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kdhanda's review against another edition
1.0
Sad little book. A woman, apparently bored of her life, starts dreaming of an alternate life replete with blue-eyed husband, big suburban house and three kids. Author treats parallel life as an easy little place to pop over in dreams. Only in the last few chapters does the reader finally figure out the fugue in the protagonist's mind. My issue is simple: do not try to write science fiction if you have no knowledge on the subject. For a better treatment of parallel lives, try Lionel Shriver's The Post Birthday World or Peter Howitt's Sliding Doors.
kelliepalmer's review against another edition
2.0
There were times this book was overly descriptive and mundane. I also didn’t understand the reason for the dreamworld and real world. Like, if you are going to have a dreamworld, you should use it to help figure out how to resolve the reason you are trying to escape reality. And Katharyn’s relationship to Michael really frustrated me and the way the other thought she had essentially resolved that issue was very lacking. And I felt there was no resolution for the friendship with Frieda.
inquiry_from_an_anti_library's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Overview:
Kitty has always wanted a family, but circumstances prevented that realization. One day, Kitty starts to have dreams, in which Kitty has what appears to be a family that Kitty has always wanted. Dreams in which Kitty has full awareness in. Lucid dreams. The dreams are both very seductive, but also very troubling. Within the dreams, Kitty discovers startling information. Information that Kitty uses to find real references to while Kitty is awake. Changing the way Kitty behaves, and engages with others.
Kitty knows that the dream family is just that, a dream. But Kitty cares for them. Kitty also finds out that the ideal dream family, is not without their complications. That there are difficulties and struggles that Kitty would have needed to go through to have this family. The sacrifices Kitty would have needed to make. This is a story of a coping mechanism that the mind creates to deal with trauma.
Caveats?
The book has a slow pace, until close to the end. Showing the daily routines, and how they change, to create a psychological twist.
sandeestarlite's review against another edition
4.0
A fun read set in Denver in the 1960s, about an independent woman who owns a bookstore with her best friend. How could life have turned out differently if she had married?
sapphirelain's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I feel like this book isn’t quite what I expected? I feel it was promised as a slightly lighter premise, but turned out to be quite sad. I do like how it was written, but just, I don’t know that the description really prepares you 😅
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death
Minor: Miscarriage
khines213's review against another edition
5.0
I couldn't put the book down. I read this in four hours straight and left afterward with a book coma and a need to just sit and process.
I don't usually read books based in the '60s, so I wasn't sure that I would care for this book. Typically if I read "historical," I read WAY historical.
That being said, the details in the writing were engrossing. I started the book expecting to know what would happen. I was completely floored by the end and felt just as confused at the main character, an impressive writing feat.
I would completely recommend this book.
I don't usually read books based in the '60s, so I wasn't sure that I would care for this book. Typically if I read "historical," I read WAY historical.
That being said, the details in the writing were engrossing. I started the book expecting to know what would happen. I was completely floored by the end and felt just as confused at the main character, an impressive writing feat.
I would completely recommend this book.
erin_j's review
4.0
Kitty Miller is single and owns a bookshop with her best friend. Her parents are close and life is going really well. Until the dreams start…She is Katharyn Anderson, married to a wonderful man and caring for their 3 children. But life is not as perfect as it first seems in the dreams. Kitty just wants the dreams to stop. But which world is truly a dream?
This books starts a little slow. Just getting to know the characters and figuring out both lives that Kitty is living with all the background of both storylines. But if you stick with it, the last half is all worth it. You just keep reading wondering which world is actually her reality. And why is she having these dreams/blackouts in the first place? What triggered all of this? Quite interesting.
There are some difficult parts to read. One of Katharyn’s kids has autism and she doesn’t treat him too well. Or more doesn’t know how to treat him or interact with him. So that was hard to read. You just want her to know and care for him as a mother should. But this was set in the 1960s and I think there was more of a negative stigma to autism and mothers and they didn’t know too much about it.
This was a good book. The title is misleading…she owned a bookshop, but the bookselling was hardly part of the story…oh well.
This books starts a little slow. Just getting to know the characters and figuring out both lives that Kitty is living with all the background of both storylines. But if you stick with it, the last half is all worth it. You just keep reading wondering which world is actually her reality. And why is she having these dreams/blackouts in the first place? What triggered all of this? Quite interesting.
There are some difficult parts to read. One of Katharyn’s kids has autism and she doesn’t treat him too well. Or more doesn’t know how to treat him or interact with him. So that was hard to read. You just want her to know and care for him as a mother should. But this was set in the 1960s and I think there was more of a negative stigma to autism and mothers and they didn’t know too much about it.
This was a good book. The title is misleading…she owned a bookshop, but the bookselling was hardly part of the story…oh well.
ciarajonah's review against another edition
Not my favourite. I think the writing was good, and I was initially very intrigued, but it was so slow. I constantly felt like I was ten steps ahead of Kitty, and it frustrated me. It was very difficult to read how Michael was treated and the way his autism was spoken about. I know it was period relevant, but jaysus.
Overall, I found this slow and predictable. I really enjoyed parts of it, like her relationship with Freida, the time period setting, but overall it felt a bit hollow.
Five dream time escapades out of ten
Overall, I found this slow and predictable. I really enjoyed parts of it, like her relationship with Freida, the time period setting, but overall it felt a bit hollow.
Five dream time escapades out of ten
lazygal's review against another edition
1.0
What the author is doing here is pretty obvious and even at 25% read I got where it was going, what the twist was going to be. Hence the DNF. My guess is that others will enjoy this far more, particularly those who love the "what if..." genre.
ARC provided by publisher.
ARC provided by publisher.
solshines68's review against another edition
5.0
Fascinating! Extremely engaging. I could not put this book down and thoughts of Kitty/Katharyn stayed with me for days after.
The story line was very well written and I fell in love with the characters. I enjoyed the details of life in the 60's (like coffee percolators) and the references to the historical events of the times (Cuban Missile Crisis, Patsy Cline's plane crash). She mentions quite a few books I've never heard of and would like to look into.
This is a great look at the "what if's" in our lives.
The story line was very well written and I fell in love with the characters. I enjoyed the details of life in the 60's (like coffee percolators) and the references to the historical events of the times (Cuban Missile Crisis, Patsy Cline's plane crash). She mentions quite a few books I've never heard of and would like to look into.
This is a great look at the "what if's" in our lives.