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lzjolo's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Car accident, Mental illness, Suicide, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Death
weasley1912's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
1. Her mental illness was "a rare type of bipolar 1 which includes a detailed delusions/hallucinations" . To me this feels like a cop out. If this is a real presentation of bipolar, as he said, it's rare. Which means you are representing a large group of people with symptoms they don't actually experience. The average person isn't going to remember that this was a rare presentation of symptoms . They will hear bipolar and remember this. Bad representing for mental health matters to me.
2. One of the last things in the book is him thinking to himself and he says even though he loves his family very much, between his aunt's stroke and his sisters bipolar, they have created a prison for him that he'll never escape. That is an enormous slap in the face to me. As someone who struggles with mental illness it is my biggest fear than my family and friends would feel burdened by me. And to have him say it. Even if it was just to himself. That's devastating to me.
3. The book ended and the couple had split for good reasons. It was practical and logical and the right decision. And then the epilogue only exists so they can get back together. It felt cheap.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
kelly_e's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- 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
Title: Dreamland
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."
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."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Self harm
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Car accident, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Child death, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content and Blood
partner death, overdoseonion's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Self harm, and Blood
Moderate: Drug use, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Medical content, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content and Emotional abuse
zozopaumelle's review
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Mental illness, Abandonment, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
cassiereadsbooks_'s review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death
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