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Monday, October 20, 2014

Review: Wide Awake by AngstGoddess003

Wide Awake

Edward and Bella have dark pasts that leave them severely emotionally scarred, with nightmares that force them to stay awake. They meet and begin to form a bond during the night hours.
Disclaimer: I am reviewing Twilight fanfiction in this post (it will not be a regular thing, so if you don't like it, please don't click unfollow!). Yes, that makes me a nerd. Yes, I am okay if you don't read this :)

This is also rated M, and for a good reason (the story not my review.)

You can read the story here scroll down and there are chapter links on left hand side or read first chapter here, or get pdf here

So, up front- who has read it? Anyone? What are your favorite fanfics if you read them? Just for Twilight or for other books too (I am mostly Twilight but have read a few Vamp Academy)

As for the cover, it fits so much because Bella in fanfic likes to bake and she makes cookies every night and then gives them names based on something in her day.

Okay, so I haven't been able to get this out of my mind the last few days. It is ultimate proof that I have a huge soft spot for bad boys with a tender side. This transforms the Edward and Bella that I love into something darker, more complex. I am draw to people with issues, watching how love can heal and their journey to healing, and this fanfic has it all.
I guess that it says something that I have a stack of books to review and all I can think about is this story! Okay, so I have said what I needed to, and talked about it a bit, now I am back to the regularly scheduled program.
Their characters are really deeply sculpted. Yes, I know its based on Twilight, but Bella and Edward only share a few characteristics of the ones in the book. We have their connection and their pasts, but in this, Bella is traumatized because in this story Phil was an exboyfriend of her mom's but held a two week long home invasion where Bella heard her mom being tortured and eventually killed and she experienced physical and emotional abuse. As a result, she can't be touched, especially by men, or she has severe flashbacks and ends up screaming, shaking, and out of it.
Edward was in a housefire and watched his dad pass away. After, his mom gave him up to the state. He is crude--he has the filthiest language and most people don't think there is a sensitive man with a lot to offer.

What initially draws them together is that they both can't sleep and go through extreme measures to keep themselves awake. They have debilitating nightmares and will do lots of things to avoid sleep. They meet at the gazebo at midnight, and begin to talk, and eventually Bella realizes that Edward can touch her without her flashbacks.

This story is hot! It contains a lot of steamy moments between the two but it follows a deep emotional connection. They share their nightmares and pasts and feel like its okay because when one shares or shows, so does the other. Tit for tat as they call it.

They create this dependancy because they discover they can get a full night sleep in the other's arms. So Bella sneaks out every night, and into Edwards room. (In this story Esme is Bella's aunt who has taken her in. Carlisle is a foster  become adopted dad to Edward and Emmett, and Jasper and Rose are in another family).

Of course, they are eventually caught, and Esme and Carlisle forbid them from seeing each other. Their symptoms of sleep deprivation comes back, lowered grades, slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, weight loss, not able to concentrate well, and only halfway making it through life. It is during this seperation though that they face some real issues, and start working towards healing themselves in ways they only could when they were ready. I love seeing their transformations and how their love evolved as well as their life outlook.


I give this 5 stars and really think that it should be published. I read it once in 2010 when I was looking for things to read after twilight, and then again this week because I am still thinking about it years later.

26 comments:

  1. I love fanfics too . I read a lot of Harry Potter fanfiction.

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  2. I love fanfiction too. I actually read Wide Awake over a year ago. It was actually last christmas eve that the author posted the epoilgue. It's probably one of my top five favorite Twil. FFs. It's so beautiful and dark! Really talented stuff.

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  3. Fanfiction is my guilty indulgence. I haven't heard of this one yet, but I'm going to have to check it out :D

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  4. OMG. This fanfic is phenomenal! I couldn't count the number of times I've read and reread this!

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  5. LOL, this sounds fun. I am up for a good fanfic!

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  6. Oh wow, this must be a really good book if you are willing to reread it as you did! I loved Twilight but then again, I basically never read fanfiction because well, so many other things to read! However, this does sound loosely related character wise so maybe it is worth my time.

    Loving that you have done something different for a bit ;)

    http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/2014/10/poetry-love-dead-poets-society-45.html

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  7. Oh man, in all honestly? Yeah, I've read it, and loved it. Now this should be what people think when they hear Twilight, so much better and yeah, like you said, complex characters, well developed and goes into the psychological angle. I've only read it once (can't remember all of it) when I was going through the Twilight stage. Haven't really read much fanfiction the last couple of years, I used to read it all time (sine I couldn't read all the books I wanted, because, you know, money.) so it was a way for me to read free I guess. I used to write it too...

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  8. I've never read any fanfic based on Twilight before. I just don't really want to, I guess?? But I am interested in this version, it sounds like it was good and well-written! And the steamy factor does draw my curiosity!


    Amazing review and thank you for bring this to my attention. :)

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  9. Oh wow, I was seriously confused by that cover until I started reading! I haven't read any online fanfic, but I am a fan of a few fanfics that were P2P. Thanks for sharing!

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  10. I have never read Fanfiction, but I am a little curious

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  11. Heh. Lol. It is pretty hot, takes a while to get there

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  12. I haven't read much in last few years either, I found new books and characters to love on

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  13. Yeah, I don't read FF much anymore since I found book blogs

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  14. Yes! I think about it more than actual book these days

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  15. I don't read fan fic unless I know the person writing it. Glad you found this one and loved it. You did make me curious, but I'm just not there yet to read retellings of contemp books.

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  16. That cover. Bahahaha, that cover! I was scratching my head when I saw the top of this post, and boy am I glad it's fan fiction! Lovely review :)

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  17. Umm okay, it's great that you're still loyal to Twilight but not for me. I love you though so I won't unfollow, this is just one of those books where we'll agree to disagree LOL

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  18. I giggled at the cover and I think it's great you are enjoying this Brandi. Thanks for sharing.

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  19. The cover caught my eye, perfect for fan fiction and made me smile! This is all that is important "I love seeing their transformations and how their love evolved as well as their life outlook." Glad you enjoyed the story and thanks for sharing, Brandi :)

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  20. Thanks so much for sharing this, Brandi. I am a huge Twilight fan but I don't read fanfic...mostly because I don't know that much about it. But this sounds perfect! I'm so glad you so thoroughly enjoyed this. And I'm going to go check it out. :)

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  21. I don't read any Twilight Fanfic, but I am all over Harry Potter, Mass Effect, and Marvel stories. :P I love the cover!

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  22. Ahhh!!! I loved this! I've been obsessed with it for years! It's so good. I completely agree with the published comment because it's so amazing.

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  23. I think it's awesome you reviewed fanfic! I haven't read much, but the few I have were really good! Great review =)

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