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jade_sanderson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Genre: Romance
Rating: 2.75
Pub Date: September 20, 2022
T H R E E β’ W O R D S
Musical β’ ClichΓ© β’ Unpredictable
π S Y N O P S I S
Colby Mills once felt destined for a musical career, until tragedy grounded his aspirations. Now the head of a small family farm in North Carolina, he spontaneously takes a gig playing at a bar in St. Pete's Beach, Florida, seeking a rare break from his duties at home.
But when he meets Morgan Lee, his world is turned upside-down, making him wonder if the responsibilities he has shouldered need dictate his life forever. The daughter of affluent Chicago doctors, Morgan has graduated from a prestigious college music program with the ambition to move to Nashville and become a star. Romantically and musically, she and Colby complete each other in a way that neither has ever known.
While they are falling headlong in love, Beverly is on a heart-pounding journey of another kind. Fleeing an abusive husband with her six-year-old son, she is trying to piece together a life for them in a small town far off the beaten track. With money running out and danger seemingly around every corner, she makes a desperate decision that will rewrite everything she knows to be true.
π T H O U G H T S
Nicholas Sparks is one of those authors I have a love/hate relationship with. He was originally an auto-buy author for me back in the 2000s and early 2010s, but his more recent releases haven't exactly been my cup of tea (except The Wish). Dreamland was certainly no exception, and despite all of that I will continue adding his future releases to my TBR. It's like I just can't quit!
The first half of Dreamland was engaging, yet the two perspectives felt completely disjointed from one another - kind of like two separate novels running along side on another. This structure really bugged me as there really didn't seem to be any inclinations of how they'd connect.
And I honestly preferred Colby's portion, despite loathing Morgan. I enjoyed the mystery of Beverly's sections throughout the first half, but that side of the novel went in a direction that just didn't sit well with me.
Additionally, I liked the musical aspect and the idea of a lost dream. I also thought Sparks did a good job at portraying farm life realistically - the long days and never ending hours - while avoiding some of the more stereotypical 'farmer' traits. When it comes to Colby and Morgan, he came across a lot older than her. In fact, he seemed a lot older than he actually was which really played with my mind.
Finally, my biggest issues is how the two perspectives came together. In my opinion, it was very poorly done. It felt as though Sparks was going for the shock value of thrillers, and it just didn't work for me at all. Without giving too much away, it came across as distasteful and incredibly insensitive. The overuse of mental illness as a plot point irks me to no avail. The epilogue could have easily been left out and I'd have been happier with how it ended more realistically.
Despite this one missing the mark, I will likely continue to add his books to my TBR, although I am no longer rushing out to pick them up on release day. It's quite possible my tastes have evolved since my early days reading Sparks, but they are still easy and quick reads.
π R E C O M M E N D β’ T O
β’ Nicholas Sparks devotees
β’ musical readers
π F A V O U R I T E β’ Q U O T E S
"The logical side of me knows that what we want and what we get are usually two entirely different things."
"But love, I realized wasn't always enough."
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Car accident, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content and Blood
partner death, overdoseraimeyreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child abuse and Child death
Minor: Car accident
bookedfortheweekend25's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood
Minor: Child abuse
natalya_c14's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Minor: Child death and Domestic abuse
onion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Blood, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Drug use, Medical content, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Emotional abuse and Sexual content
ems_rxlibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Blood
lgibson314's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
lindsaygray21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Blood
cheyenne_w14's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt