Scan barcode
palmkd's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
Review after rereading:
This book (and series) continues to be a 5 star read for me! I was very excited to reread before book 3 which has released this year!! (2023)
Be sure to read book 1 first to avoid all spoilers!
As with book one, we follow Alice who has been drawn into the upside down world of Wonderland. This version of wonderland is not so wonderful. It's where nightmares are born and if not carefully monitored, they bleed over into our world and cause damage. Alice is one of the special few who can see them and she's decided to channel her own feelings into fighting back the nightmares. What she didn't sign up for was it taking over her whole life. Just when she thinks she'll take a step back, things get even more crazy and that's about where book 2 starts.
This story has a couple more chapters from different Points of View, but mostly follows Alice as she tries to make sense of a messed up and whimsically wicked world.
I'm a sucker for Alice in Wonderland inspired tales, and this story is a great one.
Strongly recommend!
The first books were written earlier and include some fandom references I don't support any longer, but regardless I hope you'll give this series a go.
Thoughts after first read through: While I am very sad the next book in the NIghtmare-Verse isn't out for a while longer (2023 scheduled), I do appreciate how this book wrapped up and didn't leave me on a crazy cliffhanger!
This is definitely a new favorite series, and I look forward to rereading it!!
This book (and series) continues to be a 5 star read for me! I was very excited to reread before book 3 which has released this year!! (2023)
Be sure to read book 1 first to avoid all spoilers!
As with book one, we follow Alice who has been drawn into the upside down world of Wonderland. This version of wonderland is not so wonderful. It's where nightmares are born and if not carefully monitored, they bleed over into our world and cause damage. Alice is one of the special few who can see them and she's decided to channel her own feelings into fighting back the nightmares. What she didn't sign up for was it taking over her whole life. Just when she thinks she'll take a step back, things get even more crazy and that's about where book 2 starts.
This story has a couple more chapters from different Points of View, but mostly follows Alice as she tries to make sense of a messed up and whimsically wicked world.
I'm a sucker for Alice in Wonderland inspired tales, and this story is a great one.
Strongly recommend!
The first books were written earlier and include some fandom references I don't support any longer, but regardless I hope you'll give this series a go.
Thoughts after first read through: While I am very sad the next book in the NIghtmare-Verse isn't out for a while longer (2023 scheduled), I do appreciate how this book wrapped up and didn't leave me on a crazy cliffhanger!
This is definitely a new favorite series, and I look forward to rereading it!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Death
Moderate: Torture and War
jen_b's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Glad I picked up the sequel despite mixed feelings about book #1, this one was fun. Much more engaging, faster paced, tighter plot. Except ick on the immortal being and 17 yo girl, why is this a thing in so many books! 🤢
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
zombiezami's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I thought this was a great improvement on and expansion of the first book. I like that this one took place in Wonderland much more. I look forward to seeing how the series will develop.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death, Vomit, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Cursing, Grief, Dementia, and Confinement
Minor: Alcohol and War
sarah984's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This book felt a bit more focused than the first one - more could happen because a lot of concepts have already been explained.
The family dynamic in this one is great, and while the adventure does meander a bit (we spend way too long in one side character’s POV when they don't really have that much interesting to say) the story keeps up a good pace with lots of fun action moments.
I do still find the romances quite silly (though I do think this is the first YA I've read with a het romance where both characters were bi, which is kind of cool) and the Japanese characters seemed kind of underwritten, but overall the book was good.
The family dynamic in this one is great, and while the adventure does meander a bit (we spend way too long in one side character’s POV when they don't really have that much interesting to say) the story keeps up a good pace with lots of fun action moments.
I do still find the romances quite silly (though I do think this is the first YA I've read with a het romance where both characters were bi, which is kind of cool) and the Japanese characters seemed kind of underwritten, but overall the book was good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Dementia
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Gore, Medical content, Violence, and Vomit
booksthatburn's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A Dream So Dark is a fast-moving and bloody sequel, swiftly cycling through heroes as they barely dare to rest; trying to save Wonderland and rescue their friends. More Nightmares and darkness; the anguish of fighting former friends and the joy of making new ones.
I loved this book, I had a great time reading it, and I'm currently giddy over some very cool stuff that was revealed and something I think I figured out (but I won't know if I'm right until the third book). I continue to enjoy Alice, she really comes into her own here, figuring out how to be strong in a way that fits her. I like how the stuff with her mom is handled, that tension was a very stressful part of the first book and I think it works out in a way that makes sense for everyone, giving the characters what they need without feeling like it was resolved just for the sake of the plot.
I'm still over the moon about Addison; in the first book I loved him as a new version of the Mad Hatter (my favorite Alice in Wonderland character) and in this one I love him as himself, every dark-backstoried, trying-to-do-the-right-thing, finding-new-joy bit of him.
Since this is the second book in what looks like it will just be a trilogy I'm doing my usual check to see how well this works, both on its own and as book two of three. I look to see whether the story gets to finish any plot threads from the first book, whether it starts any of its own to be resolved later, and whether it feels solid enough as a story to have its own narrative arc. Sometimes a book two can be great without these things, but if a story ever feels incomplete it's usually because on of those pieces is missing. I'm very happy with this book on all three fronts. There are some problems which were known in the first book and resolved at different stages of this one, a really good arc that fits mostly within this volume, and some stuff that had better be resolved in the third one because I'm on the edge of my seat. I was left with a great blend between closure and anticipation, and I'm enjoying it.
The battles felt good to read, with a nice blend between describing the literal moves and the mental/emotional struggle between the fighters. As for world-building, we get some new characters in the mundane world and some really fantastic people and places in Wonderland. It made Wonderland feel more solid, like it's a place where someone might actually live and not just somewhere Alice visits to fight Nightmares. I'm very excited to find out what the third book will bring.
I loved this book, I had a great time reading it, and I'm currently giddy over some very cool stuff that was revealed and something I think I figured out (but I won't know if I'm right until the third book). I continue to enjoy Alice, she really comes into her own here, figuring out how to be strong in a way that fits her. I like how the stuff with her mom is handled, that tension was a very stressful part of the first book and I think it works out in a way that makes sense for everyone, giving the characters what they need without feeling like it was resolved just for the sake of the plot.
I'm still over the moon about Addison; in the first book I loved him as a new version of the Mad Hatter (my favorite Alice in Wonderland character) and in this one I love him as himself, every dark-backstoried, trying-to-do-the-right-thing, finding-new-joy bit of him.
Since this is the second book in what looks like it will just be a trilogy I'm doing my usual check to see how well this works, both on its own and as book two of three. I look to see whether the story gets to finish any plot threads from the first book, whether it starts any of its own to be resolved later, and whether it feels solid enough as a story to have its own narrative arc. Sometimes a book two can be great without these things, but if a story ever feels incomplete it's usually because on of those pieces is missing. I'm very happy with this book on all three fronts. There are some problems which were known in the first book and resolved at different stages of this one, a really good arc that fits mostly within this volume, and some stuff that had better be resolved in the third one because I'm on the edge of my seat. I was left with a great blend between closure and anticipation, and I'm enjoying it.
The battles felt good to read, with a nice blend between describing the literal moves and the mental/emotional struggle between the fighters. As for world-building, we get some new characters in the mundane world and some really fantastic people and places in Wonderland. It made Wonderland feel more solid, like it's a place where someone might actually live and not just somewhere Alice visits to fight Nightmares. I'm very excited to find out what the third book will bring.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Gore
CW for violence, murder, descriptions of wounds.
More...