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mldias's review
3.0
This trilogy goes fast. I started it after dinner last night and didn't finish before bed only because I decided to take a break and do some writing. The entire series is approximately 600 pages in length -- 600 pages of staccato, sparse prose and generous white space, mind you. Each book took me only an hour or two to read.
If you think your high school job sucked, try being a dream catcher like Janie sometime. The caloric drains, the rapid decline of your eyesight, the forced isolation from others to avoid their dreams and get some sleep once in a while. Your life is on a crash course with "Morton's Fork" (this will make sense to you after reading, I swear). Fortunately, Janie has her boyfriend, Cabe, to keep her warm and fed. Otherwise, she is a lonely sort, functioning as the parental unit at home while her rather hateful mother, Dorothea, drinks herself into a perpetual stupor.
When she isn't stumbling into people's dreams or making out with Cabe, Janie is using her gift to help others and investigate unsolved crimes for her boss, Captain. Her journey as a young dream catcher lands her in the crosshairs of various hazards: illegal drugs and teachers-by-day-sex-offenders-by-night, to name a few. It also, inadvertently, brings her closer to herself as she confronts a huge unknown from her past in the third book.
Because the prose is so bare, the reader must often fill in the blanks. Insinuation, not exposition, presides here -- particularly in terms of characterization. We know why Dorothea drinks on a basic level, but there is never any deep exploration of those emotions. We are told that Janie loves Cabe--and, given his actions, we can certainly understand why--but those feelings might have been explored in more depth. Because the story unfolds so quickly, with very few words to move it along, there is limited time for introspection.
The premise behind this series is fascinating. In a YA marketplace supersaturated with vampires, werewolves, witches, pixies, elves, fallen angels, dragons, leprechauns, and assorted other mythical creatures, a very human dream catcher is a paranormal breath of fresh air. No immortality, no invulnerability. In fact, Janie's gift-slash-curse makes her mortality all too vivid.
Overall, a very enjoyable, quick series. While the execution was far from flawless, it was actually the realistic ending that set it apart from a lot of other paranormal YA narratives. If you're hoping for a deus ex machina plot contrivance to solve all of Janie's problems, or explicit resolution, you won't find it here. That doesn't mean that the series ends badly. It means that it ends realistically.
If you think your high school job sucked, try being a dream catcher like Janie sometime. The caloric drains, the rapid decline of your eyesight, the forced isolation from others to avoid their dreams and get some sleep once in a while. Your life is on a crash course with "Morton's Fork" (this will make sense to you after reading, I swear). Fortunately, Janie has her boyfriend, Cabe, to keep her warm and fed. Otherwise, she is a lonely sort, functioning as the parental unit at home while her rather hateful mother, Dorothea, drinks herself into a perpetual stupor.
When she isn't stumbling into people's dreams or making out with Cabe, Janie is using her gift to help others and investigate unsolved crimes for her boss, Captain. Her journey as a young dream catcher lands her in the crosshairs of various hazards: illegal drugs and teachers-by-day-sex-offenders-by-night, to name a few. It also, inadvertently, brings her closer to herself as she confronts a huge unknown from her past in the third book.
Because the prose is so bare, the reader must often fill in the blanks. Insinuation, not exposition, presides here -- particularly in terms of characterization. We know why Dorothea drinks on a basic level, but there is never any deep exploration of those emotions. We are told that Janie loves Cabe--and, given his actions, we can certainly understand why--but those feelings might have been explored in more depth. Because the story unfolds so quickly, with very few words to move it along, there is limited time for introspection.
The premise behind this series is fascinating. In a YA marketplace supersaturated with vampires, werewolves, witches, pixies, elves, fallen angels, dragons, leprechauns, and assorted other mythical creatures, a very human dream catcher is a paranormal breath of fresh air. No immortality, no invulnerability. In fact, Janie's gift-slash-curse makes her mortality all too vivid.
Overall, a very enjoyable, quick series. While the execution was far from flawless, it was actually the realistic ending that set it apart from a lot of other paranormal YA narratives. If you're hoping for a deus ex machina plot contrivance to solve all of Janie's problems, or explicit resolution, you won't find it here. That doesn't mean that the series ends badly. It means that it ends realistically.
crainey90's review
4.0
I enjoyed this book and I am glad we all finally have an ending for the series. However, I will definitely agree that this is not the best book out of the trilogy.
booksong's review
4.0
An interesting third novel, and an interesting approach to concluding this powerful and thought-provoking trilogy. As many other reviewers have said, McMann slows the pace way down, abandoning any detective plotlines or suspenseful thriller scenes. I was disappointed at first, but it actually seemed to work quite well, at least for me.
Here, Janie is taught the hard way that the most difficult and frightening problems to face have nothing to do with drugs or criminals; they are much closer to home. With the very core of her relationships being tested, Janie is forced to confront the bitter dilemma that being a dreamcatcher presents. Having such a painful choice to make opens up all kinds of tough, growth-inducing scenes that are, in their quieter way, as breathtakingly honest as the previous two novels. Perhaps that's the element I love most in McMann's trilogy; her simple, moving style that conveys everything in blunt sentences that nevertheless hold brutal truths and gut-deep emotion.
In the end, Janie's story comes to a close the same way; hopeful, bittersweet, and with a kind of candid realism that is amazingly refreshing. It felt totally true to the rest of the series, and therefore was a strong closing.
Here, Janie is taught the hard way that the most difficult and frightening problems to face have nothing to do with drugs or criminals; they are much closer to home. With the very core of her relationships being tested, Janie is forced to confront the bitter dilemma that being a dreamcatcher presents. Having such a painful choice to make opens up all kinds of tough, growth-inducing scenes that are, in their quieter way, as breathtakingly honest as the previous two novels. Perhaps that's the element I love most in McMann's trilogy; her simple, moving style that conveys everything in blunt sentences that nevertheless hold brutal truths and gut-deep emotion.
In the end, Janie's story comes to a close the same way; hopeful, bittersweet, and with a kind of candid realism that is amazingly refreshing. It felt totally true to the rest of the series, and therefore was a strong closing.
lindsey_kerrigan's review
4.0
1st read:So I think if I were to rank this series it would go 1. Wake 2. &3. Tie right now that might change later but right now I liked this book. It took a darker twist that was very interesting. And I really liked the place that we left our main characters in. Basically I liked how the series ended and I think it was enough. I got choked up around page 60 even though I'm not really sure why. More updates most likely to. One soon.
2nd read: Wake is still definitely my favorite out of the three. It has more of a story arc than 2 and 3. I’m kind of confused about Captain’s role. She’s police chief but she also deals with Janie’s personal problems? I don’t really get it. There is something really unique about this series that I like.
2nd read: Wake is still definitely my favorite out of the three. It has more of a story arc than 2 and 3. I’m kind of confused about Captain’s role. She’s police chief but she also deals with Janie’s personal problems? I don’t really get it. There is something really unique about this series that I like.
bridgetteramirez's review
3.0
I'd give this a 3.5 if possible. Of the three books Fade was my favorite.
missgrangerr's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
readwithpassion's review
3.0
I haven't read the two other books in the series, but I picked this one up, and was able to understand it fairly well. While it doesn't stand alone, I don't think it must be read after the first two books. Overall, the story had an interesting concept, but I wished more happened. I didn't find the plot to be incredibly fulfilling.
bibt198's review
2.0
This book disappointed me. The first two books, Wake and Fade, were really nice. They had adventure, action, love but this book lacked everything I loved about this series. It was a really bad conclusion to the Dream Catcher series. Nothing much happens in this book. I can't even say much because there isn't anything to say. While this series started off being promising, it ended with a sour note.
kristid's review
2.0
I'm a big fan of this series. I'd never read an author that has quite the writing style as Lisa McMann. The first time I read Wake, I seriously thought... "wow can you really write a book like that?" McMann's writing is raw, it's sporadic, but at the same time it's intensely vivid.... even though she doesn't use that many words to depcit her scenes. Don't ask me how it works, it just does. But on to Gone.
Gone is the last book in the series, and I have to admit I was a little disappointed. There was something missing... it just didn't have that edge that the first two books had. It was more of a personal quest, instead of an external one, as it had been in the previous two novels. This was more about the aftermath, what Janie has to deal with when the party is over.
Gone tackled a lot of serious issues. I appreciated McMann addressing Janie's family life, showing that a teen coping with an alcoholic parent doesn't have to feel or deal alone.
I was satisfied with the ending. McMann wrapped it up nicely left a few loose ends, but she didn't need to spell everything out for us.... it was poignant.
Overall, this is a great series, I absolutely recommend it as a whole.
Gone is the last book in the series, and I have to admit I was a little disappointed. There was something missing... it just didn't have that edge that the first two books had. It was more of a personal quest, instead of an external one, as it had been in the previous two novels. This was more about the aftermath, what Janie has to deal with when the party is over.
Gone tackled a lot of serious issues. I appreciated McMann addressing Janie's family life, showing that a teen coping with an alcoholic parent doesn't have to feel or deal alone.
I was satisfied with the ending. McMann wrapped it up nicely left a few loose ends, but she didn't need to spell everything out for us.... it was poignant.
Overall, this is a great series, I absolutely recommend it as a whole.