นิมิตมนตรา 4 ความทรงจำสีแดง

Blue is for Nightmares #4

by Laurie Faria Stolarz, จิตต์สุภา ฉิน (Translator)

จะเกิดอะไรขึ้นถ้าทุกครั้งในยามหลับใหล คุณฝันเห็นบางสิ่งบางอย่างที่คุณไม่ปรารถนา...
หลังจาก 'เจคอบ' พลัดตกเรือสูญหายไป ชีวิตของ 'สเตซี่' ก็เหมือนจะสูญสลายไปด้วย เธอเฝ้ารอคอยเขาอยู่ที่ทะเลไม่ยอมจากไปไหน เพราะเชื่อว่าสักวันหนึ่งเขาต้องกลับมา แต่ท้ายที่สุดสเตซี่ก็ยอมกลับมาใช้ชีวิตอีกครั้งตามคำแนะนำของหมอที่ช่วยฟื้นฟูสภาพจิตใจที่บอบช้ำของเธอ เธอเริ่มต้นชีวิตใหม่ในรั้วมหาวิทยาลัย ที่แห่งนี้ทำให้เธอได้รู้จักกับ 'พอร์ชา' ลูกสาวของอธิการบดีผู้ซึ่งมีฝันร้ายเป็นลางบอกเหตุเช่นเดียวกัน พอร์ชาฝันเห็นเด็กหนุ่มแปลกหน้าคนหนึ่งตกอยู่ในอันตราย เพื่อช่วยเขาให้ปลอดภัย ทั้งพอร์ชาและสเตซี่จะต้องใช้ความสามารถและความแข็งแกร่งทั้งหมดที่มี นอกจากนี้สเตซี่ก็พบว่าฝันร้ายของพอร์ชามีความเชื่อมโยงกับคนที่เธอคุ้นเคยอย่างคาดไม่ถึง
ขอให้นอนหลับฝันดี

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Witches, Mystery, Romance

302 pages, Paperback

First published August 8, 2005

About the author

Laurie Faria Stolarz grew up in Salem, MA, attended Merrimack College, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston.

Laurie Faria Stolarz is an American author of young adult fiction novels, best known for her Blue is for Nightmares series. Her works, which feature teenage protagonists, blend elements found in mystery and romance novels.

Stolarz found sales success with her first novel, Blue is for Nightmares, and followed it up with three more titles in the series, White is for Magic, Silver is for Secrets, and Red is for Remembrance, as well as a companion graphic novel, Black is for Beginnings. Stolarz is also the author of the Touch series (Deadly Little Secret, Deadly Little Lies, Deadly Little Games, Deadly Little Voices, and Deadly Little Lessons), as well as Bleed and Project 17. With more than two million books sold worldwide, Stolarz's titles have been named on various awards list.

Reviews

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uno de mis libros más ansiados por leer, porque el anterior fue impresionante, bastantes expectativas a logar pero la verdad es que no salió tan mal parado.

La historia como ya es costumbre aborda lo mismo, pero a este punto estamos tan enganchados a la trama y a los personajes (mi caso, porque me era agradable regresar a ellos) que eso no fue algo malo, de todas maneras el misterio nuevo me gustó y el desarrollo fue el mejor de la serie, sin duda llegamos poco a poco, se nos fue explicando y tuvo su desenlace como debe ser. Puntos extras por eso.

Lo malo.
La aparición o intromisión de alguien nuevo, debo admitir que eso le da más estructura pero conocer ese lado no fue la gran cosa, no aportaba nada y era tedioso leer esas partes, además de que cubrió gra parte de la narrativa, aquí entramos en una disyuntiva.

Ha sido el mejor desarrollo de historia a pesar de que también sea la más corta. Porque esta otra "perspectiva" cubrió caso todo el libro, claro que era necesaria pero al momento de unirlas creo que no resultó. Fue muy acelerado y en un respiro nos sacaron de esa mundillo y todas las páginas que tuvimos que leer para llegar aquí no sirvieron de nada.

Y el final, no fue lo que esperaba. El libro pasado, (y uno de mis favoritos en lo que va del año) se llevó una ovación por sus capítulos finales pero este fue tan simplón que me hizo pensar ¿de verdad va a terminar así? creo que me faltaron hojas pudo haber sido un cierre increíble pero en cambio solo nos dieron una explicación mocha y como dos párrafos de palabrería que nos dejó casi todo volando.

Aun así la serie sí que vale la pena, juvenil y predecible pero en conjunto logran una historia entretenida que si eres fan del suspenso y la wicca seguro te engancharán.

[Tee · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I had to compare this series to a TV show, it would've definately been Charmed.
OK, Charmed minus having the protagonist marrying her Whitelighter who later turns into an Elder, because their unborn son from the future made it happen and that type of things, but it has the Charmed vibe.
Overall, I liked the series. All the books were something you can read in one sitting, interesting and intense.

I didn't like the last one as much I as liked the previous ones, though.
Maybe I would've liked it better if I haven't figured Shell's past and who he really is out at the very begining. This way, I was frustrated through the entire book and just waiting for everyone else to figure it out, too.

And the ending!
Laurie, honey, we've already seen it at "The Vow".

My final rating of the series: 3,5 - 4 stars

[Annies · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read 'Red is for Remembrance'. This is the fourth and final book in the 'Blue is for Nightmares' series by Laurie Faria Stolarz. I thought this book was excellent. It rolled humor, mystery, suspense, and some action all into one book. Stacey Brown, the main character, is having weird dreams again. She is accepted into a prestigious college with a full scholarship, and with her below average grades, she wasn’t quite sure why. But, she soon finds out that the president of the college’s daughter is also having nightmares, and with all the publicity Stacey got for saving her other dream victims, the president knew just who to call. He asked Stacey to help Porsha, his daughter, figure out her dreams and understand what was happening. Stacey realizes that she has to help Porsha in order to get over her soul-mate going missing. If she ever wants to close the chapter on Jacob, she must understand Porsha’s dreams, and her own.

I would classify this book as contemporary fiction. It was oddly written though. It told two stories that were somehow connected. Stolarz’s writing was exquisite and very detailed. It also had some magic aspects which I thought were interesting to learn about. I would recommend this to anyone who read the other books and liked them. I suggest reading the first three books to learn about Stacey’s nightmares and to get a better idea of the main/supporting characters and their relationships. But, mainly girls would like this. It isn’t exactly gender specific, but I’m not sure boys would be interested in these books. I could hardly put this book down once the plot started to thicken and I highly suggest reading it.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely my favorite book in the Blue Is For Nightmares series (maybe because the dreaded Drea wasn't in it). I liked the other three, but they were no where near as good as Red is for Remembrance.

Overall, I just felt it was a stronger story and that I got to know Stacey so much better than any of the other books. She went from a completely one dimensional character I hardly cared about to one I was routing for and loved. I just couldn't put this book down!

I do think the ending was a little rushed. And if I were to recommend a series by this author it would be the Touch Series hands down, however, I enjoy this author (her style of writing, her wit, and her ability to describe things so well), she has gained herself a dedicated fan in me. I'm for sure going to look for the fifth book (the comic Black is for Beginnings).

[Hayley Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fact that I'm done w the series (minus the graphic novel) hurts me. I don't want it to end. I grew more attached to Stacey and Jacob than I anticipated!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember not really liking this one, but I actually think it was one of the strongest of the series.

[Barbi Faye (The Book Fae) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review soon; busy reading!!!!

[Alisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predicted the outcome about halfway through. I do like how different parts of the story all came together nicely and some symbolism came into play. I just wish the ending offered more as this is the last book in the series.

[su ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i want someone to love me this much, GOD PLEASE, PLEASE

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

OH MY GOD!!!!!! SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!

About 130 pages in, I made a revelation that made me jump for joy... literally! I was squealing like a little school girl. That Laurie, she's a tricky one!

I loved it. Every page, every second, every minute. I stayed up to the wee hours of the morning to finish reading it. And I cried through the majority of the book! I'm super sad the series is nearly over (I will be reading the graphic novel which is the 5th book). I'm really attached to these characters and I absolutely love everything about the storyline. This is a series I will read over and over again I am sure.

And one thing is for sure, I will most definitely be reading the rest of Laurie faria Stolarz work! She is fabulous!

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is the fourth book of the Blue is for Nightmares Series. This book is really good and I like how there is like two different perspectives in the book. At first I didn't know why but at the end i figured it all out. It 's really good and it's one of the best of the series. This is the last book which I wish it wasn't because the series is really good.

[Caylee]

I wanna start off with that I loved loved loved this book, for one the ending was amazing. So, Red is for Remembrance is the fourth book in the series about Stacey having nightmares, but in the last book she lost her boyfriend, Jacob, when he fell off a cruise ship. She has been having more dreams about him but dreams that have been giving her clues. She soon meets Porsha who has also been having dreams but about a camp and this one guy, 'Shell.' They have talked about Porsha's dreams and they're working to help figure out what they mean because she said someone would die if they didn't. Stacey starts having dreams about Porsha's (dead) mother who tells her ways she can communicate better with Porsha. When Porsha gets closer to Stacey they discover more about her dreams and eventually figure out where they are. They head to the Cape where her dreams had been located and Stacey finds 'Shell,' except 'Shell' is actually Jacob. He had lost all of his memories from falling off of the ship but he had also been having dreams about Stacey coming to find him. At the end Stacey saves him and Brick from the camp and they go home, but since Jacob doesn't have any memory his parents take him back to his old house and he slowly starts gaining his memory again. I loved this ending so much, I'm so happy that they brought Jacob back and he was still alive. I think this was my favorite in the entire series.

[Phoenyx Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite one of the series I think. At about half way through, I realized the twist. I was really happy about it. This whole series is so spiritual, and has inspired me to focus on my spirituality again.

[Erin Becker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stacey was almost unbearable this book (I get it she’s grieving but she didn’t have to be such an a**hole). I liked the back and forth of the POV from her to Shell and how the story all came together at the end.

[Sydney’s Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading the 3rd book, this one was just way to predictable from the beginning that it felt too dragged out. Good story line but definitely easy to assume what happens.

[Esther Pew · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Man, I love this series. It felt great to go back and reconnect with the characters that felt like family. I want more. A powerful, emotional story that has stuck with me for years.

[Mystic DreamClouds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, there was a lot going on in this book and for once we had more than one individual similar to Stacey.

Amber. Let’s start with her. Wild, loud, voracious and always wanting to get laid, Amber surprises me in this book. From Stacey’s viewpoint and her recollections, Amber has been there with Stacey ever since the cruise ship accident. I would have thought Drea or Chad would be there since they were the closest to Stacey in the previous books. But no, it was Amber and she cared. Taking away Stacey’s tranquilizer pills, giving Stacey a reality check, checking on Stacey and noting her absences and changes in behavior while giving her space. Amber was there and I was for this friendship all the way. It was heartwarming to see someone unexpected supporting Stacey when she really needed a friend.

Stacey’s emotions were a roller coaster and felt real in this book. Stacey’s relationship with Jacob wasn’t fully fleshed out in previous books so at first, it was hard to understand their level of understanding and trust. However, in this installment through Stacey’s recollections and everyone’s reactions it can be said they both had a strong connection and dearly loved each other. The story focuses more on the mysteries and the related suspense instead of getting caught up in the romances and side stories. Although it’s a good thing, it also reduces the understanding and connection the reader makes with the characters.

As part of this book’s plot there are many new potential wicca learning individuals (or witches if you prefer) introduced. I enjoyed each one since they were unique and not repetitive. We had one who found wicca interesting and was trying to learn even if her thoughts weren’t for “helping” per say, and then we had another who was the center of focus during this book’s mystery. This book also described two characters where one accepted wicca practicing individuals readily and another who took a bit of time to accept them after learning what exactly the practice was about. I found it amazing that the author introduced these characters without ruining the story to provide more diversity and viewpoints.

The main mystery or plot of this story is interesting. Told in dual perspectives of Stacey and Shell we learn of how each of them are eventually trying to get to terms with themselves and get out of their current situations. Stacey, having lost the love of her life finds solace in Porsha’s nightmares hoping that the boy she sees is Jacob. Whereas, Shell having lost his memory finds his new “family” a little concerning as the secrets are revealed. There were both completely different stories in the beginning that ultimately connected at the end making the ending seem a bit rushed.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Maybe it’s for the hopeful thought that maybe we could see Jacob again or the possibly new characters and views of wicca individuals and how society perceives them discussed. Either way, it was interesting for me and I found the writing quite mesmerizing in this installment. The mystery in this book wasn’t there for me fully but I liked how we were using someone else’s nightmares to save an innocent life. I’m looking forward to ending this series with the next and last book and hoping for a happy ending!

Read more reviews @ Mystic's Review Shelf

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so I finally finished this series. Woohoo! This book was shockingly pretty good! There is a lot going on but it is definitely the most divorced from the series as a whole which is probably for the best considering most of it has been kind of a big ol mess.

First off, Stacey's dreams are the tamest they have been in all 4 books. She is mostly just depressed over her maybe-dead boyfriend and in college now. Her dreams consist of conversations with a new character's, Porscha's, mother, who is telling Stacey to help her daughter with HER dreams. Do you follow me so far? The ghost also speaks in rhymes and it really is the worst. This ghost is recently deceased, why the fuck is she speaking in rhymes?

While Stacey is doing that, we have a double narrative with 'Shell' (who is really Jacob, SHHHHH) who has been living in a cult for the past 4 months and he don't know who he is because he got got-damn amnesia! In the end, Porscha's dreams reunite Stacey and Jacob ultimately remembers that Stacey is his one true soulmate and they pick it up from there. Yaaaay.

We haven't dealt with a double narrative before which is a very different route for this series, but I hate that there is a difference in the dreams. They seem super goofy and not creepy or scary which is a bummer. No pee, no vomit, no blood? I'm shocked by it for sure because those things were the best part of her dreams, not to be gnarly. Also, recently deceased ghosts, please don't rhyme.

I'm going to bring some credit to my girl Amber. Amber is the most ride-or-die bitch in this series and she gets ZERO credit for it. Stacey is constantly saying how Drea is her 'best friend' when Drea has not proved that ONCE in the ENTIRE SERIES! At the beginning of this book, we find out that Amber actually stayed with Stacey all summer to comfort her in her time of need. She actually stayed with Stacey in a cabin, caring for her, as Stacey pined over her potentially dead ex-boyfriend. Where was Drea? Oh, going to college over 400 miles away from her friend who just faced extreme trauma. I know, I know, you can't expect people to drop everything in their life for your needs, but Drea can go fuck herself. She is a selfish, terrible, awful person and Amber is THE homie ALL THE WAY!

The only thing I'll say about Amber is that the choice to have her and PJ randomly get back together with no explanation after she has hated him and ripped on him throughout the whole series was a JARRING change that I fucking HATED. PJ SUUUUUUCKS. I would have been more excepting of it if Stolarz had weened us into it, like a convo between Stacey and Amber about Amber's feelings, but NOPE. THOSE 2 ARE JUST GONNA BE MAKING OUT IN A PIZZA SHOP NOW OK. Chad is only in this book for 2 seconds thank GOD. We can only assume he was busy cheating on Drea.

The savage shade against Sage, the only goth character, was hilarious. She doesn't know the rule of three and wants to be a witch? Isn't that Wiccan basics #1? Like damn bitch what are you doing LOL.

Anyway this has been fun, these books were a wild ride.

[Emma Bartosch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

[Britney (BookDrunkSloth) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The end of the previous book leads readers to this limbo of not knowing. Not knowing whether or not Jacob is alive, and not knowing what Stacey is going to do about it. She is also seeing a therapist which scares some into thinking she's gone crazy.

This book takes us several months later, to when Stacey finally goes to school. She's still having a hard time accepting Jacob is gone. She goes into this weird depression and takes a lot of sleeping pills trying to force herself to dream. She is also approached by the dean of her school to try and help his daughter who is also having nightmares.

Stacey's friends stage an intervention about her pill consumption which I think was a little too early. It had only been for a couple weeks. I liked that Stacey also helped the dean's daughter. Her nightmares tied in really well with the premise of the series.

This book is unique in that it also changes perspectives. In the three previous books, Stacey is our only POV and its a first person narrative. In this book, it switches from Stacey's first person to Shell's third person POV. I really enjoyed these changes.

The part about the end I did not like was the reunion between Jacob and Stacey. I felt he would get a lot of his memories back upon seeing her. Unfortunately, the author was a little more realistic. It still was a happy reunion, though.

I've heard that there is a graphic novel made after this book but that it isn't good, so I don't plan on reading it. This fourth book really felt like an ending. However, I think the author should really explore Porsha a little. I think she could have some books of her own, with maybe Stacey and the gang doing small cameos.

[Ifigenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the last book of one serie that has not been my favourite, if I had to rate, I would rate as average. It could be that the main issue was me, I bought it the four books together in the beautiful box, as I had always wanted to have a serie of books in a box with all the drawings (yes, I am very snob). I think I would have enjoyed more if I had read when I was a teenager (but those years have long gone and they are not coming back). The characters were quite plain and I have not had the feeling that they have evolved enough during the story. In this book, Stacey is crying after losing Jacob and struggling with a pill addiction of which she recovers very fast, after discovering that she is not having her dreams because of that.

It was quite easy to find out that the boy which was about to die was Jacob, even when now he is going under other different name. I have the feeling the ending is too happy, that it was too easy to get the van from Amber, and everything was much "easier" that in the real life. .

To sum up, it was easy to read but the plot was quite predictable and the characters plain. I enjoyed better than the third one, though.

[Erika Schoeps · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

This book is better than the previous installment in the series, but not by much.

Characters:
PJ and Amber are caricatures of "regular teen", so much so that they appear immature at times, and tell really horrible jokes. But occasionally their humor is amusing and cute.
Stacey, Drea, and Chad have basically no defining characteristics, and simply move the plot along... with the exception of Chad shaming Stacey for having a crush on someone new after her old boyfriend's untimely death. That was crap. What right does he have? Shit.
Porsha was a little bit intriguing, simply because she acted unpredictable at first, but eventually she turned to mush as soon as her behavior had no plot function.

Plot:
A mystery with a little more texture than the last book. I actually couldn't predict what was going to happen, and the pacing was not bad, especially near the end. Stolarz doesn't have a lot of literary skill, but she can ratchet up the tension near the end of her books.
I liked the two plots that intertwined, and was drawn in by Shell's plot.

I'm so glad I finished this series. It wasn't crappy enough to put down, but I wasn't really enjoying myself either... I remembered liking this in middle school, and revisited the series for nostalgia purposes. Unfortunately, I then became compelled to follow this one until the end.

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, this is the last book in the Blue is For Nightmares series. In this one, Jacob is lost and Stacey is heartbroken. She believes he is alive, and helps a troubled girl named Portia who is having nightmares about a mysterious boy that is going to be killed. Portia leads Stacey to a camp to find the boy, and they find someone unexpected at the camp as well.

I can connect Portia to Callie from Cut. They both have issues they don’t want to deal with, so instead of trying to get help they cut themselves. They both decide to get help, and they become completely different people when they stop hurting themselves. Also, in both books the girls get help because someone either helps them, or inspires them to stop.

I would give this book four stars because I don’t like how is switched from Stacey’s point of view to the boy (Shell)’s point of view. If it didn’t switch, the person Stacey finds at the end would be more of a surprise. If you like magic, mystery, or have read the rest of the series, you should read Red is For Remembrance.

[Rachel Dalton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright, so I liked Red more than Blue and Silver, and probably the same as White. We'll see how I like Black - it's next.

This book didn't follow the same pattern of the others, and while it was predictable in other ways, it was not the same boring arc that I have gotten so used to in these books.

The emotional stakes were also higher, so I think that upped my interest as well. Though it was so obvious who our "mystery narrator" was from the beginning, I think the author knew that, and I think it was a smart choice because it filled in the blanks for the reader without filling them in for Stacey as she figured it out.

Characters that I didn't like so much (Drea, Clara) were in it very little (or not at all) and new characters that I enjoyed were introduced (Porsha, Brick). I also liked Stacey a lot more in this book than I did in all the others - I think that faced with loss, she became more real and was forced to find herself.

All in all, this was a refreshing addition to the installment. We'll see how it ends with Black.

[Susanne Leist · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I don't usually read books from the YA genre but someone told me that my book could fall into that category. So I go to a bookstore, without my glasses, and pick out a book. I didn't realize that it was part of a series. Even so, I read it and enjoy it immensely.
The writing is superb. The only difference I can see between YA and adult genres is in the way the characters speak. They use words like "stuff" to show they are young. Otherwise, the plot and mystery are as deep and riveting as any suspense.
The main character, Stacey, is in college. Her best friend tries to help her out of her depression from the loss of her boyfriend, Jacob, her one true love. He's missing. Soon she finds herself embroiled with a young girl who has nightmares that hint at reality. This time the nightmares involve a cult and young boys.
You make think this is all obvious but there is a twist in the story that surprises even a hardcore mystery fan like me.
I highly recommend this book for a spot of fun.

[Ernesto gutierrez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big fan of the series. silver is for secrets is my favorite so far. This book leaves my dissapointed. It is not bad but it is not as good as the other books. I was able to figure out one of the big twist in the story on page 80. i dont know if the author intended for the twist to be figure out so easily or maybe i just happened to figure it out. When i was reading this book i felt like the main character stacy was doing nothing but complain about everything and everyone. She seemed like such a week character in this book. I wish she was stronger and not let the trajic death of her boyfriend ruin her life. On the bright side laurie faria stolarz does a great job on describing the scenery and what is happening in the book. it is written very well and the book does not drag too much. I will defenetely recommend this book but be beware that this is probably the weekest of the series.

[Haley Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't like the end of this. This is gonna be a spoiler. I was so happy when I found out Jacob wasn't dead, that Shell was Jacob. And uhmm, I just hated the end. When they finally got back together and then he just...didn't remember anything. I didn't like it. At all. It made me so mad. For me the books went like this. The first one was good. Second one was better. Third one was amazing. Last one, sucked. I mean, no it was good. It didn't suck. I just, I didn't like the end. How he didn't remember her hardly at all. I wish when he saw her, something would have hit him, and he would have remembered at least something about her. It was okay though. At least he was alive. That made me laugh, and then I smiled the whole time. I was so glad! =]

[Cisz Geverink - Strasters · Rating 5 out of 5]

echt een heerlijke serie!! nog steeds balen dat deze niet in het nederlands is vertaald?! maar gelukkig lezen de engelse ook heerlijk weg... jammer dat dit het einde was. hoewel... ik heb de graphic novel nog :)

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series. Black is for Beginnings is coming out next summer.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE BEST EVER!!! Totally made a comeback =DD i loved this seriess!!!!!!!!