Don't Wake Me Up YA Paranormal Romance
Clean Reads
November 2, 2016
185
Reviewed by: Linda Tonis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Review Team
Sixteen year old Colleen Parker has been dating her boyfriend Jimmy for two years. Jimmy is the quarterback for their high school football team, but when she wakes up in the hospital after being beaten by him, she finds out that her mother has called in the police. She knows that being arrested for assault will ruin his chances for playing in the big game and possibly his future getting a scholarship to college and that she will lose him and become enemy number one at school.
Since Colleen’s father’s death, her mother has buried herself each night in a bottle and during the day has become more of a warden than a mother. No matter how hard she tries to stop her mom from bringing the police into the situation, there is no stopping a mother intent on protecting her child from an abuser.
Colleen’s only escape is meditating and going to the astral plane or spirit world. Gina is her spiritual mentor and Colleen has tried desperately to go beyond to see her father. Gina insists she is not ready. Colleen has helped spirits move on and in many cases helped them find the closure they have been missing. The only one who believes her is her best friend, Eva. Her other friend is Lilly, but Lilly doesn’t believe any of it.
Colleen is determined to get back with Jimmy. Like other abused women, she is convinced it was her fault. She has no idea of the sickness laying deep inside him. Even after another incident where he manhandles her, Colleen can’t see the trees for the forest. It is only when she is betrayed by Lilly and Jimmy that she wants to move on. It also doesn’t hurt that she meets a handsome ghost named Daemon for whom she immediately has feelings.
Daemon accepts he is dead, but is determined to spend whatever time he can with Colleen, even though that time happens only when she is sleeping. Colleen is dealing with so much in her life and Daemon gives her a feeling of peace she longs for, even though she knows it is her job to help him move on.
This book deals with some very difficult subjects, abuse and the relationship between a mother and daughter. Jimmy is like so many other abusers who are not willing to allow the woman they are supposed to love to leave. Jimmy has some plans for Colleen which I will not reveal in this review. Although I enjoyed the story, I found the ending to be very abrupt and without any further follow up. It is possible that there will be more books following Colleen’s life. If there are, then I am sure many questions will be answered.