Awake in the World

Jason Gurley's debut YA novel, "Awake in the World," explores themes of grief, resilience, and finding hope amidst hardship. Zach, a young man still reeling from his father's death and his family's financial woes, feels trapped in a bleak future. His world changes when he encounters Vanessa, an ambitious girl from a different background, whose passion for astronomy and Carl Sagan inspires him to look beyond his circumstances. This story is ideal for young adult readers aged 12-18, offering a heartfelt narrative about overcoming adversity, pursuing dreams, and the power of connection. It touches on sensitive topics like loss and economic struggle with a hopeful tone.

In Awake in the World, Jason Gurley delivers a gorgeous debut YA novel about dreams and finding the courage to reach them. When all was lost, they found each other. As the sun sets off the coast of the small California town of Orilla del Cielo, the silhouettes of oil rigs loom. Their shadows mar the serene backdrop, their sharpness a reminder of unfulfilled promises. To Zach, they are also a reminder of loss—his father, an oil worker, drowned years earlier. With his family struggling to make ends meet, Zach feels he’s destined for a bleak future. Until he meets Vanessa. She's an optimistic girl from a wealthy family whose sights are literally set on the stars. Inspired by her idol, Carl Sagan, she plans on studying astronomy at Cornell. But as oil prospectors in search of black gold know, the future is uncertain . . . and fortunes can always be flipped.