Awake in the World

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 lostthey found each other. As the sun sets off the coast of the small California town of Orilla del Cielothe silhouettes of oil rigs loom. Their shadows mar the serene backdroptheir sharpness a reminder of unfulfilled promises. To Zachthey are also a reminder of lossΓÇöhis fatheran oil workerdrowned years earlier. With his family struggling to make ends meetZach feels heΓÇÖs 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 idolCarl Saganshe plans on studying astronomy at Cornell. But as oil prospectors in search of black gold knowthe future is uncertain . . . and fortunes can always be flipped.