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Warehouse Dreams

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Kendle's job is on the line every time she rescues a Wild teen. But Wilds, with their uncontrolled psychic abilities, need her help. They need the chronically underfunded Warehouse, the only school available for Wilds. But accepting a teen with potentially dangerous abilities puts her at odds with her boss; refusing means the teen faces life institutionalized, sedated, and under restraint.Stephen, the new telepathy teacher, is a Bred. His wealthy parents paid for his perfect geneticcode. He's not used to the Warehouse's long hours, to students who float beds through walls during nightmares, or send fishbowls through windows-not to mention the food sucks. The only bright spot is the fascinating Wild teacher in the next room who plays amazing cello or guitar music late at night.Kendle doesn't think Stephen belongs at the Warehouse, but when he helps save her and herstudents from a violent mob, she wonders if she was wrong...and if a Bred like Stephen mightfall for a Wild like her. But Kendle has little time for romance. As society ramps up its hatred ofWilds and the Warehouse's resources stretch desperately thin, Kendle must find a way to keepthe director from expelling the most gifted students as dangers to the school.

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 13, 2021

10 people are currently reading
451 people want to read

About the author

Theresa Halvorsen

17 books209 followers
Theresa Halvorsen has never met a profanity she hasn’t enjoyed. She’s generally overly-caffeinated and at times, wine-soaked. The author of multiple spec-fiction works, including Warehouse Dreams and River City Widows, in addition to various short stories and non-fiction articles, Theresa wonders what sleep is. Because she didn’t have enough to do, she also started No Bad Books Press with S. Faxon, and edits for other spec-fiction writers. When she’s not writing, editing, publishing or podcasting with the Semi-Sages of the Pages, she’s commuting through San Diego traffic to her healthcare position. In whatever free time is left (ha!), Theresa enjoys board games, geeky conventions, and reading. Her life goal is to give "Oh-My-Gosh-This-Book-Is-So-Good!" happiness to her readers. She lives in Temecula with her amazing husband, occasionally her college-age twins, and the pets they’d promised to care for. Find her at www.theresaHauthor.com and on Twitter and Facebook.

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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Livy.
266 reviews15 followers
November 17, 2020
This adult Sci-Fi was wonderfully written and was incredibly enjoyable to read.

The plot was simply incredible and I loved how it was all set in the real world with some adjustments. The placement of the Wilds and their dilemmas was simply done and I really enjoyed it, especially the thorough implementation of the systems made it very believable also. Something very important in urban Sci-fi.

The characters were wonderful, especially Kendle who was beautifully flawed which made it so much more incredible. Flawed characters are always the best and are guaranteed to make a story great. The other cast of characters, especially the other teachers at the Warehouse added a level of variety that was just incredible.

The writing is also wonderful and Theresa is such an incredible writer. She created an incredibly enjoyable book with an awesome plot and varied cast of characters.

I was kindly given this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Shelby.
3,359 reviews93 followers
November 11, 2025
3.5 Stars There were parts of this story that worked incredibly well for me. The world building was fascinating and I loved the Wilds and what they meant. It was easy to see how persecution against them would develop. The danger they found themselves in both from their gifts and the world outside made a place like the Warehouse feel even more necessary. I really appreciated how much each of the teachers really did seem to care about the kids under their care. The quality of the writing was lovely and it flowed really well. But it felt like it skimmed over the really interesting pieces and didn't dive as deep as I wanted it to.

I liked Kendle a lot. She's a great character. She cares greatly for all the kids and the school itself. She believes she owes the Warehouse for her life. If they hadn't taken her in when she was a kid she wouldn't be here now. Her traumatic past would have eaten her alive and she probably ultimately would have imploded. She sees herself and what the school can do for you in each of the kids she brings into the school, especially the more challenged ones with gifts they can't control. She's incredibly powerful with her gift and while she has great control there are times where that wavers.

I actually liked Stephen more than I expected to from the beginning of the book. As a Bred he had no say in the genetic enhancements his parents chose for his birth. His good looks and charm are all part of that, he's bored with the Bred world and the challenge of the Wilds and the world he finds at the Warehouse intrigues him. He's drawn to Kendle, even if she can't see why he would be.

The characters and the world are the best part of the story. Unfortunately the story suffers some from a lot of relationship development happening off screen. There are big time jumps in the story that we don't get to see much about the interactions of things within the school. I wanted to spend more time getting to know the kids like Becca, Leo and Casi. I wanted to see the time the teachers spent working with them and have them finding out more about their gifts in those interactions. At the same time the outside threat of the increasing Regs anger at the Wilds especially but also the Breds isn't present enough to ramp up the tension within the story to really make this an action story. I also got frustrated at points because there's no explanations or answers for certain actions in the book. We never get an answer as to what's really going on with Miriam and it makes the sudden turn against Kendle and the kids feel out of place. We have thirteen years or something like that of Kendle being a part of the school, why now is everything changing? Why now does Miriam have problems with things? Why now are these kids too much to handle?

If there was a sequel to this book I think I'd be more interested in it. It really does just seem to end right as things are getting interesting. There's no resolution to anything and the tensions that were building with the outside world aren't in anyway resolved. This isn't a story establishing a resistance or fighting for better for the Wilds. It doesn't fit within the genre well in that respect. I kept waiting for there to be something they're standing against, something that we were going to fighting for big picture wise. But this never really gets beyond the betterment of the three main kids and not looking bigger at how horribly the Wilds have it everywhere. It's a small story within a larger world where the larger world problems interested me more and I wanted the characters I really liked to be fighting on a bigger scale and working towards those larger world problems more directly.
Profile Image for BigGirl BigBooks.
513 reviews42 followers
February 8, 2021
Ok, I'll admit this was on my TBR list for a little too long. I just started reading Sci-fi a few years ago after avoiding it with the exception of movies people tell me I "need to see". But I love superheroes, so I dove in and was very happy within a few pages. No slow pretense, let's get the party started. Right away we are thrown into the speculative world of children with abilities and perfect children who were engineered by their parents. A reality that a lot of people will argue is close at hand. THINK the Hogwart's students meets Marvel's Runaways. Interested yet?
Though Kendle and Stephen are adults on opposing sides, they have one goal. ANd that goal is help the warehouse and its residents. Thus I feel this more YA speculative fiction than anything else. Regardless of category and genre...it is well done.
Profile Image for April.
26 reviews1 follower
August 25, 2021
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway

This is by far my favorite book that I've won so far. I truly enjoyed the story and most of the characters. I'm super bummed about the ending. I really need this to be an on going series or something. I'm not sure if that's the plan or not but the ending just left me needing to know what happens. What happens at the Warehouse and what happens at the Borough? The only issue I found with this is in the side characters... if you can really call them that. A few of the fellow teachers were hard to follow. I didn't feel like I got to know them very well so I kept getting them mixed up and found it hard to remember which one was which. It's a very small gripe. Overall, this book was great. I had a lot of fun reading it and I am really really hoping for at least a sequel to this if not a full blown series.
Profile Image for Carrie Weston.
Author 14 books80 followers
November 7, 2020
An interesting novel following kendle’s life as a gifted woman working in a school for the gifted. Misunderstood by the genetically created bred and the people without gifts she contends with the deeper issue of acceptance and genetical modifications.
Profile Image for Jerry Strayve.
Author 1 book4 followers
September 5, 2020
I know the author, Theresa Halvorsen. In no way did I expect a novel like this from her. She presents herself as unassuming, kind, professional and well, let me say, “she revealed some serious depth as an author!” To add another wrinkle, I had never read a sci-fi romance novel before. I did not know what to expect, and it took me four or five pages before I could wrap my arms around it. But, when I did, it fully enveloped me. From there on, the story had me. What the heck is a ‘Wild?’ Yikes! Then there is telepathy, telekinesis, psychokinesis and teenagers wielding these powers. Kendle, the main character is tasked with corralling these kids and their powers surrounded by a hostile society. While reading, I pictured myself as the curious RCA Victor hound alongside the phonograph staring into the gramophone cone as I read page after page. Kendle and her love interest complicate their romance with their own personal baggage and the trainload of baggage accompanying the ‘warehouse’ occupants. Watch out for flying fishbowls, imploding buildings, and soul-searching fireworks. Enjoy the read! There has to be a sequel!
Profile Image for Melissa Johns.
168 reviews6 followers
October 27, 2022
OMGOSH this book was SO GOOD!
Love the world, character development, and writing style!

I found this author at a book signing at UCSD, and I'm so glad I picked this up!
Definitely recommend to sci-fi/fantasy fans!
Profile Image for Tamara Merrill.
Author 17 books20 followers
December 24, 2020
In this well-written, fast-paced, sci-fi romance, Halverson explores the time-honored science fiction question – What will happen to society if we alter genetic code for the rich and famous? Kendle May, school administrator, jack-of-all-trades, master-of-most, is a Wild (person who does not have scientifically engineered code as opposed to a Bred who does). As we learn about the incredible skills of the rescued Wild students, we are exposed to the prejudices of a world where the Regs feel threatened by the Breds and the Wilds and react by persecuting the Wilds. The Breds stand apart since they are from the wealthy upper class and have both power and money.
No one quite knows how or why a Wild is created. Is it physical, emotional, a freak of nature? A question that is left to be discovered in future books from Halverson’s series. However, that does not make this book any less satisfying. Each character is fully developed. The love story is fun – expect some “hot” scenes. The students – most of whom have been rescued from terrible circumstances – struggle with the “normal” teenage angst, but, in addition, must learn to control their Gift.
I usually avoid the Sci-fi romance genre, however, I found this a most satisfying read and look forward to the next book in this series.
Profile Image for Alicia.
231 reviews7 followers
June 24, 2024
The concept of an academy for genetically gifted teens reminded me a lot of X-Men, so it's no surprise that I loved this book. The book explores how society would react to people who have been genetically altered to have desirable traits and powers (Breds) versus people spontaneously born with genetic powers (Wilds).

Kendle is such a likeable character and I enjoyed learning about the world through her eyes. As a Wild herself she has an innate desire to protect Wild teens, even if that puts her teaching position at risk. The other teachers were all well developed characters, and the romance between Kendle and Stephen was great. I only wish there was a sequel, since I want to know what happens next!
Profile Image for Cornelia Feye.
Author 12 books7 followers
September 4, 2020
Warehouse Dreams drew me into the strange an imaginative world the author created right away.
Kids with skills like telekinesis, telepathy, and mind control of other are taught to control their gifts.
My favorite parts were the descriptions of the colorful, undulating shield that surround the wild and bred gifted, changing according to their moods and emotions. On a deeper level this book is a metaphor about punishing people for being different without having any choice in their identity.
Profile Image for LaTorre.
Author 13 books13 followers
October 8, 2025
Oh, how I love it when I get time to read a local author. And this time was no different.

WAREHOUSE DREAMS by Theresa Halvorsen has to do with Kendle and her struggles at the Warehouse, a school for teens with abilities. Called Wilds, the teens have abilities that range from telepathy to telekinesis to other forms of psychic feats. Kendle is a teacher and herself a Wild. With her associates, they try to train the kids at the Warehouse while dealing with low funds, government oversight, and public prejudices.

All of that starts to change with the arrival of Stephen. Stephen is a Bred...a high-end ability (in his case telepathy) man from a wealthy family. He has pedigree, great reputation...and is attractive to boot. So different from the other teachers at the Warehouse, Kendle finds herself crushing on him in spite of her feelings that they are from two different worlds. But when Stephen proves his worth and saves Kendle and the kids from a mob, Kendle finds her feelings for Stephen growing as she feels conflicted over the idea of someone like him even being attractive to someone rough around the edges like her. With the Warehouse being threatened into closing and the students having continuous issues controlling their abilities, can Kendle and Stephen find a way to keep the school afloat as well as deal with the growing attraction between them?

If you liked the X-men, I feel you will like this. The idea of a school with people full of different abilities. Teachers training them and having their own comraderie. The theme of a world that hates and fears us runs throughout.

Halvorsen did a great job developing the world. I loved the students who all came across different. She really dove deep into the character of Kendle which really resonated with me. The development of the 'opposites attract' relationship between Kendle and Stephen was fun to read. I laughed and huffed, but I felt invested. And even with how fantastical things could be, I felt it all was realistic, people reacting in human ways if we lived in a world where people had powers.

Given how the book ended, I hope there will be more novels coming. If not, it was a good ending. If so, I know that I will buying that sequel, too.
Profile Image for Kimberly.
322 reviews19 followers
December 31, 2020
I loved getting to know Kendle, Stephen, and the gang from Phillip’s Academy. Kendle’s character is like none I’ve ever read before, and she is so interesting. Though, she did annoy me sometimes with her disparaging ideas about Stephen. The kids are also the stars, and that was refreshing. Leo, Becca, and Casi are incredible characters.

The setting is depressing. But when the Wilds are as discriminated against as they are, it is understandable. The lack of money to run the Academy is a strong indicator of how deplorable the conditions are. But, Kendle makes it work and is adamant that the Warehouse be a comfortable place to live.

I have to say that I shed a lot of tears while reading. The misunderstandings and the miscommunications between everyone were stressful and difficult. Theresa writes the relationships so well that I felt like I knew these characters. I felt for them as if they were part of my real life. I didn’t want to let them go.

The only dissatisfaction with the book is that I would have liked a better wrap-up of the story. If there is to be a sequel, the ending is perfect. Otherwise, there is a huge part of the story that I would love to know more about. This restlessness could also be my inability to accept that the story did end. I badly wanted this book to go on forever.

I award Warehouse Dreams a full 5 out of 5 stars. Theresa Halvorsen wrote a stunning sci-fi story that includes a touch of romance. It is incredibly well-written. This novel would please anyone who loves sci-fi and romance.

Many thanks to Theresa Halvorsen and S & H Publishing, Inc. for gifting me a signed paperback copy of Warehouse Dreams in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Katherine E. Soto.
18 reviews
Read
August 3, 2020
Review written by Katherine E. Soto
Warehouse Dreams is the story of a woman involved with a school for students who have Wild telepathic abilities. Kendle is an assistant to the administrator of the school. She had been a student at the school. The administrator found her as a teenager in bad straits in Las Vegas trying to survive by stealing on the streets.
A hunky young teacher named Stephen moves into the school to teach telepathic control to the students in his classes. At first, he hates it there, but soon a relationship begins to blossom between Kendle and him. Dreams figure prominently in their relationship. The relationship is on and off while Kendle goes through adventures with the students in the school. She is attempting to manage unusual talents who are enrolled.
This book is an adventure in itself, as well as a psuedo-romance. It takes the reader from one emotion to another as things happen quickly to Kendle and the students in the school. I rooted for her all the way despite her background and the way she coped with things. I hope if the world happens to have changes within the human genome, we would rise to the occasion, not sink into the oblivion of wanting to change or get rid of those different from the norm.
Read Warehouse Dreams if you want to read about likable characters with flaws, and have an adventure that will keep you reading.
Profile Image for S. Faxon.
Author 12 books48 followers
July 14, 2020
Full disclosure - I know the author and was a pre-reader. I had the honor of reading Warehouse Dreams as a beta-reader and then as a pre-reader prior to its official release. It was a beautiful experience to see this book grow into what it is today.

Warehouse Dreams is an action-packed, sci-fi romance, that you won't want to put down! We follow the main character, Kendle in her efforts to make better and more stable lives for her teen students at the school for psychokinetics and telepaths. While this story takes place at a school for gifted individuals, it is NOT YA and nor is it in the world of Harry Potter. It takes place in Chicago and brings to light issues of how society ostracizes anything that is different or that we cannot understand. This story is about the faculty's struggles to prepare their students for the real world, even though the real world wants nothing to do with them. HIGHLY recommend this as your next read!
4 reviews1 follower
November 1, 2020
I want to thank the author for this superb book. I loved it and within the first pages fell in love with the story, the characters, their lives and challenges. I got so engrossed in the reading that I forgot to eat; all I wanted was to know how it developed. The only thing bad about it? It ended and there is (not yet, I hope) a second part. I want the Warehouse story to continue, there are so many threads that deserve being woven into another book, or maybe even more than one ... there is enough here to make this into a series, and i have a feeling that I will read all of them. No, not read: devour!
Warehouse Dreams reminded me in small parts of X-Men (is that the one with the school for the 'specially abled' kids?), but this is better, tighter, more emotional and really pulling you in because it is just so intense and the characters so believable - vulnerable and strong at the same time, just like ... real people, only with additional abilities.
I highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Anna Bushi.
Author 13 books27 followers
December 18, 2022
This book surprised me in wonderful ways. The setting is a world in which genetically engineered humans (breds) coexist with regulars. Then, mutants with superpowers (wilds) threaten the world order.

The protagonist, Kendle, is a wild who is intent on saving every wild child, even if it costs her livelihood and the only home she knows. Author Theresa has done a fantastic job with world-building and describing how the various abilities manifest themselves.

The plot is fast paced, and between saving the wild teens, Kendle develops feelings for the new teacher, Stephen, a perfectly engineered human. Their romance develops slowly in the background as the conflict heightens.

A great cast of secondary characters make this an enjoyable read.

If you enjoyed the Heroes series on TV, this book is for you.
Profile Image for Patricia Bossano.
Author 18 books37 followers
April 16, 2021
A spirited rollercoaster ride in a fascinating realm.
Kendle is the feisty heroine whose point of view guides our exploration of the dystopian world created by Ms. Halvorsen. “…back when geneticists were still figuring out how to manipulate the genetic codes of unborn babies…”
The injustice, persecution, and prejudice depicted in “Warehouse Dreams” draw many parallels, and through Kendle’s sense of humor, lots of action, and some serious hot romance, we not only get to know her intimately, but we also sympathize wholeheartedly with her plight, and root for her to save her gifted students and herself!
On reading the last sentence of “Warehouse Dreams,” I smiled, satisfied. Kendle confirmed to me that even if we are afraid of change, we must dare to dream and follow our heart.
Profile Image for Darcy Huffman.
19 reviews1 follower
October 7, 2025
This book was a gift...

My son met the author at Comicon San Diego. He's not a reader but she convinced him to buy it for me. It was a random gift but the author signed it and he sent it to me for my birtbday.
I actually loved the book, although truth be told I had to buy it for my Kindle as the font in the book was too small for me to read.
I loved the story, thought the character development was great and I totally bought into their world. Read it! Its worth losing some sleep!


Profile Image for Radomir.
5 reviews1 follower
August 18, 2024
Really liked this book. It’s a story of youth with special gifts and a school that helps them to manage them. It is told from the perspective of a young woman who came up from her own survival story to work at the school she once attended, advocating for the youth there. This is a great story for anyone who works in schools or nonprofits with youth. Also the romantic subplot is heartfelt and warm.
5 reviews
February 6, 2023
This book needs a sequel!

The author has introduced some fascinating characters. Their futures in an unfriendly world are begging to be explored.
the societal stigmas and structure are in place....The reader is left wondering where the rest of the story is coming from and when!
1 review2 followers
May 18, 2022
A wonderful fast paced story that I couldn’t stop reading! Enjoyed the varying of characters and their “abilities”. Hoping for a sequel!!
Profile Image for Karma.
9 reviews1 follower
April 6, 2022
This book was amazing! I’m so glad I got it to read!
1 review
June 29, 2023
A wonderful story reminiscent of XMen and a certain magic school, but much more relatable from the adult's perspective. I couldn't put it down! (Thank you for putting this is my hands, Theresa!)
2 reviews1 follower
August 4, 2020
I was hooked within the first two pages. There is no gentle introduction, describing the setting, characters, motivations. Instead you are immediately in the story as a full participant.

The author continues with this style throughout the story. Descriptions are sketches, but enough so you can immediately visualize everything happening. The story is character driven. It is their actions, emotions, development, and fate that matters. Halvorsen knows when to cut to and away from action scenes so the story keeps moving.

Like all good fiction, and particularly sci-fi, big questions are raised but without being preachy. In this case, should society sacrifice the few for the good of the many? Should science mess with the human genome to create “perfection?” How should we, as humans, as family members as members of a larger community relate to those who are different?

Am I going to tell you the story? Nope. That is for you to discover. But get ready for an adventure that will increase your heartbeat and stir your mind. You will find you will have trouble putting the book down, and when you do, your thoughts will keep straying back.

I hope this is just the first of a series. The author left room for further development and I will be looking for more.
Profile Image for J M Boutwell.
5 reviews
August 11, 2024
Warehouse Dreams by Theresa Halvorsen is a dystopian adult romance with a unique "school for the gifted" setting, but it falls short on romance and plot coherence. The book suffers from weak character development, uneven pacing, and mechanical errors. Despite its promising premise, the story's romance feels superficial, and the plot lacks direction. Overall, it’s hard to recommend despite its high ratings elsewhere.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
14 reviews
March 15, 2021
Warehouse Dreams grabs your heart from the first line and doesn't let go. It's a story of discovering strength inside ourselves and in community. With honesty and humor, Halvorsen delves into how we treat "other" and the joys and pains of giving our all for the ones we love.

Much more than just a teacher, Kendle May is also equal parts counselor, manager, advocate, and even bodyguard. On a daily basis, she and her fellow staff at Phillip's Academy for the Advancement of Wilds face the challenges of training and raising children with special abilities whose families can't or won't take care of them, and on a shoestring budget to boot. Kendle has been where the students are: she knows what it's like to be alone and scared in a world where people don't trust or understand her gifts. Her every waking minute is dedicated to the Academy, which the kids have nicknamed "the Warehouse."

When a new teacher arrives at the Warehouse, Kendle's world gets turned upside down. Stephen Rune is a Bred: his upper-class parents paid well for him to be born practically perfect in every way. In the real world they clash, but a near-catastrophe brings them closer together than they realize, forcing them to work together to protect the children in their charge against dangers within and from a world that would rather lock them up than accept or help them.

I couldn't put this book down, plain and simple, and I cannot wait to see what comes next.
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