Review on The Quill to Live -

At least once a year, it feels like the news highlights an outbreak of some dangerous disease. Very often it’s contagious, with disastrous side effects and varying numbers of fatalities. I myself was quarantined to the University of Delaware campus during the outbreak of swine flu in 2009. The Center for Disease Control was brought in, and the school’s field house became a medical center. Luckily, I and the people I knew were unaffected beyond our inability to leave campus. But still, to look back and remember that bizarre episode as I write this feels surreal. Karen Thompson Walker manages to capture that same feeling in The Dreamers. Through a methodical narrative, Walker details the slow spread of the disease, the inability of the authorities to explain it, and their eventual quarantine of a small American town in the northwest.

The Dreamers starts with college kids coming back drunk from a night of partying. None are the wiser as one of the young women sleeps through the morning. As the day wears on, she does not answer texts. As they come to her room in order to rally her for another night of partying, they find they cannot wake her up. She is taken away by the hospital, and the other students console each other. Over the next several days the students learn that she died in her sleep. Slowly, other students in the dorm succumb to the same condition. The campus isolates the dormitory, effectively sealing the students in. As time passes, more students across the campus and later the town fall ill with the sleeping sickness. No one knows what to do, and the only treatment seems to be life support until they can wake – if they ever do.

The book follows several sets of people affected by the disease in different parts of Santa Lora, all at different stages in their life. Often Walker pairs her characters off, with one suffering from the disease and the other dealing with the repercussions. Unfortunately, despite this interesting take on storytelling I never felt particularly investing in any of the characters.. I got the two male protagonists confused, and I only felt attached to two individuals because they were among the first characters introduced. It’s not that our cast was uninteresting, but that I saw them as just the vehicle to the tell the story. It helped that Walker highlighted that the disease affected people of different social standings, showcasing their different reactions and their ability to survive the outbreak and subsequent quarantine. My favorite dynamic was between Mei and her dorm-mate Matthew. Their budding intimate relationship was shown in counterpoint to their very starkly contrasting outlooks. Mei and Matthew felt the most fleshed-out as characters, due to their muted and often touch and go young romance along with their relentlessly emotional discussions about what they can do as the world falls apart around them.

For me, the selling point of The Dreamers is the procedural style that Walker forces the reader to sit through as this small town slowly becomes threatening to the rest of the country. The disease starts small with the college students and eventually breaks out into a nursing home. Doctors and medical researchers are brought in, and no explanation or cure can be found. Many of the victims do not wake up, regardless of drugs administered. Oddly, they are all experiencing high brain functions, suggesting they are all dreaming. Still, this explains nothing to the professionals. As more people fall asleep, the national guard is called into blockade the single road out of the mountain town. Walker is blunt about the response, often citing other periods in American history in which the government was brutal in its methods to prevent further contamination. It shows that Walker did her research when writing this book, as everything felt very realistic.

The surreal and foreboding tone of The Dreamers easily kept me invested until the final pages, as Walker’s writing read almost like a clinical report of the events. Often, entire chapters were just a statement of facts: “The disease appeared in [INSERT BUILDING HERE] building, infecting [X NUMBER OF] victims.” The number of beds being filled and slow attrition of medical personnel succumbing to the disease felt like a losing battle. It helped build an apprehension that I had a hard time shaking. Even the chapters that followed a character had a detached feeling to them. I do not know if this was Walker’s intention, but I often felt like I was supposed to be unattached, so I could understand the whole picture instead of focusing on a single character’s struggle to leave the town. It was paralyzing in a way I did not expect. On top of that, almost every ramp-up in the response to the disease was paired with a story of a true historical episode, heightening the realism and the dread that a cure may never be found.

Unfortunately, beyond the plodding descent into controlled chaos, the disease itself did not feel like it added anything to the narrative. I was mostly intrigued by the dreaming aspect when I first heard of the book, hoping it would play an important part in the progression of events. Unfortunately, the dreaming did not seem to play an important role in the narrative and it was a bit disappointing. After a week of thinking about it, I still could not find a connection that resonated with me, but it was something I gradually became okay with. Others may find something in the dreams that adds to their experience of the story, but unfortunately, I was left wanting. The disease was not the star so much as it was the instigator and catalyst to the greater story.

In the end, Walker’s focus on the community, the town, the society, and the people that comprise those institutions makes this book worthwhile. It is a story that has been told before, but the tone and the research backing up the narrative’s speculative events solidify the realism. I did not get as invested in the characters as I wanted to, and some of the undertones of the dilemma of individual versus community could have been clearer. However, Walker’s distanced approach to writing, as well as the slow buildup of unreleased tension make The Dreamers an experience I recommend.

Rating: The Dreamers – 6.5/10
-Alex

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker ‬
‪is a wonderfully eerie and speculative novel, it’s beautifully written and if you’re a fan of Station Eleven, this book is for you!

I finished it up last night and already ordered my physical copy since it comes out today! I am so excited for other people to read it. It was so beautifully written and I love linked stories - all the characters continue to cross paths, so you see the same stories from different perspectives. Loved the overall plot concept, loved the different tones of the chapters. Overall, a great book!

If you liked the Peng Shepherd's The Book of M and/or Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven, then you will definitely see some similarities in the themes.

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one. While I felt like the plot was something I've read before (in fact, Stephen King played with a similar storyline last year), I ultimately felt this was well-done and engaging.

Through the eyes of a number of characters, we experience the sleep sickness that falls over a small, closed-off college town. We get to see what their lives were like before the sickness and how those NOT affected by the sickness deal with the aftermath of their loved ones going into this trance-like state. I came to care about many of the characters and became invested in their lives; I was just as engaged with their histories as I was their current dilemma.

I won't give away the ending, but I'll just say it's not the same for all characters in this book. What I liked was that different characters' experiences might speak to you personally. There was one character whose experience was so poignant to me--I felt her grief and loss even as she experienced what counts as a happy ending for this novel. The author also suggests that the reader contemplate the age-old debate of what our dreams really mean and do for us. She drops bits of history, philosophy, theory, poetry, and science throughout. As the characters in the book try to understand what the sleepers are experiencing in their dreams, we too are forced to think about how we understand this same state we all experience.

Though you might think this sounds like something you've read before, I still suggest you give it a try. It's a worthwhile journey.

This type of book is not normally something that would interest me but I love her books and wanted to check it out. Wow am I ever glad I did because it so lives up to all the hype I had been hearing about. Absolutely pick up a copy and prepare to be as dazzled as I was. Happy reading!

This book had me riveted from the first page and didn't let up until the final one. The premise of this story is so arresting, and in Walker's hands, it is transcendent. Her prose is lovely and straightforward, evoking a multitude of emotions. Early in the book, I was reminded of what it was like to be in high school getting a call from a boy, a girl in a coed college dorm, and most strongly what it was like to be a new parent.
"Here is what he has learned about loving a baby: the time away from her is vital to the pleasure of being with her."
As the unthinkable events of this sleep plague unfold, various scenarios play out as through a prism with each character in a separate facet of life: the two school age girls stranded alone, the college students, the parents, and an elderly professor. There is so much to unpack about what gives our lives meaning at different stages in life, how love can mean something different for every individual, and many ethical dilemmas. I loved how she took a contagion story to illustrate the bonds between individuals and communities. I also cannot stop thinking about the concept of time, of our wakeful vs. dreaming life. How can we truly know which is real, what is the construct of time but a human invention?
"Some dreamed of their youth. Some dreamed of old age. Some dreamed of days that might have been - all the lives they did not live. Or the lives that, in some other world, they did."
Oftentimes I was reminded of The Road by Cormac McCarthy, though it is much less harrowing. Yet there are similarly sweet and poignant moments alongside an unrelentingly ominous backdrop, and constant jaw dropping plot twists. I can't say enough about how much I admired, and was enchanted by, this novel.
Many thanks to the folks at Random House and NetGalley for a complimentary digital copy in exchange for my honest review!



1:29 PM ARCs, boooooks, netgalley reviews Leave a Comment

1.11.2019
Favorite Books of 2018

Time to add my two cents to the many end of year lists out there! Now that I've read and reviewed all the books I read in 2019, I took a look back through my Goodreads and pulled out every book that I still think about, and think of fondly. As for those Goodreads stats...

Eighty books! Yay! Every year I think I won't try to increase my goal, but now I want to shoot for 100. I mean, if I'm not reading War and Peace, get back to regularly reading Newbery books and work on even less time wasted on the internet... Anyhoo. These are in no particular order, save for one. The first of the list:

CIRCE by Madeline Miller was hands down my favorite. I was so surprised by how engaging, accessible and relatable a spin on Greek mythology could be. I was so invested in Circe's story and was fist pumping in solidarity with her throughout. Do not be intimidated by this book! (reviewed in September)

Heating & Cooling by Beth Ann Fennelly is such a slim volume that packs such a huge punch. Her short autobiographical essays are deeply hilarious and deeply moving. (reviewed in April)

Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery is technically a reread, but I had replaced my book memories with the amazing TV adaptation of my youth. This book holds up so well and I think EVERYONE should read it! (reviewed in January)

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman is one that I read early on in the year, but think about Eleanor still. It's a book that deserved the hype. (reviewed in February)

You Think It, I'll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld is a collection of stories, each more deliciously entertaining than the last. I just LOVE her writing and ability to make the mundane extraordinary. (e-galley review)

Still Me by Jojo Moyes was the perfect ending for one of my all time favorite characters. One might say that Still Me redeemed the lukewarm After You, but I actually enjoyed every book in this trilogy and I had such a ball being back inside Louisa Clark's head and loved her happy ending. (reviewed in May)

How to Be Famous by Caitlin Moran just bowled me over with her hilarious zingers, searing hot takes on feminism, and refreshingly sentimental observations of love and hope. (ARC review)

Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan was the second book I read of hers this year and it was tough deciding which one to put on my list of favorites. So, honorable mention to Glitter and Glue! Corrigan is so relatable and wise, I adore her and highly recommend listening to her read these on audiobook. (reviewed in September)

The Book of Essie by Meghan Maclean Weir was the book I read the FASTEST this year, and for that alone I think deserves a spot. It was predictable in parts, but I thought it was so unique and an excellent commentary on religion in society today. (reviewed in June)

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand was my favorite of all her summer books so far and I just love her so much - my go to escapist reads, hands down. (reviewed in August)

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens probably comes as no shock to anyone, since this is on so many best of lists, deservedly so. I loved the beautiful prose about nature, the heartbreaking love story and the mystery that had me biting my nails until the bitter end. (reviewed in October)

A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne was SO completely different than his last book, The Hearts Invisible Furies which is an all time favorite. Yet this one landed on my yearly favorites for the absolutely crazy villainous plot that I could not put down. (e-galley review)

Previous years lists!
Favorite Books of 2017

Favorite Books of 2016

Favorite Books of 2015

Favorite Books of 2014

Favorite Books of 2013


Favorite Books of 2012





12:49 PM boooooks, yearly favorites 2 comments

1.08.2019
Freefall by Jessica Barry (ARC Review)

Freefall by Jessica Barry
Publisher: Harper Books (January 8, 2019)
Description from the publisher:
When her fiancé’s private plane crashes in the Colorado Rockies, Allison Carpenter miraculously survives. But the fight for her life is just beginning. For years, Allison has been living with a terrible secret, a shocking truth that powerful men will kill to keep buried. If they know she’s alive, they will come for her. She must make it home.
In the small community of Owl Creek, Maine, Maggie Carpenter learns that her only child is presumed dead. But authorities have not recovered her body—giving Maggie a shred of hope. She, too, harbors a shameful secret: she hasn’t communicated with her daughter in two years, since a family tragedy drove Allison away. Maggie doesn’t know anything about her daughter’s life now—not even that she was engaged to wealthy pharmaceutical CEO Ben Gardner, or why she was on a private plane.
As Allison struggles across the treacherous mountain wilderness, Maggie embarks on a desperate search for answers. Immersing herself in Allison’s life, she discovers a sleek socialite hiding dark secrets. What was Allison running from—and can Maggie uncover the truth in time to save her?

Thrillers are not normally my go-to genre, but the description and buzz around this debut novel had me intrigued. I'm really glad I picked it up, as it was a perfect way to kick off the year in books: engaging and fast paced!
The plane crash Allison survives hooked me into the book immediately, and Barry does an excellent job of 'show, don't tell' as we gain clues about her life, which become increasingly sinister and sordid, and the circumstances in which she finds herself. There is a good deal of food for thought on feminism, and how women often find their worth tied up in beauty that gave the story more heft.
Meanwhile, her mother Maggie's storyline stuttered a bit in the beginning. However, I am a sucker for a dual narration and I warmed to her as the author lent a good deal of authenticity with her inner thoughts on motherhood and grief.

"Being the mother of a grown child seemed to be a twinned experience, simultaneously loving the person she had become with all your soul while mourning everything she had not."

I turned the pages furiously to reach the conclusion of this story. Even though I was able to piece together a few twists, I was surprised at several turns and rather satisfied with how the ending came together. It was well plotted had a very cinematic feel. I wouldn't be surprised (and sorta hope) that this will inevitably become a film. Now I am thinking about perhaps picking up some more thrillers that I've noted had similar buzz, since I enjoyed this one a great deal - definitely recommend.
Many thanks to the folks at Harper Books for a complimentary advance copy in exchange for my honest review!






11:59 AM ARCs, boooooks Leave a Comment

1.03.2019
Books I Read in December

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
Sarah Addison Allen was a perfect start for my holiday reading: light and magical. The way she plays with magical realism is unique, as usual. I loved that one of the characters had books she needed in her life appear and seem to follow her around. The thread of family secrets had me hooked and the ending took me by surprise.

This Will Only Hurt a Little by Busy Philipps
I am invested enough in pop culture to know who Busy is - what shows she was on (none that I watched, though) and that she's Michelle Williams' BFF, which I always thought was super cute, how they went to events together. But I didn't really know much more about her until I, like everyone else, started following her on Instagram a year or so ago. I'm so glad that I've 'gotten to know her' on that platform for a decent amount of time before diving into her book. It felt like listening to a friend shoot the shit, as does her Instagram. She's just, as she'd very correctly put it, a sparkly human you just gravitate towards. There are so many funny bits, especially the bits related to her mom. (FYI, this is excellent on audio!) Much like Trevor Noah in his memoir, there's something about the author doing an impression of his or her mother that just SLAYS. Alongside the humor, there are a lot of in your face difficult truths she shares about her life. I just really want to give her a hug, and drink margs with her OBVI.

One Day in December by Josie Silver
Another perfect cozy winter read that EVERYONE on social media seemed to be reading in December! I was lucky to win a copy from the publisher and thought that it lived up to the hype. The beginning started off a little cliche and I was worried that I'd be doing a lot of eye rolling, but Silver takes these really vibrant characters in all sorts of unexpected directions. And the ending had me all verklempt. I also think this could be read in any season, despite the title.

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
This wasn't a December read per se, but I finished it in early December with my older kiddo. We've been reading one Harry Potter a year every summer, but got started kinda late this year and the MIDDLE SCHOOL happened and there wasn't quite as much time to read together. We finally peppered in a few hours here and there and finished, though. This one was so much fun to read aloud because Umbridge was so fun to voice!

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Doooone! Thoughts on this here.

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher
The Shell Seekers is one of the few books from my youth that I can definitively say I adored. I don't remember a great deal about the plot, but just that I loved it and I've been meaning to reread it for ages. Alas, I feel as if there are so many new books out there that rereads just never come to pass. I decided instead to read a new Pilcher book for the holidays and it was so, so perfect. It has such a wonderful sense of place and a cozy vibe with vivid descriptions of plush armchairs, crackling fires, and lots of food and drink. I'm also a fan of several character threads all coming together in a satisfying way. It might have been on the predictable side, but it was enjoyable, nonetheless. If you enjoy Louise Penny's Three Pines atmosphere, you will love this book!

Pax by Sarah Pennypacker
I read this one with my youngest and it was a lovely middle grade story of a boy separated from his domesticated fox and runs away to bring him back home. Along his journey he is helped by a hermit woman, Vola, and he ends up helping her in turn. Although I think a lot of the nuances of the book were lost on my daughter. There is so much to unpack about Vola's life, her inner demons and the complexities of war. Also I felt as if the ending were rushed, while the middle of the book sort of sagged.

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
I usually wait until closer to the release date to read advance copies, but I couldn't help myself with this one. My instincts were correct and it was a total FIVE STAR read. Review forthcoming!

I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel
If you are the kind of person who listens to Anne's podcast, then this book will SPEAK TO YOU. So many bits about being a reader made me laugh out loud and nod my head. But I was also really impressed by some of her more personal anecdotes, especially the essay about her first home with her husband that was next door to the library. This was the perfect book to cap off my year of reading.

Now that I've thought through all of my books for the year, I'll start compiling my list of favorites...





12:16 PM boooooks, monthly reviews 4 comments

12.27.2018
Completing War and Peace and Looking Towards 2019

Done. FINALLY done. Can you tell I got a little resentful of War and Peace by the end of the year? Ha! There's something about year-end reading and the pull of the 'best of lists' (I'll add mine to the pile soon) or just wanting to get to all the holiday books on my shelf. For sure, throughout the year, sitting down with this doorstop did not feel burdensome and I was hopeful about the story's conclusion. However, in the final chapters and weeks of reading, I wasn't getting any emotional investment in the characters or their predicaments. You would think after 1400 or so pages I would have felt like I knew these people inside and out and been invested in their fates. Alas...
I will say that it was totally accessible reading and not terribly complex - just long. There were certainly parts I enjoyed, mostly anything having to do with the women in the story, and Pierre. Sadly those parts were given short shrift to all of the incessant minutiae of the battle scenes. Which is ironic, because Tolstoy goes on at length about how the planning doesn't matter in war, just luck and circumstance. I'm glad to know the story. I'm glad that I learned a lot about my reading habits. I'm glad I did something new. I'm glad I saw it through. I'm glad I have this lovely Penguin Clothbound Classics edition to commemorate this task.
The thought did cross my mind to tackle another humongous classic, perhaps Les Miserables because I adore that story and definitely would be invested in the characters! But since I know the plot already, I don't think it would be an impactful reading experience. My other reading goals, reading from my unread shelf and books I've been meaning to read, really went by the wayside this year. I'd rather put my effort into that again, as well as reading more work by POC and own voices (fingers crossed for at least one a month and perhaps a dedicated review) rather than classics by old white dudes.
So that's pretty much it for the yearly goals! Perhaps I'll do even more simplifying here - most of my interaction with publishers happens on Instagram and microblogging over there is way more fun. Although minimizing has already been a natural progression on this space, gradually going from 185 posts in 2012 (!) to 44 this year. I shall be back soon, though, with December books read, yearly favorites, and a review of the new Karen Thompson Walker book - The Dreamers. So, I hope you stay tuned and please do come join me on Instagram if you are so inclined!



12:05 PM boooooks, to do list, yearly goals 2 comments

12.06.2018
Books I Read in November

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
With the new Netflix show of The Haunting of Hill House, I've been seeing so many of her books on social media, so I started reading this one on Halloween. I thought it was engaging at first, but I don't know if I have the patience for some of the classic Gothic novels (see also: Rebecca). The suspension of knowing that something is 'not quite right' as I try to piece it together can be a fun reading experience, but I felt as if the ending left me with more questions that it should have answered. Still, I could see how her work has set the precedent for current thrillers and admired the writing.

A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
LOVED IT! Full review here!

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Have you ever read a beloved children's book for the first time as an adult? This was the top book recommended to me from my 'have been meaning to read' stack and... I didn't love it. It was a serviceable children's fantasy novel, maybe a little too steampunk for my taste. Or maybe it's because I don't gravitate towards fantasy as much anymore, or that I had to have a young mindset to fully immerse myself in these types of books? I remember when the film version of A Wrinkle in Time came out, many people were reading it for the first time as adults and... didn't love it, and believe me - I GET IT. Wrinkle is a freaking weird book. But it meant so much to me as a kid and I love it to this day. I brought this up on Instagram and felt like Anne of Green Gables is an exception to this rule: anyone, at any age, should enjoy L.M. Montgomery. Maybe it's realistic fiction vs. fantasy? BUT! Harry Potter! Those came out when I was already an adult and oh, how I love them so. I suppose there is not clear cut answer to this conundrum, so I shall stop blathering about it, except to say that I will still totally read kids books as an adult!

From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey-Stein
Hoo boy, I could go ON AND ON about this one, too. I find myself having zero patience for characters that are 'sooooo confused' about their relationships and end up cheating on their significant others as a grown ass adult. I find it cowardly and gross. (See also, The Light We Lost.) I mean I FOR SURE had a lot of fun and made MANY questionable decisions when I was a single twenty-something living in the city. But never decisions that I knew would directly hurt someone else. And I have zero recollection of anyone in any of my friend circles acting this way. What's hard is that Beck is not a character, she's a real live human being who has made her mistakes and learned from them. I for sure give her credit for that, yet listening to her story just made me cringe. However, the fun behind the scenes of the Obama administration made up for it and kept me engaged until the very end. So split down the middle? Two and a half stars?

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate
I loved The One and Only Ivan, so I was excited to steal this library book from my daughter after she was done with it. Alas, I don't think Crenshaw had the same clever, unique and heartfelt voice that Ivan did. I'm glad to have had conversations with my kids about the stigma of homelessness. But the story felt disjointed and the flashbacks didn't flow. The title character seems to have very infrequent appearances in the book and I didn't really like him. My girl thought it was sweet, so there's that!

Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape by Peggy Orenstein
Oh man, this was a tough but necessary read. Reading Orenstein's research on how teens view sex nowadays was pretty terrifying in parts (oral sex is barely a handshake! since it's not ACTUAL sex!) and sadly familiar to all generations of women (defaulting to politeness over straightforwardness). I would argue that this book is a must read for the parents of boys as much as, or more than, girls and how we need to talk to them about consent and reciprocity. Definitely glad to have this information to add to my arsenal of the ongoing conversations with my kids.

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
This was a perfect cozy winter read and lived up to her work in The Thirteenth Tale. Full review here.

Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand
It was hard to say goodbye to the Quinn family of the Winter Street series last year, but I am ALL IN with the Steele family for the new winter series! This one grabbed me from the start with the juicy husband-was-leading-a-double-life storyline. As per her usual, Hilderbrand's characters all feel so very real and vividly drawn. And, like Nantucket, she absolutely brings the Virgin Islands to life. I feel extremely lucky to have taken a day trip many years ago from St. Thomas to St. John to snorkel Trunk Bay, and I'm loving being transported back there. I burned through this in 48 hours and can't wait for more frothy fun next winter.



1:28 PM boooooks, monthly reviews 4 comments

12.04.2018
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield (NetGalley Review)

Once Upon a River: A Novel by Diane Setterfield
Publisher: Atria Books (December 4, 2018)
Description from the publisher:
A dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the Thames. The regulars are entertaining themselves by telling stories when the door bursts open on an injured stranger. In his arms is the drowned corpse of a little child.
Hours later the dead girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life.
Is it a miracle?
Is it magic?
Or can it be explained by science?
Replete with folklore, suspense and romance, as well as with the urgent scientific curiosity of the Darwinian age, Once Upon a River is as richly atmospheric as Setterfield’s bestseller The Thirteenth Tale.


My TLDR would be that Once Upon a River has lived up to the expectations that Setterfield set with The Thirteenth Tale. The arresting events that set the story in motion, a little girl thought dead that comes to life, completely grabbed me. And the page turning plot, plus magical, atmospheric writing kept me hooked until the satisfying conclusion.
"As is well-known, when the moon hours lengthen, human beings come adrift from the regularity of their mechanical clocks. They nod at noon, dream in waking hours, open their eyes wide to the pitch-black night. It is a time of magic."
Once the story of the girl gets around, at least three parties have a legitimate claim to her: a couple who's daughter was kidnapped years before, a father whose wife drowned herself and possibly their daughter, and a simple-minded girl with a long lost sister. Each of these families is drawn in rich detail, and the threads of how they intersect is masterfully plotted. It becomes increasingly evident that there is more than one mystery contained within the pages. One is left guessing for much of the book as to the girl's true identity, and the family secrets of each character. Setterfield keeps the idea of magic open while quietly laying the groundwork for both an engaging romance and a sinister denouement.
A few times I felt as if the pace lagged a bit in the middle of the book, but overall, I found it a perfect story to snuggle up with and get lost in on a gloomy day. If you are a fan of Kate Morton (intricately plotted and suspenseful), Hannah Kent (richly atmospheric), or Sarah Waters (Gothic and creepy) this novel hits every one of these notes, in addition to nuances of mythology or fairy tales.
Thank you SO MUCH to the folks at Atria Books and NetGalley for the complimentary digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

In a small college town, people begin to fall into a deep sleep, and they don’t wake up. First the college dorm, then the town are quarantined, as doctors, nurses, and volunteers struggle to keep the sleepers alive.

The story follows a handful of different characters including a student, a doctor, two young sisters, and some professors. Sleep is not an escape, though, either for the sleepers or those that manage to stay awake. They still have to face the same issues they did before, just with an added complication.

While I’m not normally a fan of books written in the present tense, the style very much fit the story and the sleepy dreaminess that infused it. I began reading and could hardly put it down. It wasn’t at all what I expected. There’s not a lot of detail about the why or how it happens. And instead of focusing on the dreams, the author explores the people. Sleeping becomes a symbol of a variety of other personal and societal issues.

I had to force myself to put the book down to go to bed and then work. When it was done, I had to think for a while before I could decide if I “liked” it. In the end, I decided that I very much did. It was different and thought-provoking, and would be a fascinating book club read.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Enjoyed the narrative style of this book which centers on a small college town where a virus is spreading that causes people to fall into indefinite sleep. The story is told in the third person with interesting and philosophical observations on the epidemic and vivid, yet straight forward prose. Diverse characters are portrayed whose families are impacted by the virus and the tension and impending peril is palpable. Overall a compelling and unique story, but the ending fell flat with too much unresolved.

This read somewhat like an episode of the Twilight Zone, which isn't a dig, because I really love The Twilight Zone, it just put me in mind of a really great sci-fi tv script.
A small college town finds itself at a center of an epidemic when some students at the college begin to fall asleep and not wake up, and then the town's residents begin to succumb to the same mysterious malady.
I was satisfied with the ending, which isn't always the case when I read and watch sci-fi centric plots. To me that was a big plus!

Unfortunately, I seem to be among the people who were left unsatisfied with this book.

It started out with a great promise. Not just according to the description, but also while I was reading the first couple of pages/chapters, I thought, wow, this is good. The writing is beautiful, but not overly-flowery, it creates an atmosphere that's a perfect match for the story, and the characters seemed to be interesting. The pacing was good. Why, I thought I was going to be a part of the group who loved this book!

Then my feelings about it shifted. More and more, little step by little step, and by the end, they were completely different. I wasn't interested in the characters anymore. I vaguely cared about the story, but my attention kept wandering elsewhere. I felt detached.

I saw several reviews that stated it's the numerous, equally important characters that makes them so hard to feel for, to relate to... that keeps them from being completely formed. I think it's probably part of it, but for me, the main reason was probably the style. Which is so ironic, because the style was so amazing at the same time. Unfortunately, what worked perfectly for the story and creating the atmosphere was a complete failure character-wise. And the tragedy of it is that I'm pretty sure there would've been no way for both to work. It's either that dark, shocking, but impersonal way of storytelling, that makes the reader feel like they're reading a relatively objective report about the events, that makes us feel that collective dread - or a writing style that lets us know the characters, individually (possibly a couple less 'main' characters, though), so we feel personally for them, we learn about them, and get attached.

I get that these things are probably incompatible. And I'm pretty sure that's why there are such big differences between reviews: some people are completely fine with the first version, and others would prefer the others. I'm a very character-driven reader (not only reader, in fact, even in movies I prefer that), so it wasn't really a book for me, but I can see why other people might like it very much. 

My only other problem was the ending: it was fine regarding most angles, but we learnt basically nothing about this 'sickness', and by the end that was the thing I would've been most interested in. That might be my bad, though, because this book is labeled a 'literary fiction' on NetGalley, and if I look at it as that, it's okay, I guess - I simply thought of it more like a science fiction novel (according to the blurb), and maybe that's why I expected something else from it.

Though this didn't become my favorite book, based on the author's style I'd like to read something else she's written! Even after reading a book that's not really for me, I can tell she's very talented.

Karen Thompson Walker stuns in The Dreamers, a novel about a mysterious and terrifying sickness that plagues a small college town in California. The action begins immediately with Kara, a college freshman who cannot be awakened by her dorm roommate Mei. Once in the hospital, doctors cannot identify anything out of the ordinary with Kara other than the fact that she cannot be awakened from her slumber. As more and more people fall into this perpetual slumber, it becomes clear that the sleepers are dreaming and have heightened brain activity that far exceeds the brain activity of those who are awake. As the town becomes gripped by fear they come to the frightening conclusion that any one of them could be carrying the sickness. Walker writes, "This is how the sickness travels best: Through all the same channels as do fondness and friendship and love."

Walker shifts perspectives, telling the individual stories of a variety of people from all walks of life and ranging in age from child to aging college professor. Each of the perspectives is richly developed as the characters are awakened to the beauty in the simple moments of bygone life. The characters make poignant observations as they begin to miss the day to day normalcy of life before the sickness began. They each cling to what are now cherished memories of the past and try to hold on to hope for the future. Walker writes in a way that captures the reader and elicits an introspective examination of all that is significant and beautiful in human life.

I found myself experiencing an entire range of emotions throughout the book. I was on the edge of my seat in suspense wondering who the virus would affect next. At the same time I was moved by the beautiful imagery Walker paints for each character as they seek to return to simple moments with loved ones. This is a book that stays with you and will lead you to reflect on what matters most in life. I will definitely be checking out this author's previous work and looking forward to her next. Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Our story is set in the imaginary town of Santa Lora, California, a college town in the hills of Southern California. It’s sunny, green, and beautiful; parents feel safe bringing their children here…until one by one, they fall sick. No one can identify the illness; it’s “a strange kind of slumber, a mysterious, persistent sleep.”

I read this book free and early in exchange for this honest review. Big thanks go to Net Galley and Random House; this title will be available to the public tomorrow, January 15, 2019.

Kara is the first, and roommate Mei, who is shy and hasn’t made friends yet with Kara or anyone else, is shuffled from her original dorm room to another. Then other students fall sick, and those in charge can’t decide what to do, so they do what administrators do best: they craft rules that change often and multiple layers of bureaucratic red tape. There’s a quarantine imposed. Parents aren’t allowed in; students aren’t allowed to leave. But they do it anyway. These are college kids. You can’t really tell them what to do, and even under guard, some are ingenious enough to escape.

Under guard! Now the parents are going nuts. Lawyers are called; who wouldn’t?

Meanwhile the illness spreads into the town anyway, because the college employs instructors, cleaning staff, and other adults that don’t live in dormitories. At first it’s kept quiet, since the trustees don’t want negative press getting out about their fine institution of learning, but of course eventually word gets out anyway. The kids have phones, after all.

It doesn’t take much time for all hell to break loose.

Walker is a gifted writer, and the story sucked me in and didn’t let me go till it was over. Conceptually it isn’t all that remarkable, but there are two standout features here that elevate it and make it a standout. The first is the prose style, lyrical and accessible, that makes it read like a truly creepy bedtime story for grownups. Some of it is created by short sentences that use repetition expertly, and the rest is probably just plain magic.

But the main thing that makes me love this book is the dead accurate character development. Those that read my reviews know that nothing makes me crankier than a novelist that uses child characters that don’t act like children, or that don’t act the age they’re assigned. Here, the reverse is true. Every single character, from pre-teenage Sara and younger, mid-elementary age Libby; to the late teen and young adult college students; to the young professors with the newborn; to the older resident with a partner in assisted living are written in age appropriate thought and deed. I confess I was surprised to see how young this author is, because I could swear she had personally experienced each of these age groups.

All eight characters that we follow are so well developed that I feel I’d know them on the street, and I care about what becomes of them. The impulsive, judgmental, occasionally reckless yet heroic Matthew, who steals Mei’s heart and then crushes it is the sort of kid I have taught in years gone by, and for that matter, so is Mei. And oh how my heart aches for Sara and Libby, whose father’s conspiracy-oriented paranoia is difficult to separate from his genius. I’ve known this guy too; when he speaks, you never know how to tease apart the brilliant parts from the crazy. With their mother dead, Sara and Libby have been sworn to silence about any number of things and told never to trust outsiders. Their home is in disrepair, and he tells them that if others can see inside, social workers will cart them away and they will never see him or each other again. And so when he falls asleep and they cannot wake him, they have a real dilemma. I want to dive into the book and carry those girls away—together—myself.

And then I remember—oh yeah, they’re fictional.

Other compelling characters are Catherine, the psychologist called in as a consultant and then not permitted to go home to her toddler when the quarantine is imposed; Ben and Annie, who try to protect their newborn; and Nathaniel, whose partner, Henry, is in assisted living. And though I ache for all of these characters, there are moments when humor is salted in, and so it remains a fun read. I thought the ending was perfect.

There’s a lot more I can say, but I can’t say it like Walker does. This is a fast read and the ultimate in escapist fiction. I highly recommend it.

Many novels like to explore the aftermath of a pandemic or a natural disaster, often from the point in time where everything normal takes a hard right onto survival street. The tension is in the survival, the alliances, whether or not a decision will turn out okay or spell disaster for the decider.

I would argue that true tension lies in the onset of a disaster: patients zero-ten, the 10-day weather forecast, the detection of the distant meteor – and watch ’em scramble like eggs in a pan. Is there enough water? Can we get out of town? Can we defend ourselves? Have I been exposed? Oh man yes, this is the thriller I ordered, now don’t forget to refill my breadbasket.

I have never read a normal length book this fast. From the moment the girls in the dorm start falling and staying asleep I was locked into this story to find out how far the sickness would spread, whether it would be contained, and how it would all turn out. Babies, adults, children, college professors, all will fall to the airborne virus that makes you fall asleep and dream really fucked up dreams that might be windows into the past, reflections of the present or *gasp* predictions of actual or alternate futures.

The best part of the book is when the sickness is spreading and you don’t know how far it will spread or whether the people infected will ever wake up. They are all alive and dreaming, and they keep flying in people to help take care of all these sleeping people, and those volunteers then fall victim to the sickness. I was shocked/not shocked at how long it took them to accept the reality that something was wrong and lock that town down. Kids were trick or treating even after many people had already fallen ill. WOW.

Which leads me to my major critique, which is that all this build up leads…nowhere. I was on the edge of my seat, until I wasn’t. The crisis builds and builds, but then there is very little payoff for it. A few people die, but for the most part everything goes back to normal with some psychological after affects for the dreamers to deal with. Oh, their dreams were so real that it was like they lived another life so they were sad when they woke up and found that they had a different life? BOO HOO PUT ON YOUR BIG GIRL PANTS – that’s what waking up every day is like. The ‘getting to sleep for three weeks’ part of it all is a fucking benefit if you ask me. Sign me up for the sleeping plague.

You should read this book. The escalation was enjoyable enough reason to do it, just know that you’ll feel just a little empty at the end because your thirst for disaster and suffering will not have been quenched. I’m not sure how that’s possible in 2019, but Karen Thompson Walker has achieved it.

At a dorm in a small college town, a freshman girl falls asleep and doesn’t wake up. Soon, other students also fall into deep sleeps and are hospitalized, kept alive by tubes. The remaining students are isolated, but others in the town succumb. Soon the town itself is under quarantine, its residents living in fear of falling asleep and volunteers risking themselves to keep people alive.

A mother is quarantined away from her daughter. Two college students squat in a house and wander town, searching for sleepers to get them to help. A couple tries to protect their newborn baby while living in the fog of new parenthood. Two young girls hide in their house after their survivalist father falls asleep, terrified that they’ll be taken from one another.

The Dreamers is less dystopian fiction and more rumination on the true nature and power of dreams, as well as the freedoms we sacrifice in the name of fear and safety.

It begins “Whatever this is, it comes over them quietly: a sudden drowsiness, a closing of the eyes. Most of the victims are found in their beds.” The Dreamers, by Karen Thompson Walker and published by Random House, is a quiet, terrifying and sometimes frantic tale of a nightmare in a small California college town. I was invested immediately in the many characters and in their dramatic efforts find and save the victims. I was so connected that several times, I wasn’t quite sure whether what I was reading was real or what the dreamers were dreaming.

WOW. This is an atypical genre for me to sink my teeth into, but I read this in one night. I could not put it down.

The Dreamers was a great book for those that enjoy well written YA dystopian novels. I will be recommending it at my library!

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker is a bit slow paced. The characters are interesting and reliable. A well written story that is entertaining and a good read. The premise of the book was intriguing; however, the ending fell short in coming to any conclusion.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Confession time: I’ve had this ARC for months. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to sit down and read it as I was excited to get a copy of it.
This is written in third person so it’s a bit hard to figure out who is the main character or characters. All the characters have the same personality so when you switch characters, you forget that the others exist. The further in I get, the more I realize that the disease is the main character. How the sickness spreads and how it affects the people it infects.
This book is weird, a philosophical dystopia. Are they dreaming of time or is it the timing of the dreams? In the words of the Doctor, “wibbly wobbly timey wimey… stuff”.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*3.5 stars*
The Dreamers is a poetic, thought-provoking novel about a "sleeping virus" that befalls a small town in California, in which those affected cannot be woken up.

Before I get into the reasons why I am giving it 3.5 stars, I would like to say that I would still recommend this book to anyone who likes speculative fiction; books that are in the sci-fi realm, but still read like a contemporary novel. ("Soft" science fiction, if you will).

Perhaps to its detriment, this book has been compared to one of my favorite novels of all time, Station Eleven. So I went into it with very high expectations, and ultimately, I was left wanting a bit more.

For example, there were some loose ends that I would have liked to see tied up better (for one, the college kids who broke the quarantine). Also, we were teased with an early reveal that the "dreamers" were logging more brain activity than any human brain ever recorded, and I felt like more could have been done with that.

Ultimately, a well written-novel with an intriguing premise, that just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.