Really enjoyed this one! I should have read it so much sooner! But I don’t regret it. This maybe a new obsession! I love the characters, plot, etc.

My daughter loved this take and we spent a lot of time talking about each chapter which was lovely for me.

3.5*

Evan Miller is Waking Down was an engaging, entertaining read, that got a bit angsty there towards the end. I was kind of on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen to Evan and all his new friends in the Ruins, as well as to his family in City 47.
The author did a good job in keeping me engaged and trying to figure out how things would be resolved.

But come on, that ending??? Okay, it's not as bad as all that and I actually liked the way it ended. I'm not sure if I'm hoping for more or happy with the way the story wrapped up. The way the title is written does seem to leave it open for more, so we'll see.

I'm not sure why I keep seeing this marked as middle grade, considering Evan is 15. I guess maybe because it does read on the younger side, but still I'd consider it more YA than MG.

What would you do if you lived in a world where uniformity is good and individuality is bad? Individuality is eliminated in this world. The elders who run the government expect strict obedience to an ancient writing called the Primary Code. What is the Primary Code? It has been like this since the Incident. What is the Incident? Evan Miller is fifteen years old. He has a powerful ability that has attracted the attention of the Elders. When he can’t disguised himself any more due to his disruptive secret, he goes to the place he fears most. What will he discover about the true past of City 47, the Elders, and himself in the forbidden Old City?

The author has written a novel that explores the power of dreams and the cost of conformity. I liked that the ”truth” was pursued. It’s so easy to forget who you really are. It’s important to be yourself — not a carbon copy.

Evan Miller Is Waking Down is an interesting new addition to the dystopia catalogue. Jerel Law brings in intriguing religious overtones (that at times I found confusing? But maybe it was just me). The beginning is a good mix of exposition and action, so it's not all world-building. It's a solid choice for middle grade classrooms/libraries, even if it wasn't my personal cup of tea.

This is a well written dystopian young adult book. Evan is a wonderful character. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

I enjoyed this one. It kept me reading. The ending tied up rather neatly a little too quickly, but other than that it was good.

When I first began this book and the young protagonist was awakened from a dream, all I could think of were the many writing workshops where agents or other authors would caution everyone to not solve a problem with awakening from a dream. However, the dreams of 15-year-old protagonist Evan are very different. These dreams are more like time travel, and the father's concern about bringing something back creates page-turning tension. Readers of any age that like Lois Lowry's THE GIVER will probably enjoy Jerel Law's novel since Evan Miller's world also has ceremonies that mark ages, identical housing cubes, laws that permit kicking people -including children-out of the protected city, laws that prohibit talking about the time before this current society, and there is a visionary. Evan Miller's story is like a combination of The Giver and a middle-grade adaptation of 1984 since the Elders make every discipline personal. Playing on people's greatest fears is truly scary!

Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝔼𝕧𝕒𝕟 𝕄𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕣 𝕚𝕤 𝕎𝕒𝕜𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔻𝕠𝕨𝕟
𝗝𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝘄
Children’s Dystopian
320 pages

Sʜᴏᴿᴛ Sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs
Evan lives on City 47 where conformity is key. When it is discovered that he is a dreambender, his life changes drastically.

Was his life to that point a lie? If so, what will he do now?

Mʸ Tᴴᴼᵁᴳᴴᵀs
I think this is a fantastic middle grade story. Dystopian fiction always grabs my attention, no matter what the reading level is.

As an adult, I thought this was well-written and action packed with brave characters working to right some wrongs in a mixed up world.

Evan Miller is quite a likable character. The story centers around him as he learns that his life was a lie. The questionable characters kept an on the edge of your seat feeling.

This book could lead to quite a discussion with middle age readers.

💕Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing this ebook for me to read and review.

About this book:

“What if dreams were dangerous? What if your strongest abilities made you a fugitive? Tweens and middle grade readers who enjoy dystopian and fantasy fiction will be pulled into a world of secrets, control, and power in this novel from Jerel Law, the author of the Jonah Stone: Son of Angels series.
In City 47, uniformity is celebrated, individuality is stamped out, and the Elders who run the government demand strict obedience to an ancient writing called the Primary Code. It's been like this ever since the Incident. Fifteen-year-old Evan Miller has an increasingly disruptive secret--a powerful ability that has attracted the attention of the Elders. When disguising himself as ordinary is no longer an option, he's forced to flee to the place he fears the most. What will he discover about the true past of City 47, the Elders, and himself in the forbidden Old City?”


Series: Possibly Book #1 in a series.


Spiritual Content- “The Second Code” is quoted from in the book and at the beginning (very similar to Joel 2:28); Evan has an ability to go into dreams, bend/manipulate them, & see what is happening elsewhere; Evan’s ability is said to be a gift by the Source along with visions and prophets (They are called “Gifteds”); Visionaries are able to see cloudy glimpses of the future & Prophets are able to receive a prophecy (one uses tattoos to keep tract of the visions he has been given); Evan asks a prophet who gives her the prophecies and someone responds that it’s in her brain “but from something or someone, on the outside. But we don’t know. It’s mysterious.” (Evan then thinks that the Elders would talk about people who saw things that weren’t there and how they believed that those people should be stamped out because they have “imperfections”); Evan goes to a meeting where people are “connecting with the Source” & also sees the Room of Prophecy (where prophets write down prophecies); Both the Source and the Voice are said to be a higher power, but someone says that the Primary Code (Voice) is made by men while the Second Code is “something different altogether”; Evan witnesses a visionary going “into a trance” and it being like she wasn’t “connected to this world anymore” (she’s receiving a vision); *Spoilers* When focusing on his abilities and getting away from evil intentions, Evan feels a peace come over him (also described as a rush of power) and it causes him to do unnatural things (like bend the laws of physics, make someone ignore him, and pause time); This makes others believe Evan is the one the prophecy talks about *End of Spoilers*; *Major Spoiler* At the end, Evan gives a speech to others saying that “There’s another code, one that’s older, ancient. It existed before [the war]. It says there are people with gifts, abilities that should be celebrated. Not destroyed. And that there’s Someone who created us that way.” And ends the speech with a shrug *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of the Source & the scared words that were given to his followers (the Second Code); A couple mentions of praying (but not mention to whom those prayers are towards);
*Note: God’s name is taken in vain twice with the phrase ‘god-knows-who’; Evan is told that if he is killed in a dream, he’ll go to the in-between & mentions of those who are there and have never returned from the “deepest level of [their] mind” (*Spoiler* He does get shot and sent there, but quickly realizes that he can will himself out of that state and does *End of Spoiler*); Evan’s school-like government building is called the ‘temple’ and some of the head people are called ‘Elders’ who follow the “Primary Code” which was given to the Elders by a Voice (we also see a couple quotes from this Code and it is revered; Someone else says it was created by men while the Second Code is different); Evan goes to Morning Services which is taught by the Elders at an altar and a “hymn” is sung with devotion by others to their flag (most students raise their arms when singing the song); Evan and other students are expected to read the Code each morning and prepare their hearts and minds for the morning service; Evan recalls questioning his parents about the Voice and is told that it was “special” (but never given an answer about besides that the First Elder is the only one who heard it); The phrase “May the Source guide all of your steps” is said (somewhat sarcastically); A woman says her and her group are making it through “this hell we’d been born into”; A few mentions of believers of the Primary Code and having faith; A few mentions of the First Elder, him being revered, & that every home has to display his face somewhere; A couple mentions of luck; A mention of a man in a dream’s wicked smile; A mention of evil people; A mention of an Elder looking as if he is in a “trance of meditation”; A mention of a confessional group; A mention of Evan thinking something was magic until he learned the science behind it; A mention of Evan wondering if a woman can see visions in the tea in her cup.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blast *someone*’, a ‘half-wit’, an ‘idiot’, a ‘stupid’, a ‘suck it up’, an unfinished ‘what the—‘, two ‘blah, blah, blah’s, two ‘god-knows-who’s, and two ‘shut up’; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Setting up bombs, Explosions, Fires, Fighting, Being chased, Being attacked/hit/beat-up, Being tied-up, Being drugged, Being shot at and shot, Pain, Injuries, Blood/bleeding, & Passing out (up to semi-detailed); Seeing others shot, possibly killed by gun-like weapons, & sent to the in-between (up to semi-detailed); *Spoiler but Important Content Note* Evan’s abilities are found out and the Elders plan to terminate him; Evan is held down and nearly killed before being rescued by someone who is later killed in the chase (he feels guilt about this but others tell him the person knew what he had to do, up to semi-detailed); His parents are sister are there to watch the execution *End of Spoiler*; Evan is tested in an exam-like setting about choosing to rescue his mother or his sister when both are in danger of falling off of a cliff (he feels guilt over having to choose one over the other); To wake himself up from dreams, Evan has to have a falling sensation like jumping off a building or out a window (barely-above-not-detailed); *Spoilers* Even gets involved with a man who is bent on revenge on the Elders and even though Evan is unsure at times about the man’s plans, he continues to go with them, even planting a bombs at the temple; The man calls Evan the weapon he’s been looking for; Evan thinks that the Elders deserved it, that the plan would be worth it, and wants them to feel the same fear he felt; The man is willing to kill the Elders if they don’t confess to what they’ve done; *Major Spoilers* At the very end, though, Evan stops the bombs from going off when he realizes it was a bad plan and that the man lied about no one being in the building *End of Spoilers*; Evan lies to others about his dreams/abilities (including his parents and other authority figures & also to save his pride); Evan keeps his dreams a secret from his family & avoids telling them the truth; Evan snaps at his sister (*Spoiler* But after he is gone for a time and returns, he notices that she missed her and he her *End of Spoiler*); Evan is told by someone in a test that the Elders have been deceiving everyone and want to build a dictatorship (*Spoiler* Towards the end, Evan believes that those in the city have been “controlled, oppressed, and enslaved by people who don’t care about them.” *End of Spoiler*); In a dream, Evan relishes pulling a prank on a fellow student he doesn’t like (pouring water on him to wake him up); Evan is taken to a tattoo parlor & sees many tattoos, including ones that represent (Evan is intrigued and impressed by the tattoos that both do not have meaning and those that do; Looked at positively); Mentions of disobedient students being ordered to be exiled and/or terminated; Mentions of wars, bombings/explosions, fires, a group of people being exterminated, & deaths; Mentions of weapons (a type of gun), others being threatened with harm/death, seeing others being shot and injured (and possibly killed), & being shot yourself (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a man’s desire for revenge; Mentions of students being publicly disciplined in front of their peers; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of nightmares; Mentions of cigarettes & smoking; Mentions of squirrels and other rodents being used for food (Evan’s stomach turns at this); A few mentions of crimes, stealing, & thieves; A few mentions of drugs & others being drugged; A few mentions of lies, lying, & liars; A few mentions of rumors; A mention of the possibility of someone being burned alive; A mention of possible torture;
*Note: Evan recalls the Elders wanting to stamp out those who see things that aren’t there (Gifteds) because they have “imperfections”; Evan recalls a punishment given to him by the Elders where no one was allowed to use his name or look him in the eye until it was over (including his family; this caused him to feel like “some other life form. Below human, slightly above wallpaper.”).


Sexual Content- A cheek kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Some touches, embraces, hand holding, & blushes; Evan thinks that he’ll go wherever a girl wants when she’s holding his hand; A bit of love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A man pulls off his t-shirt to show the tattoos on his chest.

-Evan Miller, age 15
1st person P.O.V. of Evan
320 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Two Stars
New Teens- Two Stars
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Two Stars
My personal Rating- Two Stars

This was….interesting. It had a lot of elements that reminded me of many other fantasy/dystopian books. Particularly the “Swipe” series by the author Evan Angler (that name was actually a pen name and hasn’t been around in the book world for ten years).

I imagine that this has to have a book two coming because while that ending felt rushed, not everything was wrapped up.

The faith content wasn’t as clear as I’d like it to be. Especially with the strict government (which comes across like a cult at times) using terms like Elder, temple, and hymn with worshiping their Primary Code (a scared book) that the Voice gave to them. Those words typically imply Christianity, but because that strict government and those involved were obviously shady, it left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth that those words were used. Particularly because on the other side with the Old City, there’s mentions of the “Source” and those who have received gifts like visions, prophecies and dreambending like Evan from this higher power. Not much it known or said about this Source, but readers are under the impression that it’s supposed to be God because most of those who mention this figure are seemed to be on the good side. But again, it’s not clear despite those in the Old City having parts of the Second Code (which is older than the Primary Code) and there being hope for a prophecy that Evan might just be involved in.

I’ll admit that this book started off a little rocky with the phrase “god-knows-who” being used twice and Evan lying to his dad. We quickly learn that not everything is as it seems with basically every adult in this book being suspicious, but I wasn’t a fan of that phrase being used.

I didn’t really care for this book, unfortunately, and would add that this book fell flat to me. I do think some young teen boy readers may really enjoy it, so it’s partially because it just wasn’t my cup of tea (despite being a big dystopian fan) and partially because I wasn’t impressed with how everything was explained or went throughout the book. That said, I would possibly read the next book (if there is one) to find out more about the Source that’s hinted to in this book.



*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Tommy Nelson) for this honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my non-biased review!

We meet Evan in a dream of running wild with his best friend. Evan is very relatable to many 15 year olds— he is in school, questioning authority and wondering why arbitrary rules exist. He doesn’t have a lot of faith in the government of his city and, to boot, he’s in the weird competition with his sister who is determine to “out good” him; even if that means betraying him and leading to his demise.

To add to the complexity of it all, Evan has an incredible gift and— as he discovers later in the book— may be the answer to the problems all around him.

What I loved most about this book was the effective world building (first 15% or so drags on but is necessary), relatable snarky remarks, and Evan’s character development. The sacrifice of his teacher was also a big heart puller for me.

Evan Miller is a 15 year-old boy living 100 years after the Incident, a never-described event that largely destroyed society. He lives in City 47, a place where uniformity is not only prized, but strictly enforced. He attends school at the Temple, the center of city life: the school, the government, everything. His life is determined by the Elders, who are the government; the Elders rule according to the Prime Code, a document dictated to the first Elder by the Source. But Evan doesn't fit into his society, because he is a dreambender - a person with the ability to dream himself into other places when he sleeps, and to interact with the people and objects where he goes. When Evan is 15, he and all his grade-level peers are taken for assessment, and his abilities - already suspected - are confirmed, and he is slated for death. With the help of one of his teachers, he escapes to the Ruins - a society of outcasts who live by a different document, the Second Code, and who are at war with City 47 and the society it represents.

This is a reasonably decent story, if you like novels with a heavy religious tone and a story leading to redemption by a chosen person. This isn't really a genre I prefer, and it colored my interpretation of the story; the religious overtones are so apparent as to be overwhelming. For some people, this will be a plus; for me, it was a definite minus. Without the strong religious overtones, this could be a good novel for people who enjoy dystopian novels - which I do, generally, and which is why I chose this novel to read. It's not a bad book, really, but potential readers need to be aware that this is a religious text disguised as a dystopian novel.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars
One Liner: A decent entry-level read for the genre

Evan lives in City 47, a place where uniformity is mandatory and no one should stand out or dare to ask questions. They follow the Primary Code and lead lives the way Elders dictate. The Incident brought this change, and no one talks about the ruins or what happened before.
Yet, secrets are also forbidden in this land. But Evan’s realistic dreams are a secret he tries to hide from everyone. When he can no longer disguise or hide his supernatural ability, Evan has to flee City 47 and its people. But where does this take him, and what will he do? Can Evan get the answers to his questions and stay alive long enough to do so?
The story comes in Evan’s first-person POV.

My Thoughts:
Dystopian is not my preferred genre, but I have to read it for a challenge, so a toned-down version for middle graders seemed like a great choice. I was right,+ too!
The premise is pretty much what you expect from the genre. A city controlled by a handful of people, everything under surveillance, no access to the outside world, and one person who wants to rebel, finding like-minded people to take down the oppressors. It’s the same here, with a dose of fantasy elements thrown in.
The book is slow until 15% to 18%. After that, it really picks up pace and keeps the action scenes coming one after another. Since we get the story from Evan’s POV, we have access to limited information as he does.
The atmosphere is dark, with danger everywhere. This is well done without making it too scary for kids. There’s some violence (hitting, bombing, shooting, fighting, etc.), but not so much that it would terrify young readers (though I’m not sure about how sensitive kids would react).
That said, the MC is fifteen, and there’s a sort of love track (which wasn’t necessary). There are a couple of mentions of kissing (by MC), so maybe this would work better for tweens and teens than kids.
However, the main reason for the lower rating is the lack of proper impact. While I could feel the darkness of the setting, I couldn’t entirely connect with Evan or anyone in the book. It felt distant. Dystopia is supposed to make readers uncomfortable. That doesn’t happen here much (or maybe I’m immune to it). Evan’s character needed a little something more to make me care for him.
The climax and ending are decent. Yet again, the internal conflict doesn’t have the punch it should. The ending is hopeful, which I appreciate considering the target audience age group.

To summarize, Evan Miller Is Waking Down has an intriguing premise but could have worked better with a little more character depth. Still, this would be a worthy entry-level book into the genre, especially if you are not a fan of dystopian (like me).
Thank you, NetGalley and Tommy Nelson, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Evan Miller is Waking Down, is a dystopian and fantasy novel for YA and middle grade readers.

Fifteen year old Evan, lives In City 47, where uniformity is celebrated, individuality is forbidden, and the Elders who run the government demand strict obedience to an ancient writing called the Primary Code. Things weren’t always like this but after the Incident happened came the drastic changes. Evan Miller has an deep, dark secret. He possesses a powerful ability that has attracted the attention of the Elders. Due to his “gift” he is unable to be ordinary and is forced to flee from City 47 to the place he fears the most.

There are well kept secrets to be discovered about the true past of City 47, the Elders, and himself in the forbidden Old City?

I predict this book to be the next big thing in this genre.
And I learned the author, JereLaw is a pastor and a fellow North Carolinean.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the eARC of this book! My thoughts and opinions remain my own!

Evan Miller Is Waking Down follows the journey of the titular character, Evan Miller, as he discovers that he is unique among his peers in that he has a gift - dreambending - and that this gift makes those in control of his seemingly perfect home, City 47, very nervous. So nervous, in fact, that he needs to flee or face execution. There is no room in City 47 for those who do not conform to the very strict rules that govern everything from clothing and hairstyles to Internet searches to careers. And so when the testing designed to bridge the gap from Evan's schooling to his induction as a full-fledged citizen of the City reveals his secret abilities, Evan finds himself without a place in the City he has lived in his entire life, not even with his family.

The concept of this book is really quite interesting - dreambenders are one of three types of "Gifteds" (the other two are visionaries, who can see glimpses of the future, and prophets, who speak of the future). Dreambenders have the ability to enter reality in their dreams and can manipulate it. As I was reading, I definitely had [book:Divergent|13335037][book:Divergent|13335037] + The Matrix + Inception vibes.

While the concept was really cool and I ultimately did like the book, there was a certain je ne sais quoi that was missing. Technically speaking, all the elements were here. An engaging concept, a generally well-paced plot, interactions between characters that contained all the usual words describing demeanor and emotion. But while I can't put my finger on exactly what was missing, for some reason, things just felt flat to me. I enjoyed the story, but I didn't experience any sort of emotional investment or feel any sort of suspense in the more action-packed parts.

Overall, though, I think this book would be an excellent introduction to dystopian fiction for those not quite ready for the death and depravity characteristic of the genre. Although there is some time spent dealing with things such as aggressive military police and bombings and fire, there is really very little actual death. The book also feels very complete. I'm not sure if it will be part of a series, but this could definitely be a standalone and may help introduce the genre to those who are less interested in the time commitment needed when embarking in a trilogy (or more).

If half-stars were a thing, I would probably round this up to 3.5. 3 seems a little on the low end, but I wouldn't feel right giving it a full-blown 4.

My middle grade kid and I were excited about the premise of the book, and intrigued by the main character’s powers. Unfortunately, the story fell a bit short. There was quite a bit of violence and harshness, without enough joy or creativity to be truly invested.

This is a brilliant book for fans of The Hunger Games, Maze Runner and The Nameless. It's a dystopian story set in the future after we have 'ruined' the world. Everyone follows the same rules, no-one has free thought and no-one is different or special. Until Evan! And even then, he's not the only one like him. What happens is his story for survival and how he, and a group of people who supposedly don't exist, try to take down the leaders. I really hope there's a 2nd one!