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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
… I tried so hard. This book was the furthest I’ve gotten into a DNF. The writing gets infinitely worse with each chapter and I couldn’t take it anymore at about 65% of the way through. A kindergartener can create more complex sentences and develop characters better.
Highly readable, but I think it would have been more meaningful if the author had explored the lasting effects of the dreams on those affected by the virus.
2.5 stars. Great premise that fizzled out to nothing substantial.
Hmmm… interesting concept and a quick read but I just feel like it could have been a lot more developed
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I feel like I slipped inside someone’s dream and they told me the story of Santa Lora, CA and the sleeping sickness that afflicted the people of this town. The writing was dreamlike and ethereal. There are multiple characters that are intertwined throughout the story. Some are affected by the sleep sickness, some are not. I found it slightly difficult to connect with any one character. The chapters are short and the characters intertwine like gossamer threads of a web but I didn’t feel any particular connection to a specific character. In retrospect, I think dreams are like that sometimes. Pieces of scenes and people with no beginning, no ending.
I don’t think this book is for everyone, but I loved the writing and the sci-fi, apocalyptic aspect of the story. I’m a sucker for any dystopian, apocalyptic subject matter. Give me all that crazy stuff and throw in the mystery of what is going on and the reaction to the craziness and I’m all in. I would definitely also recommend The Age of Miracles, the author’s first book. I loved that one and even though, I may not have loved The Dreamers quite as much, this is a beautifully written story that is worth reading especially to try something different.
I don’t think this book is for everyone, but I loved the writing and the sci-fi, apocalyptic aspect of the story. I’m a sucker for any dystopian, apocalyptic subject matter. Give me all that crazy stuff and throw in the mystery of what is going on and the reaction to the craziness and I’m all in. I would definitely also recommend The Age of Miracles, the author’s first book. I loved that one and even though, I may not have loved The Dreamers quite as much, this is a beautifully written story that is worth reading especially to try something different.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in mid-December.
A legendary illness is affecting its hosts with initial flu-like symptoms, then tiredness, then a constant, dream-filled, near-comatose sleep that tapers off into death. It seems to be happening to mostly younger, college-age kids in the city of Santa Lora, California before everyone near or exposed to the town are put under quarantine; although, over time, a scant few people awaken to different results (some admitting to vivid, even prophetic dreams, others not). It's written with sentimentality, a slow spread of concern, fear, and near-mania, and a hazy, world-through-youthful-eyes nostalgia, similar to Virgin Suicides or Lovely Bones.
A legendary illness is affecting its hosts with initial flu-like symptoms, then tiredness, then a constant, dream-filled, near-comatose sleep that tapers off into death. It seems to be happening to mostly younger, college-age kids in the city of Santa Lora, California before everyone near or exposed to the town are put under quarantine; although, over time, a scant few people awaken to different results (some admitting to vivid, even prophetic dreams, others not). It's written with sentimentality, a slow spread of concern, fear, and near-mania, and a hazy, world-through-youthful-eyes nostalgia, similar to Virgin Suicides or Lovely Bones.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
fast-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
Truly gripping read. I couldn’t put the book down and once the book introduced several characters, I was hooked. Great book.
the writing was sooooo bad i should've dnf this