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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
I received a copy of this book for free through NetGalley
I was so glad I enjoyed this because I was hooked on the premise early on. The writing in this is spot on and as far as science fiction/dystopia goes, this certainly holds its own. I will say that the characters are pretty average but what really pulled the story together was the atmosphere brought on by incredible writing. This is pretty creepy in the best way and I love that there were little twists and turns throughout to keep you entertained while you figured out what the fuck was going on. I will definitely be picking up the rest of the series in the future and you should give this one a go too.
I was so glad I enjoyed this because I was hooked on the premise early on. The writing in this is spot on and as far as science fiction/dystopia goes, this certainly holds its own. I will say that the characters are pretty average but what really pulled the story together was the atmosphere brought on by incredible writing. This is pretty creepy in the best way and I love that there were little twists and turns throughout to keep you entertained while you figured out what the fuck was going on. I will definitely be picking up the rest of the series in the future and you should give this one a go too.
This book had been in my periphery for a while, but when I randomly picked it up off the new releases shelf at my favorite bookstore and saw the gorgeous map inside, I instantly bought it. Look, it's no surprise that I had no idea what it was about, right? I sampled the first chapter right after buying and was intrigued, but also a bit wary because of the whole reality show concept that I wasn't expecting. I ended up liking it way more than I expected to.
You know when you're reading a book and you just can't stop thinking about it during the times that you're NOT reading it? Just eager to get back into the story and find out what's going to happen next? Have you ever read a book and gotten so immersed in the world that you find yourself operating in your normal life under the conditions posed in the book? I was shocked to find myself thinking -- on several occasions -- that I had to be careful of my actions because of the cameras everywhere. Um, oops; that's only in the book (right?!).
I'm not saying this book was perfect or brilliant or mind-blowing, but I am saying that it was a really fun read for me. Here are a few of the things that I really enjoyed about The Vault of Dreamers:
I enjoyed this book, and it's clear that there's going to be a sequel (which I can't wait to read). I'm very curious to see how the story continues from here. Definitely a thumbs up from me!
You know when you're reading a book and you just can't stop thinking about it during the times that you're NOT reading it? Just eager to get back into the story and find out what's going to happen next? Have you ever read a book and gotten so immersed in the world that you find yourself operating in your normal life under the conditions posed in the book? I was shocked to find myself thinking -- on several occasions -- that I had to be careful of my actions because of the cameras everywhere. Um, oops; that's only in the book (right?!).
I'm not saying this book was perfect or brilliant or mind-blowing, but I am saying that it was a really fun read for me. Here are a few of the things that I really enjoyed about The Vault of Dreamers:
- -Rosie was curious and stubborn, but not annoyingly so. She made some risky decisions, as many YA protagonists do, but they never just made me go, "WTF ARE YOU DOING ROSIE?!" like I have done with some other YA books. She was relatable and believable to me.
- -The whole reality aspect was much more appealing than I expected it to be. It makes you question everything and think about what you say and do because there is always someone watching.
- -The romance was, um... "swoony"? Yes, I can't believe I just said that, but for some reason the romance in this book felt especially visceral to me (and perhaps it had to do with the whole ~everyone's always watching~ aspect, I don't know). I loved it, and I was glad to see the possible love triangle nipped in the bud (as far as I could tell).
- -The mystery and the uncertainty. I love a story in which the MC begins to question their own perceptions, and it's delivered in such a way that even the reader becomes uncertain. I know that's kind of a tricky thing to get right, but it was done very well in this book, in my opinion. The fast pace and urgency of so many things really kept me on edge.
- -The whole thread of the story surrounding sleep and dreams. I don't want to give anything away so:
Spoiler
The concept of mining dreams from one person's brains and seeding them into another person's brain is absolutely fascinating (even if it might be rather unlikely to ever be possible). When Rosie starts having strange deja vu experiences and possible hallucinations, and in the end when they start mining her conscious brain -- OMG. It is so familiar to someone with narcolepsy that it was eerie. I was freaking trembling as I read some of those parts. So for that matter, I think it accomplished its goal quite well.
I enjoyed this book, and it's clear that there's going to be a sequel (which I can't wait to read). I'm very curious to see how the story continues from here. Definitely a thumbs up from me!
I first picked up The Vault of Dreamers because of the synopsis. The concept of this school that the students are watched while they are awake and forced to sleep every night by taking a drug was really fascinating to me. I really wanted to see how that played out. And the synopsis giving us a glimpse at Rosie, the main character, who rebels and skips her pill only to find things she didn't want to know about, drew me into the book
I thought that it would be the characters who drove this book. But I was painfully wrong. I ended up not really liking the characters, and downright hating some. I feel like the characters are really superficial and not well developed. They are given little to no background. They all feel very two-dimensional.
The plot is what kept me engaged with the story. As Rosie is investigating what she has seen by herself, we meet the “enemy”. Again I did not like the antagonist as a character and I couldn’t understand them or their motivations at all because it wasn't ever explained. But as Rosie gets deeper into her investigation, her being watched all the time comes into play. The constant surveillance was really well portrayed and did bring a lot to the story. Her knowing she was always being watched brought in another layer to the mystery and her investigation. The first twist that O’Brien put in came at the perfect time and was really well written. But then she adds more twists that retract from the story. Even though the twists weren’t good they did lead up to the ending which was amazing.
I thought that it would be the characters who drove this book. But I was painfully wrong. I ended up not really liking the characters, and downright hating some. I feel like the characters are really superficial and not well developed. They are given little to no background. They all feel very two-dimensional.
The plot is what kept me engaged with the story. As Rosie is investigating what she has seen by herself, we meet the “enemy”. Again I did not like the antagonist as a character and I couldn’t understand them or their motivations at all because it wasn't ever explained. But as Rosie gets deeper into her investigation, her being watched all the time comes into play. The constant surveillance was really well portrayed and did bring a lot to the story. Her knowing she was always being watched brought in another layer to the mystery and her investigation. The first twist that O’Brien put in came at the perfect time and was really well written. But then she adds more twists that retract from the story. Even though the twists weren’t good they did lead up to the ending which was amazing.
The Vault of Dreamers
I'd like to thank NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5
This book has a really interesting premise that was well executed. It is filled with plenty of twists and turns and constantly keeps the reader guessing. It took me a while to get in to it, but once I did, I stayed up late one night to finish it all. It was a bit less dark than I expected, but at the same time, a comfortable amount. It also held the quality of kids being forced to compete and sabotage each other during the beginning. It also deals with family problems and the pressure that society can place on people and celebrities. I also enjoyed the story taking place in an arts school because it makes the setting a lot more interesting.
The main character, Rosie Sinclair, has a very admirable determination, but i still don't know if it counts as making her a "strong" female character.
I do wish that the competition had continued after the first eliminations because it added yet another conflict for Rosie to handle. One thing I can't let go: THE LOVE INTEREST CAME IN WAYYYY TOO EARLY (at least in my opinion.) Like POOF instant love. (But thank god for no love triangle)
In the end, the Vault of Dreamers was an interesting, dystopian mystery with both betrayal and a self-sacrificing relationship. I enjoyed it more than I thought it would and would recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting and unique YA read.
I'd like to thank NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5
This book has a really interesting premise that was well executed. It is filled with plenty of twists and turns and constantly keeps the reader guessing. It took me a while to get in to it, but once I did, I stayed up late one night to finish it all. It was a bit less dark than I expected, but at the same time, a comfortable amount. It also held the quality of kids being forced to compete and sabotage each other during the beginning. It also deals with family problems and the pressure that society can place on people and celebrities. I also enjoyed the story taking place in an arts school because it makes the setting a lot more interesting.
The main character, Rosie Sinclair, has a very admirable determination, but i still don't know if it counts as making her a "strong" female character.
I do wish that the competition had continued after the first eliminations because it added yet another conflict for Rosie to handle. One thing I can't let go: THE LOVE INTEREST CAME IN WAYYYY TOO EARLY (at least in my opinion.) Like POOF instant love. (But thank god for no love triangle)
In the end, the Vault of Dreamers was an interesting, dystopian mystery with both betrayal and a self-sacrificing relationship. I enjoyed it more than I thought it would and would recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting and unique YA read.
DNF. The writing is good. The story line has potential but it's too slow for me and I'm not happy being half way through the book and I'm still not sure what is going on. Just not for me.
Absolutely, positively, 100% hands-down a total guilty pleasure novel. I was a bit worried at first - other bloggers either didn't like or ultimately gave up on this one. You know those reads that come at a perfect place and time when the stars and planets align just right? I've been sick this past week and The Vault of Dreamers was exactly what I needed when I wanted something to read and didn't want to think. Also, DayQuil helped.
For the full review and more, head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
For the full review and more, head over to The Pretty Good Gatsby!
~4.5 stars~
THE VAULT OF DREAMERS by Caragh O'Brien was recommended me by a high school English teacher that's hard to impress when it comes to YA books. So when she told me that I had to read this, you can say that I was more then intrigued and hopeful.
This book is about a selective art school that's also it's own reality show that focuses around the students and I've got to say, THE VAULT OF DREAMERS pulled it off. I can also honestly say that for the last 150 pages or so I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen and loved every minute of it.
What I loved most, though, was the characters. Even though I didn't really love our narrator, fifteen-year-old Rosie Sinclair, I really enjoyed the supporting cast: Burnham, a video game creator, Paige, a dancer and Linus, a boy who works in the school as a cook. Those three were what really made me want to finish, and those three are who will make me pick up the next book. And yes, there will be a next book - I mean, gah. That ending. I wished I'd known this was the start to a new series before I picked it up, that way I would have at least suspected that something big was going to happen at the ending.
However, I will tell you that I think this book is directed at younger readers more, probably students from sixth grade to Sophomore year of high school will enjoy it the most although I clearly loved it. This book is a perfect read for a day off when you just want to read something fun with an interesting world and characters.
THE VAULT OF DREAMERS by Caragh O'Brien was recommended me by a high school English teacher that's hard to impress when it comes to YA books. So when she told me that I had to read this, you can say that I was more then intrigued and hopeful.
This book is about a selective art school that's also it's own reality show that focuses around the students and I've got to say, THE VAULT OF DREAMERS pulled it off. I can also honestly say that for the last 150 pages or so I had absolutely no idea what was going to happen and loved every minute of it.
What I loved most, though, was the characters. Even though I didn't really love our narrator, fifteen-year-old Rosie Sinclair, I really enjoyed the supporting cast: Burnham, a video game creator, Paige, a dancer and Linus, a boy who works in the school as a cook. Those three were what really made me want to finish, and those three are who will make me pick up the next book. And yes, there will be a next book - I mean, gah. That ending. I wished I'd known this was the start to a new series before I picked it up, that way I would have at least suspected that something big was going to happen at the ending.
However, I will tell you that I think this book is directed at younger readers more, probably students from sixth grade to Sophomore year of high school will enjoy it the most although I clearly loved it. This book is a perfect read for a day off when you just want to read something fun with an interesting world and characters.
It took me awhile to get around to reading The Vault of Dreamers for a couple reasons. First, I'd heard some pretty mixed reviews and I wasn't sure if it would be worth it. Second, I just wasn't sold on the description. I'd also never read anything by the author. But when I got the chance to listen to the audiobook I jumped at it! It seems that audiobooks are the only way I'll spend time "reading" certain books...
The main character in this story is Rosie and right away we know that she's a rule breaker. From the first moment we meet her, Rosie is running off doing what she's not supposed to be doing when she shouldn't be doing it. But that's part of her charm, right? I honestly did like Rosie for the most part! I didn't really have any serious issues with her other than her complete inability to trust anyone, but I guess she's come by that honestly.
Shortly after the story begins, Rosie meets Linus, a dishwasher in the school cafeteria. Their romance was satisfying enough for most of the book, but it just wasn't... great. In fact, all of the relationships in The Vault of Dreamers seemed a little inauthentic.
What I did love about this book was the story - it was totally unique! The Forge School seemed super fishy from the get go and it made me wonder why the students and their parents weren't a little more inquisitive about the whole sleeping regimen... but whatever. I can suspend my belief that much. A reality show as the cover for the whole operation was a really unique way to approach it, and never getting a moment of privacy definitely added to Rosie's problems. The creep factor as Rosie slowly uncovered the mystery of the Forge School was pretty awesome and I'll admit I was a little weirded out by it, which is good.
I also felt like the world building was pretty great! The stark contrasts presented throughout the book were tangible. Caragh M. Obrien certainly does a fantastic job of putting together a setting that feels real.
Unfortunately, despite the positives, The Vault of Dreamers just wasn't what I hoped it would be. Maybe my expectations were too high despite the mixed reviews, but I just wanted MORE from this book. The way Rosie interacted with, well, everyone was just weird to me - and not in a good way. I also wish a little more had been explained about the dreams and their purpose... The way the book ended left me totally unsatisfied, especially the way things went with Linus.
Overall, this was a decent book. I might read the second one just to find out what happens next, but I definitely don't feel any hurry to get to it.
This book was way better than I expected. It wasn't campy at all and the plot was suspenseful and creative. I didn't love how it ended but I can't help wanting to know what happens next. Unfortunately, they still don't get the art school part right. We don't improv in the hallways to live music. Usually :)
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes