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Mindscape
Heather is a 23-year-old New Yorker stuck in a bumpy rut in life. Between her overbearing boss in a unsatisfying corporate job and a sense of romantic failure after the loss of true love from self-sabatoge, Heather has virtually given up on happiness. When her neighbor entices her with a new up and coming drug that promises vibrant, lucid dreaming, Heather thinks she has found an easy, chemical relief from her day to day existence. What starts off as innocent dreaming of the perfect life quickly shifts into the realm of supernatural. Taking ever increasing doses of this unknown substance, Heather forces herself deeper into her dreamscape trying to escape her woes of reality. When she becomes imprisoned within her mind, she is guided by her conscience to the realization that to successfully shed her mental chains of confinement, Heather will have to battle all her internal demons that have been created from her external trauma, including herself.
233 pages, Paperback
Published December 13, 2022
15 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
December 25, 2025
A unique look into your own mind. What if you could dive into your own subconscious and fight your most hidden demons? Could you come out on the other side or would those demons defeat you?
May 13, 2025
I’m involved in an indie author book pass around. Think sisterhood of the traveling pants but with indie authors’ books. Well this was the first book that was passed to me. And I tell you, it was just amazing. When I read the back of the book, I was not sure exactly what to expect. But as you read it, you realize that the Main Character, Heather, is just going through life out of control. And not out of control like you would think she’s just doing wild things and partying and such. She is literally doing damage to her life all around. She barely speaks to family. She’s stalking her ex who she dumped. She’s become lazy at her job and complains so much. So of course when her neighbor invites her over to try some new drug he found, she doesn’t hesitate. This girl is a complete train wreck. The drug that her takes her into sort of a dream scape. Except dreams are just not dreams. Hence, the name Mindscape. Her journey every time she takes the drug takes her into a deeper level of her mind and her life. And soon she is battling herself aka her soul. You go through so much of her past to lead her to the part of her horrible life and how her choices made her life turn out the way that it has. Many of us go through things, and box it up and put it away. Imagine if that box gets reopened, and you have no choice but to face what is inside. That’s what this book is. I’ve had a pretty bad week and I finished up this book during that time. It made me want to look at what all I could of done or not of done that could have me going through these issues. I kept not wanting this book to end. I was afraid of how it would end. So many different things could have happened. Would she win the battle against herself? Or would herself win the battle against her? Sounds confusing right? It wasn’t at all. It really makes you take a good deep look into your own life and tragedies and past. Makes you wonder if you can repair things now. The ending is something that makes you go wow. I will not tell you who wins or anything else. You just need to read this book and see for yourself. One of my new favorite reads of 2025!
October 23, 2024
This is a novel about a woman named Heather who, like many other people, has hit a rough patch in life and she just feels stuck, and it feels as if life is spiraling out of control. She hates her job, she feels like she gives it 110% of herself and her boss doesn't appreciate her for it.
On top of that she is still struggling with the loss of her ex who she feels was her soulmate, after breaking up with him so he couldn't break her heart in the future, so now she has given up on any form of happiness.
In steps Lucas, her drug dealer, informing her of some new pills he has got for her to try. Now these pills promise lucid dreaming, and eager to escape her reality, she happily takes him up on the offer.
At first, the pills are amazing, showing her everything she wishes she could have in life, so she starts taking more and more of them. Soon, in these dreams, she happens upon some "boxes". These boxes are subconsciously packed away trauma, and she wants nothing to do with those.
One thing leads to another and eventually, she is forced to unpack those boxes to help herself mentally heal from this trauma that debilitates her in her waking life, and get her life back on track, and learn to love herself again.
What I took away from this book:
Everyone you see has a life as just full and complex as your own. Every single person has their own storms brewing in their minds, just as you have yours.
Don't assume that just someone seems more put together than yourself, that their trauma isn't or hasn't been just as bad as yours is. They may be conquering theirs and beginning to heal from it.
I highly HIGHLY recommend you get and read this book because it is just amazing.
On top of that she is still struggling with the loss of her ex who she feels was her soulmate, after breaking up with him so he couldn't break her heart in the future, so now she has given up on any form of happiness.
In steps Lucas, her drug dealer, informing her of some new pills he has got for her to try. Now these pills promise lucid dreaming, and eager to escape her reality, she happily takes him up on the offer.
At first, the pills are amazing, showing her everything she wishes she could have in life, so she starts taking more and more of them. Soon, in these dreams, she happens upon some "boxes". These boxes are subconsciously packed away trauma, and she wants nothing to do with those.
One thing leads to another and eventually, she is forced to unpack those boxes to help herself mentally heal from this trauma that debilitates her in her waking life, and get her life back on track, and learn to love herself again.
What I took away from this book:
Everyone you see has a life as just full and complex as your own. Every single person has their own storms brewing in their minds, just as you have yours.
Don't assume that just someone seems more put together than yourself, that their trauma isn't or hasn't been just as bad as yours is. They may be conquering theirs and beginning to heal from it.
I highly HIGHLY recommend you get and read this book because it is just amazing.
May 12, 2025
Mindscape is a fiction novel by Indie Author Lynn Taylor with T. A. Books. You can find her on TikTok, YouTube, or on the T. A. Books website.
Mindscape follows Heather, a 23 year old New Yorker. She’s having a really hard time. Life just isn’t going her way. She kind of just goes through the motions of her day. She has a boss who doesn’t like her, and the feeling is mutual. She has a terrible history with guys. She can’t seem to keep over her ex. She refuses to let herself move on.
Lucas, her neighbor, gives her these pill to try in order to escape from her everyday life. They induce lucid dreaming.
At first, Heather really likes it. She enjoys the vivid colors and creative landscapes. She has this incredible creative power that she doesn’t seem to have in her real life.
However, this heaven away from reality takes a turn as she gets stuck in her mind. She has to face these boxes filled with traumatic events from her past in order to get herself out.
For anyone who has done their own shadow work, inner child healing, or who has had regular bouts of therapy sessions to deal with trauma, this is a story you can probably relate to.
Lynn Taylor does an amazing job with putting the reader into the heart of the story. I could visualize everything going on and could feel Heather’s desperation, her fear, her frustration, and her sense of accomplishment when she succeeds. From the descriptions of the action scenes (of which there are quite of few heart-stopping ones), I would honestly love to see this in graphic novel form.
I absolutely love this book. I highly recommend this book.
Mindscape follows Heather, a 23 year old New Yorker. She’s having a really hard time. Life just isn’t going her way. She kind of just goes through the motions of her day. She has a boss who doesn’t like her, and the feeling is mutual. She has a terrible history with guys. She can’t seem to keep over her ex. She refuses to let herself move on.
Lucas, her neighbor, gives her these pill to try in order to escape from her everyday life. They induce lucid dreaming.
At first, Heather really likes it. She enjoys the vivid colors and creative landscapes. She has this incredible creative power that she doesn’t seem to have in her real life.
However, this heaven away from reality takes a turn as she gets stuck in her mind. She has to face these boxes filled with traumatic events from her past in order to get herself out.
For anyone who has done their own shadow work, inner child healing, or who has had regular bouts of therapy sessions to deal with trauma, this is a story you can probably relate to.
Lynn Taylor does an amazing job with putting the reader into the heart of the story. I could visualize everything going on and could feel Heather’s desperation, her fear, her frustration, and her sense of accomplishment when she succeeds. From the descriptions of the action scenes (of which there are quite of few heart-stopping ones), I would honestly love to see this in graphic novel form.
I absolutely love this book. I highly recommend this book.
March 31, 2025
I'm a true believer that the right books find us at the right moments.
This book definitely did so.
It doesn't give advice on how to fix your life, but it takes you along on an amazingly inspiring mental health journey.
Read it if you're struggling or if you know someone who does. It's very mindful and truly therapeutic.
This book definitely did so.
It doesn't give advice on how to fix your life, but it takes you along on an amazingly inspiring mental health journey.
Read it if you're struggling or if you know someone who does. It's very mindful and truly therapeutic.
May 23, 2025
Slow build, and a bit preachy
It was kinda slow and boring at the beginning but honestly the character was probably at an ultimate low point. Once it starts up it gets a bit interesting but still too preachy for my taste. Too much character and not enough plot.
It was kinda slow and boring at the beginning but honestly the character was probably at an ultimate low point. Once it starts up it gets a bit interesting but still too preachy for my taste. Too much character and not enough plot.
April 9, 2025
Gosh. What to say about this book. Fresh. Emotional. Unequivocally deep. What an amazing perspective on the battle with mental health and trauma and put in such a beautiful, vivid way. This book goes down as one of my favorite from this author.
December 8, 2024
Where to begin? So many raw emotions are floating around after finishing Mindscape. There are books that come along, grab you, and don’t let go. This is more than a story—it’s an exploration of the human psyche and a book of healing. It may be fiction, but it holds so much more.
As I read, I couldn’t help but find parallels with Jungian psychology, particularly the concepts of the anima and the shadow. I don’t believe these were intentionally part of the book, but they resonated with me deeply. The story spoke to parts of myself that I often ignore—my shadow, the parts of me I tend to push aside, and my anima, the connection to creativity and emotion that I sometimes lose touch with. It felt like a mirror, reflecting back pieces of my inner world that I didn’t expect to see.
This book isn’t just something you read—it’s something you feel. It left me with a lot to process, but in the best possible way. If you’re open to a story that invites self-reflection and healing, Mindscape is an incredible experience. It’s rare to find something that moves you this deeply.
As I read, I couldn’t help but find parallels with Jungian psychology, particularly the concepts of the anima and the shadow. I don’t believe these were intentionally part of the book, but they resonated with me deeply. The story spoke to parts of myself that I often ignore—my shadow, the parts of me I tend to push aside, and my anima, the connection to creativity and emotion that I sometimes lose touch with. It felt like a mirror, reflecting back pieces of my inner world that I didn’t expect to see.
This book isn’t just something you read—it’s something you feel. It left me with a lot to process, but in the best possible way. If you’re open to a story that invites self-reflection and healing, Mindscape is an incredible experience. It’s rare to find something that moves you this deeply.
August 28, 2025
I gave myself 24 hours to process this book before I could write this and still I am still a bit lost for the appropriate words.
This book first and foremost is deep and thought provoking encounter of one FMC Heather. Within the pages you will travel through a time in the life of Heather you will dive deep into her inner thoughts and feelings. She is stuck and unable to surpass the loss of a relationship coupled with the childhood trauma she endured.
Triggers warnings! Substance abuse, Sexual assault/abuse, childhood trauma
As we follow Heather she struggles with speaking up for herself for getting past the loss of her first love to self Sabotage to her lack of confidence she was worth it and her fear of abandonment.
As she spirals she becomes more vulnerable and begins taking a new pill promised to help her solid sleep and dreams. This process continues taking her down the spiral 🌀 into her deep regrets over time, she works through each of her past regrets within the dreams in a search to heal and find herself.
This story had many relatable moments, working through the trauma the pain of life events. Always running back to the substance to take her deeper into her subconscious to repair, where I can’t identify with the substance need I did relate to many of the deep soul work to save her self.
I would be cautious in who I recommend to read this book. With no disrespect to the author because this is a well written book heartfelt and deep thought and meaning went into this book!
⛔️ Contains sensitive topic and would recommend caution ⚠️
This book first and foremost is deep and thought provoking encounter of one FMC Heather. Within the pages you will travel through a time in the life of Heather you will dive deep into her inner thoughts and feelings. She is stuck and unable to surpass the loss of a relationship coupled with the childhood trauma she endured.
Triggers warnings! Substance abuse, Sexual assault/abuse, childhood trauma
As we follow Heather she struggles with speaking up for herself for getting past the loss of her first love to self Sabotage to her lack of confidence she was worth it and her fear of abandonment.
As she spirals she becomes more vulnerable and begins taking a new pill promised to help her solid sleep and dreams. This process continues taking her down the spiral 🌀 into her deep regrets over time, she works through each of her past regrets within the dreams in a search to heal and find herself.
This story had many relatable moments, working through the trauma the pain of life events. Always running back to the substance to take her deeper into her subconscious to repair, where I can’t identify with the substance need I did relate to many of the deep soul work to save her self.
I would be cautious in who I recommend to read this book. With no disrespect to the author because this is a well written book heartfelt and deep thought and meaning went into this book!
⛔️ Contains sensitive topic and would recommend caution ⚠️
June 6, 2025
Would you take a drug that allowed you to control your dreams and face your deepest trauma? Lynn Taylor takes her character on an emotional adventure inside her own mind, where she must ultimately face her darkest moments before her healing can begin.
The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star review was the dialogue. The unusual punctuation choices took me out of the scene and made it difficult to feel fully immersed.
The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star review was the dialogue. The unusual punctuation choices took me out of the scene and made it difficult to feel fully immersed.
December 26, 2025
This book really spoke to me in a way that I haven’t felt in such a long time! Watching the FMC battle her way through everyday life, searching for a vice, and then ultimately having to come face to face with the things that have dragged her under was something I feel like so many of us have experienced. I loved the way the author brought the dreams to life, and the ending was wonderful.
September 22, 2025
This is not the genre I usually follow. However, it was an excellent, effortless read. Well done!
July 22, 2025
What an amazing novel!
Quick Summary: Heather (FMC) is an absolute mess! She is not eating well, not sleeping well, and her work ethic is so bad that she is surprised she has a job! She is living as a victim of her regrets and is suffering. How much longer can she keep this up? When Lucas, her friend and dealer, gives her a new street drug, she escapes to her dream life. But it is not all sunshine and roses inside one's mind.
Opinion: Lynn Taylor wrote an amazing book! The characters of Heather's past choices have all but destroyed her and she needs to change. Heather is a fighter, and the reader is immersed into her battle against her internal demons and her learning process. Heather is easy to dislike and then love. Her life is tragic and painful until it's not.
Why read this? This is a modern fiction with elements of the paranormal. There are several abusive relationships in this book, but also so many healing moments towards these villains in Heather's story as well as toward Heather, herself. This is a very emotional read with an HEA.
Quick Summary: Heather (FMC) is an absolute mess! She is not eating well, not sleeping well, and her work ethic is so bad that she is surprised she has a job! She is living as a victim of her regrets and is suffering. How much longer can she keep this up? When Lucas, her friend and dealer, gives her a new street drug, she escapes to her dream life. But it is not all sunshine and roses inside one's mind.
Opinion: Lynn Taylor wrote an amazing book! The characters of Heather's past choices have all but destroyed her and she needs to change. Heather is a fighter, and the reader is immersed into her battle against her internal demons and her learning process. Heather is easy to dislike and then love. Her life is tragic and painful until it's not.
Why read this? This is a modern fiction with elements of the paranormal. There are several abusive relationships in this book, but also so many healing moments towards these villains in Heather's story as well as toward Heather, herself. This is a very emotional read with an HEA.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews