron by Catherine Fisher.
If you like
the commentary on technology, corporations, consumerism and their invasiveness
in modern life, you may want to try Little
Brother by Cory Doctorow and Feed by
M.T. Anderson.
