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Dreamfall #2
Uyanmak Yok
For most people, nightmares always come to an end. But for Cata, Ant, and the others, there may be no escape from theirs. After an experimental treatment meant to cure their insomnia went horribly wrong, the teens were dragged into a shared dreamworld where their most terrifying fears became reality.
The six of them have no way of waking up. And they’re beginning to realize that if they die here, they might actually die in the real world. One of the dreamers is already gone, and anyone could be next. The only thing they know for certain is that they have to work together to survive. But as they learn the truth about one another’s pasts, they soon discover they are trapped with something far worse than their nightmares….
The six of them have no way of waking up. And they’re beginning to realize that if they die here, they might actually die in the real world. One of the dreamers is already gone, and anyone could be next. The only thing they know for certain is that they have to work together to survive. But as they learn the truth about one another’s pasts, they soon discover they are trapped with something far worse than their nightmares….
284 pages, Paperback
First published August 7, 2018
54 people are currently reading
2413 people want to read
About the author
Amy Plum
33 books4,852 followersAmy Plum is the international bestselling author of the DIE FOR ME series (Indie Next List pick, Romance Times top pick, and recipient of a starred review from School Library Journal). The books have been translated into thirteen foreign languages. The trilogy is accompanied by three novellas entitled DIE FOR HER, DIE ONCE MORE, TO DIE FOR and a compendium entitled INSIDE THE WORLD OF DIE FOR ME.
In DREAMFALL and NEVERWAKE a radical experiment to cure chronic insomnia goes wrong, and its seven teenage test subjects are plunged into a shared coma populated by one another’s nightmares; those who die in the dream will also die in real life.
Amy's action/adventure/magic duology, AFTER THE END and UNTIL THE BEGINNING, received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, 4 1/2 stars from RT Book Reviews, and enthusiastic reviews from Kirkus, USA Today, ALA Booklist and School Library Journal.
After being raised in Birmingham, Alabama, in a rather restrictive environment, AMY PLUM escaped to Chicago to an even more restrictive environment at a university that expelled people for dancing. (And where she was called to the dean’s office for “wearing too much black”.) After all of that restrictiveness, she was forced to run far far away, specifically to Paris, France, where she only wore black and danced all she wanted.
After five years in Paris, she ventured to London, where she got an M.A. in Medieval Art History, specializing in Early Sienese Painting (1260-1348) mainly because it promised almost no hope of finding a paying job afterward.
Amy managed to find work in the world of art and antiques in New York. But after almost a decade of high-pressure lifestyle in the Big Apple, she swapped her American city for a French village of 1300 inhabitants.
After signing with HarperCollins for the DIE FOR ME series, Amy left her job as an English professor at Tours University to write full-time. She now lives in Paris with her two kids and her black lab, Oberon.
She is a huge fan of Edward Gorey and Maira Kalman (and collects both of their books/art), as well as David Sedaris, Amadeo Modigliani, and Ira Glass.
Check out videos and extras from Amy at Revenant Central.
In DREAMFALL and NEVERWAKE a radical experiment to cure chronic insomnia goes wrong, and its seven teenage test subjects are plunged into a shared coma populated by one another’s nightmares; those who die in the dream will also die in real life.
Amy's action/adventure/magic duology, AFTER THE END and UNTIL THE BEGINNING, received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, 4 1/2 stars from RT Book Reviews, and enthusiastic reviews from Kirkus, USA Today, ALA Booklist and School Library Journal.
After being raised in Birmingham, Alabama, in a rather restrictive environment, AMY PLUM escaped to Chicago to an even more restrictive environment at a university that expelled people for dancing. (And where she was called to the dean’s office for “wearing too much black”.) After all of that restrictiveness, she was forced to run far far away, specifically to Paris, France, where she only wore black and danced all she wanted.
After five years in Paris, she ventured to London, where she got an M.A. in Medieval Art History, specializing in Early Sienese Painting (1260-1348) mainly because it promised almost no hope of finding a paying job afterward.
Amy managed to find work in the world of art and antiques in New York. But after almost a decade of high-pressure lifestyle in the Big Apple, she swapped her American city for a French village of 1300 inhabitants.
After signing with HarperCollins for the DIE FOR ME series, Amy left her job as an English professor at Tours University to write full-time. She now lives in Paris with her two kids and her black lab, Oberon.
She is a huge fan of Edward Gorey and Maira Kalman (and collects both of their books/art), as well as David Sedaris, Amadeo Modigliani, and Ira Glass.
Check out videos and extras from Amy at Revenant Central.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
September 6, 2018
*Source* Library
*Genre* Young Adult / Horror
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
Neverwake is the second and final installment in author Amy Plum's Dreamfall duology. The series was partly inspired by the 90s film Flatliners, which was remade into a September 2017 movie. Neverwake picks up right where Dreamfall left off. In case you haven't yet read this series, I'll briefly summarize for you. In the beginning, there were 7 teenagers who agreed to become patients in a sleep research study. The teens include Cata, Fergus, Ant, Remi, Sinclair, Beth Ann and a 7th which we find out the identity of in this installment.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Genre* Young Adult / Horror
*Rating* 3.5
*Thoughts*
Neverwake is the second and final installment in author Amy Plum's Dreamfall duology. The series was partly inspired by the 90s film Flatliners, which was remade into a September 2017 movie. Neverwake picks up right where Dreamfall left off. In case you haven't yet read this series, I'll briefly summarize for you. In the beginning, there were 7 teenagers who agreed to become patients in a sleep research study. The teens include Cata, Fergus, Ant, Remi, Sinclair, Beth Ann and a 7th which we find out the identity of in this installment.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
December 28, 2018
you're joking. aUGUST?!!!! I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AUGUST TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS FHAHXKWHCUEBGUFYUSBF FUCK
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post-read: it was good! It didn’t have my wig, but it was good!
_
post-read: it was good! It didn’t have my wig, but it was good!
June 25, 2019
This series is a duology. This is the last book.
I very much enjoyed the finale. It didn't skip a beat from book one, and begins right where previous book ended.
I think I liked the 2nd book slightly more than the 1st. It definitely keeps your attention and is told from 3 different view points. In my opinion the 3 characters the author used were there right choices and it made the story better, than just a single voice.
There is a bit of disjointedness. Some areas of plot and/or characters don't get as much attention as I'd have liked. Some aspects felt quite rushed.
Overall an enjoyable and fast paced series.
I very much enjoyed the finale. It didn't skip a beat from book one, and begins right where previous book ended.
I think I liked the 2nd book slightly more than the 1st. It definitely keeps your attention and is told from 3 different view points. In my opinion the 3 characters the author used were there right choices and it made the story better, than just a single voice.
There is a bit of disjointedness. Some areas of plot and/or characters don't get as much attention as I'd have liked. Some aspects felt quite rushed.
Overall an enjoyable and fast paced series.
Want to read
August 15, 2017I just need to know, you guys. I NEED TO KNOW.
August 19, 2018
I'm debating between 3 and 4 stars right now. I'll sleep on it and see what I think tomorrow.
I really enjoyed it though! I'm glad I gave this duology a fair shot. It was great fun.
RTC.
I really enjoyed it though! I'm glad I gave this duology a fair shot. It was great fun.
RTC.
Want to read
October 24, 2017I NEED THIS BOOK RIGHT FREAKING NOW! TAKE MY MONEY SWEET BABY JESUS!!!!
May 14, 2023
Such a great book!! Also horrifying, creepy and disturbing, but in the best way!
Would recommend this spooky story!
4.5/5
Would recommend this spooky story!
4.5/5
February 26, 2021
Amazing conclusion to Dream Fall!! I loved this duology, it was a thrilling page turner that kept me up far past my bedtime to finish! I enjoyed the ending and will definitely be re reading this sometime!
September 3, 2018
I finally picked up Amy Plum's conclusion to Dreamfall with Neverwake! I read Dreamfall as an ARC last year and was positively DYING to get my hands on this one! It picks up pretty much where we left off, which was a good thing because things were getting rather intense when we learned that among the teenagers was a psychopathic murderer! Cue the dramatic music!
We already know who the killer is and that's Sinclair. Yet the teenagers are still caught in the dangers and chaos of their nightmares and Fergus, who woke briefly and learned of there being a killer among them, remains unconscious for sometime. In the meantime, Cata, Remi, Ant, and Sinclair are trying to get through each of the nightmares alive, all the while knowing there time in the "safe zone" keeps diminishing.
Real world side, we watch as Jamie is trying to figure things out regarding the teenagers and what they are possibly going through. The scientists believe they are all in comas, simple as that. But based on what Fergus said in the short time that he was semi-conscious and what BethAnn said when she was briefly awake as well, she starts to think there may be something more to what they are all experiencing. She will do everything in her power to get the teens to all safely wake up before something terrible happens to them in their dreams that may cause irreparable damage.
This one was just as exciting and thrilling as it predecessor! Though it's been over a year since I've read that one, I can't really say much on comparisons and whatnot. You could basically see this duology as one long novel since both books were under 300 pages. I almost wonder if it would've served better as one long novel rather than two short ones because the plot was sort of the same when you think of it. The teenagers were trying to stay alive and survive the nightmares they were being forced into.
Since I read this one sporadically over the long weekend, I don't feel like I really got the whole "feel" of it. Sporadically, it was still a pretty awesome read, if a little too much like the first one, yet knowing more than we did in the beginning. Again, I really think this would've been better off as one big book instead of just needlessly making it two shorter ones. At under 300 pages, it is a rather short read in comparison to the majority of YA books. But that's just my opinion. I still think this was an amazing and thrilling duology that I would easily re-read again...had I the time for re-reads!
The pacing was still intense with it's multiple points of view going from Cata to Ant to Fergus and then Jamie in no real pattern. I think this would've been more awesome in this second novel if we would have been able to get Sinclair's point of view since we have a better idea of who he is now! It likely would've been disturbing too, but for creep factor that would've been a plus! We were always moving forward though, going from nightmare to nightmare as the teens tried to overcome their worst fears. It was sort of inspiring too, watching them fight to overcome the things that terrified them most!
The ending was most enjoyable too! I quite enjoyed the turnout on a lot of things! I won't get into those details obviously, but I have to say it was a most satisfying experience! This duology certainly remained my faith in Amy's writing when previous I felt "meh" over her previous books. If she writes more like this, I'd definitely be up for more! The Dreamfall duology is the perfect read for this time of year as it's a nice creepy and twisted kind of read that will keep you reading long into the night!
Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars
We already know who the killer is and that's Sinclair. Yet the teenagers are still caught in the dangers and chaos of their nightmares and Fergus, who woke briefly and learned of there being a killer among them, remains unconscious for sometime. In the meantime, Cata, Remi, Ant, and Sinclair are trying to get through each of the nightmares alive, all the while knowing there time in the "safe zone" keeps diminishing.
Real world side, we watch as Jamie is trying to figure things out regarding the teenagers and what they are possibly going through. The scientists believe they are all in comas, simple as that. But based on what Fergus said in the short time that he was semi-conscious and what BethAnn said when she was briefly awake as well, she starts to think there may be something more to what they are all experiencing. She will do everything in her power to get the teens to all safely wake up before something terrible happens to them in their dreams that may cause irreparable damage.
This one was just as exciting and thrilling as it predecessor! Though it's been over a year since I've read that one, I can't really say much on comparisons and whatnot. You could basically see this duology as one long novel since both books were under 300 pages. I almost wonder if it would've served better as one long novel rather than two short ones because the plot was sort of the same when you think of it. The teenagers were trying to stay alive and survive the nightmares they were being forced into.
Since I read this one sporadically over the long weekend, I don't feel like I really got the whole "feel" of it. Sporadically, it was still a pretty awesome read, if a little too much like the first one, yet knowing more than we did in the beginning. Again, I really think this would've been better off as one big book instead of just needlessly making it two shorter ones. At under 300 pages, it is a rather short read in comparison to the majority of YA books. But that's just my opinion. I still think this was an amazing and thrilling duology that I would easily re-read again...had I the time for re-reads!
The pacing was still intense with it's multiple points of view going from Cata to Ant to Fergus and then Jamie in no real pattern. I think this would've been more awesome in this second novel if we would have been able to get Sinclair's point of view since we have a better idea of who he is now! It likely would've been disturbing too, but for creep factor that would've been a plus! We were always moving forward though, going from nightmare to nightmare as the teens tried to overcome their worst fears. It was sort of inspiring too, watching them fight to overcome the things that terrified them most!
The ending was most enjoyable too! I quite enjoyed the turnout on a lot of things! I won't get into those details obviously, but I have to say it was a most satisfying experience! This duology certainly remained my faith in Amy's writing when previous I felt "meh" over her previous books. If she writes more like this, I'd definitely be up for more! The Dreamfall duology is the perfect read for this time of year as it's a nice creepy and twisted kind of read that will keep you reading long into the night!
Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars
August 21, 2018
I don't know how I feel about this. I realllllllllly liked Dreamfall. Way more than I thought I would (and I thought I'd like it a lot). So I was very excited for this book.
I didn't like it as much as Dreamfall. Not because it wasn't good, but because it just wasn't what I was expecting. The dream portion of this book are much creepier than the first one (in a good way). The characters that remain alive are explored more in depth and given a chance to face their monsters head on, which I think is great.
Honestly, the two things that bothered me were Jaime and the ending, which bums me out because I LOVED Jaime in the first book. In this book, Jaime (the premed student who's helping with the trial) gets a little god complex-y for me (and he addresses this in the book, asking if he has a Messiah complex). While this is all well and good, and his instincts do end up saving the kids, it comes off kind of arrogant. He does many things without the go-ahead from the doctors who are actually running the trial, some of which could have killed people. He isn't a doctor. I understand that new eyes might see things that people doing the job for a while, like Dr. Zhu and Dr. Vesper, might miss. But the fact that they'd miss THIS many things and only a pre-med student would see it seems off to me. They tell him that what he's suggesting is impossible, but our understanding of the human body and the brain is updated and changed constantly as we learn new things. So there really isn't anything he's suggesting that's 100% impossible.
Secondly, I feel like the ending...I didn't think it ended right. I'm sure there are people who will feel like this character got what they deserved, but it seemed kind of like a cop out to me. Even if they're not a great person, the ending affects other people who may not deserve what happens.
Wraps up the series in an alright, if not completely satisfying way. 3.5 stars.
I didn't like it as much as Dreamfall. Not because it wasn't good, but because it just wasn't what I was expecting. The dream portion of this book are much creepier than the first one (in a good way). The characters that remain alive are explored more in depth and given a chance to face their monsters head on, which I think is great.
Honestly, the two things that bothered me were Jaime and the ending, which bums me out because I LOVED Jaime in the first book. In this book, Jaime (the premed student who's helping with the trial) gets a little god complex-y for me (and he addresses this in the book, asking if he has a Messiah complex). While this is all well and good, and his instincts do end up saving the kids, it comes off kind of arrogant. He does many things without the go-ahead from the doctors who are actually running the trial, some of which could have killed people. He isn't a doctor. I understand that new eyes might see things that people doing the job for a while, like Dr. Zhu and Dr. Vesper, might miss. But the fact that they'd miss THIS many things and only a pre-med student would see it seems off to me. They tell him that what he's suggesting is impossible, but our understanding of the human body and the brain is updated and changed constantly as we learn new things. So there really isn't anything he's suggesting that's 100% impossible.
Secondly, I feel like the ending...I didn't think it ended right. I'm sure there are people who will feel like this character got what they deserved, but it seemed kind of like a cop out to me. Even if they're not a great person, the ending affects other people who may not deserve what happens.
Wraps up the series in an alright, if not completely satisfying way. 3.5 stars.
November 9, 2021
I think it would have been better if this series had been one longer book instead of two. I found the nightmares seemed to drag on, and honestly they were the same thing every time- it was repetitive and just got boring after a while. Additionally, while in the first book it felt like I was figuring things out along with the characters, in this one it just felt like there was no new information, just 200 pages of waiting for them to catch on.
September 16, 2018
I didn't like this as much as the first book but it was still very unique and weird in a good way.
October 5, 2018
Fresh off of finishing Dreamfall, I decided to go straight into Neverwake to see what happened after that cliffhanger ending. Even though I had some issues with the first book, in the end I felt ho-hum regarding the entire thing. Dreamfall had great potential, but I don’t know if it translated all that well in book form. Now that I’ve finished reading Neverwake, my feelings remain the same. I love the idea for this series. Seven kids connecting with each other in the dream world and fighting together to survive their worst nightmares is right up my fictional alley.
But once again, I felt the same ho-hum feeling. Neverwake isn’t a bad book, but it’s not a good one either. It’s just there. I do think that this series would be better on the small or big screen. I can definitely see it working in that medium more than in book form.
In Neverwake, Cata, Ant, Fergus, Remi, Sinclair and Brett are still trapped in the dream world facing off against nightmare after nightmare. Jaime is stuck in the real world witnessing everything happening to the kids and has to figure out a way to save them before their dreams kill them. It’s a race against time and not everyone is going to make it. The teens also have to worry about one of their own, since Fergus was told that there’s a psychopath amongst them and to be careful.
Jaime and the readers know who the psychopath is, but the other teens do not, so they have to navigate between their dreams while trying to figure out who might be trying to harm them. This is an interesting part, because having someone with you also trying to kill you in the dreams is awesome reading. It’s like zombie movies. The zombies are fun, but seeing the characters interact and having people who put self-preservation above everything else is what makes zombie movies more than just regular zombie movies.
Side Note: While reading Neverwake, one of the dreams included different horror movies as part of the nightmares. It’s due to this that I finally got around to watching Night of the Living Dead. It was pretty great, definitely check it out.
Here’s my problem with this plot point though, the psychopath was helping everyone out from the beginning. Plus, there’s this whole idea that you’re not suppose to tell a psychopath that they’re a psychopath. At least, that’s what Killing Eve taught me. So, at the end of Dreamfall when Jaime told Fergus that there’s a psychopath and didn’t tell him who, this meant the kids would start to distrust each other and might call one another psychopath while the real one starts to protect themselves.
This resulted in a death of one of the teens and it was also the moment when I stopped rooting for Cata and Fergus. Both are written as the ultimate good guys, but both react to things instead of fully integrating with the plot. At this point, the psychopath had been helping the teens survive, which makes sense since they can’t leave unless everyone remains alive. So when Fergus and Cata, since he enlisted her help, tried to figure out who is the bad seed, all they did was distrust their fellow teens and someone died as a result.
Overall, the writing was fine and the premise is too. I wish the ‘good’ characters were written in a more distinctive style though. Fergus and Cata blended together in Dreamfall and Cata and Ant, who became the third POV here kicking Fergus out, blended together here too. Jaime’s chapters were good and I liked how their story progressed.
Unfortunately, the story still feels bland and the characters are written in the same manner. I did like the side characters more than our main ones, but even then, that’s only because our main characters were way too good and lacked any sort of flaws. I’m still annoyed that Cata got angry at one of the characters for killing a nightmare person. The nightmares are trying to kill you, so if you strike first then what’s the problem? They may look like people, but they’re just nightmares that are deadly. I don’t get why that’s so hard to understand?
I dunno. Maybe I’m the real one, but I remember talking to my family about a zombie attack and my parents told me that if I ever became a zombie that they’ll no longer see me as their daughter and do what they have to do. I felt the same way. In fact, we’d all be angry if the other person didn’t do anything and allowed our zombie family member to kill us. Self-preservation is the most important thing. If you’re not safe, you can’t help others. Unfortunately, Remi was the only one who consistently thought this way and was seen as a pariah, so maybe I’m in the wrong too.
I’ll still check out Amy Plum’s other novels. I mean, I have After the End so I’m going to read it.
But once again, I felt the same ho-hum feeling. Neverwake isn’t a bad book, but it’s not a good one either. It’s just there. I do think that this series would be better on the small or big screen. I can definitely see it working in that medium more than in book form.
In Neverwake, Cata, Ant, Fergus, Remi, Sinclair and Brett are still trapped in the dream world facing off against nightmare after nightmare. Jaime is stuck in the real world witnessing everything happening to the kids and has to figure out a way to save them before their dreams kill them. It’s a race against time and not everyone is going to make it. The teens also have to worry about one of their own, since Fergus was told that there’s a psychopath amongst them and to be careful.
Jaime and the readers know who the psychopath is, but the other teens do not, so they have to navigate between their dreams while trying to figure out who might be trying to harm them. This is an interesting part, because having someone with you also trying to kill you in the dreams is awesome reading. It’s like zombie movies. The zombies are fun, but seeing the characters interact and having people who put self-preservation above everything else is what makes zombie movies more than just regular zombie movies.
Side Note: While reading Neverwake, one of the dreams included different horror movies as part of the nightmares. It’s due to this that I finally got around to watching Night of the Living Dead. It was pretty great, definitely check it out.
Here’s my problem with this plot point though, the psychopath was helping everyone out from the beginning. Plus, there’s this whole idea that you’re not suppose to tell a psychopath that they’re a psychopath. At least, that’s what Killing Eve taught me. So, at the end of Dreamfall when Jaime told Fergus that there’s a psychopath and didn’t tell him who, this meant the kids would start to distrust each other and might call one another psychopath while the real one starts to protect themselves.
This resulted in a death of one of the teens and it was also the moment when I stopped rooting for Cata and Fergus. Both are written as the ultimate good guys, but both react to things instead of fully integrating with the plot. At this point, the psychopath had been helping the teens survive, which makes sense since they can’t leave unless everyone remains alive. So when Fergus and Cata, since he enlisted her help, tried to figure out who is the bad seed, all they did was distrust their fellow teens and someone died as a result.
Overall, the writing was fine and the premise is too. I wish the ‘good’ characters were written in a more distinctive style though. Fergus and Cata blended together in Dreamfall and Cata and Ant, who became the third POV here kicking Fergus out, blended together here too. Jaime’s chapters were good and I liked how their story progressed.
Unfortunately, the story still feels bland and the characters are written in the same manner. I did like the side characters more than our main ones, but even then, that’s only because our main characters were way too good and lacked any sort of flaws. I’m still annoyed that Cata got angry at one of the characters for killing a nightmare person. The nightmares are trying to kill you, so if you strike first then what’s the problem? They may look like people, but they’re just nightmares that are deadly. I don’t get why that’s so hard to understand?
I dunno. Maybe I’m the real one, but I remember talking to my family about a zombie attack and my parents told me that if I ever became a zombie that they’ll no longer see me as their daughter and do what they have to do. I felt the same way. In fact, we’d all be angry if the other person didn’t do anything and allowed our zombie family member to kill us. Self-preservation is the most important thing. If you’re not safe, you can’t help others. Unfortunately, Remi was the only one who consistently thought this way and was seen as a pariah, so maybe I’m in the wrong too.
I’ll still check out Amy Plum’s other novels. I mean, I have After the End so I’m going to read it.
August 15, 2018
In the sequel to DREAMFALL, Amy Plum continues the story of several teenagers stuck in a dream world in NEVERWAKE. Cata, Ant, Fergus, Sinclair and Remi are the surviving members of the experiment. Trapped in the Dreamfall, they have figured out the pattern of the dreams and the Void. Not only must they survive each terrifying nightmare, they must figure out a way to escape the Dreamfall before death is imminent. New secrets and twists are introduced with each of the characters; not all of them are exactly as they seem. The nightmares start to come together and aren’t just random visions; instead they reveal the characters past and reality.
I love the idea to this novel. Exploring each nightmare in detail along with each of the characters’ takes the reader on an action-packed ride. Told in first-person through Cata, Ant, and Jamie, the book explores both inside the dream world and outside, where Jamie slowly puts together the pieces of the puzzle. In the previous novel, I found it hard to distinguish between Cata and Fergus. This time, I really enjoyed reading more about Ant and her qualities. I developed separate relationships with each character and Plum did a great job in telling their stories.
I did find it a little bit repetitive during nightmares. At some points I wasn’t sure if Plum was just using the scenes as filler text or if they actually contributed to the novel. Each character slowly became very significant to the story and Plum managed to weave the pasts of each teenager into the story. There are always questionable, odd moments in the novel that kept me entranced and interested in what was to come. NEVERWAKE kept me on edge, especially nearing the climax where dark secrets are slowly revealed.
Each nightmare is surreal in its own way. They are twisted and unique but aren’t too creepy. In short, they are very bizarre and will definitely frighten younger readers. Each character fights through pain and gore, from getting shot to getting fingers chopped off. However, I would have enjoyed a more “American Horror Story”-scare in the nightmares because most of the scenes are just convoluted action. The ending ties things together for the characters, but does so in a stereotypical teen movie ending, where each character’s future is neatly explained in short paragraphs.
Characters that meet their unfortunate end in the novel, however, I feel like I did not connect enough with. There could have been a deeper relationship between the characters and more emotion within their pasts. Instead, their deaths didn’t seem too shocking or heartbreaking.
Overall, Amy Plum definitely stepped up in this sequel, compared to the first novel, from diving deeper into the characters to creating an intricate plot. The plot twists definitely did not end in DREAMFALL and this book will leave you shaken and thrilled.
I love the idea to this novel. Exploring each nightmare in detail along with each of the characters’ takes the reader on an action-packed ride. Told in first-person through Cata, Ant, and Jamie, the book explores both inside the dream world and outside, where Jamie slowly puts together the pieces of the puzzle. In the previous novel, I found it hard to distinguish between Cata and Fergus. This time, I really enjoyed reading more about Ant and her qualities. I developed separate relationships with each character and Plum did a great job in telling their stories.
I did find it a little bit repetitive during nightmares. At some points I wasn’t sure if Plum was just using the scenes as filler text or if they actually contributed to the novel. Each character slowly became very significant to the story and Plum managed to weave the pasts of each teenager into the story. There are always questionable, odd moments in the novel that kept me entranced and interested in what was to come. NEVERWAKE kept me on edge, especially nearing the climax where dark secrets are slowly revealed.
Each nightmare is surreal in its own way. They are twisted and unique but aren’t too creepy. In short, they are very bizarre and will definitely frighten younger readers. Each character fights through pain and gore, from getting shot to getting fingers chopped off. However, I would have enjoyed a more “American Horror Story”-scare in the nightmares because most of the scenes are just convoluted action. The ending ties things together for the characters, but does so in a stereotypical teen movie ending, where each character’s future is neatly explained in short paragraphs.
Characters that meet their unfortunate end in the novel, however, I feel like I did not connect enough with. There could have been a deeper relationship between the characters and more emotion within their pasts. Instead, their deaths didn’t seem too shocking or heartbreaking.
Overall, Amy Plum definitely stepped up in this sequel, compared to the first novel, from diving deeper into the characters to creating an intricate plot. The plot twists definitely did not end in DREAMFALL and this book will leave you shaken and thrilled.
August 31, 2018
Horror show! Or maybe not so much. If Dreamfall was a single book I would have been satisfied. But…book two kind of jinxed it. It was frustratingly nightmares abundant or stretched to nightmares infinity and becoming somewhat boring. If in book one the horrors the characters were exposed to made for an entertaining action, in book two it feels repetitive. The plot brings new intriguing turnovers and some characters die but their sleeping state just won’t end. The psychopath among them is predictable, his crimes clearly crazy but still makes for an unsatisfying plot. And the doctors… I perceived them as hypocrite assholes, maybe Jaime saves the team a little, with his air of grandeur. The end may be redeeming, the characters finally facing and defeating their horrors and making for a good life, but personally I longed for their reawakening a little sooner. Anyway, it wasn’t a bad duo, the idea was intriguing, it just didn’t knock me off.
Want to read
August 13, 2017oh my gosh this cannot come fast enough.
July 9, 2021
Rating: 3.75/5
Review to come!
Review to come!
October 20, 2019
A group of teenagers has been dealing with the endless pain and exhaustion that insomnia has brought into their lives, until the day they begin an experimental treatment, one meant to cure them and take them safely and swiftly into dreamland.
But not being able to sleep seems now like a distant worry, because ever since they descended into a comatose-like state, their nightmares took control of their minds and the darkness of their unconsciousness does not want to let them go.
Cata, Fergus and the others begin to realize that if they die in their dreams they will also die in the real world, and thus begins the greatest fight of their lives. But first, they will have to vanquish a dark terror masquerading as one of them.
·
This is the sequel to the just as, if not creepier than, Dreamfall; a story that evokes the characters' deepest fears and brings them to reality in the most gruesome ways.
I remember finishing the first book sometime last year and thinking that it was one of the most imaginative and dreadful pieces of modern horror literature I had ever read. Because what can be more terrifying than being persecuted by your deepest and darkest nightmares, over and over, knowing that they will most likely than not eventually catch up with you and kill you amid the terror of knowing you were right this whole time? Go ahead and tell me, I know I will be waiting a long time.
Neverwake picks up right where Dreamfall left off; it was uncomplicated and satisfying to get back into the story and remember all the little details as some of the characters explained things from their point of view. The whole book is permeated by a sense of dread so powerful, there came a point in the narrative when I truly, irrevocably believed that the ending could go in either direction, good or bad, and it would have been completely understandable - nevermind my wish for a happy ending.
Every single character is realistic to the point where I could have sworn I had met them before, with their unique personalities and quirks, and this is one of the things I liked most about the story. The fact that the author was able to create a narrative that blended real life with Science Fiction so seamlessly and eerily, it was at the mercy of this group of teenagers who have had to endure more than most people will in a lifetime.
The nightmares vary from slasher horror films to the genocide being committed around the world and the description for each event was blessedly descriptive - although I'm sure many people would use a different word to describe this particularly graphic trait.
Once again, with this being a sequel, there is truly not much I can say before I start spoiling its best features, so I will end my review by saying this was the perfect October read. It lends itself so perfectly to the quiet and cold nights of the month, when close to everything seems possible.
I am giving this 4/5 stars.
But not being able to sleep seems now like a distant worry, because ever since they descended into a comatose-like state, their nightmares took control of their minds and the darkness of their unconsciousness does not want to let them go.
Cata, Fergus and the others begin to realize that if they die in their dreams they will also die in the real world, and thus begins the greatest fight of their lives. But first, they will have to vanquish a dark terror masquerading as one of them.
·
This is the sequel to the just as, if not creepier than, Dreamfall; a story that evokes the characters' deepest fears and brings them to reality in the most gruesome ways.
I remember finishing the first book sometime last year and thinking that it was one of the most imaginative and dreadful pieces of modern horror literature I had ever read. Because what can be more terrifying than being persecuted by your deepest and darkest nightmares, over and over, knowing that they will most likely than not eventually catch up with you and kill you amid the terror of knowing you were right this whole time? Go ahead and tell me, I know I will be waiting a long time.
Neverwake picks up right where Dreamfall left off; it was uncomplicated and satisfying to get back into the story and remember all the little details as some of the characters explained things from their point of view. The whole book is permeated by a sense of dread so powerful, there came a point in the narrative when I truly, irrevocably believed that the ending could go in either direction, good or bad, and it would have been completely understandable - nevermind my wish for a happy ending.
Every single character is realistic to the point where I could have sworn I had met them before, with their unique personalities and quirks, and this is one of the things I liked most about the story. The fact that the author was able to create a narrative that blended real life with Science Fiction so seamlessly and eerily, it was at the mercy of this group of teenagers who have had to endure more than most people will in a lifetime.
The nightmares vary from slasher horror films to the genocide being committed around the world and the description for each event was blessedly descriptive - although I'm sure many people would use a different word to describe this particularly graphic trait.
Once again, with this being a sequel, there is truly not much I can say before I start spoiling its best features, so I will end my review by saying this was the perfect October read. It lends itself so perfectly to the quiet and cold nights of the month, when close to everything seems possible.
I am giving this 4/5 stars.
August 9, 2021
Dreamfall and Its Sequel Neverwake~~~
This is a review about three weeks in the making. I first read Amy Plum's young adult thriller Dreamfall last month and realized it has a sequel called Neverwake. No problemo, right? The sequel was published a few years ago. Unfortunately my public library did not carry it or its electronic version. I had to request a copy from another library and, though it came from Omaha, I waited a week for it. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. But you'll want to make sure to get both books at the same time. I was so anxious to read the sequel that I did nothing but read and finished it in one day!
This series follows the fictional story of seven teens with great difficulty sleeping because of things like PTSD, fatal familial amnesia, mental illness. Their desperate parents enroll them in a unique sleep study where the American kids are hooked up to electrodes to try to align brain waves.
Needless to say, the experiment goes horribly wrong.
There's a sizable earthquake and aftershock that cuts the power and screws up the computer program,leaving the kids in comas and unable to awaken.
From the perspective of three of them, we see how they start sharing consciousness in alternating periods of REM sleep and dreamless voids that help them gel as c team and prepare for the next nightmare. Because that's what they are, deadly nightmares from one of their crazy minds and one girl actually dies in a nightmare caused by an African American boy's real-life memory of genocide. She doesn't appear in the subsequent void.
One boy almost has a heart attack and a lab assistant/observer talks to him briefly as she saves his life only for him to return to a coma. He wants to return to help the others. We get the perspective of the assistant as well in her own chapters.
This very intense series left the kids in their comas at the end of the first book, an experience they called Dreamfall. That boy who briefly awoke has learned disturbing info about their situation.
I'm not sure I care for the sequel's name. I guess Plum didn't like Nevermore?
The doctors conducting the experiment laugh at their young assistant's observation about patterns in the graphs suggesting that the kids are dreaming, but she knows she's got to help them wake up before more die. I was skeptical about her until practically the end when she risks her own life. It was a most rewarding read where the kids learned to control their greatest fears and take charge of their lives.
I loved the horrifying books and think you will too if you enjoyed my review. The doctors would not try this sleep study again...for good reason!
This is a review about three weeks in the making. I first read Amy Plum's young adult thriller Dreamfall last month and realized it has a sequel called Neverwake. No problemo, right? The sequel was published a few years ago. Unfortunately my public library did not carry it or its electronic version. I had to request a copy from another library and, though it came from Omaha, I waited a week for it. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. But you'll want to make sure to get both books at the same time. I was so anxious to read the sequel that I did nothing but read and finished it in one day!
This series follows the fictional story of seven teens with great difficulty sleeping because of things like PTSD, fatal familial amnesia, mental illness. Their desperate parents enroll them in a unique sleep study where the American kids are hooked up to electrodes to try to align brain waves.
Needless to say, the experiment goes horribly wrong.
There's a sizable earthquake and aftershock that cuts the power and screws up the computer program,leaving the kids in comas and unable to awaken.
From the perspective of three of them, we see how they start sharing consciousness in alternating periods of REM sleep and dreamless voids that help them gel as c team and prepare for the next nightmare. Because that's what they are, deadly nightmares from one of their crazy minds and one girl actually dies in a nightmare caused by an African American boy's real-life memory of genocide. She doesn't appear in the subsequent void.
One boy almost has a heart attack and a lab assistant/observer talks to him briefly as she saves his life only for him to return to a coma. He wants to return to help the others. We get the perspective of the assistant as well in her own chapters.
This very intense series left the kids in their comas at the end of the first book, an experience they called Dreamfall. That boy who briefly awoke has learned disturbing info about their situation.
I'm not sure I care for the sequel's name. I guess Plum didn't like Nevermore?
The doctors conducting the experiment laugh at their young assistant's observation about patterns in the graphs suggesting that the kids are dreaming, but she knows she's got to help them wake up before more die. I was skeptical about her until practically the end when she risks her own life. It was a most rewarding read where the kids learned to control their greatest fears and take charge of their lives.
I loved the horrifying books and think you will too if you enjoyed my review. The doctors would not try this sleep study again...for good reason!
February 28, 2020
i personally really enjoyed reading this book as it had me entertained when i was reading it i like the idea of the suspension that amy plum created .i liked the mystery behind the book and it was truely a pleasure to come across this book that i will never forget .
May 16, 2022
Very good! I liked the whole story as well as the way they wrapped it up with a perfect bow. No ifs and or buts with questions unanswered. I think the author did an incredible job with each character and their nightmares with how they related to their every day lives. The only thing that scared me was reading about the dolls in Ant’s dream. No thank you! That’s too terrifying for me 😂
September 13, 2020
2.5 stars
August 20, 2021
A decent adventure story with an interesting premise. It was never boring, that is a definite. However, i was hoping for a better payoff but it never came. The horror in this book was truly awful (though interesting in its own way), but I slogged through because I kept waiting for it to mean something. It was wrapped up so hastily, like a “one year later” news brief. That choice made the nightmares seem like a scare fest; just fear and horror for its own sake. The saddest part is that it was set up so well, but never came to fruition. I fear this may have been another case of a rushed ending, hastily written to meet a deadline.
November 11, 2018
Sooooooooo good. I have been waiting for this FOREVER, and it did not disappoint.
Except the FayFay thing. I'll be reeling from that for the rest of my life.
Except the FayFay thing. I'll be reeling from that for the rest of my life.
August 26, 2020
Absolutely loved the series! Highly recommend!
September 9, 2018
I love this creepy sequel to Dreamfall! Imagine Freddy Kreuger teaming up with all of your worst nightmares and terrorizing you in a perpetual dream state that you literally get no reprieve from. That would be the perfect synopsis for this book series that follows a group of kids who face their greatest fears, supernatural beings, and killer dreams in a horrifying world that they created in their own minds. Their only chance of survival is a student named Jamie who is working frantically in the real world to wake these kids up before their nightmares take them out for good.
This psychological thriller / horror story will keep you on the edge of your seat guessing whether who or if anyone will finally make it out.
This psychological thriller / horror story will keep you on the edge of your seat guessing whether who or if anyone will finally make it out.
August 29, 2018
What a great ending! I really enjoyed both books, and I appreciated the fact that Amy Plum keeps her story moving. The characters are great, and I found myself pulling for these teens. I am sure all of my teens who like horror will enjoy these two books! Fun, fast read.
August 10, 2018
I was so excited for this installment to come out! The first novel ended on quite a cliffhanger.
The description of nightmares was out of this world. I don’t even understand how could the author even conjure such horrific things to write about. Brett’s nightmare especially gave me goosebumps.
The writing style, as well as the description of the Void and the nightmares, is much more vivid than the first installment. I felt like the duology kind of matured in this installment.
CHARACTERS
Ant
Her character’s development is amazing throughout the book. I just loved her point of view. Her way of processing things whilst being trapped in a nightmare is so logical. The nightmares were way creepier when they were from her point of view.
Sinclair
He is a psychopath. But no one actually knows that in the group. Even though his past was written very well, I think the author could have played with the concept of a psychopath being trapped with you in your nightmare with no way out, a little better. It just kind of took away from the ‘thriller’ aspect of the book.
By the end, I absolutely loathed his character which was a good thing.
Cata
In this book as well, Cata’s character fell a little flat for me. it just felt like her character ‘goes through the motions’ when she reacted in a situation. There was literally nothing new, or remotely interesting about her character. She reminded of the numerous protagonists which I came across when the dystopian-young-adult genre blew up 3-4 years ago.
But, her backstory was really sad and I’m happy how things turned out for her in the end.
Fergus
His character was *meh*. I’m actually happy that I didn’t have to tolerate his point of view in this book. His nightmares were also the least impressing but absolutely in character. I can’t blame the author.
Jaime
His character was my absolute favorite! His point of view just kept me on my toes. By the end, I had so much respect for his character because the way he handled the ‘situation’ was ballsy. We don’t get to know much about his backstory which was kind of understandable as he was a just there to monitor the experiments.
But, needless to say, I kind of wanted to know his past.
Special mention of Remi, as even though I don’t really have much to say about his character, he definitely added a little bit diversity in this book. Also, his nightmares were the closest to reality and hence, terrifying.
ENDING
This book had kind of a clichéd happy ending. But, I especially loved what happened to Sinclair’s character in the end.
Overall, this was a really good duology if you are a sucker for nightmarish books!
The description of nightmares was out of this world. I don’t even understand how could the author even conjure such horrific things to write about. Brett’s nightmare especially gave me goosebumps.
The writing style, as well as the description of the Void and the nightmares, is much more vivid than the first installment. I felt like the duology kind of matured in this installment.
CHARACTERS
Ant
Her character’s development is amazing throughout the book. I just loved her point of view. Her way of processing things whilst being trapped in a nightmare is so logical. The nightmares were way creepier when they were from her point of view.
Sinclair
He is a psychopath. But no one actually knows that in the group. Even though his past was written very well, I think the author could have played with the concept of a psychopath being trapped with you in your nightmare with no way out, a little better. It just kind of took away from the ‘thriller’ aspect of the book.
By the end, I absolutely loathed his character which was a good thing.
Cata
In this book as well, Cata’s character fell a little flat for me. it just felt like her character ‘goes through the motions’ when she reacted in a situation. There was literally nothing new, or remotely interesting about her character. She reminded of the numerous protagonists which I came across when the dystopian-young-adult genre blew up 3-4 years ago.
But, her backstory was really sad and I’m happy how things turned out for her in the end.
Fergus
His character was *meh*. I’m actually happy that I didn’t have to tolerate his point of view in this book. His nightmares were also the least impressing but absolutely in character. I can’t blame the author.
Jaime
His character was my absolute favorite! His point of view just kept me on my toes. By the end, I had so much respect for his character because the way he handled the ‘situation’ was ballsy. We don’t get to know much about his backstory which was kind of understandable as he was a just there to monitor the experiments.
But, needless to say, I kind of wanted to know his past.
Special mention of Remi, as even though I don’t really have much to say about his character, he definitely added a little bit diversity in this book. Also, his nightmares were the closest to reality and hence, terrifying.
ENDING
This book had kind of a clichéd happy ending. But, I especially loved what happened to Sinclair’s character in the end.
Overall, this was a really good duology if you are a sucker for nightmarish books!
March 8, 2021
Reviewed on Lili Lost in a Book
This book picks up right where the last book left off, with the kids stuck in their nightmares and the cycles changing. The periods of respite they have are getting shorter as the periods with the nightmares are getting longer and longer and eventually they’ll be perpetually in the nightmares without rest. Yikes 😬 One thing I like is that these periods correlate with the REM cycle where they have periods of REM sleep and periods non-REM sleep. That was very interesting to me, but it also made sense!
Oh but if you think that nightmares are the only thing they have to worry about, well, you’d be WRONG! Jamie (the student observing the whole thing on the outside) recently discovered that there is a freaking psychopath in their midst 😬 Now the kids have navigate all these killer nightmares with one kids who could kill them at any time, nightmares or no. And they don’t even know who it is! When we find out who it is and the things this person did... it was messed up. But at least there is no more monster. That’s a plus, right? Lol. So that static monster that was chasing them in the first book turned out to be one of the kids undergoing the experiment. This poor kid saw himself as a monster IRL, hence why he showed up monster-ish in the dreams. Isn’t that sad? 😩
Speaking of the kids, the POV was split between some of them inside the dreams and also Jamie. I really liked this sort of dual POV where we got the action in the nightmares (which I loved!), but we also got to see things from Jamie’s POV in the lab and all the science as to what was happening with the kids and what the doctors were doing to get them out of the coma. It was very interesting stuff!
Another thing I really enjoyed about this book were all the horror movie villain cameos in the nightmares! It sucked for the kids, but as a horror movie fan, I really loved it. Lol. Fergus’s nightmare was actually my favorite among all the dreams. It was just so creepy and good!
And then that end... it was so freaking suspenseful! What with the REM cycles changing and the kids stuck inside and Jamie trying to do something to save them... OMG it was intense! But I really enjoyed the end because the kids had to face their greatest fears, and it just made for some really good character development. And development that happened in just one day! In real time, at least. Because it felt like they were inside those nightmares for ages. But yeah. I loved the ending, and I just loved the concept of this duology overall. I really enjoyed it!
This book picks up right where the last book left off, with the kids stuck in their nightmares and the cycles changing. The periods of respite they have are getting shorter as the periods with the nightmares are getting longer and longer and eventually they’ll be perpetually in the nightmares without rest. Yikes 😬 One thing I like is that these periods correlate with the REM cycle where they have periods of REM sleep and periods non-REM sleep. That was very interesting to me, but it also made sense!
Oh but if you think that nightmares are the only thing they have to worry about, well, you’d be WRONG! Jamie (the student observing the whole thing on the outside) recently discovered that there is a freaking psychopath in their midst 😬 Now the kids have navigate all these killer nightmares with one kids who could kill them at any time, nightmares or no. And they don’t even know who it is! When we find out who it is and the things this person did... it was messed up. But at least there is no more monster. That’s a plus, right? Lol. So that static monster that was chasing them in the first book turned out to be one of the kids undergoing the experiment. This poor kid saw himself as a monster IRL, hence why he showed up monster-ish in the dreams. Isn’t that sad? 😩
Speaking of the kids, the POV was split between some of them inside the dreams and also Jamie. I really liked this sort of dual POV where we got the action in the nightmares (which I loved!), but we also got to see things from Jamie’s POV in the lab and all the science as to what was happening with the kids and what the doctors were doing to get them out of the coma. It was very interesting stuff!
Another thing I really enjoyed about this book were all the horror movie villain cameos in the nightmares! It sucked for the kids, but as a horror movie fan, I really loved it. Lol. Fergus’s nightmare was actually my favorite among all the dreams. It was just so creepy and good!
And then that end... it was so freaking suspenseful! What with the REM cycles changing and the kids stuck inside and Jamie trying to do something to save them... OMG it was intense! But I really enjoyed the end because the kids had to face their greatest fears, and it just made for some really good character development. And development that happened in just one day! In real time, at least. Because it felt like they were inside those nightmares for ages. But yeah. I loved the ending, and I just loved the concept of this duology overall. I really enjoyed it!
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