About the Book:Title: Dreamfall (Dreamfall #1)
Author: Amy Plum
Pub. Date: May 2, 2017
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 288
Rating: 3/5 stars
Synopsis:
Cata Cordova suffers from such debilitating insomnia that she agreed to take part in an experimental new procedure. She thought things couldn’t get any worse...but she was terribly wrong.
Soon after the experiment begins, there’s a malfunction with the lab equipment, and Cata and six other teen patients are plunged into a shared dreamworld with no memory of how they got there. Even worse, they come to the chilling realization that they are trapped in a place where their worst nightmares have come to life. Hunted by creatures from their darkest imaginations and tormented by secrets they’d rather keep buried, Cata and the others will be forced to band together to face their biggest fears. And if they can’t find a way to defeat their dreams, they will never wake up.
Soon after the experiment begins, there’s a malfunction with the lab equipment, and Cata and six other teen patients are plunged into a shared dreamworld with no memory of how they got there. Even worse, they come to the chilling realization that they are trapped in a place where their worst nightmares have come to life. Hunted by creatures from their darkest imaginations and tormented by secrets they’d rather keep buried, Cata and the others will be forced to band together to face their biggest fears. And if they can’t find a way to defeat their dreams, they will never wake up.
Review:
I'm a huge fan of Amy Plum, so I knew that I was going to check this book out regardless of its rating or reviews. I was pleasantly surprised by the story, but I didn't think it was her best either. Dreamfall is an intriguing read...7 teens who suffer from insomnia undergo a trial to help cure them, but what happens when things go devastatingly wrong?? As intriguing as that summary sounds, it just didn't live up to what I wanted it to. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the story a lot, but it did seem like the story went in circles at times...and that was what made me lower my rating from 4 stars to just 3.
The plot is actually pretty simple, and I think it worked in this story because the "nightmare" world that is created after the experiment goes haywire is pretty interesting on its own. I think it's good that Ms. Plum didn't build this super complex world and kept it simple because this book would have been much more confusing. This simplicity makes the book an easy, quick read. However, there were some holes that I am hoping will be explained in future books. And as I said, the plot started getting a bit tedious and went in circles. It almost seemed like we were just re-reading the same scenes just in a different person's nightmare, and nothing was being accomplished. I think this is the biggest flaw of this book...by the end, we were left with even more questions than when we started and nothing was answered. The subjects are still in the same position as they were when the book started, and there was no progress.
The book is told in the first person perspective, but from 3 different character's POVs. We have Jamie, a med student who I realized we actually never know the gender of (something I found interesting because this is super rare these days but think added a cool element to the story); Cata; and Fergus. Jamie is on the outside watching the experiment take place, while Cata and Fergus are 2 of the subjects in the trial. I liked that Jamie's POV gave us the insight into the science/medical aspect of things (which I loved given that I'm a science/medical nerd), while Cata and Fergus gave us the perspective of 2 people in the experiment itself and how it was affecting them individually. While I was never able to fully connect to any of the characters (maybe because the chapters were short so we never stayed on 1 character that long), they all were very distinctive from each other. I do wish there was more character development with them, but again, maybe this is something that will be further explored in the next book.
Dreamfall is a short read that focuses on what happens when our nightmares become reality. I'm not entirely sure what to classify this book as--dystopian, sci-fi, contemporary-- but if you like Amy Plum, I would definitely give this book a shot! While it wasn't everything I was hoping for, I still enjoyed the story and will read the sequel. I'm interested to see when Ms. Plum takes the story and how she'll expand upon this unique idea she has created!
The plot is actually pretty simple, and I think it worked in this story because the "nightmare" world that is created after the experiment goes haywire is pretty interesting on its own. I think it's good that Ms. Plum didn't build this super complex world and kept it simple because this book would have been much more confusing. This simplicity makes the book an easy, quick read. However, there were some holes that I am hoping will be explained in future books. And as I said, the plot started getting a bit tedious and went in circles. It almost seemed like we were just re-reading the same scenes just in a different person's nightmare, and nothing was being accomplished. I think this is the biggest flaw of this book...by the end, we were left with even more questions than when we started and nothing was answered. The subjects are still in the same position as they were when the book started, and there was no progress.
The book is told in the first person perspective, but from 3 different character's POVs. We have Jamie, a med student who I realized we actually never know the gender of (something I found interesting because this is super rare these days but think added a cool element to the story); Cata; and Fergus. Jamie is on the outside watching the experiment take place, while Cata and Fergus are 2 of the subjects in the trial. I liked that Jamie's POV gave us the insight into the science/medical aspect of things (which I loved given that I'm a science/medical nerd), while Cata and Fergus gave us the perspective of 2 people in the experiment itself and how it was affecting them individually. While I was never able to fully connect to any of the characters (maybe because the chapters were short so we never stayed on 1 character that long), they all were very distinctive from each other. I do wish there was more character development with them, but again, maybe this is something that will be further explored in the next book.
Dreamfall is a short read that focuses on what happens when our nightmares become reality. I'm not entirely sure what to classify this book as--dystopian, sci-fi, contemporary-- but if you like Amy Plum, I would definitely give this book a shot! While it wasn't everything I was hoping for, I still enjoyed the story and will read the sequel. I'm interested to see when Ms. Plum takes the story and how she'll expand upon this unique idea she has created!
Happy reading :)
~Cassie
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