Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

In Rude Awakenings by Christopher Carrolli, Jamie dreams of shadowy figures and a painful procedure involving her deceased mother, which she suspects might be real abductions after discovering Dylan Rasche's book on similar experiences. Nadine Parks, who saw a UFO, believes her dreams align with Rasche’s descriptions, exacerbated by a perplexing pregnancy event. She, along with Brad, who recounts an abduction involving a gray craft, and others discuss increasing abduction claims. Tahoe Manoa experiences age regression linked to his great-grandfather’s spirit, while others report disturbing dreams involving "black-eyed children"—theorized as alien-human hybrids. Leah’s brush with these children leads Sidney to suggest locking doors and visiting her. The group, including Susan Logan and Dylan Rasche, concludes that the black-eyed children pose a serious threat. “Those kids are not human. The dreams are real. They’re coming for us, all of us.”

Christopher Carrolli does a great job of introducing his characters individually, and through their own points of view, in a way that immediately grabs our interest in Rude Awakenings. Carrolli provides just enough information to make us curious, and more than a little unnerved, but not so much that he gives away the whole plot. I most enjoyed when I was in the seat with Tahoe, and loved how Carrolli brought in elements of Native American culture, a grounding that provided both a unique perspective and alternative ideas on supernatural events. There's a merging there that was incredibly cool and completely different from anything I've read in the genre before. Where Carrolli excels is in leaving some questions unanswered and maintaining an air of mystery so readers are left to ponder the unknown, even temporarily. This restrained ambiguity is what keeps us flying through the pages, engaged, and left with a lasting impression. Very highly recommended.