ARC Review--Dreamfall by Amy Plum

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.

I received this ARC from an independent bookstore on Independent Bookstore Day for free in hopes of reading and reviewing it. I was in no way compensated for this review.

 
Third time is apparently the charm! After only so-so reads with Amy Plum’s books so far, I almost gave up hope. But then I heard about her newest book, Dreamfall, and was intrigued! I love a good thriller edged with mystery and that’s pretty much what we get with this one!

The first thing that surprised me was that despite its description, this is not just Cata’s story. There are many more people involved and even more points of view that we will read from. I kind of hate how descriptions tend to focus on only one character when the book itself has many more whose story is equally important to the book at large. It’s a little misleading and I wasn’t quite prepared for the lash of multiple narrators coming in. Thankfully, they are all separated by chapters and it seems only Cata, Fergus, and Jamie are the narrators, but not having prior knowledge of this did kind of throw me through a loop!

After working through that initial confusion, things start to make sense, and then they don’t but that’s totally fine because this book is meant to be weird and twisted and have you scrambling to figure out what’s going on! Cata, Fergus, Sinclair, Remi, BethAnn, Georgina, and Ant all have some sort of sleep issue that led them and their guardians to enroll them in a trial study that will help to remove that inability to sleep long and well. But naturally, things go disastrously wrong and the teens end up stuck in their own nightmares.

At first I wasn’t sure what Jamie’s role was meant to be. I mean, she’s a pre-med student who is simply observing the study and when things go wrong, she sticks around to help. And it’s through her really that we get to learn about all the characters as she reads their files. Without her really, we wouldn’t get to know these teens as well as we did since the perspectives are limited to Cata and Fergus.

I think this story is meant to be more of a creep fest! It’s definitely chilling as the teens are forced to live out their nightmares all over again. And it seems they do experience pain in these dreams, but it’s quick to leave when they get their “break”. There’s some talk that helps to explain REM and NREM sleep cycles that I won’t even try to rehash, but just know that they aren’t constantly in the nightmare zone. And some of these nightmares are really creepy! In all sense of scary really, running for your life from men with guns to insane clowns…yeah, creepy stuff!

I once again feel reminded of my beloved favorite The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith for in that “game” as well, the teens were forced to live out their worst nightmares. I feel like Dreamfall has a lot, in the little things, in common with The Forbidden Game, the first book at least. Just x-out the romance as a hidden theme. There really wasn’t any romance in this one aside from flirty moments and a few looks. It was a nice change of pace too. There really isn’t much room for romance in a scary kind of read.

The pacing to this one was kind of at the just right stage. We get moments that are intense and creepy within the dreamworld, moments that let you gain more information on the characters, then a few calmer moments where everyone tries to puzzle things together. It makes for an interesting read and since it’s under 300 pages it’s a quick one too!

Being the first installment of a duology you can expect there to be a jawdropper of an ending! Not only did we get one bombshell thrown at us coupled with a mini one, but there was yet another big bombshell at the end as well that led to the somewhat cliffhanger of an ending! It’s one that will have you eager to read the next one which obviously won’t be out until 2018. But I think it’s safe to say that I finally found my favorite Amy Plum book!


Overall Rating 4/5 stars 

Follow Friday

This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read

 

The Rules:

• The goal is to increase blog followers, make friends and have something to post.
• You create your own post using the post prompt.
• You leave your link and thumbnail in the linky list that links back to your post prompt.
• Once you have your post up and linked, visit other posts and tell them hi. The point is to FOLLOW them not just comment.
• If you see a post that just hit it to the moon, or just want to show appreciation to a fellow blogger friend, like their name on the linky list to show some appreciation.
• The person with the most likes gets chosen as the next Feature (you can be chosen every 90 days unless we are in need of features)
• It is required that if you participate that you have to follow the FEATURE. It is a big no-no to participate and ignore the feature. They are the special snowflake in this little blizzard.
• As a participant it is up to your discretion on how you want people to follow. Please post RSS, GFC etc if you have a follow of choice.

Specific RULES:

• Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
• Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
• If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed FOLLOW as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
• Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
• If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers

This week's prompt is: Is There a Book You're Excited to Read that [Publishes] in Your Birthday Month?

MY ANSWER: Why, yes. Yes there is!!

4 Days before my Birthday!! I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!

Random Thursday

Time to return to That's a Fact Jack: A Collection of Utterly Useless Information [Updated] by Harry Bright and Jakob Anser! What fun filled facts will we learn today?

(image borrowed from James Bond Wikia)

"In his role as James Bond, Sean Connery wore a toupee to hide his receding hairline."

I feel like I can see it only because it was pointed out!

(image borrowed from WikiSein)

"The actress Liz Sherdian, best known for her portrayal of Jerry Seinfeld's TV mother, was briefly engaged to James Dean."

(image borrowed from Wikipedia)

"When not sleeping, shrews must hunt constantly. After only a few hours without food, they become so weak they begin to eat each other."

Say WHAT?!

Review--Infinite Risk by Ann Aguirre

In a world of infinite risk, the stakes have never been so high.

Beyond the pull of life and death lies the immortal game. Edie Kramer has leaped back to put things right and save the boy she loves. Alone in the wrong timestream, she must reinvent herself and square off against dangerous creatures determined to win this mortal match once and for all.

But righting past wrongs carries fresh dangers. As she navigates a new school and tries to put Kian on a different path, she also battles powerful enemies who will stop at nothing to keep her from derailing their deadly schemes. With few allies and her first love treating her like a stranger, Edie faces the most dangerous enemy of all―time itself. Yet she’s come a long way from that dark night on the bridge, and when her back’s to the wall, she’ll go down fighting…

Whoa. Mind officially blown! I’m not sure how I feel right now! I just finished Ann Aguirre’s Infinite Risk, the conclusion to the Immortal Game trilogy and I’m left with a mess of emotions! Seriously, I’m a mess right now! LOL! If you’re not up to date with this trilogy, note that I will be mentioning spoilers from the previous book, so be forewarned!

Edie made the ultimate decision at the end of Public Enemies, Kian was dead, her mother was dead, her father had been kidnapped and returned a different person—metaphorically speaking, he’s still her dad—and things are just nuts and unpleasant. So Edie decides she will go back in time—honestly where she got that idea was a little lost on me, even after reading Public Enemies—and basically change the entire timeline so that Kian wouldn’t die. And she makes other changes too.

Edie knows better than to “meet” her younger self and give out dire warnings, so she goes back to before Kian would make his ultimate decision that would muck up his life. When she meets him, she nearly falls in love again. He’s still her Kian in some of his nerdy, lovable ways, but he lacks confidence. It’s almost like she’s helping herself in a way that she wished would’ve happened. But she decides she must befriend Kian and basically give him a life worth living. And so begin Edie’s path and making changes that ultimately change the world.

This book was pretty awesome! I mean the whole time travel thing was a little sketchy to start with because I couldn’t remember why Edie thought it was possible, but naturally, some things must be rolled with! Since she was only going back about five years, she had to catch herself a few times on things she said, like not wanting to mention books that haven’t been published yet and the like! It was kind of funny in some ways! I had to admit I loved watching her help shape Kian into being more confident. She wasn’t trying to change him per se, she was merely trying to get him to see life differently and to take the plunge when it came to friendships and other social interactions. Advice I sometimes wish I knew back then too! LOL!

Oddly, Edie had to prevent herself and Kian from falling in love all over again, because she knew that she couldn’t stay in this timeline that she was in. It just wouldn’t work really. Plus her younger self was still out there, and there’s a certain time when she decides to help herself very subtly. I almost missed what Edie was trying to do for her younger self, but by the end it makes sense! But yet I was still a bit confused too! Time paradoxes will do that to you!

There was quite the bit of action in this one! Namely, all Edie’s enemies from her future are basically alive and kicking in the past! So things get dicey! The only constant in this time is the Harbinger. He’s the only one who knows Edie from the future and past. As I said, some of these things get a little complicated with the whole time traveling deal, but trust me, when you’re reading it, it’s easy enough to follow. I apparently don’t remember the Harbinger well enough from the first book to truly gauge his character development, but I do remember feeling his changes coming about in the last book. And in this one, that idea is strengthen to full force!

Despite not grasping the overall flow of this series, I truly did enjoy it! This final book was amazing! Though it does leave me feeling flummoxed as Edie’s time traveling does make changes and it makes you wonder what was the point in the end? But I’m kind of ignoring that voice! The ending was superb!! And the little epilogue at the end left me with all the feels! Though again, some involved confusion with the time paradoxes! LOL! But overall, this was definitely an incredibly amazing series that was filled with a variety of relatable life lessons. I felt like I could really connect with Edie on a number of levels. I am happy with the way this one ended!


Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars 

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

 

 

 

Kate Harker is a girl who isn’t afraid of the dark. She’s a girl who hunts monsters. And she’s good at it. August Flynn is a monster who can never be human, no matter how much he once yearned for it. He’s a monster with a part to play. And he will play it, no matter the cost.

Nearly six months after Kate and August were first thrown together, the war between the monsters and the humans is terrifying reality. In Verity, August has become the leader he never wished to be, and in Prosperity, Kate has become the ruthless hunter she knew she could be. When a new monster emerges from the shadows—one who feeds on chaos and brings out its victim’s inner demons—it lures Kate home, where she finds more than she bargained for. She’ll face a monster she thought she killed, a boy she thought she knew, and a demon all her own.  

 

 

 

Another one I can't wait to read!! Excited to see how this one ends!!

TITLE: Our Dark Duet

AUTHOR: Victoria Schwab

PUBLISHER: Greenwillow Books

GENRE: Paranormal YA

RELEASE DATE: June 13, 2017

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Purple Princess of The Purple Booker. 

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page

3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

"His answering smile made his eyes shine like green waters of a deep forest glade, glimmering with flashes of sunlight. 'When you're around, I feel like anything is possible.'

My heart turned over, and I fell a little in love with this Kian, who was not--and never would be--mine." p 68

TITLE: Infinite Rise
AUTHOR: Ann Aguirre
PUBLISHER: Feiwel & Friends
GENRE: Paranormal YA
RELEASE DATE: August 2, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list  that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

This week's topic is: COVER THEME FREEBIE: Top Ten Favorite Purple Covers!

*in no particular order

10. HALF-BLOOD by Jennifer L. Armentrout

9. BARGAINS AND BETRAYALS by Shannon Delany

8. FIREWALKER by Josephine Angelini

7. NIGHT STUDY by Maria V. Snyder

6. POISON STUDY by Maria V. Snyder

5. FAEFEVER by Karen Marie Moning

4. UNSPOKEN by C.C. Hunter

3. THE FOREVER SONG by Julie Kagawa

2. TWISTED by Gena Showalter

 1. AND I DARKEN by Kiersten White

 

Dare to...Book Challenge!

So I saw this challenge awhile back on It Starts at Midnight! It was started by Dana @ Dinosaur and I thought it looked like fun, so I decide to join in! Some of the questions were similar to the TBR Book Tag I did awhile back, so some answers might be repeated!


1. What book has been on your shelves the longest?

Repeat answer, but Dead Girls are Easy by Terri Garey! Came from the early stages of the Borders closing sales.


2. What is your current read, your last read, and the book you'll read next?

Currently:

Infinite Risk by Ann Aguirre

My last read was:

 Public Enemies by Ann Aguirre

What I will read next:

Dreamfall by Amy Plum

3. What book did everyone like, but you hated didn't? 

Changed hate to didn't, because while I didn't loooove it as much as everyone else, I didn't hate it either, more like meh.

A tossup between Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas and Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones. I feel like both were sooo popular, so well loved (and I read Wintersong as an ARC, so it was getting massive early love), that I had very high expectations of both of these. What I got was meh. I felt very meh about both and I feel very much the outcast on that! LOL!

4. What book do you keep telling yourself you'll read but you probably won't?

I'd like to think that won't happen! I purge through my TBR books every now and then, and occasionally pass on a few titles, but not many. 

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black is a maybe might not read? I just finished reading a not so happy review of it, so I've kind of mentally pushed it further down on the TBR list! You know, for now! 


5. Which book are you saving for retirement?

Retirement? Hahaha!!! I'll be too poor for that!


6. Last page: read it first or wait to the end?

Are we serious here? No, nope. I will never do this!


7. Acknowledgement: waste of paper and ink or interesting aside?

I think they're interesting! I skim them on occasion, I like seeing familiar author names within the one author's circle! It just makes me happy to see the community is so thoughtful!


8. Which book character would you switch places with?

Ooh tough one! Lots of my favorite heroines had to go through hell and back (sometimes quite literally) before they got (or get close) to their happy ending! But I think I'll go with my oldie, but goodie:

Demon in My View by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, teen me still LOVES and ADORES this book!! The heroine is named Jessica, she's a writer, and she gets mixed up with vampires and wins the heart of the "villain"! So yeah...definitely like that idea! Plus I get to keep my name! LOL!



9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, place, or time)?

I hate to go back to the same title as before, but...

Demon in My View by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes was the first vampire book I ever read! Pretty sure I accidentally read this one first and not her actual first book in this world, but it's what got me hooked on vampires! I no longer wanted to read contemporary books about ordinary lives...I wanted vampires, darkness, magic and all the other good stuff of the paranormal world! When I look back, I remember my reading life really, truly starting and being an addictive hobby with this one!


10. Name a book that you acquired in an interesting way:

Well, it's really not that interesting, but...

The only one I could think of was Frostblood by Elly Blake. It was at BEA last year--my first and possibly last since it's back in NYC and it's more $$$ for bloggers apparently now--and I was playing a game of spin the wheel. It was a short line so I got in and after I got one book, I decided to go again, because they allowed it. I spun the wheel and legit got the book I just picked up previously, so I said it can stay and I'll just go back in line, the girl running it asked what I wanted instead (since literally the same thing just happened my first time) and I chose Frostblood instead!

11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?

The first one I thought of doesn't quite fit, but I'm going with it anyway! I was at RT 2013 in good ol Kansas City, MO and I was at the teen party where I got a nice bag of books and whatnot! One of my books was Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, now as I just explained previously, I left contemporary books behind a long time ago. I just gotten this one signed by Stephanie and was planning a giveaway on my blog when another teen asked me if I happened to have gotten said Anna and the French Kiss in my bag (I didn't see her around while I was getting mine signed, so I know she was truly just asking). I told her I did, and then she asked if I wanted to trade it for one of her books, I said sure and asked her what she got. She didn't really have anything I didn't already have or wanted, so I just told her to take it. She looked unsure, like she was totally surprised, and I told her I really meant it because I was just planning on giving it away on my blog! So this works too! She was sooo happy and I was glad to have made her day! She even went up to Stephanie to get the book personalized! I was happy to have made her happy, so it all worked out!


12. Which book has been with you to the most places?

Hmm...I guess it could be almost any? I read my books at school, the cafeteria at school, outside at school--so school, lol!--my various work places, and then if I was lucky to wherever the signing was when or if I got to meet that author! So generally like 2 places and that's nearly every book! It's just that the two--or three if I was working and going to school--places varied based on where I read it and where I got it signed! 


13. Any "required reading" that you hated in high school that wasn't so bad two years later?

Uh...no? LOL! I pretty much hated every book I was forced to read! The one and only exception was, as some of you may already know:

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas! I was already deep into my paranormal love! Being forced to read any book that didn't have a hint of "weird" to it always dragged me down. But for some reason I really, really enjoyed this one! I want to say it had to do with his revenge! I loved that he got revenge on everyone in a way that was far worse than death! I'm a bit twisted in that matter I guess! LOL! But come on! I feel like we could say this might have even inspired The Punisher too! :D


14. Used or brand new?

For the most part, new! But if I am looking for different editions of my favorite reads that I try to collect like the devoted booknerd bibliophile that I am, I will go for used. Praying that the online booksellers aren't exaggerating by "some ware on the spine and cover" kind of thing!


15. Have you ever read a Dan Brown book?

On my own? Nope.

For school? Yes, and yes, I did actually read it too! LOL!

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

16. Have you ever seen a movie that you liked more than the book?

Hell. No.

But did I still like the movie? Yes.

17. Have you ever read a book that's made you hungry, cookbooks excluded?

Oh I am sure there was! I can't think of any off the top of my head. Likely any time the characters are eating pizza, or pasta, or bread, and cookies (dough included!)! LOL!

18. Who is the person whose book advice you'll always take?

That's a steep list! But likely Amber from Du Livre and Tracy from Cornerfolds for sure!!

 

19. Tag (at least 4) friends:

yeah...if you're reading this post and want to join in, consider yourself tagged! Since I wasn't "tagged" myself, not feeling obligated to actually tag, feels like cheating! LOL!

It's Monday! What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

Witch's Pyre by Josephine Angelini (2.5 stars)

Public Enemies by Ann Aguirre (3 stars)

Review That Was Posted:

Violet Grenade by Victoria Scott (ARC) (5 stars)

Currently Reading:

Infinite Risk by Ann Aguirre

What I Plan to Read this Week:

?

Honestly with what I have going on at work this week, I'll be happy to just finish my current read! Friday was hectic as well, so not looking forward to this week...or next week either. :(

Other Posts of Interest:

Discussion Post Challenge: Me & Cartoons 

 Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Waiting on Wednesday

Random Thursday

Follow Friday

Stacking the Shelves

Challenges Recap: April