Bad Dreams by Jenny Noa — Review
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) in exchange for an honest review.

A Book for Thought Daughters and Big Sisters
This one’s for the thought daughters and big sisters. Bad Dreams captures the nostalgic, bittersweet experience of growing up with tenderness and brutal honesty. Jenny Noa reflects on her childhood, grief, failed dreams, and complicated relationships with raw vulnerability.
Her essays made me stop and reflect on my own childhood and the habits I unknowingly carried into adulthood. In a world obsessed with moving fast, this collection reminds us of something crucial: to pause and reflect.
There were so many quotable passages that genuinely made me rethink parts of myself I usually leave unquestioned.

Structure: Five Parts of a Life
Part I — Childhood and Family:
This section explores Noa’s relationship with her parents and how childhood experiences shape adult habits. I found this part the most moving and relatable.
Part II — Grief and Loss:
Here, Noa writes about the death of her husband from colon cancer. Her reflections on holding onto hope, facing loss, and rebuilding life after grief were deeply touching.
Part III — Body and Self-Image:
Noa discusses her relationship with her body and the social pressures tied to self-worth. As a woman, I found her insights painfully relatable and beautifully articulated.
Part IV — Dreams Deferred:
This section covers her pursuit of an acting career in LA and her eventual acceptance of failure. Although I couldn’t personally relate to the acting dream, her reflections on letting go of unrealistic ambitions were incredibly insightful.
Part V — Consolation:
In the final section, Noa offers a powerful reminder: it's okay to give up on some things. Failure isn’t shameful — it's simply part of life’s natural course. I found this theme both comforting and refreshing.

Final Thoughts
Overall, Bad Dreams is a calm yet emotionally profound experience. Noa’s writing is reflective, accessible, and occasionally laced with humor, making heavy topics easier to sit with.

Should You Read It?
YES.
If you love essays that feel intimate yet impactful, written in a thoughtful, blog-like style, this is for you. If you're drawn to topics like childhood, grief, body image, and the quiet acceptance of lost dreams, you’ll likely find Bad Dreams to be a hidden gem — just like I did.
So pick it up — it might just shift something inside you too. 💭📚



I shared my full review on Goodreads and featured the book in my latest TikTok wrap-up video to help spread the word. 📚✨
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7509249090
tiktok account: https://www.tiktok.com/@currently_reading_
tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@currently_reading_/photo/7498351761124543766

I found myself throughly engaged in this collection of essays.
Many moments were incredibly relatable to me, especially surrounding the mentions of the pandemic, and the line about being in training for it her whole life.
These essays were thoughtful, honest and interesting. I enjoyed them immensely.

The original blurb for Jenny Noa’s <i>Bad Dreams</i> (I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley, which does not influence my thoughts) misadvertises the book somehow, calling it a memoir (the word is missing from the final description). It also mentions humility and humour. This made me expect to find another favourite author – I love Jenny Lawson, Samantha Irby, Allie Brosh, Marian Keyes, and I set my expectations right there, which is a bar near impossible to clear.

Noa’s… notes feel more like blog posts than anything else (she mentions that she has reused blog entries). Some of them don’t really say much or go anywhere. The problem – which the author identifies – is (this is a quote) “I'm just aware enough to know I'm probably doomed. I need outside help and I'm no good asking for it. On top of all this, nothing interests me. It's not a small problem. Any set of job responsibilities fills me with despair. It's all so...mundane.”

My favourite part was the LA part, but the author’s self-depreciation eventually wears off. There are many reasons for her to be, for lack of better word, sad and negative about herself, but a lot of the self-sabotaging is just that, and the self-awareness makes for a painful read sometimes. The tone of the subtitle, ‘Would-Be Has-Been’, suggests exactly what we’re going to get; no false advertising here. “I have complained in these pages about my seeming unwillingness to proceed down a path when the goal is too big. I am facing the hard truth that most goals are too big for me.” Noa achieves things, then is ashamed of having achieved them; then she doesn’t achieve other things, and blames both herself and the world.

The book has been described by another reader as ‘hysterically funny’ – one of the reasons I reached for it. Personally, I didn’t find much humour on those pages. Deeply moving, yes, heartbreaking, occasionally, hilarious, nope. Perhaps (many of those pieces have been performed on stage) the performance doesn’t translate so well to written word. But the word I would go with, if I had to summarise <i>Bad Dreams</i> with just one word, would be ‘resigned’.

<i>Bad Dreams</i> is well-written, often difficult, not extremely engaging (it would also work much better as a blog), and constantly self-effacing. I wonder whether there was self-sabotage involved in writing the book, too. Because I felt it could have been so much better if only the author permitted it to be. The goal could have been bigger.

<i>My ratings:
5* = this book changed my life
4* = very good
3* = good
2* = I should have DNFed
1* = actively hostile towards the reader*</i>

[a copy of this book was provided to me by the published from netgalley. thank you!]

4⭐️

a meditative, gut-wrenching and relatable collection of essays written in a stream of conscious type style. covers themes such as mental health, grief, wellness, peace, and freedom. i enjoyed the writing style, but felt the essays could’ve had more detail or been longer, they almost feel unfinished. overall, a solid memoir in essays.

Jenny’s essays are relatable, and more than a little heartbreaking. The need, or inbuilt rule of being unable to ask for help, even in the darkest of moments is something that a lot of people can identify with.

The semi-stream of consciousness writing style does take a while to adjust to, but it does make the book feel more personal, as if she was sharing her life with you directly. As someone who has always been a performer who loathed performing, I can 100% relate to Jenny’s desire to be successful, yet unobserved.

Despite this, a number of the essays left me wanting to scream ‘come on woman, either live your dreams, or get on with it!’

Some compelling, but mostly just relatable essays.

This is an extraordinary book which is a great read! I loved the vulnerability that this book brought.

I love the cover of Bad Dreams, and the synopsis sounded interesting. I also love Los Angeles, which. is where the book. is set, however, Jenny Noa's writing style was not for me. I found it hard to engage with and that it detracted from the writing. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
A younger audience may appreciate this more, or readers who enjoy mixed genres or steam-of-consciousness writing.

3.5!
Not what I expected , but the authors writing style was nice..It’s an extraordinary read that way, although, for me, not necessarily an enjoyable read.

Jenny Noa’s Bad Dreams is a poignant and darkly funny exploration of ambition, identity, and the unexpected detours life throws our way. This debut essay collection delves into Noa’s journey from chasing creative fulfillment in Los Angeles to confronting the obstacles— both external and internal— that stood in her way.
With sharp wit and unflinching honesty, Noa unpacks her complicated relationship with her mother, the grief of losing her young husband, her struggles with mental health, and even the time a possum wandered into her bedroom. These moments are layered with insight and humility, creating a narrative that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant.
At its core, Bad Dreams is about the painful process of letting go of long-held aspirations and learning to accept oneself. It’s a touching, humorous, and unsparing memoir.