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thebooknerdscorner 's review for:
The Good Nights: Dreams of Destiny
by Jaafar Charafeddine
Torn between reality and the women in his dreams, Sam is forced to reevaluate what he truly wants when it comes to love.
Sam Cooper is a diplomat working for the United States government who is currently stationed in Singapore. His life mostly consists of work, but at least he has Kate to help pass some of the long hours before he retires for the night. Once his eyes close though, Sam finds himself transported to an alternate universe where his chances at finding love are flourishing and his happiness is better than he's felt in his current life. As the dreamscapes begin to expand, Sam starts to wonder which life is he truly living? And what exactly does he desire in a romantic relationship?
"The Good Nights" is a thought-provoking book with a truly interesting premise. The fact that Sam is living multiple different AU versions of his life all while he sleeps raises quite a few questions but is mostly used as a uniquely cinematic way to explore some deep questions about life and love.
One thing that was really interesting in this one is the fact that Sam is sorta with four different women at different times. It is interesting to compare the four, and see which ones make Sam truly happy. The best part is, every woman is quite different from the next, which leads for an exciting dating pool. Kate is a successful diplomat who values her independence and her physical relations with Sam over any other part of their relationship. Shiva is a caring art gallery curator who values family and loyalty above all else. Céline works in marketing in the fashion world and is rambunctious and spontaneous. Finally, Lara is a bit shyer and more reserved, while also having a quiet sense of adventure. It's cool to see how each woman brings out a version of Sam. It really made me think about how we act differently depending on who we're with and the importance of finding someone that makes us truly happy.
Also, Sam's dreams force him to think about the situation that he is currently living in. Is he truly happy? Can he keep living how he is? I think we all need a reminder to be proactive with our lives rather than just coast through doing things that are easy and familiar. This book does an amazing job at passing on this reminder.
I was a bit thrown off by the whirlwind nature of this narrative. Mid-chapter and after many of the dinkuses, the perspective often changes to a different Sam in a completely separate AU. This was often not the easiest to follow, but it truly fit the vibe of this story. The dream Sams are not aware of the fact that they aren't real, so it is totally fitting that there is little warning that they are now suddenly existing again with no knowledge of anything else. When Sam wakes up again, he retains his memories, but it's still a jarring experience that he is waking up from. I wouldn't recommend this style for many books, but I actually liked it for this one.
The themes that discuss destiny, fate, and taking control of one's own life are very powerful. There is obviously a reason that Sam, Shiva, Céline, and Lara are connected with one another, but I love that they're not really sure what it is. The universe works in mysterious ways, after all. I think this book did a great job of balancing the messages that some things are meant to happen while also pressing that with enough effort, one can find the things that they desire.
Another thing that was neat about this one is that every Sam had a different career as well as lived in a different city. It was not only cool to experience various areas in the world (I think learning a bit more about Dubai was my favorite), but it also made me think about just how different one's life can become off of one single life decision. This can be scary to think about, but it's also insanely interesting.
The ending to this one is a bit predictable, but it has such a feel-good vibe that it's hard to be mad at this fact. I'm obviously not going to spoil the ending, but you can rest easy knowing that Sam gets his happily ever after.
Overall, "The Good Nights" was a very intriguing read that had me thinking about fate, destiny, and the idea of true love. Seriously, the number of deep thoughts that this book had me thinking about was pretty crazy, but it's still a super easy to read book. I'm glad that I was given the chance to witness Sam's search for love and all the various messages that his journey had to offer. If you're interested in a philosophical love story with a hint of magical realism, I highly recommend this one!
Sam Cooper is a diplomat working for the United States government who is currently stationed in Singapore. His life mostly consists of work, but at least he has Kate to help pass some of the long hours before he retires for the night. Once his eyes close though, Sam finds himself transported to an alternate universe where his chances at finding love are flourishing and his happiness is better than he's felt in his current life. As the dreamscapes begin to expand, Sam starts to wonder which life is he truly living? And what exactly does he desire in a romantic relationship?
"The Good Nights" is a thought-provoking book with a truly interesting premise. The fact that Sam is living multiple different AU versions of his life all while he sleeps raises quite a few questions but is mostly used as a uniquely cinematic way to explore some deep questions about life and love.
One thing that was really interesting in this one is the fact that Sam is sorta with four different women at different times. It is interesting to compare the four, and see which ones make Sam truly happy. The best part is, every woman is quite different from the next, which leads for an exciting dating pool. Kate is a successful diplomat who values her independence and her physical relations with Sam over any other part of their relationship. Shiva is a caring art gallery curator who values family and loyalty above all else. Céline works in marketing in the fashion world and is rambunctious and spontaneous. Finally, Lara is a bit shyer and more reserved, while also having a quiet sense of adventure. It's cool to see how each woman brings out a version of Sam. It really made me think about how we act differently depending on who we're with and the importance of finding someone that makes us truly happy.
Also, Sam's dreams force him to think about the situation that he is currently living in. Is he truly happy? Can he keep living how he is? I think we all need a reminder to be proactive with our lives rather than just coast through doing things that are easy and familiar. This book does an amazing job at passing on this reminder.
I was a bit thrown off by the whirlwind nature of this narrative. Mid-chapter and after many of the dinkuses, the perspective often changes to a different Sam in a completely separate AU. This was often not the easiest to follow, but it truly fit the vibe of this story. The dream Sams are not aware of the fact that they aren't real, so it is totally fitting that there is little warning that they are now suddenly existing again with no knowledge of anything else. When Sam wakes up again, he retains his memories, but it's still a jarring experience that he is waking up from. I wouldn't recommend this style for many books, but I actually liked it for this one.
The themes that discuss destiny, fate, and taking control of one's own life are very powerful. There is obviously a reason that Sam, Shiva, Céline, and Lara are connected with one another, but I love that they're not really sure what it is. The universe works in mysterious ways, after all. I think this book did a great job of balancing the messages that some things are meant to happen while also pressing that with enough effort, one can find the things that they desire.
Another thing that was neat about this one is that every Sam had a different career as well as lived in a different city. It was not only cool to experience various areas in the world (I think learning a bit more about Dubai was my favorite), but it also made me think about just how different one's life can become off of one single life decision. This can be scary to think about, but it's also insanely interesting.
The ending to this one is a bit predictable, but it has such a feel-good vibe that it's hard to be mad at this fact. I'm obviously not going to spoil the ending, but you can rest easy knowing that Sam gets his happily ever after.
Overall, "The Good Nights" was a very intriguing read that had me thinking about fate, destiny, and the idea of true love. Seriously, the number of deep thoughts that this book had me thinking about was pretty crazy, but it's still a super easy to read book. I'm glad that I was given the chance to witness Sam's search for love and all the various messages that his journey had to offer. If you're interested in a philosophical love story with a hint of magical realism, I highly recommend this one!