Those That Wake

From the Publisher

"T his dystopian mind bender is quite complex, and the steadily building plot takes several mysterious twists. The book begins in a very realistic manner, introducing the teen protagonists as well-developed and likeable characters while systematically adding layers and new characters to their story. As the book nears its conclusion, that sense of reality shifts considerably and sometimes throws the reader off kilter. The story is quick moving and full of action, both physical and intellectual. While reluctant or struggling readers may find this book difficult to follow, it is highly recommended for teen and adult readers who are willing to take on a challenging read for the payoff of a well-written, intricately plotted story ."— VOYA

" This first novel is an ambitious, cautionary—and even paranoiac—story of the soul-destroying power of a consumer society run amok and the near-cosmic forces it unleashes. It’s a fascinating premise, and though the page-turning action slows a bit in the second half to explore some of the more abstruse causes behind the mind-bending effects, that doesn’t detract from the great many intriguing, original, and thought provoking ideas at play here. ."—Booklist

"Karp has created a terrifically gloomy set and peopled it with both very real characters and others that are eerily unreal. His Global Dynamic smacks of Asimov's psychohistory while the entire tone seems like something from Philip K. Dick. With plenty of action, challenging ideas, and bizarre antagonists, this one should appeal to a broad section of teens."—School Library Journal

"Too many YA books these days stick to a simple setting and shy away from complex ideas. I was delighted to discover this thought-provoking novel in which the teen characters sensibly spend more time solving their big problem than obsessing over romance. If you love it when your entertainment exercises your gray matter, you"ll enjoy this book as much as I did."—Teen Writers Bloc

Publishers Weekly

Karp debuts with a dark and often technophobic thriller that falters a bit with its premise, but nonetheless entertains. In the near future, after a terrorist attack has increased human isolation and dependency on corporations, two teens become the victims of a mysterious entropic force that causes people to be forgotten by everyone who has known them. Mal, 17, has led a tough life, living in foster care and taking out his aggressions in the boxing ring, while Laura's suburban life has been generally happy. As both are cut off from family and friends, they get pulled into a conspiracy involving a government agency, a hidden office building, and powerful mind control. Karp ably ratchets up the suspense, but the book's final revelation defies even generous suspension of disbelief. That stumbling block—as well as the chaotic ending—would be relatively minor if not for the frustrating second-half prominence of obnoxious and a consistently dislikable schoolteacher, who drags down every scene he's in. Mal and Laura's adventure and romance is still compelling, though, for those who stick with it. Ages 12–up. (Mar.)

VOYA - Sherrie Williams

In a New York City of the near future, the spirit of the city has been crushed by "Big Black," a horrific power plant explosion. The violence and fear following the apparent terrorist attack have created New Yorkers reliant on the numbing effects of technology. Two teenagers discover that they have been erased from the memories of everyone they once knew, and their search for answers reveals a disturbing truth behind the city, Big Black, and the basis of reality itself. They find that a corporation is manipulating the public, using "memes" (living, evolving ideas that carry human culture like a virus) to change human thinking. The memes mutate over time, forming a being in control of the lives of every person, selectively wiping people from collective memory to serve its own agenda. This dystopian mind bender is quite complex, and the steadily building plot takes several mysterious twists. The book begins in a very realistic manner, introducing the teen protagonists as well-developed and likeable characters while systematically adding layers and new characters to their story. As the book nears its conclusion, that sense of reality shifts considerably and sometimes throws the reader off kilter. The story is quick moving and full of action, both physical and intellectual. While reluctant or struggling readers may find this book difficult to follow, it is highly recommended for teen and adult readers who are willing to take on a challenging read for the payoff of a well-written, intricately plotted story. Reviewer: Sherrie Williams

Children's Literature - Jeanna Sciarrotta

In a time when people seldom, if ever, look into each other's eyes and the world has retreated into individual cell phones and HD screens that plaster the walls, technology slowly usurps hope and emotions. This is the ever present reality for teenagers Mal and Lauren, though each have experienced a very different upbringing. Their worlds begin to crumble even further when Mal's estranged brother disappears and Lauren's overly involved parents have seemingly forgotten that they even had a daughter. When Mal discovers a building hiding in plain sight, filled with doors going everywhere, the quest begins that will change everything for better or for worse. Jesse Karp creates a shockingly familiar sci-fi reality in Those That Wake. Readers will find that many elements of the novel ring truer than we might want to admit, which creates even more of a dramatic pull to the events as they play out until the final pages. Unlike many "end-of-days" novels, Karp chooses not to write a disaster sequence, but instead poignantly delves into the idea of the absolute control that large corporations have over America and the decisions that are made with total disregard to the effect on the quality of human life. Both teens and adults will enjoy this look at the future that could be. Reviewer: Jeanna Sciarrotta

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—Things have been bleak in New York City ever since "Big Black," the explosion that destroyed Con Edison and the two-week aftermath of darkness, rioting, looting, and murder. Residents interact with their cell phones more than with one another. For four New Yorkers, though, things are much worse than bleak. One day Laura wakes to find that no one remembers her existence. Mal's brother is missing, and his only lead is that Tommy was running errands for someone in an empty office tower that doesn't seem to conform to the laws of physics. Jon Remak is an agent for a cooperative of loosely aligned groups that tracks the Global Dynamic, an intricate network of indicators that can be used to predict human history. Mike Boothe is a teacher who finds a door in his high school's basement that did not exist before. The four meet in the course of their investigations and discover that they face an adversary that is bent on controlling all of humanity. Karp has created a terrifically gloomy set and peopled it with both very real characters and others that are eerily unreal. His Global Dynamic smacks of Asimov's psychohistory while the entire tone seems like something from Philip K. Dick. With plenty of action, challenging ideas, and bizarre antagonists, this one should appeal to a broad section of teens.—Eric Norton, McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids, WI

Kirkus Reviews

Laura and Mal have both lost their families; Laura's parents have mysteriously forgotten their only child, and Mal's brother vanished suddenly. Stuck in a dismal technocentric, corporation-controlled New York City, the two teens join up with disillusioned schoolteacher Mike and shadowy researcher Jon on a quest to find the Librarian, the one person who can explain the strange happenings. Karp's gray and dispassionate setting unfortunately carries over to the narrative and the characters, as though both plot and people are obscured by fog. Mal is anger incarnate, with attempts at subtler character development providing only the thinnest veneer; Laura's personality, meanwhile, vanishes as easily as her identity. Instead of engaging with concerns over the cultural acceptance of technology, à la Cory Doctorow's Little Brother (2008), Karp seems to adopt a Luddite position, categorizing all forms of gadgetry as a detriment to society. Both the burned-out–teacher and powerful-librarian tropes appear to be an authorial insider joke to adult readers rather than critical elements of the plot. For more compelling tales of corporate malfeasance, try Max Barry's Jennifer Government (2003) or Scott Westerfeld's So Yesterday (2004) instead of this rather bland offering in a field overrun with dystopias. (Dystopia. YA)