Awaken the Dawn

Name: Awaken the Dawn
Rating: 4.317 (41 reviews)
ISBN: 9781962180108

By Ellis K. Popa

Publisher Description

An apprehensive teen discovers a secret that lures her into the snare of a ruthless crime boss. Can she survive his twisted game?

When her father dies during a business trip to Romania, Kat Barrett blames herself for their failed relationship. She's been holding a grudge, keeping him at arm's length, and never even said "I love you" when he left... But regret is just the beginning of her problems. Kat is teetering on the brink of anxiety and depression, and as her grief deepens, she becomes haunted by strange dreams about the crash that took her father's life.

Then one day a package arrives. It appears to be from her father and contains a list of familiar-looking clues — one of his classic scavenger hunts. Desperate for answers, Kat follows the clues to Romania and meets a local named Maksim, a reformed criminal with the perfect skill set for decoding the mystery. Romance wasn't on the itinerary, but when Kat teams up with this European heartthrob, her love life takes an unexpected detour.

As Kat and Maksim work together, solving the clues and growing ever closer with each success, the scavenger hunt uncovers a dark secret Kat's dreams have been pointing to, something Maksim's old crime ring has been hiding all along. Kat has walked into a trap. Can she beat these ruthless men to the final clue — and solve it — before she suffers the same fate as her father?

Awaken the Dawn is a multi-award-winning YA novel that will keep you guessing until the final, breathtaking conclusion. If you enjoy puzzle mysteries, international intrigue, and an epic slow-burn romance, you'll love this twisty thrill ride.

Buy Awaken the Dawn and unlock the scavenger hunt's dark secret today.

Worldwide Praise

"(Simply) one of the best books I've ever read." - Heather Brown, Book Girl Brown Reviews (US) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Ellis K. Popa (delivers) an amazing story full of mystery, intrigue and romance." - John Benedict, Bestselling Author of Adrenaline (US) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Go ahead, go add this to your TBR!" - Books with Cats (Cyprus)

"Popa's prose is smart, arresting, and tightly woven." - The BookLife Prize

"A gripping and unforgettable read that heralds Popa as a rising star in the genre..." - Elicia Meairs, Netgalley (US) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Kat was amazing and a kick-ass character." - Kriti, This Reader Girl (India) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"I loved the twists in the tale." - Helen F., Librarian (UK) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"The book was absolutely amazing and I couldn't get enough of it. I can't wait to see what happens next." - Scarlet Le Clair, Netgalley (UK) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Notable Awards

Storytrade Awards:
~ Best YA Adventure - WINNER
~ Best Debut - Finalist
Firebird Int'l Book Awards:
~ Best Debut - WINNER
~ Best Suspense - WINNER
~ Multicultural Fiction - 2nd Place
~ Best Plot Twist - 2nd Place
The Selfies (London Book Fair) - Shortlist
The BookLife Prize - Top 5 (YA/Middle Grade)
IAN Book of the Year - Finalist: Outstanding New Adult Novel
Clue Awards - Finalist*
The Wishing Shelf (UK) - Finalist
Page Turner Awards (UK):
~ Culture Award - Shortlist
~ Best Book Award - Finalist
Killer Nashville Readers Choice - Finalist
Cascade Awards - WINNER
Blue Seal Awards - WINNER

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Awaken the Dawn Reviews

4.0

Michelle Frazier

Created 4 months ago

Change and grow Action-packed Clever plotting Gripping/exciting Suspenseful Twisty Realistic Setting fits the story Unique location Easy to read

Natalia

Created 4 months ago

Rainbow Bookish Owl

Created 4 months ago

“I really enjoyed reading *Awaken the Dawn* by Ellis K. Popa. From the very beginning, the story pulls you in with its strong sense of mystery and constant action, which kept me turning the pages. The pacing is engaging, and there are plenty of intriguing moments that make you curious about what will happen next. The protagonist wasn’t always my favorite character. However, this didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the story. In fact, her situation and the challenges she faces still made her an interesting character to follow, and I’m curious to see how she continues to grow and develop in future books. Overall, the book offers an exciting blend of action, suspense, and mystery that makes it a very entertaining read. It left me with many questions and a strong desire to see where the story goes next. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next installment in the series”

Emily Cox

Created 5 months ago

“UPDATE: after a comment from Ellis explained how the recordings work, the issue I had with the audio is specific to the sit I listened on and will not be a problem after the book is published! Simply put, yes. This story was one that had me on my toes and awaiting the next twist the entire time. I can not wait for the next installment. The characters were complex and relatable and the plot was interesting and well written. I was intrigued in the first 10% and stayed on the edge of my seat the whole time. When I wasn’t listening to this book, I was thinking about when I could listen again. The missing star comes from 2 things: 1-the .5 chapters were incredibly confusing and I’m not sure what exactly was the resolution and 2- the quality of the actual recording was at times static sounding and it seemed as thought the narrator was too close to the mic. Other than those two things, I thoroughly enjoyed this twisting mystery and am ready for book 2.”

Nicole

Created 5 months ago

“Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review. This story was engaging and full of action. I will say I wasn’t the biggest fan of the term g*psy being used so much. The author did address this at the beginning of the book, but I still cringed every time it was mentioned.”