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The Watchers #1

Watchers of the Night

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From the outside, Paul Bennett appears to be an ordinary high school senior from small-town Kentucky. But Paul has a secret. He possesses an extraordinary gift which allows him to leave his body during the night and go anywhere, see anything—unseen, undetected.

Unbeknownst to Paul, he is not alone in his ability--there are others who can do what he can, and they belong to Astralis, a government agency funded by the United Nations who train people like Paul to become spies. When one of their scouts recognizes Paul for what he is, he is offered a place in the agency.

Paul makes a new life at Astralis, forging new friendships and inadvertently creating new enemies. Through the mentoring of the agency's director, Dr. Abrams, Paul finds a place where he finally feels he belongs.

Unfortunately, Astralis is an organization under siege from within. Not everyone feels Dr. Abrams is a fit director, and some are willing to do anything to make a change of leadership--even murder.

322 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 28, 2013

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Matthew Keith

22 books25 followers

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5 stars
79 (29%)
4 stars
88 (32%)
3 stars
69 (25%)
2 stars
28 (10%)
1 star
8 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
Profile Image for Sherry D. Ramsey.
Author 66 books140 followers
March 6, 2015
My actual rating would be 3.5 stars, adding the extra .5 mainly because despite a few problems I had with the book, the writing is very good. The author has an engaging narrative style and there were no problems with style or mechanics of writing. (This is always particularly notable with self-published books.) And as always, my ratings reflect the actual Goodreads definitions--three stars meaning I liked it.

I'll be honest--I'm not sure how I came to have this book on my e-reader. I must have seen it somewhere as a deal and picked it up because the premise sounded interesting. The book did deliver on its promise of an interesting situation--a young man who, when he sleeps, has his "consciousness" disconnected from his physical body and can travel in that state. There are a lot of places the writer could go with that idea, and a secret group of individuals with that ability who use their power for good makes for an intriguing story.

However, I found that the book dragged somewhat in the middle, as the main character learns about his ability and the group he joins. I kept waiting for him to start going on exciting missions, but it turned out that this book was mostly about internal strife among the "Walkers"--as they call themselves. Which was interesting once it finally got rolling, but was not what I expected going into the book.

Now, this may be entirely the fault of my own expectations, and writers have only limited control over what potential readers expect from their work. I'm running into the same difficulty with the book I'm currently reading...but more about that later, in that review.

Also, I found this book ran into problems from time to time with characters making bad decisions--for example, knowing something important but not taking all steps necessary to get that information to the proper person. This is a relatively common problem in YA fiction--and while I understand that sometimes young characters *can't* take their problems to adults because it would remove some of their agency in the story, I think they must have believable reasons for their actions and decisions within the context of the story. In other words, give the characters real obstacles.

The ending was also just too abrupt for my liking, but I believe there's a second book, so perhaps it just leads into the next one.

All in all, though, I did like this book; it kept me reading and engaged, and I think that YA readers will find it interesting and enjoyable, with some fun characters and a very thought-provoking premise.
Profile Image for Sara Reis.
56 reviews4 followers
February 25, 2014
There are two groups of Young adult books. Those who are only aimed to Young adults, and those who are enjoyed by readers of all ages. This book belongs to the last group.

I found out about this book on twitter, and I bought it as soon as I read it was about a sleep disorder. And I am glad I got it, having suffered from sleep disorder this book just felt right for me although my dreams were just dreams and Paul’s dreams (if we can call it dreams) are a gift.

This is an original book, interesting, captivating paranormal novel which was very easy to read and got me hooked from the beginning, I really enjoyed it.

Profile Image for Dina Roberts.
Author 4 books29 followers
May 21, 2014
Thrilling book. Ends on a cliffhanger, so if you like it you'll have to buy the next one. I definitely want to buy it!

The book is about people who have astral projection experiences at night instead of dreaming.

It reminds me of super hero stories like Avengers and the X-Men...people with powers working together.

Profile Image for Peggy.
166 reviews3 followers
April 9, 2014
Paul is late at school - again. Doesn't go down well of course with the teachers. But he can't help it. He has a sleep disorder making him falling to sleep when the sun goes down and only waking up when the sun comes up again. No specialist and no method tried by his parents can keep him awake or wake him up earlier. But what neither his parents nor his two best friends, Steven and Stephanie, know is that not only does he fall asleep like that, but also seems to walk in his sleep whilst his physical body stays in bed - so no-one can see nor hear him when he walks around town in night-time. First he thinks it must be a dream, but it is too real.

A meeting with his school counsellor leads him to Astralis, a Sleep Disorder Clinic. Only, it isn't a clinic. At Astralis, Paul will find out that there are others like him, called Walkers. And at Astralis, they work for the U.N. under peace missions. The walkers are obviously a valuable commodity, being able to walk around in nightime where no-one sees them and but they can hear and see everything. Paul makes good friends at Astralis, but there are also those who disagree with what Astralis does, and would like to use their special 'power' for other purposes and would rather like to get paid for it. Paul's two friends from his home town, Steven and Stephanie, will be by his side when he has to make important decisions and book 1 ends on a big cliffhanger.

I absolutely loved this book, in fact it reminds me of my favourite writer Stephen King's style. This story could have come straight from SK's pen. Having the idea for the story is one thing, but as a writer, you also have to be able to put it into a 'readable and enjoyable' format - and that's exactly what Keith did here. Even though, due to the age of the main character, a YA book, it clearly also very much appeals to the slightly older adult (I'm in my 40's :). The story never stalls, and the 'walking ability' is easy to understand and not made too complicated by some weird science or other factors. For example, Paul will learn at Astralis how the Walkers complete their missions - they can't be seen, but they also can't move anything, so doors need to be open for them. They can't get hurt, even if, for example, jumping out of a helicopter. But their physical body is vulnerable whilst sleeping, so they all have a Sentinel who guards them.

What I like about Paul is that he is not some kind of Super-Kid but himself almost feels awkward with his special ability and for a long time, sees it as a disablement rather than a gift. The story is plot driven though in my opinion, and this makes it a real page turner. This is another book which I can see working beautifully as a movie.

The only thing which did not work for me so well was the cover. The tag line is 'spot on': The end of the day…is just the beginning', but I felt this good story needed a bit of more exciting cover. I just simply know that a lot of readers chose the book by the cover. But this is just a personal preference I guess.

All in all, one of the best YA Paranormal I have read in a long time, and I can't wait to read book 2.
http://thepegsterreads.blogspot.co.uk...
Profile Image for Kristine.
3,827 reviews62 followers
July 10, 2013
Well, the one word that comes to mind for this book was challenging. It was challenging for me to read. I had to make myself continue and was anxious to finally be done with it. That is not to say that it was a horrible book, it wasn't - but it was not one of the books that captures you from the beginning and makes it hard to put down. The story is a unique and plausible (in the supernatural realm, that is) and Paul is a likable character. I can't put my finger on what it was that kept it from jumping into the "great" category for me. The relationship between Steven and Paul is a strong tight knit relationship and you have to love Steven for his blind devotion to Paul.
The story took too long to develop for me. There was not enough character development to make me invested in the story. The only character I felt strongly about was Hodge and that was intense dislike.
It didn't seem plausible that Stephanie could be so understanding, being on the complete outside of all of the events and even be able offer advice to Paul with her not knowing what exactly was going on. Maybe it was just me, but this one fell short of the mark for me. Not horrible by any means, but not one that gripped me and made me want to stay up and finish it.
Profile Image for Bev.
106 reviews27 followers
September 8, 2013
It is not what I usually read. I was quite impressed. The storyline was strong, the characters was strong. At the end of the book, I was what? Omg now i have to wait for the next book!!! I truly enjoyed reading it! I give this book 5/5 stars!!!
Profile Image for Anya Josephs.
Author 12 books135 followers
June 27, 2022
The premise of this one (a young man suffering from a sleep disorder turns out to have dreamwalking powers!) sounded so cool. Unfortunately, the execution just wasn't there! The setup worked great, and initially I liked the characters, but the book really dragged for me around the middle.
Frankly, the way the character of Allen was introduced rubbed me the wrong way (I'm sensitive to depictions of overweight characters as being disgusting, weak-willed, always eating, etc--I've struggled with weight all my life and these feel like stereotypes that are both hurtful and, honestly, lazy writing). This was a minor character, but the attention paid to his appearance and mannerisms was so excessive that it pulled me right out of a story I had been enjoying, and I just couldn't get back into it.
After being kind of pulled out of the story by this really unnecessary passage, I had a hard time getting back in. The choppiness of the writing and slowness of the plot started to stand out more to me, and the flatness of a lot of the characters made it hard to stay engaged in the story.
Profile Image for Armando Gornés.
3 reviews
July 19, 2019
Excelente. E inesperada acción y ambiente. Me gustó mucho.


Me parece una excelente novela de ficción, con personajes muy bien definidos, se exalta el valor de la amistad, y los valores familiares, la necesidad de la familia y lo contrario cuando ésta falta. Me gustó mucho.
Profile Image for Rud.
11 reviews
February 12, 2019
Kept me guessing

Good sci fi combined with good plot twists. I really enjoyed this, and look forward to more In the next books.
4 reviews
May 16, 2023
Excellent read.

The story is well thought out. Unfortunately no editor proofread the book to correct errors and it shows. It's too bad quality is put aside for expediency.
18 reviews
August 23, 2023
Definitely an edge of your seater

Great mix of characters, and once you get into the story, a real page turner. You won’t guess how this one will turn out.
Profile Image for Julie Ramsey.
Author 3 books34 followers
November 19, 2013
Watchers of The Night Review by Matthew Keith
Synopsis:
“You don’t even know where you are, do you.” A statement, not a question. Paul Bennett doesn’t realize that his sleep disorder is actually a gift that allows him to travel the night free of his body. That is, not until he is approached by a member of Astralis; an organization funded by the government that uses people with his talent to gather information for the greater good. At Astralis, Paul finds inclusion and friendship on a level that he’d never had the chance to experience and begins to believe that Astralis could provide a new life for him. It isn’t long, however, before he realizes that Astralis is an organization under siege from within. Paul finds himself forced to either choose a side or leave Astralis forever.

Review:
Four Stars
This was such an interesting novel. It has a lot to it that I wasn’t expecting, so once I got into the book ,I was hooked. The main character, Paul can asteral project in a way, he can leave his body. How cool is that? This is the first book I read where this was a plot line, so I really loved the originality of this idea. But the book developed slowly, often times causing me to lose interest in the beginning because of the slow pace. I do think that the ideas you form about characters are interesting, and it was nice to see my opinion change as I continued reading the book. There are a lot of surprises and plot twists that I wasn’t expecting. Overall, this book is well written, detailed and insightful. It’s a pleasant read.

Cianna
*I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. juliesbookreview.blogspot.com
Profile Image for Darlene.
376 reviews28 followers
June 2, 2013
I recid this book free as a beta read from the author from inkspank/ it is a smashword edition. I must say at first I thought that I would not like the book. But- boy was I ever wrong!!
Matthew keith hit a big home run with this book!! I am so looking forward to the follow up book.
The story starts out with a young man by the name of Paul sitting on a bench in the park. He is talking to a man - about the fact that he ends up there every night and does not know why. His family does not want anything to do with him. His father has moved out of the house and wont talk to him any more- and his mother. Well lets just say she stays as far away from him as possible. The only friends he has are Steven and Stephanie in school. They have been his friends forever. And they know all about the fact that he leaves his body and walks in his sleep. Yup you read right!!. He actually is able to walk and talk in his sleep.
Now for more of this very interesting story I must suggest that you read this book. You just have to find out what happens to Paul and his friends. Where he and his frienjds end up.
Matthew brings this story to real life- the characters became so real that you feel apart of them. And you just don't want to stop reading this book. I have to give this book a 5 plus star rating !!!! This is definately a book that I would buy and keep on myself and buy for my brothers for christmas!! Awesome job Matthew!!!
Profile Image for Kellie Ann.
69 reviews5 followers
November 8, 2013
What would you do if while you were sleeping you could walk anywhere and witness anything without being seen? What would you do if a "sleep clinic" that claimed to help you with you "sleep issue" actually is a secret organization? That is exactly what Paul Bennett is trying to figure out. After living years of isolation due to him having a special sleeping disorder that had him falling asleep at sunset and waking up at sunrise, Paul was contacted by Astralis, a "sleep clinic"that not only assures Paul that he is not the only one that suffers from this but also that the clinic can help Paul with the disorder that has plagued his life. After a very quick procedure that makes Paul feel that he was kidnapped, Paul ends up at Astralis, changing his life and as well as those he holds close to him forever.

WATCHERS OF THE NIGHT is an extremely original and refreshing concept. This book is well written and quite a thrill to read. Matthew Keith's ability to grab the readers attention is outstanding,

The beginning of WATCHERS OF THE NIGHT starts off with Paul and his battle with the isolation and depression of being different due to his "sleeping disorder", as he goes through his troubles, the author is able to channel all of those feelings through to the reader creating a better bond to the character. As the plot deepens goes on Matthew Keith's talent to write a wonderful story gets stronger making this book one of my op page turners of the year.
Profile Image for John.
22 reviews12 followers
Read
January 25, 2017
Surprisingly engaging read, considering it's centered on sleeping. There's a "young adult" vibe here that rivals some of the "big hitters" of recent years -- this book feels like something that could emerge as the next "Hunger Games"- or "Divergent"-type success story, with an intriguing premise and engaging characters. Unlike those other YA "hits," this story is written more in the here-and-now present, sans the dystopian perspective of many other recent series, which I feel actually works in this book's favor. Without politicizing things too much, there seems to be more than enough "dystopian" in our present world, and as a reader I find myself more than ready for something a bit more "functional," and Indicium Rising seems to deliver on that count.

I found the overall premise to be extremely compelling, and the characters that the author delivers do a good job of seeming real without falling into most of the classic YA character stereotypes (although the certainly do dance around the edges, they never fall into the cliche trap altogether).

The adults in the world also feel fairly "solid" as well, which adds to the story and helps the overall world seem that much more real.

I went directly from this book to Book 2, which speaks well for how engaging this story was. Overall, I have to say that I've found this to be an engaging, refreshing read.
Profile Image for Jo Reason.
374 reviews28 followers
May 11, 2013
The book is YA/adventure/mystery. I give this book 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

The author´s imagination is wonderful, he creates a world that could or not exist, after all it is all about gathering information. The author does a stunning job of describing Astralis it seems like I am actually walking through the building and it´s passageways. There are a variety of characters each has his or her own unique abilities and characteristics, my favourite person in the book is Paul who is the main character, he is thoughtful, calm and very insightful. Paul has some interesting moments in the books with his co-workers, some positive and some negative. My favourite part is the description of Mr Paine, in the beginning, the description really formed a superb image in my mind of who Mr Paine is.
There is plenty of dialogue explaining the ins and outs of the organization, this does go on a little in parts the overall it is not too much, there is plenty of mystery, which also leads you to the fact that there is a sequel.
The book is aimed at a young adult audience but don´t let that put you off if you are an adult, it is a great book, a fluid read, with minimal grammatical and spelling errors, I would recommend this book and I would also read the sequel that is due out sometime in 2014.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
127 reviews1 follower
July 12, 2013
I have to say that I loved this book. It will be hard to write a review without giving the book away. I will keep it short.
I will say that this book had wanted me to keep going back for more to see what was going to happen. When you that you had figured out what was going to go on. You will find out that you are completely wrong. At first the book start out slow but then it will quickly pick up.
Hodge was a character that I didn't like.He was someone who I call a bully throughout his character.
Stephanie had really surprised me at the end. I will just leave it there.
Paul was the character that had kept me wanting to know him. Thru out the whole story you all find something new about him. At the beginning you see him as aloner. That he doesn't get involved with others. Then at the end you will see another side that he wants to protect because it wrong. You must read to see what happens. I can't wait for book two.

I highly recommend this read.
If you liked the hunger games then you should like this as well.

*I was given a copy of this book to read in return for a honest review*
Profile Image for Tia.
638 reviews
October 1, 2015
"Watchers of the Night" by Matthew Keith is an interesting story about people that live a dual life, one in the daytime and one at night after they fall asleep. When Paul started not being able to stay awake when the sun set his parents took him to many specialists with no change, this of course brought on frustration for everyone involved. Paul only awakens when the sunrises, and therefore is late to school everyday which causes him to be sent to counseling. The counselor trying to help, involved an institute that specializes in sleep disorders. Paul has to make some quick decisions about his future so he chooses to go to Astralis and hopefully will get the help he needs to deal with his sleep issues. The things that Paul finds out could put him and everyone he loves in danger!

I really enjoyed reading this story. I think the characters and the choices they make are realistic, and I'm fascinated with the idea of walking in the real world as a "ghost" of sorts. "Watchers of the Night" does end with a cliffhanger, but I liked this story enough that I will definitely be reading book two!
Profile Image for Liquid Frost.
599 reviews22 followers
May 18, 2014
This is definitely geared up for YA -even with some of the language. The plot follows the Hero, Paul Bennett who is a social outcast at high school and has two very close friends. He also has a sleep disorder - automatically falling asleep at sunset without an ability to be woken until the sunrise. In stead of dreams however, he is a Walker - a Watcher of the Night. He is invisible to those in the dream (i.e. regular people at night) and cannot be heard either. He learns of an organized group of Walkers and becomes trained in record time to use his ability and his special attribute. He finds himself deep into complex situations and isn't sure of who to trust as a civil war is about to begin.

The premise is interesting, but the timetable is quite fantastic within this fantastical tale. I'm sure Paul will grow and reach his Hero plateau through the next set of books. I'm not in a rush to continue the series, but if I stumble across it later down the reading path - who knows.
Profile Image for Judith-Victoria Douglas.
Author 20 books81 followers
May 22, 2014
The concept of the Watchers is very original. They are like ghosts, but with abilities ghosts don't have. They are the spirit of the person and lead two lives. An intriguing story of self-discovery and coming of age, this should appeal you all YA and NA readers regardless of their genre preference. Its high school, and boot camp, and higher education, with spy potential. It needs some editing, but is otherwise well told with great characters. I was only disappointed that it ended about a page or two too soon. I have to assume the worse for poor Kenneth. It did drag with conversation/lecture in places, especially toward the end with the reader wants to move on a little faster to a result, but I did enjoy it. The author did a great job.
Profile Image for Jada Ryker.
Author 37 books51 followers
August 10, 2014
Who is Watching the Watchers?

Paul Bennett's life during the day is fairly normal. He is a high school senior. He remembers most things he reads but hates homework. With the good and the bad cancelling each other out, he's an average student.

Paul's life during the night is far from normal. He falls into a coma. He walks around among the awake. He can hear and see all events, but no one can see or hear him.

When a government agency discovers Paul's ability, his life takes a dramatic turn.

Talented and versatile author Matthew Keith's Watchers of the Night is an excellent science fiction/fantasy. The book does end on a cliff hanger. Thankfully, The Rise of Indicium (Watchers of the Night Book Two) is available to put us out of our misery.

Profile Image for C.D. Coffelt.
Author 3 books33 followers
October 17, 2013
(I finished Watchers of the Night long ago. Sorry I'm so late getting this review done. My apologies to the author)

I won't kid you. This was a very hard book for me to read. Not because of a faulty storyline or grammatical errors. The problem was the intensity. It blew my mind.

Have you ever watched a movie from behind your fingers, like that would save you when the monster jumped out from behind the collapsed wall? That was the effect Watchers had on me. I had to read it in stages and come back to reality for a breather.

Excellent writing, superb storyline. Just scary as hell.
Profile Image for Jody.
590 reviews6 followers
September 26, 2014
I don't know if this is classified as YA or not but it was really good. This is a story about a very select group of people who once they fall asleep their bodies stay laying in bed but somehow they (their soul?) gets up and walks around. I don't really know what else to say about this to help you understand what is going on. Just read the book description and it will tell you better than I can. All I can say with confidence is that this was a very good book. I like the twist of this book and cannot ever remember reading anything quite like this. It is original and very captivating.
Profile Image for Elaina.
Author 164 books76 followers
August 4, 2016
The concept of a whole other way of living while in the world of dreams had me grabbing this read. When Paul falls asleep at sunset he wakes up to into a world where no one can see him. Yup, you know you want to find out what happens! Enter Astralis, a sleep disorder clinic with a massive secret, and you will be hooked.

This is a read young adults will particularly enjoy, although I believe it is also suited to all ages. It does meander a bit here and there when I wished for the pace to pick up a bit, but overall this is an imaginative and affective story. Well done to the author!
Profile Image for Jo.
179 reviews5 followers
March 21, 2014
You are never sure who is telling the truth or which person to trust is it part of the training or is part of a different plan. You can understand the idea that some feel they are not free to live their lives because they have no finances to enable to venture into the world on vacation etc, also what if they wanted to settle down and start a family but would this make you react the way some have? I love the cliffhanger
Profile Image for Keith.
832 reviews10 followers
July 4, 2015
'Watchers of the Night' is an entertaining novel with an interesting storyline. It involves a young man in his late teens. Paul believes he has a sleep disorder. This disorder gives him special abilities like being able to walk, open doors and observe others while he is sleeping. He finds others like him. Paul joins this group and soon realizes there is something that is not quite right with this group, where he is now residing.
Profile Image for Dave Brace.
15 reviews
August 19, 2014
An interesting premise, started off well and carried on at a good pace.
Some of the characters were fairly stereotypical and typecast, however over all the book was enjoyable and I look forward to reading the next one.
5 reviews
September 5, 2014
Decent book, kept me guessing throughout who were the good guys and the bad guys. Quite a few characters to get used to but as long as you don't worry about it too much and concentrate more on the main ones its ok.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews