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Wilson indeed!: They met in a dream and agreed to meet in real life. Bad idea!

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Wilson Indeed is the story of Wilson Armitage, a normal boy just living outside of Stockport. There’s nothing particularly remarkable about Wilson until one day, he comes down for breakfast and is able to speak fluent French, at the age of five. Nobody has taught him the language, and he is not even remotely French in any way.

This is the start of a number of unexplainable and remarkable things that he does throughout his life, and with that we learn that Wilson Armitage is far from a normal boy. He has the inexplicable talent to be able to learn things that no one has taught him. Is he a genius? A prodigy? Well, no, not really! It is just that he can access information from his dreams. And thus, we have the premise of the book. The Wifi of dreams delighted me throughout, and I clicked with it immediately. Steve Walsh’s writing style is so accessible and good natured, that he draws you along with the story of Wilson Armitage and the events that unfold in the book, and I think that one of the enchanting things that he does in the book, is that he makes the unbelievable believable and makes you want to be a part of this world. The story itself is part coming of age story, with Wilson coming to terms about his abilities and also finding out about the existentialist nature of the world that he inhabits when he sleeps, at other times, it is a teenage boys first relationship with a girl. There is a bit of mystery thrown in, especially when Wilson decides that he can do some good with his extraordinary abilities. Wilson himself is a good character, he’s gifted with extraordinary abilities, but fallible in his own way as he is a teenage boy, and he makes mistakes. The supporting cast of Teaps and Hoover, Daisy and the Armitage family as a whole help to give some delightful scenes throughout the book. The standouts being Hoovers lost sock website, or his interactions with his family. However, it is Teaps that you cannot help but liking. His story really tugs at your heart strings and you cannot help but have some empathy with the situation that he is in.
I think what got my attention the most was the descriptions of the dream world, the reasons for it and how it impacts on Wilson and those around him. I think Steven Walsh did an exceptional job with this part of the book. He gives it a decidedly other world feel, but at the same time, keeps it restrained enough to feel within the realms of possibilities. With this maintenance of that fine balance, he is able to expand it further and introduce other possibilities to its actual nature. Yes, there are the theories of Morphic Fields underpinning this, but the concept is used to great effect to provide an immersive narrative that I just wanted to read until the end.

I think for me personally, with the book being set in the North it brought some elements of nostalgia to me and also gave me those connections. For instance, when he describes that Wilson’s mum was making the tea. I immediately clicked because that is how I talk, so there was that instant connection. But there were other things too that reminded me of favourite things. The interactions with his family brought to mind Sue Townsend. Added to that, there is a scene in the dream world in which all the participants stop as though they have been frozen, and this immediately put me in mind of Powell & Pressburger’s film ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ which is one of my favourite films ever. It’s little things like that that hooked me in. I have to say that Wilson Indeed is a moreish book that I just wanted to carry on with to see what happens next.

408 pages, Paperback

First published November 14, 2019

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About the author

Steve Walsh

2 books
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

For twenty years Steve Walsh honed his skills in prose as an advertising copywriter; the ‘ideas’ man in a Manchester based marketing agency that carried his name.

In the late 1990’s he stumbled into the world of the dotcom entrepreneur and his claim to fame is as the creator of the hotel booking service, laterooms.com and the first car insurance comparison site, easycover.com. So, the birth of Meerkats, a Welsh opera singer and being confused.com might be considered as down to him, for which he apologises.

He now uses his vivid imagination and gentle Mancunian wit to write visionary novels with bold concepts. Wilson indeed, the first book in his trilogy The WiFi of Dreams takes the reader on a richly imagined, fact meets fiction adventure story to which we can relate and feel we can touch. A whimsical interrogation of the inexplicable and fundamental tenets of our lives – the role and meaning of dreams, the nature of the hereafter, hard and soft science, a love story – what more can you want?

Butterfly Assassins, the second book in the trilogy, will be published in Summer 2021.

In a recent survey, 85% of people said yes to the question: “Do you believe there are things out there that science can’t explain?”If you’re one of those 85%, you’ll love The WiFi of Dreams.

Born and bred in the north west of England, Steve Walsh has three children and likes to fly fish in his spare time.

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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Profile Image for Sam | Sambooka23.
812 reviews30 followers
September 22, 2021
An Interesting yet weird book. It had me thinking from the beginning, I enjoyed the concept - it was different to what I normally read and even different to anything I’d heard before. I like how it took us back in time, almost like another dimension, and told the story from that perspective. It was very cleverly written.

The book had me confused, intrigued and undecided all at the same time. I definitely don’t know how to put this review into words, its so different to anything I ever thought I’d read. I am looking forward to starting book 2. I hope that will answer some questions I have.

Thank you to @zooloosbooktours for allowing me on your tour and to Steve Walsh for allowing me a copy of your book! I think you’ve written a masterpiece and you should be very proud.
Profile Image for Sharon Rimmelzwaan.
1,525 reviews49 followers
November 13, 2021
Wilson Indeed by Steve Walsh is The Wi-Fi of Dreams Book One. I fancied reading this just because of how off the wall the synopsis was. I haven't read anything by Steve Walsh before so thought this would be a good introduction. Let's see what it's about first.
Wilson Armitage was just five years old when he started speaking French. Unusual, because at primary school Wilson was still on the foothills of the ABCs. An ascent of Mont Blanc should have been unthinkable, given that he’d never had a French lesson in his life.
His astonished parents looked to Foreign Language Syndrome as an explanation – a rare phenomenon resulting from a head injury. Playground rough and tumble perhaps? Unfortunately, that wouldn’t explain the other incidents.
The fact is, no rational explanation could ever account for Wilson’s talents, because Wilson was able to acquire expertise and knowledge during his night life. He was a Number Eleven, one of a small number of remarkable people who learn through their dreams.
When he meets Daisy Meadowcroft in a dream and then arranges to meet her the next day, in Starbucks, in Manchester, in real life, his cover is blown. Enthralled by their shared gift, an ability to bridge the gap between dreams and reality, they strike up a close friendship and encourage each other to seek a rational explanation for their unique talents.
As Wilson and Daisy investigate the boundaries of the ‘evening classes’, Wilson’s best friend, Teaps, is struggling to come to terms with his alcoholic father and a mother who disappeared seventeen years earlier. Convinced she’ll return one day, Teaps sparks a desire in Wilson and Daisy to use their talents for a greater purpose, to find the missing mum. In the quest for answers however, they discover a darker side to their dreamscapes.
A novel that is fact interwoven with fiction and with themes blended in such as life, humour, love and fantasy, science and mystery too. I enjoyed it because it's places around Manchester as well and that's familiar to me so it made it all the more readable.
The story throws you straight in to the action and you realise its a really different and amazing adventure that you are on with Wilson. In his dreams he can go to school and be fluent in various languages, as well as know things that are not normal to know at his age. In his dreams he meets Daisy and they plan to meet in real life. This is the point that things take a darker turn.
The mix of everything creates a captivating and exhilarating journey through the dream world of Wilson and Daisy and we see all the possibilities of what can happen when the two worlds collide. This is a fantasy story that I got so invested in I read it so fast it was over far too soon. If you love a mix up of genre's and enjoy fantasy stories,I recommend this book.
Thanks to ZooLoo's Book Tours and Steve Walsh for my gifted copy of the book.
Profile Image for Rajiv.
1,014 reviews70 followers
September 15, 2021

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“Wilson indeed” is a unique story, unlike anything I had read before, and I enjoyed it a lot!

Firstly, I would like to commend the author for coming up with such a creative tale. From the beginning, you are fascinated by Wilson, who appears to be a prodigy of some sort. He learns fluent French instantly and can paint a masterpiece, to name a few, just in school. You immediately get a sense that Wilson will do something great and profound in the story.

It is also interesting how the author portrayed Wilson’s inner conflicts and wanted to be a normal kid. Moreover, I also adored Wilson’s parents Alex and Gloria, because of their support towards him. Although they found him different from other children, they never demotivated him or told him to act differently.

The author takes the story in a creative, imaginative manner, where we see Wilson finding out more about the Morphic Fields. I loved the idea of meeting someone in your dreams and communicating with them using that state as a channel. The author also nicely adds in some humor, and I found myself chuckling when Wilson meets Big Mac and Shortcake. The second half of the story had me utterly engrossed as Wilson and Daisy search for Vanessa. On a side note, I also enjoyed the scenes between Daisy and Wilson as they go on the Ferris wheel and learn more about the Market Square. The author also ends the story in a bitter-sweet manner that makes you look forward to the second book.

Overall, “Wilson indeed” is a fascinating story of friendship, love, and loss, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Profile Image for FantasyBookNerd.
547 reviews94 followers
September 7, 2021
So, I read this as part of Zooloo's Blog Tour for Wilson Indeed. Whilst the book was provided for review purposes, the enjoyment was all my own

One of the reasons that I like to do book tours is that I get to read some books that would not normally be on my radar. And the sad fact is that I may have passed Wilson Indeed by. However, I am on Zooloo’s Book Tours and saw this one and thought, ‘hmmm sounds interesting!’, and boy am I glad I did!

Wilson Indeed is the story of Wilson Armitage, a normal boy just living outside of Stockport. There’s nothing particularly remarkable about Wilson until one day, he comes down for breakfast and is able to speak fluent French, at the age of five. Nobody has taught him the language, and he is not even remotely French in any way.

This is the start of a number of unexplainable and remarkable things that that he does throughout his life, and with that we learn that Wilson Armitage is far from a normal boy. He has the inexplicable talent to be able to learn things that no one has taught him. Is he a genius? A prodigy? Well, no, not really! It is just that he can access information from his dreams. And thus, we have the premise of the book.

The Wifi of dreams delighted me throughout, and I clicked with it immediately. Steve Walsh’s writing style is so accessible and good natured, that he draws you along with the story of Wilson Armitage and the events that unfold in the book, and I think that one of the enchanting things that he does in the book, is that he makes the unbelievable believable and makes you want to be a part of this world.

The story itself is part coming of age story, with Wilson coming to terms about his abilities and also finding out about the existentialist nature of the world that he inhabits when he sleeps, at other times, it is a teenage boys first relationship with a girl. There is a bit of mystery thrown in, especially when Wilson decides that he can do some good with his extraordinary abilities.

Wilson himself is a good character, he’s at once gifted with extraordinary abilities, but fallible in his own way as he is a teenage boy, and he makes mistakes. The supporting cast of Teaps and Hoover, Daisy and the Armitage family as a whole help to give some delightful scenes throughout the book. The standouts being Hoovers lost sock website, or his interactions with his family. However, it is Teaps that you cannot help but liking. His story really tugs at your strings and you cannot help but have some empathy with the situation that he is in.

Now, I think what got my attention the most was the descriptions of the dream land, the reasons for it and how it impacts on Wilson and those around him. I think Steven Walsh did an exceptional job with this part of the book. He gives it a decidedly other world feel, but at the same time, keeps it restrained enough to feel within the realms of possibilities. With this maintenance of that fine balance, he is able to expand it further and introduce other possibilities to its actual nature. Yes, there are the theories of Morphic Fields underpinning this, but the concept is used to great effect to provide an immersive narrative that I just wanted to read until the end.

I think for me personally, with the book being set in the North it brought some elements of nostalgia to me and also gave me those connections. For instance, when he describes that Wilson’s mum was making the tea. Obviously, I immediately clicked because that is how I talk, so there was that instant connection. But there were other things too that reminded me of favourite things. The interactions with his family brought to mind Sue Townsend. Added to that, there is a scene in the dream world in which all the participants stop as though they have been frozen, and this immediately put me in mind of Powell & Pressburger’s film ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ which is one of my favourite films ever. It’s little things like that that hooked me in.

I have to say that Wilson Indeed is a moreish book that I just wanted to carry on with to see what happens next.
Profile Image for Amy.
399 reviews29 followers
September 14, 2021
A huge thank you to @zooloosbooktours for my #gifted copy of this book for my tour spot.

Wilson indeed is about 17 year old Wilson Armitage, who when he's asleep, will transfer into a fantastical setting called The Market Square. There he is able to learn absolutely everything in just a few hours of sleep. His own 'WiFi of dreams' where he downloads data. Wilson just wants to act normal, but when by a chance encounter he meete Daisy Meadowcroft at The Market Square, they decide to meet up in real life. Bad idea as soon catastrophic events happen.

This book is extremely unique and nothing has ever been done like Wilson indeed. Steve Walsh is a mastermind in imaginations and making you really think about life. This book gave me feels of The Matrix and Flatliners. It's a story of fact and fiction and honestly it's so bizzare but it works. The attention to detail in this book is amazing and impressive. I couldn't stop turning the page and the twist and turns! Honestly I did not know what kind of ride I'm in but damn it was a good one.

I love Wilsons character and Daisy oh Daisy is a sweetheart. I like that these two characters meet and the friendship and love they experience is just wonderful. And there adventures. It's a book where you genuinely are questioning everything.

A brilliant debut and I just want to know what made Steve Walsh think this plot. It's unique and different but absolutely spectacular. I can't wait to read book 2 and see what happens next!
Profile Image for Sue Wallace .
7,634 reviews149 followers
September 11, 2021
Wilson indeed by Steve Walsh.
We spend over 6 years of our time on earth dreaming. Two rungs up on the ladder of natural selection from the four years we spend eating. Yet we know more about a soufflé than we do about a dream. How is the human brain able to create a dream, as though it were a movie, with action and narratives, all created instantly, on the fly, with no script or production meetings? We simply nod-off and wait for our midnight matinee to unfold. All the computers in the world, holding hands, could never create something so unique and instantaneous, yet our brains do it without pausing to think. That is the fascinating reality this fiction story explores and what makes Wilson indeed unique.
I really enjoyed this book. It was an imaginative read. I loved it. 5*.
Profile Image for Robyn Worrall.
180 reviews3 followers
December 31, 2023
really loved the concept of this book! just found it really confusing in places, all the talk about energy flows and morphic fields etc.. i didn't understand it most of the way through and tbh still don't now😂 but overall a good book!
1 review1 follower
December 15, 2020
Such escapism!

A gem of a book. Pure escapism and so imaginative. Enough ‘science’ to be intriguing. A real page turner. Our book club read it and loved it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews