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mmajer's review against another edition
4.0
“But isn’t the future always an imaginary thing before it comes?”
The Dreamers is a novel about a town in California where, starting at a local college, people start mysteriously falling asleep with no explanation or cure. At times this book was a 5 star read for me. It was well written and sort of had an ethereal quality to it. Why it didn’t end up being a 5 star read was because the ending was very abrupt and I felt it left too many loose ends. Overall I thought this was a very imaginative and engaging novel, and I really enjoyed it.
The Dreamers is a novel about a town in California where, starting at a local college, people start mysteriously falling asleep with no explanation or cure. At times this book was a 5 star read for me. It was well written and sort of had an ethereal quality to it. Why it didn’t end up being a 5 star read was because the ending was very abrupt and I felt it left too many loose ends.
Spoiler
Also, from the book description and some mentions in the book, the people who develop this illness display unusual levels of brain activity, similar to schizophrenics. “They are dreaming heightened dreams- but of what?” It is right on the book blurb and is hardly touched upon at all. I kept waiting to read about it and get some insight into what was going on with the dreamers, but it sort of glossed over that towards the end. This focused mostly on the people who hadn’t yet caught the illness as opposed to the actual dreamers. Not that that was a bad thing, but I felt those few mentions were a tad misleading.jennyluwho's review against another edition
5.0
Can dystopian fiction be whimsical? I think Karen nailed it. I found this book to be a pleasant concoction of believable facts and dreamy confusion.
wendyk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? No
4.0
College students in a California town start falling asleep and they are unable to be woken up. Doctors scramble to find out why, but they also notice an increase in brain activity in the sleepers, which is abnormally active. What is going on in the sleepers' minds? How is the sleeping sickness passed? Can the sleepers be kept alive long enough to wake up? Will they wake up?
I loved the dreamlike quality of the storytelling; it sucked me right in to this mysterious, unsettling world. I also liked getting into the heads of so many characters as they each tried to make sense of what was happening, all the while fearful that they could be next, and how they chose to act in the face of that unknown future.
I loved the dreamlike quality of the storytelling; it sucked me right in to this mysterious, unsettling world. I also liked getting into the heads of so many characters as they each tried to make sense of what was happening, all the while fearful that they could be next, and how they chose to act in the face of that unknown future.
alomie's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
This book was quite frustrating, and felt like the author didn't really have an ending in mind.
It's one of those where I felt that the ending was just platitudes and nothing really got answered.
Also suffered from being written pre-pandemic, and me reading it post-pandemic.
It's one of those where I felt that the ending was just platitudes and nothing really got answered.
Also suffered from being written pre-pandemic, and me reading it post-pandemic.
mmalec309's review against another edition
3.0
If I would have read this book before Covid, I may have enjoyed it more. It seemed to drag on & was a little too real with our world today.
catherine_hopper's review against another edition
4.0
I ended up enjoying this one a lot more than I thought I would. It was a slow build, following different characters in a town that is struck with a virus that causes people to fall and stay asleep. It felt a little disjointed at first, but there was a lot going on beneath the surface, as the story explored the social fabric that binds people together (and in some cases drives people apart) and the loose connection between dreams and the past, present, and future.
louisayd's review against another edition
4.0
It was eerie how closely this resonated with the current pandemic given that it was published in 2019, but overall an entertaining read.
dani99's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
When I was shelving books I happened upon this book and checked it out. It surprised me in many ways. I need to simmer on it a bit. It is thoughtful, so interestingly written, and the cast of characters are great.
psheeh28's review against another edition
5.0
I’m a big fan of dystopian novels, and while this wasn’t quite that, it reminded me a lot of one. It’s not your typical pandemic book. I loved that it was interwoven with hope throughout the book. I could not put it down!