I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.

I added this book to my TBR list when I read that it was based in Celtic mythology. I am a huge fan of mythology but most books are based in Greek and Roman mythology, so this was a unique Young Adult fantasy for me to read. I have been hooked by this story and I am official a fan of the series. Christy Dorrity did a wonderful job creating and writing Awakening. This book is not just for young adults but for adults as well. If you are a fan of mythology, fantasy, romance, and mystery than this book is for you. I cannot wait to see what Dorrity does with the next book of the series. ( )

I loved this book!

This book was so different from anything I have ever read.

Apparently, after reading the author's bio, I learned that she grew up in the same town that she wrote her book about, and she is a champion Irish dancer, which is why her lingo for the dancing was accurate, which really placed you into the novel because the author really knew her stuff. No flaky descriptions. This was well written.

So on that note, if you don't care for Irish dancing, or Celtic mythology, then this book might not be for you. Like I said before, I have never read a book like this, but I loved it. It was amazing.

Our protagonist is a teenage girl, McKayla. She loves to dance, has a typical high school crush, sweet best friend, loving family, and crazy aunt. But McKayla is special. Strange things are going on, and through the help of McKayla's gifted aunt, she learns of her own special abilities. A creepy woman is sneaking around town and has a foul purpose that McKayla's aunt is trying to unearth.

There is just something so unique about this story. The author focuses a lot on dance and the emotions behind it. A mysterious lame janitor has a remarkable ability to dance, and McKayla is drawn to him and the emotion behind his moves.

The scary lady keeps showing up, and circumstances become dangerous. We never really learn anyone's motivation right away. I think that is why I was drawn. I feel that the protagonist's own emotion at discovering her music and her new gift pulled me along.

Until all of a sudden, disaster strikes, and that's when I knew I loved this novel. Hero's emerge, magic reveals, and the mysteriousness blossoms. I hope you like banshees. They are in this novel, and it is cool and scary. The author brought in the element of mythology and a whole other world. Oooo, and there is a dragon. I think that gives too much away. But the novel is so magical. I think that some readers might be put off by all the dancing, but it only made the novel better. The dancing was a way for the main character to learn her abilities, so for me, it worked, and I grew with the character.

I will most certainly be reading the next books and checking out more by this author.

Written very well, smooth language, quick read. Clean read. Great for 13 year olds and up. ( )

Review first published on fefferbooks.com. A free advanced reader copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. The review below is in no way influenced by this consideration.

I have to be honest: as eager as I am to read books written by friends of friends, it always makes me a little nervous. Will it be any good? Will I have to force myself to finish? Will I have to find something nice to say about it so my friend doesn’t feel bad for asking me to read it?

I was so thrilled (and relieved) to have that concern thrown right out the window, just a couple of chapters into Awakening by Christy Dorrity. I wasn’t just pleasantly surprised–I was downright shocked by Dorrity’s talent and ability. Awakening is a self-published book, which can have a certain stigma in the industry. Honestly? I would never have guessed that Dorrity published Awakening on her own. It’s impeccably edited and beautifully developed. But the proof is, as they say, in the pudding.

Dorrity has a great gift for writing: her characters are varied in nearly every way imaginable, and her story is just plain fun. Let me be the first to say that I’m not usually much for books about “magic,” and the cover didn’t necessarily appeal to me. There is, though, a great deal more to this book: it’s really a story about finding one’s talents and abilities, and caring for the people you love most. Dorrity spends the greater portion of the book developing relationships between the characters, which serves to further the plot. I was particularly fond of Rourke, the taciturn but deeply protective janitor.

Dorrity’s real talent lies in relating the psychology of her characters: she is excellent at capturing the complex emotions that make up being a teenager. I was particularly impressed by her ability to convey deep, profound communication with her characters’ subtle gestures and body language. I think it must take a high degree of observation to be able to translate such tiny but significant things into writing. Such is Dorrity’s gift.

I’m excited to see how well this book does. I’m still not quite sure about all the magic and world-building that happens at the very end (but if you’re into magic/mythology/Ireland, you will be NUTS for it), but I can’t say enough good about Dorrity as a writer. Awakening hits shelves today, and I think it has huge potential. Go! Buy! Read!

Squeaky clean, with a sweet love story. 4 stars. ( )

Irish dancing, Celtic mythology, the FBI, and even a small romantic storyline come together in this amazing debut novel by Christy Dorrity. Sixteen year old McKayla McCleery and her family have just moved to Wyoming. She has been a ballet dancer since she was four, she's never had a boyfriend, she hasn't seen her quirky aunt in years, and she doesn't believe in magic. That is all about to change. Standing in the hallway during her ballet recital, she is drawn down the hall by unfamiliar music. When she walks in, she discovers an Irish dancing competition and spellbound. She decides then and there that she needs to learn how to dance like that. Unfortunately, the nearest Irish dance school is two hours away. She is about to give up when she accidentally glimpses the young, mute janitor at her high school Irish dancing his heart out after school one day. Now she just has to convince him to teach her.

This book was one of my favorite reads this school year. I think if word got out about it, it could be the next Percy Jackson series! Although some minor parts of the book were predictable, there were enough specific details to keep me wondering exactly what would happen. Overall, the mystery and mythology were unpredictable and enticing. Much of the mythology was new to me and it was exciting to learn more of these tales. It was almost a disappointment to read this book so soon after it was published because now I have to wait so long for the sequel to come out! I would recommend this to boys and girls in middle school and up but I think it will appeal slightly more to girls. ( )