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alexcribbs's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
This is a book I feel like I’ll have to read again to get the full experience. It reminded me of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind except low-key scary.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
alisonvh's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. I might have to sit with it for a while to decide how I feel about it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Child death, and Death
jazhandz's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
One of those books where I finished and immediately tried to get people to read it so we could discuss, because it does some things so well and others so poorly. I was really delighted by Jonathan Abernathy himself, a quintessential dude who sucks but doesn’t realize it. The writing style was fascinating; I don’t normally go in for narration that does the “little did he know things would get worse” thing but it’s used well here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Child death
Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Classism
It’s not quite gaslighting, but there is an awful lot of manipulation.shimmeringice's review
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I definitely took 8d6 emotional damage at the end of this one. I really appreciated the wry, matter-of-fact narrator. The narrator often made me laugh out loud with a perfect turn of phrase, while also delivering some absolutely devastating revelation in the same breath. Jonathan is one of the most well realized coward protagonists I've ever read. He's not a funny coward; he's not a disgusting coward; he's not an aspirational coward. He's a coward that you can't help but root for and hope that he'll turn it around, but he just keeps fumbling every chance he gets. It's painful to read in how relatable it is.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death
emzjams's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Have you ever been used by capitalism under the guise of opportunity?
Jonathan Abernathy is a down-on-his-luck, 25-year-old "failure". He's never held a real job and is barely getting by, living with the constant, crushing reminder of student loan debt and (illegally - unbeknownst to him) inherited debt from his parent's deaths that he cannot pay.
He gets an offer from a government loan forgiveness program to work as he sleeps, auditing the dreams of the working class and marking any "unsavory bits" that may interfere with their ability to work.
He has certain affirmations that he tells himself, while not really believing it, that get him through the day-
Jonathan Abernathy,
You are kind.
You are loved.
You are a valued member of this community.
While things seem to be looking up for him -his relationship with his neighbor, the enigmatic Rhoda, is blossoming- the dream auditor position is proving to be something far more sinister than he could've imagined.
As his reality begins to shift around him he finds that he's losing more than he's gaining, and the further he moves up the corporate ladder, the more there is at stake.
This was truly a gem. Surreal, lovely, and a bit gruesome at times, it felt very <i>Sorry To Bother You</i>-esque. Abernathy is likable, yet realistic. He makes bad decisions, feels sorry for himself more often than not, doesn't say what he knows he should, yet constantly imagines the outcome of the unsaid words. I found myself consistently interested in his story throughout, it felt fresh; something I haven't been getting lately. It never felt predictable, and while it gets a bit sporadic, I think it added to the overall sense of dread and loss of reality. I could see myself rereading this, I really enjoyed it!
The narrator for the audiobook was amazing, really made it come alive.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this audiobook! Now available as of Oct. 31, 2023.
Jonathan Abernathy is a down-on-his-luck, 25-year-old "failure". He's never held a real job and is barely getting by, living with the constant, crushing reminder of student loan debt and (illegally - unbeknownst to him) inherited debt from his parent's deaths that he cannot pay.
He gets an offer from a government loan forgiveness program to work as he sleeps, auditing the dreams of the working class and marking any "unsavory bits" that may interfere with their ability to work.
He has certain affirmations that he tells himself, while not really believing it, that get him through the day-
Jonathan Abernathy,
You are kind.
You are loved.
You are a valued member of this community.
While things seem to be looking up for him -his relationship with his neighbor, the enigmatic Rhoda, is blossoming- the dream auditor position is proving to be something far more sinister than he could've imagined.
As his reality begins to shift around him he finds that he's losing more than he's gaining, and the further he moves up the corporate ladder, the more there is at stake.
This was truly a gem. Surreal, lovely, and a bit gruesome at times, it felt very <i>Sorry To Bother You</i>-esque. Abernathy is likable, yet realistic. He makes bad decisions, feels sorry for himself more often than not, doesn't say what he knows he should, yet constantly imagines the outcome of the unsaid words. I found myself consistently interested in his story throughout, it felt fresh; something I haven't been getting lately. It never felt predictable, and while it gets a bit sporadic, I think it added to the overall sense of dread and loss of reality. I could see myself rereading this, I really enjoyed it!
The narrator for the audiobook was amazing, really made it come alive.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for early access to this audiobook! Now available as of Oct. 31, 2023.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Kidnapping
not_another_ana's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher
Jonathan Abernathy is trying his best, but with an insane amount of debt and no job he's drowning. When he's offered a job in a dream, auditing the dreams of American workers to make them more productive, he jumps at the opportunity to tackle his problems and maybe even make something of himself, unaware of what really lurks underneath and the specifics of his job.
An interesting critic of capitalism and the American Dream, this book sucked me in. Earnest, quirky and touching, this is one of the more intriguing and different books I've read in a while. Jonathan Abernathy is such a delight of a character, I found myself relating a lot to him. His situation is one that many of us have been in, with his sincere way of thinking and his lack of self confidence ringing true and so very human. He wants to do good, succeed, improve, but the system he's trapped in needs him to stay down.
The dream auditing was a captivating idea. As someone who dreams a lot, having someone in there judging and cataloging sounds like such a violation of my privacy and my existence that did alarm me. I do wish that the author had dug deeper into the mechanics of it, perhaps showing more dreams and the process of auditing them. While I gushed about Jonathan, he did get on my nerves a bit. I understand his naiveté and its importance to the plot but it got to a point where I was rolling my eyes a bit. The pacing could have been improved, it took a little too long for my taste to get to the meat of the plot.
Jonathan Abernathy is trying his best, but with an insane amount of debt and no job he's drowning. When he's offered a job in a dream, auditing the dreams of American workers to make them more productive, he jumps at the opportunity to tackle his problems and maybe even make something of himself, unaware of what really lurks underneath and the specifics of his job.
An interesting critic of capitalism and the American Dream, this book sucked me in. Earnest, quirky and touching, this is one of the more intriguing and different books I've read in a while. Jonathan Abernathy is such a delight of a character, I found myself relating a lot to him. His situation is one that many of us have been in, with his sincere way of thinking and his lack of self confidence ringing true and so very human. He wants to do good, succeed, improve, but the system he's trapped in needs him to stay down.
The dream auditing was a captivating idea. As someone who dreams a lot, having someone in there judging and cataloging sounds like such a violation of my privacy and my existence that did alarm me. I do wish that the author had dug deeper into the mechanics of it, perhaps showing more dreams and the process of auditing them. While I gushed about Jonathan, he did get on my nerves a bit. I understand his naiveté and its importance to the plot but it got to a point where I was rolling my eyes a bit. The pacing could have been improved, it took a little too long for my taste to get to the meat of the plot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, and Death
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