E-ARC Review: Dreamer by Nicole Thomas
Author: Nicole Thomas
Release date: October 28th 2013
Publisher: Self-Published
Series: Dreamerbound #1
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Add to your library: Goodreads
Someone is using Anna’s dreams as a weapon, and so far, they’ve gotten away with murder. Anna isn’t quite sure why those closest to her die when she dreams, but it’s enough to turn this teenager off REM sleep and relationships for good. She has more than enough blood on her hands without boys crushing on her and getting buried six feet underground as a result.
As of right now, Anna’s plan to avoid relationships with anyone outside her family has gone off without a hitch. And if it weren’t for her classmate, Liam, she would’ve continued to do so. Liam’s successfully flown under her social radar, and if he wants to avoid having his obituary in the local newspaper, he'd keep it that way. But when he confides in Anna and tells her he has dreams as well, he becomes an exception to the rule.
Okay, so his dreams might not be as dangerous, but it turns out his mother's were. Liam's mom is missing. His mom just turned eighteen when she fell completely off the grid, and Anna could be next. (via Goodreads)
As of right now, Anna’s plan to avoid relationships with anyone outside her family has gone off without a hitch. And if it weren’t for her classmate, Liam, she would’ve continued to do so. Liam’s successfully flown under her social radar, and if he wants to avoid having his obituary in the local newspaper, he'd keep it that way. But when he confides in Anna and tells her he has dreams as well, he becomes an exception to the rule.
Okay, so his dreams might not be as dangerous, but it turns out his mother's were. Liam's mom is missing. His mom just turned eighteen when she fell completely off the grid, and Anna could be next. (via Goodreads)
I received an e-copy of this from Nicole Thomas in exchange for an honest review.
I'm so thankful to Nicole for giving me the chance to review her debut novel. As much as I wanted to love every book that I read, sometimes, I end up not liking them but that doesn't mean I dislike them. Dreamer is one of those books. I neither liked nor disliked it.
I was so excited to read this. Dreams have always been one of my fascinations. So I was really curious why Dreams here are big of a deal. Throughout the novel, I kept guessing and guessing what or who was controlling Anna's dreams. But never did I actually thought of the right answer. Why? Because it never felt that way. It didn't feel right for me. Yes, weird. There were never hints connecting to that controller. The real one for that matter. I could have hoped at least, some things were given along the way so that I myself can really experience solving the mystery of the controller. Though somehow Anna, Liam and Liam's Dad were able to track someone down. Still! Okay, fine. It was definitely a surprise. But not a great surprise for me. It was a little odd somehow. And really weird in a way.
Another thing that made me feel weird was the relationship of Liam and Anna. I swear it was like they just decided that they like each other even without the process of it. I was in this page wherein Liam had just agreed to get close to Anna. Then a few pages about Anna's life then Anna and Liam sitting beside each other, sorta flirting all of a sudden and boom, that's it. I don't know. But it didn't feel genuine to me. It was really weird actually. Yet they were cute together and Liam really cared for her so I'd give it to them. Still, I didn't feel as if their relationship was really that true.
Despite things that made me weird, I got through this book in just one sitting not just because it was short but also because of Nicole's writing. It was easy and simple. You'll never get bored because of her writing. It was fast-paced and mysterious. I really liked the premise but all in all, I felt like the execution of the story lacked something. I don't know what. And I'm not an expert but that's how I felt after reading.
Dreamer is a fast-paced and mysterious YA novel about dreams. I'd probably read the sequel so as to get more answers.
About the Author
Writing has, and will likely always be, an escape. In my younger days, I used writing to get as far away from reality as I could. Problem is, when you build your own worlds, you tend to prefer them over the one you end up living in most of your life. Needless to say, my quick escape to what should've been a vacation home has grown to be a lot more than that.
The world I've built for the Dreamerbound series is something most authors hope for. It started as an idea that took on a mind of its own, and through the help of my dreams, I've been able to plot an entire series from one very simple thought:
What if our dreams were mirrored by real life events?
That question had me scribbling in my notebook well after bedtime, and I still had no idea how big things were about to get. The problem with responding to one question is that you almost always end up with even more questions you can't possibly answer.
The reason behind the dreams was simple--someone is controlling them. But who? Why? And how in the world are they able to do it without being seen?
So I wrote some more, finished a first draft and tucked it away for over a year. I figured I'd just open it up, edit it and put it online after that, but when I was reading over what I'd written I realized the story was too short. That said, all the information I wanted to include was also too much for one book.
And that's how a short novella turned into a series that I'm still trying to write.
The world I've built for the Dreamerbound series is something most authors hope for. It started as an idea that took on a mind of its own, and through the help of my dreams, I've been able to plot an entire series from one very simple thought:
What if our dreams were mirrored by real life events?
That question had me scribbling in my notebook well after bedtime, and I still had no idea how big things were about to get. The problem with responding to one question is that you almost always end up with even more questions you can't possibly answer.
The reason behind the dreams was simple--someone is controlling them. But who? Why? And how in the world are they able to do it without being seen?
So I wrote some more, finished a first draft and tucked it away for over a year. I figured I'd just open it up, edit it and put it online after that, but when I was reading over what I'd written I realized the story was too short. That said, all the information I wanted to include was also too much for one book.
And that's how a short novella turned into a series that I'm still trying to write.
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