I absolutely adored this book! It was different enough from the film (one of my absolute favorites) to say I loved them equally and similar enough to help me imagine the world more easily.
I will definitely read more Neil Gaiman novels. I regret that it has taken me this long. :)
Friday, July 12, 2013
Sleepwalkers by Ross Ellis
RECAP:
Alistair, Ruby, Sean, and Meganne are all "Sleepwalkers" -- kids with the ability to control their dreams and, as they've discovered, enter the dreams of others. Each belonging to a different school group/trope (nerd, girly girl, tomboy girl, etc), they've bonded into a tightknit circle of friends (and left their other cliques behind) after finding each other in the world of dreams.
Then they meet Chester, another kid who, as it turns out, has the same gift they do. Chester's home life isn't fantastic, and in a sad turn of events, Chester is thrust into a coma by a tragic accident. Our Sleepwalkers decide to enter his dreams to wake him up, but what they find there isn't a dream... it's worse than a nightmare.
REVIEW:
Wow, GREAT story idea. You can see the author's background in screenwriting seeping through the writing as he very much understands fast-paced action.
There are a few problems I have with it though: First, the transitions are non-existent. Sure, there are chapter changes, but most of the time, within chapters, when a scene switches or it's later in the day or whatever the case, there is NO transition. Not even a few spaces between paragraphs to signal the flow has jumped along.
Second, the beginning is a little confusing. I felt like they were just meeting Chester, then at later points, their relationship with him seems much deeper and it seems like they've known him a while. Needs some clarification or some more detail.
Lastly, I feel like the whole story needs to be expanded. It's a relatively short story (less than 200 pages) and it could use some thickness to it. Add more action. Make the journey/quest to save Chester longer, more obstacles, harder challenges, bigger scenes. It felt... incomplete.
I must say though, that the kids and their abilities were well done. And the dream worlds were interesting, especially once they got into the nightmare coma land. I feel like this world was epic, but the amount of story we got for such a huge and scary place was minimal.
The pros: Great story, fun, creepy, good characters, fast pace.
The cons: over way too quickly, needs more fleshing out, confusing intro stuff, more action please!
Overall, I very much enjoyed this novel. It has a lot of potential for greatness, especially if it was fleshed out a bit. I could definitely see this made into a film. I'm giving it a four because while it could use some work, it was entertaining enough to keep me to the last page, the world and idea was great, the characters were good, and I would definitely read a sequel (or a fleshed out rework or something). Very entertaining.
Thanks to the author for his generous gift of a copy. I hope my honest review and feedback helps!
Alistair, Ruby, Sean, and Meganne are all "Sleepwalkers" -- kids with the ability to control their dreams and, as they've discovered, enter the dreams of others. Each belonging to a different school group/trope (nerd, girly girl, tomboy girl, etc), they've bonded into a tightknit circle of friends (and left their other cliques behind) after finding each other in the world of dreams.
Then they meet Chester, another kid who, as it turns out, has the same gift they do. Chester's home life isn't fantastic, and in a sad turn of events, Chester is thrust into a coma by a tragic accident. Our Sleepwalkers decide to enter his dreams to wake him up, but what they find there isn't a dream... it's worse than a nightmare.
REVIEW:
Wow, GREAT story idea. You can see the author's background in screenwriting seeping through the writing as he very much understands fast-paced action.
There are a few problems I have with it though: First, the transitions are non-existent. Sure, there are chapter changes, but most of the time, within chapters, when a scene switches or it's later in the day or whatever the case, there is NO transition. Not even a few spaces between paragraphs to signal the flow has jumped along.
Second, the beginning is a little confusing. I felt like they were just meeting Chester, then at later points, their relationship with him seems much deeper and it seems like they've known him a while. Needs some clarification or some more detail.
Lastly, I feel like the whole story needs to be expanded. It's a relatively short story (less than 200 pages) and it could use some thickness to it. Add more action. Make the journey/quest to save Chester longer, more obstacles, harder challenges, bigger scenes. It felt... incomplete.
I must say though, that the kids and their abilities were well done. And the dream worlds were interesting, especially once they got into the nightmare coma land. I feel like this world was epic, but the amount of story we got for such a huge and scary place was minimal.
The pros: Great story, fun, creepy, good characters, fast pace.
The cons: over way too quickly, needs more fleshing out, confusing intro stuff, more action please!
Overall, I very much enjoyed this novel. It has a lot of potential for greatness, especially if it was fleshed out a bit. I could definitely see this made into a film. I'm giving it a four because while it could use some work, it was entertaining enough to keep me to the last page, the world and idea was great, the characters were good, and I would definitely read a sequel (or a fleshed out rework or something). Very entertaining.
Thanks to the author for his generous gift of a copy. I hope my honest review and feedback helps!
Dark Passage by Griffin Hayes
Dark Passage is the first book I've read by Griffin Hayes. I read this book on the recommendation of a Goodreads friend, and dear Mallory was right -- this book was totally worth the read. This may have been my first Griffin Hayes book, but it certainly won't be my last.
Let's start with a RECAP: Tyson is a man of suffering. For the past six months, he's slept so very little that he's hanging on by a thread. His marriage has fallen apart, his career is spiraling downwards, and little tidbits of a horrendous childhood are peeking through in the form of night terrors way beyond the norm.
So, when the opportunity arises for him to get some sleep by joining a drug trial of a new "fix-it" drug pending approval from the FDA, he chases that chance as a man on a mission. Soon enough, he's sleeping like a baby and, even better, some amazing things are starting to happen. Good things from his dreams are starting to bleed through the line that separates reality from the dream world. His problem of sleep isn't the only thing that looks like it's finally made a u-turn for the better.
But once his history starts to rear its ugly head in his dreams again, evil begins to seep through and a dangerous evil begins to manifest... as he recalls that dark hallway in his childhood home (the titular dark passage), death and darkness, evil and insanity, and a past he thought he'd left behind arises to claim him and everyone he loves.
REVIEW: Wow... just wow! What an original story with twist after twist, turn after turn. Gory, but not too gory. The perfect level of darkness. Good characters. A sympathetic main character. A disturbingly creepy creature. A scary mother. A doctor losing his mind slowly. This story is a fun read for anyone who likes a little horror and creepiness in their reading.
Take a trip down the Dark Passage... you (unlike Tyson) won't regret that you did. :)
Let's start with a RECAP: Tyson is a man of suffering. For the past six months, he's slept so very little that he's hanging on by a thread. His marriage has fallen apart, his career is spiraling downwards, and little tidbits of a horrendous childhood are peeking through in the form of night terrors way beyond the norm.
So, when the opportunity arises for him to get some sleep by joining a drug trial of a new "fix-it" drug pending approval from the FDA, he chases that chance as a man on a mission. Soon enough, he's sleeping like a baby and, even better, some amazing things are starting to happen. Good things from his dreams are starting to bleed through the line that separates reality from the dream world. His problem of sleep isn't the only thing that looks like it's finally made a u-turn for the better.
But once his history starts to rear its ugly head in his dreams again, evil begins to seep through and a dangerous evil begins to manifest... as he recalls that dark hallway in his childhood home (the titular dark passage), death and darkness, evil and insanity, and a past he thought he'd left behind arises to claim him and everyone he loves.
REVIEW: Wow... just wow! What an original story with twist after twist, turn after turn. Gory, but not too gory. The perfect level of darkness. Good characters. A sympathetic main character. A disturbingly creepy creature. A scary mother. A doctor losing his mind slowly. This story is a fun read for anyone who likes a little horror and creepiness in their reading.
Take a trip down the Dark Passage... you (unlike Tyson) won't regret that you did. :)
Inferno by Dan Brown
| I loved this book! In typical Dan Brown fashion, I was swept up along with Robert Langdon and Sienne Brooks as they raced against time to follow one of Brown's signature plot devices: a code set in art, architecture, literature, etc. Rapid pace, global scope, detailed history, lots of fun. If you like any of the other Robert Langdon books (Angels & Demons, Da Vinci Code, Lost Symbol) then do yourself a favor and pick up this most recent installment of the series. |
Cemetery Lake by Paul Cleave
I received this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review... which follows!
RECAP: Former cop (turned Private Investigator) Theo Tate, struggling to overcome his rough past few years, has just been handed the biggest can of worms he'll ever experience, and he's about to open that can. He's having the body of a man exhumed to check and see if he didn't actually die of natural causes, but instead of poisoning (in light of new evidence in a related case that begs the question). Here's the rub: the coffin doesn't hold an older man. It's not empty though... there's a young girl in there. Ummm, strange, right? Yeah, well, not quite as strange as the lake a few meters away from the grave being dug up. Why, you ask? Perhaps the bodies rushing to the surface and bobbing like fishing tackle!
From this point, Theo sets out to put a name to the nameless girl, and it snowballs into a massive case with multiple deaths -- and one ruthless evil.
REVIEW: While it took a bit for me to adjust to present tense from the first person perspective, I really enjoyed this book. It was full of twists and turns, and some pretty shocking moments. The plot was grand and risky, but I think Cleave pulled it off. With a flawed anti-hero who makes poor decisions, a terribly evil villain, and a cast of morally questionable characters, Cleave has turned his hometown of Christchurch into a gritty noir world, ripe for more stories.
I'll definitely be reading more Paul Cleave.
RECAP: Former cop (turned Private Investigator) Theo Tate, struggling to overcome his rough past few years, has just been handed the biggest can of worms he'll ever experience, and he's about to open that can. He's having the body of a man exhumed to check and see if he didn't actually die of natural causes, but instead of poisoning (in light of new evidence in a related case that begs the question). Here's the rub: the coffin doesn't hold an older man. It's not empty though... there's a young girl in there. Ummm, strange, right? Yeah, well, not quite as strange as the lake a few meters away from the grave being dug up. Why, you ask? Perhaps the bodies rushing to the surface and bobbing like fishing tackle!
From this point, Theo sets out to put a name to the nameless girl, and it snowballs into a massive case with multiple deaths -- and one ruthless evil.
REVIEW: While it took a bit for me to adjust to present tense from the first person perspective, I really enjoyed this book. It was full of twists and turns, and some pretty shocking moments. The plot was grand and risky, but I think Cleave pulled it off. With a flawed anti-hero who makes poor decisions, a terribly evil villain, and a cast of morally questionable characters, Cleave has turned his hometown of Christchurch into a gritty noir world, ripe for more stories.
I'll definitely be reading more Paul Cleave.
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