Review : Reawakened by Colleen Houck

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : Reawakened (The Reawakened #1)
Author : Colleen Houck
Publication Date :  August 11th 2015
Publisher : Delacorte Press
Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes & Noble

When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification.

And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe to find his brothers and complete a grand ceremony that will save mankind.

But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world.

From New York Times bestselling author Colleen Houck comes an epic adventure about two star-crossed teens who must battle mythical forces and ancient curses on a journey with more twists and turns than the Nile itself.

Personal Thoughts

Reawakened, with it's gorgeous cover and promise of Egyptian mythology, lured me in earlier this year. I had high expectations before I took a plunge into Reawakened, but this book exceeded every single one of my expectations. Reawakened is one of my favorite reads of 2015 and I have no doubt that many others will also find a new favorite in it.

What made Reawakened a winner for me were the engaging characters. Both Lily and Amon were characters that I got to know through and through while I was reading the book. Colleen Houck's character development was remarkable and was a sign of how good an author she is. Lily's growth was especially conspicuous in Reawakened. She has always been the kind of girl who abode by every rule that her parents put up in front of her, never once disappointing them. She was studious, had never been in a relationship and was an all-around good girl. Throughout the story, she finally began to shed her skin and expose her true nature, allowing her more adventurous, spontaneous and rebellious side to emerge. I loved watching her finally do things that she wanted to do by her own volition instead of what her parents wanted to do. In Reawakened, Lily faced quite the hurdles and she did find herself needing to be saved frequently, but that doesn't mean she was a damsel-in-distress. She did try to get herself out of the situations she found herself in, but because she was only human, she couldn't always battle with the supernatural creatures. I found this to be very realistic. More than I loved Lily, however, I loved Amon. This boy! If I wanted to, my review would probably be just a gush-fest about how much I adored this Egyptian prince and his hilarious self. Amon and his cluelessness stole my heart entirely. He was a fun loving, charming and endearing character. I'll bet you money that you'll have a hard time not falling for Amon. Later on in the book, we also meet Amon's brothers who were just as loveable and funny as Amon. I also loved the bond of kinship that existed between these brothers and how loyal and protective they were of each other. I'm looking forward to reuniting with them again in the next installment.

While Reawakened started off a bit slow with Amon waking up in NYC and experiencing culture shock, the book picked up towards the second half. Despite the slow start, the book was never boring or never did I feel like the plot was dragging. The characters, their banter and their antics made up for an entertaining read. I admit that I did enjoy the fast-paced and more energetic nature of the second half more, but only because I love action in books like this one. The world building was also fantastic. I've been fascinated with Ancient Egypt ever since I studied it for a few months back in middle school. It was the first time ever when I became invested in history, so it's a topic that I'm rather passionate about. I'm by no means an expert, but I think the author did a great job with building up her world and fleshing it out for the readers. I loved learning about all the gods and the stories. It was all very interesting and engaging to experience as a reader. The romance in Reawakened was also perfect. It was slow burn and intense and I basically loved it with every fiber of my being. There was so much romantic tension between Amon and Lily and since their relationship had a forbidden aspect to it, it was even more romantic and powerful. The banter between them was funny and very sweet. Oh and their first kiss? Holy mother of swoon! Reawakened ended on a mild cliffhanger, but it's one that leaves you with a ton of excitement and a pretty vigorous need for the sequel.

Reawakened was a great start to a series that I have no doubt will continue to be epic. It has an engaging storyline, loveable characters, rich and complex world building and a gorgeous writing style that will hook you in from the start and keep a strong hold on you. Don't miss out on this fabulous book!

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Kids for the e-ARC of Reawakened.