Reviews

Upon a Waking Dream by J.S. Bailey

ms_smith's review

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.5

Thank you for the advanced copy to the author! 

This book was unlike anything I've read before. Genre-wise it was definitely sci-fi, however for some reason I did not find the stories authentic. Some of the characters choices and deeds were so unrealistic that it made the whole story fake for me. The characters were unfortunately one-dimensional and flat. From the 12 stories I liked Jay and The House With an Inside but No Outside the most because they had potential.
This is a great book for a novice writer but there's definitely room for improvement. 

alienstookmybooks's review

adventurous funny inspiring mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

klcsl's review

1.5

I really wanted to like this book, but it's not for me. I'm struggling to think of who would actually enjoy it. To say something positive, there are definitely seeds of good storytelling in there, but the writing just doesn't work. I think the author needs to practice their craft more and get an editor/publisher who will help them keep the stories on track and going in a good direction. The stories and writing just feel very immature, like something a really good high school freshman/sophomore would write for a creative project. I really don't mean this to sound rude. I think the author has a lot of potential. They're just not there yet. 

immediateforgivenessineurydice's review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• 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? It's complicated

2.0

deedles's review

2.5

Recieved a copy from a giveaway. 

It's a good story collection featuring mundane magic, scifi, specfic, &c, though I must say it's really not for me. I love fantasy, and the exploration of themes via vast worldbuilding and interpersonal relationships, so this should've been right up my alley but I was a little disappointed.

The writing feels... young. Like it was meant to be either for the middleschoolers or on the younger side of young adult. A bit of the themes felt like they were just slapped on top of the pages in bold and red ink. Perhaps I just prefer it when the writing style is a bit more mature.

In any case, the stories felt a bit lackluster -- the strongest was The Family Name. It was chilling, it was dark. I could literally see this happening in real life, and it was good.

I think it really would've been a lot better if the stories had some sort of unifying theme besides just the author "slapping it into the collection", so it would've been more cohesive, and to help the reader keep in the mindset of expectation of each story.

The weirdest, most surreal one, was definitely The Man Of Her Dreams. I think it would've made an excellent commentary on stan culture if it was fleshed out a bit more, and if it was tweaked up, I would definitely want to read it. The absolute inherent unhingedness of the whole thing was so absurd, I just kept wanting to read more.

zari504's review

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

The stories lean more on the comedic side, with some exceptions, and the characters can be a bit over the top when it comes to their defining traits. But each story is in its own, crafted world that left me wishing I could read more about each story. If you're going to read this for any reason, I'd do it for the worldbuilding.
The writing style is more on the simple side, which makes this a quick and easy read. The characters in some stories did feel a bit reduced to their one or two more traits/beliefs because of the style, though some of that will have to do with just how short some of the stories are.
My favorite story was probably "The Family Name," which is one of the more serious stories in the collection.
Overall, it was enjoyable, and something that would be an easy read if you're in a slump or just looking for something quick and lighthearted.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Violence and Suicide

cozybones's review

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

emshark's review

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. 

Upon A Waking Dream by J.S. Bailey is a collection of 12 sci-fi/fantasy short stories. From aliens and space travel to magic pens, this book seems to have it all. The stories are original and funny, and some of them raise really interesting questions. 

I’ve been getting into short story collections more lately, but this one might just be a new favourite. I especially loved the mix of fantasy and sci-fi stories. The variety of stories meant that I never got bored, plus the stories didn’t seem to blur together at some point (which sometimes happens to me with collections of similar stories). All in all, I really flew through this book, there simply wasn’t a dull moment. 

Personally, my favourite stories would have to be “Letter from Glomsuet” (a flat-earther gets abducted by aliens), “Larry” (an imaginary friend in bunny slippers) and “The Last to Pass” (what would happen if immortality was a thing). “Daily Log from Outpost #602” is definitely an honourable mention (I don’t even want to give away what it’s about, just read this one, it’s great). 

Overall, Upon A Waking Dream is a great book, and I recommend you pick it up if you’re even remotely interested in sci-fi and fantasy stories (or even if you aren’t, maybe this book will convince you otherwise).