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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!
rjcairns's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
bookph1le's review against another edition
4.0
So I hate when book descriptions begin with, "If you like X...", where X is the title of a book or the name of an author. But I'm going to go on ahead here and say that this book is in the same sort of vein as Station Eleven, by which I mean it's a deep character study about how people react to a disastrous situation.
To me, this was very compelling. Yeah, the book leaves a lot of questions and the sci-fi elements are kind of light, so if you're looking for hard sci-fi, you probably won't like this. But I found the characters' struggles gripping, and I flew through this book in a way I haven't devoured another book in some time.
To me, this was very compelling. Yeah, the book leaves a lot of questions and the sci-fi elements are kind of light, so if you're looking for hard sci-fi, you probably won't like this. But I found the characters' struggles gripping, and I flew through this book in a way I haven't devoured another book in some time.