Waking Dreams: The Torment of Colin Pierce

by J.D. Kaplan

Sometimes Colin Pierce’s dreams come true--unfortunately they aren’t always happy dreams. Several years after a horrible nightmare claimed his wife and youngest daughter, he finds himself pulled into the mysterious world of dreams again. This time the Wall of Sleep--the line separating the Dreamside from the waking world--is under attack by a malevolent entity known only as the Torment. If this monster succeeds in breaking down the Wall, what will keep all our nightmares from invading our lives? It’s up to Colin, accompanied by his surviving daughter and their strange and mysterious neighbor, to go to the Dreamside to rescue the Wall and save both worlds. And maybe, just maybe, along the way he can save himself...

Genres: Fiction

376 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2013

About the author

JD currently lives in Woodstock, Illinois with his wife, two kids and very insecure Golden Retriever, Max. He has worked in the software industry for nearly 18 years after a period of failing to publish his poetry. At this stage in life he's actively trying to change careers again to be a full time author of fantasy and science fiction novels.

Reviews

[Janel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of awesome scenarios.

[Sam Sigelakis-Minski · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, thank you so much for the opportunity to read this novel as a Firstreads. I am honored.

From the beginning of this novel, you are sucked in. Colin Pierce is a likeable protagonist who is flawed due to his circumstances rather than being a bad person. He never sinks into the self pity that often plagues people that suffer such tragedy, and watching his character blossom throughout the novel is a treasure.

My favorite parts of this book were definitely the dream sequences. Considering the fantastic landscape, all of the descriptions were vivid enough to picture without dictating how you see it. The monsters all sound terrifying, and the reader can feel the same revulsion that the characters do with their encounters.

That being said, I had a few issues with the novel. I thought it was a tad bit too long, in some places a little "fluffed." There are some obvious grammatical errors and such that I'm sure will be corrected as time goes on. Lastly, the ending seemed a little too neat. Everything came together in the end, which I do like, but it didn't feel genuine enough. I wish there was either less of a jump from the climax to the ending, or more of a potential for a good ending rather then a cookie cut story.

All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I would recommend it to anyone who is into fantasy and urban fantasy, particularly young adults. it is hard to compare this novel to others on the market right now, since the concept is so original, which is why I would recommend it to a wider audience. There are elements of a good family tale, thriller, and fantasy, without being any one especially. I look forward to reading more by JD Kaplan.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colin Pierce (author; Col) was aboard a McDonnell-Douglas MD-80 how/why he did not know.

Marianne Pierce (wife; Mari), Sidney Pierce (11; daughter), & Emma Pierce (4; daughter) were in the other compartment. The plane was plummeting. Colin suddenly awoke was it all a very bad nightmare (dream). He had another 1 a while back about the Jenks twins (Kristie; Kimmy) when he was young (15) who were burned alive in their parents’ home. Colin & Sidney (Sid) moved to Leith IL., to start a new life Colin’s mom Rita, his dad Charlie, his brother Deck & his G/F Susan lived close by. Colin later meets Kate.

Sidney introduces her sister Penelope Pierce (Penny) to Colin. The family also knew Kate Stimson her husband Mark was having an agffair.

What is The Wall of Sleep? What is The Dreamside? What will Sidney e Sidney experience?

Colin didn’t seem to get a whole lot of writing done.

A little Sigmund Freud & Carl Gustav Jung in this book.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well sci-fi or paranormal written book. It was very easy to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. No grammar errors, repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make great sci-fi movie, animated cartoon, or mini TV series. It was just OK for me I would say geared for an older teen. That said I will rate it at 4/5 stars.

Thank you for the free book (Story Cartel)
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Ashley E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Waking Dreams starts off with a bang, dropping the reader straight into the Dreamside, and it does a good job following through on that intense beginning. Colin finds himself drawn into a strange world of dreams and premonitions that seems to be a danger to himself, and maybe to his family as well.

Colin is a strong character and carries off his adventures and quests with a humanity that is easy to relate to. His journey of self-realization is one that many people have gone through at one point in their lives or another. With Sidney and Penny to drive him on, he's determined to save the dreaming world, and the waking one, from the Torment, a mysterious and powerful dream bent on destruction.

The twists in this story did keep me on my toes. However there were a few places where the story began to drag in the middle. Overall, the plot pacing was good, and kept me plenty interesting.

The main thing that brought my stars down from 4 to 3 was the ending. With the wonderful build-up, the climax felt almost too easy. I would've liked to see Colin fight harder for his happy ending.

[I received this book for free through First Reads and was not required to write a positive or any other type of review. All opinions stated herein are solely my own.]

[Randy Blea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waking Dreams: The Torment of Colin Pierce was one of the books, however, that pulled me in from the start. It was one of those books that left me longing for my next "waiting" moment where I could pull out my phone and immerse myself in the unique universe that JD Kaplan created. From the emotional introduction of the characters, that hits ever so close to our own waking nightmares, to the rest of our journey into the Dreamside with Colin, JD Kaplan has released a story that not only envelops us into the minds of the characters but leaves us anticipating the next installment in a story world rich with possibilities.

I would highly recommend Waking Dreams: The Torment of Colin Pierce for the hit and go reader like myself or for anyone that enjoys using a book to awaken the dreamer inside themselves.

[Elli · Rating 5 out of 5]

JD Kaplan delves into the world of fantasy in this intriguing first novel. His extraordinary imagination has created an intricate world that is believable; the reader gets sucked in immediately. Kaplan's lyrical style of writing flows effortlessly while he creates strong characters (including many strong women) who are likable, witty and sensitive. Actually, he seems to have almost mastered the woman's perspective. The plot takes many twists and managed to surprise me. The descriptions are fabulous and cover an extensive array of beings: zombies, dinosaurs, previously unknown monsters such as murkshifters and soul eaters. Very impressive first effort - I look forward to reading more of JD Kaplan's work!

[Heather Langston · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, this one started off engaging. Snagged my interest and kept it for a good while. But then I bounced back and forth between periods of enjoyment and then periods of...well, loss of interest. Just some dry spots, I guess you could call them. I must say though, the author did a fantastic job on the character Penny! Always found myself smiling at her enthusiasm. There is some profanity. With this one, I would recommend one check out a sample first. For those who really like stories of dreams becoming reality, you'll probably enjoy this.

I received a complimentary copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

[Vincent Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an urban fantasy book about dreams. In fact, it is so much about dreams that the majority of the characters sleep through much of the book. The question is though is whether this book put you to sleep. I do not think it will. If anything, this book ended up ruining my sleep considering I stayed up far later than what is normally my bedtime far too many nights so that I might see what next will happen. I highly recommend this book.

[Jesena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
Overall it is a fine book. It flows well and was interesting enough to keep me reading. What I didn't like was noticeable inexperience of the author. There are some repetitive words, overly used phrases and some paragraphs with same name mentioned in almost every sentence. Halfway through the book I could mostly guess the ending but when I read it I was pleased with unexpected (to me at least) twist.

[Holli Krusemark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Kaplan's ability to create such vivid imagery is quite remarkable. The first section begins so tragically;the remainder of the book is a nod to 'Stardust' and 'Inkheart'. This is a great adventure with a loving father daughter story at its' core.I would keep my eye open for more of Kaplan's work because he is only going to get better!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story grabs you right from the beginning and never lets go. I found myself very invested in the characters, and found it difficult to put down once I got wrapped up in the story. Definitely has a Charles de Lint urban fantasy vibe to it.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good characters and descriptive writing. The author has a nice empathy for his subject. I became fully engaged in this story. I could see already see the movie...

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this as a first offering from a new author. Looking forward to seeing the next installation of Colin's adventures with the dreamside. :)

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting read and very good. Really made me think a lot about things. I enjoyed it