Fade by Lisa McMann

Fade

SOME NIGHTMARES NEVER END.

For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck.

Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open -- but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both.

Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability -- and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared.... from GoodReads

I finally got this one in paperback at Borders so I was dying to read it. I didn't even expect anything because I had read Wake such a while ago I wasn't really 'fresh' in the story. I forgot what made me like these books in the first place so I was going into it thinking 'I know it's a good book but I don't know to what extent'.

So WOW. I forgot how chilling and amazing these books were. Lisa mixes poetic writing with powerful prose. Janie is a dream catcher and the way that Lisa describes everything is so amazing. Janie is such a great character, she's strong yet has a the vulnerability that is needed for the reader to be able to relate to her. She wants to do good with her power yet she's not certain if she should consider it a gift or a curse, I really like this aspect because we see the many sides of something. Cabel is quick-tempered in my opinion but he's also sweet and sincere to Janie and is there when she has nightmares. I liked that their relationship is simple and mostly chase, even though they both are dying to be with each other. I think that lately a lot of authors are concentration more on this idea, that love isn't just lust but a mixture of many other feelings and compromises.

And the extent and consequences of Janie's power is just frightening. It really ups the stakes of the series in a new way. I liked how the author presented this. It was cold enough to make an impact yet personalized and sentimental enough to really fear for the character.

A few 'things' I didn't quite like: Near the end, Cabel's reaction seems too quick and fast and I don't quite understand it. But then I kept reading and I think I got into it better. Maybe it's just me being nit-picky. Another thing is the pet names. Ugh! I HATE pet names. Things like 'baby' and 'sweets' make me cringe and this put a damper on it but it definitely did not overshadow the main story. Just an inch.

I don't have enough words to describe how much I liked this book. I read it in a few hours (yes, a few hours) so it's easily a quick read but at the same time is a book which has a strong theme and idea that should be taken seriously. The best word I can use to describe it is 'chilling' and I can't wait to read Gone.

In one sentence:
A chilling paranormal that will leave you wanting more!

Plot: 5 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Cover: 4 stars
Overall: 4 stars
Average: 4.4 stars