In The Awakening: What Lies Inside, a psychological thriller by Davina Reddic, Em James thought she was suffering from the worst hangover ever when she woke up and immediately thought she should cancel her wine subscription. Em was cold and achy, and she struggled to maintain her sanity due to dark memories and sinister desires that were causing her consciousness to fragment. A trip down memory lane takes us back in time, allowing us to experience her innermost thoughts and feelings of insecurity toward her neighbors and her boss, Barbara. Em battled mental health concerns, past trauma in her family, inner demons, and the intrusion of unwanted people into her life. Will she be able to overcome her demons, or will she always be a prisoner of them?

The Awakening: What Lies Inside by Davina Reddic blew my mind. It was a page-turner that hooked me from the start until the very end. I could not put it down, as I had to know what would happen next. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. The plot was excellent since it allowed us to go inside Em's head as she struggled to make sense of what had happened and what was happening. The main character’s development was great. Em's background captivated me, and, upon further investigation, I discovered that she had experienced multiple forms of trauma, and I was saddened by it. The story was excellently written, and I enjoyed reading it. The major twist at the end was a big surprise that I did not expect.

The Awakening: What Lies Inside is a gripping psychological thriller by Davina Reddic. The story follows Em James, a young woman who wakes up with a severe hangover. Em misses her fiance, Jay, who has been on a business trip for the past few days. She starts reminiscing about the first time she met Jay, when her boss, Barbara, tried to steal him from her. Em becomes increasingly manic the more she delves into her past, carrying the guilt of her time with her parents and how she got rid of her father's fiancee. Now, she is determined to stop Barbara's machinations. Meanwhile, her neighbor Leigh is going through her own problems. With another visit to the hospital, can Em find a way to escape the prison of her mind? Is someone really trying to ruin her life?

Davina Reddic has crafted a mindblowing jigsaw of a tale with a shocking climax you will never see coming. The Awakening will keep you hooked all the way through with a riveting narrative that rarely lets you take a breather. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed the use of a non-reliable narrator so much in a book. The plotting is intricate and completely unpredictable. Em has layers to her personality that get slowly peeled away as the story progresses. Reddic keeps the character motivations hidden, offering bits and pieces of the puzzle that come together flawlessly toward the end. I can honestly say I did not expect that ending. In conclusion, this is an absorbing psychological/mystery thriller. It will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers. Highly recommended.