The Awakening

By: John A. Russo

Narrated by: Howard J Davey

Benjamin Latham is young and handsome, his 18th-century mind wakened to a bizarre 20th-century world. And there is the need deep within...an animal need, frightening, murderous, unholy...a vital need that must be fed.

And with his need comes a power over men and women to do his bidding, to quiet his dark craving....

Until the murders begin.

And the inquiries. All suggesting the same hideous truth.

Now Benjamin must find a sanctuary: a lover, a partner, a friend. Someone who can share his darkness. Someone he can lead to...the awakening.

Publisher's note: This is the bestselling novel that the motion picture Heartstopper was based on.

©2014 John Russo (P)2019 Capricorn Literary

Critic reviews

"The most unique vampire story since 'SALEMS LOT." (George A. Romero)

"A gripping plotline and good old-fashioned Gothic horror." (Fangoria)

Vampire Awesomeness!

This is a different take on vampires, and I like it.
It's thrilling and suspenseful. It's gruesome and graphic(not for kids). It's well written and well narrated.
I definitely recommend it.

At my request, I received this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Vampire with a historical twist

So imagine being a Tory in the time of the revolution. An educated man amongst ignorance, conducting experiments with blood. Branded a vampire and executed only to return from the grave two hundred years later as what they feared you were. Thrown into a time alien to you with needs and abilities being discovered as you go. A very good story with some neat new twists on vampires, their methods and reasons for taking blood and their powers inherent to them. So why 4 stars? It’s a bit slow paced. More of a drama than horror (in my opinion). Nevertheless it is a good tale and if one is looking for something different then rice, twilight or lumley you will find it here. I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator or publisher

Solid Vampire Saga

This is a pretty good vampire saga of a man reborn as the very monster he was accused of being as he attempts to navigate a time completely unfamiliar to him. He's a vampire, which gives him bloodthirst and some gruesome scenes, but as is often the case with vampire novels he's also troubled and has to deal with a decent amount of drama as being a bloodsucker in modern times. It's definitely an interesting twist on the vampire myth and certainly entertaining.

I received the review code for this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this honest review.

The Awakening review

A fan of all things vampires, I actually liked this. Interesting from the start, the Awakening is a vampire tale well worth the time with good narration and writing. Five stars.

good vampire book

a man crawls from the grave 200 years after being executed for being a vampire. it turns out that he really is a vampire with a thirst for blood

I have heard better

if your expecting a vampire story, don't listen to this story. it's not much what I expecting and want to listen to. Too much of hearing what he was thinking. But I stayed with it. I kinda liked the ending.

Does the apple fall far from the tree?

We’re invited to an interesting and somewhat unique vampire tale. Our vampire, Benjamin Latham awakens two-hundred years after his supposed death; after the wood from his coffin and the stake in his heart had deteriorated to dust. His desire to learn what had happened, and who his descendants were, leed Benjamin in an ancestry search to rival ancestry.com. Upon finding living relatives, the question is, “Does the apple fall far from the tree?” A cat and mouse search between detective Vargo and Benjamin highlight the story. It’s a pretty good tale, if not somewhat predictable. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

good listen

Im guessing this is going to be a series, its a good listen, would recommend.

The original vampire

The story started really slow..more like how this man trying to figure out how he was alive after 200 years. I wanted to stop the audible after a while, but stuck with it. I am glad I did the story drastically improved from the man to the man survival and finding ancestors and out smarting the cops. Benjamin realizes what he can and can't do and starts to make better choices along the way and finds himself a mate that is loyal. It becomes quite captivating and I really enjoyed the story.

A True Vampire

First of all you have to enjoy vampire book and this was decent (think I read this a long time ago). It is about Benjamin a vampire that escapes his grave 200 year later but would rather be a normal human being in the 20th century and Matthew got what he deserved as he wanted immortality to become a vampire. This book did have some disturbing mature scenes. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. Thank you