Evoke by D. M. Simmons

We received this book free from the author. We were not required to write a positive review. The opinions we have expressed are our own. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

How does one move on from a crippling loss when most of it is lost in darkness? To be honest, this book does not strive to answer the ‘how’ but rather focuses on the process, the experience, and the heart-rending pain of figuring out what to do with that loss. This is the circumstance our protagonist faces after waking up from a coma.

A lot of questions and mystery are what we see at the beginning of this story. With the prime question being; what exactly happened the night Laney Thomas’ three best friends died. We are given another piece of the puzzle, that being Evan- who was part of the clique and her closest friend but was not involved in the accident. Reeling from the after-effects of amnesia and the growing distance between Evan and herself, we see the struggle to adjust and move on when so much is left unanswered. It was interesting to see the grief and sorrow that surrounded Laney and how she tried to make sense of the tragedy. We see her confusion, heartbreak and the unwavering support she receives from her parents. This gives us a good outlook into the type of person she is as we see her still go about her life despite the weight she carries.

Despite seeing the shift between the present and the past flashbacks Laney would experience on occasion, it would’ve been nice to see more perspective on the group dynamics and understand the nature of their separate relationships in more detail. What the author did nail was how she managed to write the descriptions for the story which made us experience the scenes in vivid detail. The compliment here truly lies in the fact that something so painful to write about was so masterfully elaborated on that anyone who picked up this book would be able to relate on a personal level, regardless of their own situations. The book also moves on to the growing tension and romance between Evan and Laney which peaked our anticipation in unraveling the mystery between them and the accident. Both of us also agree that we liked seeing the involvement of the background characters in the ongoing narrative and how they influenced the actions of the main characters.

Some minor plot holes were present especially in relation to the accident and also when considering some of the characters and their motivations, but we hope to see these resolved in the coming books of this series. Not to forget that the book itself is part of a series and does hold the cliffhanger aspect quite well to lead its readers into the next book. Overall, it was a unique take on young adult realistic fiction and we are curious to see where this series will go. Additionally, it will be a delight to dive deeper into the full character arcs the protagonists of this novel will go through, not just in the next book, but also in the series as a whole. All in all, though not uncommon to read about grief and suffering in young adult books today, Evoke surely fleshes out its dimensions to a degree that is capable of moving anyone to its emotions. It follows the life and experience of any young adult in a world so extensively characterized by change and movement, that sometimes, the tragedies of life are not considered worth stopping for. This book really did make us stop though, and did exactly what its title suggests; evoke a new generation of perspectives and emotions that we will be thinking about for months to come.

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