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Book details

Wake

Lisa McMann - Author

Janie’s unwanted ability draws her into other people’s dreams, from unsettling scenarios to a gruesome nightmare. She keeps it secret and becomes a participant in the nightmare.

More about this book

For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime. She can't tell anybody about what she does they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can’t control. Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant.

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Book Analysis

At a Glance

Discover

Dreams· ExplainedControl· ExplainedSecrecy· Explained

Consider

Fear and suspenseRelationships and intimacySocial conflict

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

dreamscontrolsecrecy

Fiction

Themes in Context

Dreams and unwanted involvement

Janie is drawn into other people’s dreams, does not want this ability and feels unable to control it. A gruesome nightmare makes her a participant rather than only a witness.Exploratory / explanatory

How the book presents it: The story shifts Janie from witnessing another person’s nightmare to participating in it.

Talk about: Does becoming a participant change how Janie understands her ability?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

The premise pairs an unusual dream-related ability with secrecy and isolation, focusing on Janie’s experience of something she cannot control.

What Deserves Attention

Dream imagery includes falling, sexual scenarios and a gruesome nightmare described as chilling.

A Conversation Worth Having

How does Janie feel about keeping this experience private, and what might make it easier or harder for her to trust someone with it?

Reading Approach

You could read together at a pace that suits your child, pausing after unsettling dream scenes to check how they are finding the story before continuing.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Dreams and unwanted involvement: Janie’s shift from witness to participant gives the nightmare a more immediate role in her experience.

Wake - Lisa McMann - Google Books

Limited information

Checked: 2 October 2026.

Relevant to: Dreams and unwanted involvement

Wake by Lisa McMann | Open Library