I really struggled to read this and honestly ended up skipping through most of it. The language was so stilted and formal, not only for the 12 year old but for all the characters and I just couldn't get on with it. It took about 50 words to say something that could have been condensed into five. Everyone wakes up with no memory but seems to cope rather well with it, for example the neighbour "unfortunately" can't remember her husband's name - really?
Just not for me sorry.

I saw multiple rave reviews and decided to give this a shot. It was not a story for me. The narrative style and the progression of the story were not one I am comfortable with. I did something I almost never do, and skipped ahead a couple of times.
I think people who like sci-fi more than I do will be able to better appreciate this book.

After 12-year-old Pogo here’s a scream he wakes up to find his mother missing and a teenage boy cooking breakfast in the kitchen as soon after the meet another neighbor whose husband and daughter are also missing but what does all this have to do with the local hotel? This was one of the strangest best best books I have read. I put this off because I had a feeling it was going to be good but it was also good. After all what kind of hotel gives local residents free night stays as an opening there’s way more going on here than a grand opening of a hotel but what was that scream everyone heard? You really need to read this book the book carries it through when you put it down you cannot stop thinking about it and wondering what the heck is going on… I know that’s what happened to me. This will be a book you will want to read again and again I know I do. I can’t wait to read more about this author I truly and honestly loved the weirdness of this novel it is a rare treat with literary books today and I am also glad I got to read it. Although I didn’t give a big summary I didn’t want to give anything away that I didn’t already know when I started the book and trust me you’ll be glad you didn’t this was a great book and one I highly recommend. I received this book from NetGalley hey and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but trust me when I say this book is so good! A true five star read!

“I tried to whisper to her how she couldn’t leave me alone, especially with this monster, but she was already past her earthly burdens”

Pogo, Joshua and Sarah are all woken up by a scream. Each of them know they have certain memories missing and they don’t quite understand why.
In a small town that has only five buildings and six people in it, these characters try to navigate this strange world that they have woken up in. Finding out that a murder has taken place, they feel suspicious of the three business owners they meet, wonder why there’s a lack of police presence and spot many anomalies along the way.

I could not put this book down. The talent that Avinash Naduvath displays in this novel is so impressive. The plot is complex but does not lose readers to confusion or frustration.
The story is told from six different perspectives. Each perspective fills in the gaps that are needed without being too repetitive when referring to what has already happened. This split in narratives helps readers to see all the characters from different angles, making it hard to know who you can trust and who is at fault.
This book has a dystopian theme to it in terms of technology and how it’s advancements can be quite damaging. There is also the murder mystery aspect that is told mostly through the suspicions of Pogo, Joshua and Sarah, with the lack of a real detective adding an eerie atmosphere to the storyline.
The way this story is brought together at the end is so artistic and the twist was impossible to guess.

I loved how different this book was. It was so engrossing and unique and I highly recommend this read.

Pogo, a young lovable kid, wakes up to the scream and is scared that his mom has left him. Joshua a smart, meticulous boy, is disturbed by the scream and begins observing strange incidents in the world he just woke up in. Sarah, a simple senescent lady, wakes up to the scream and realizes her daughter and husband are missing.

Concurrently, a girl has been murdered at the only visible hotel in this world, and its hotel manager, Kobi, is not sure how the situation needs to be handled. There are no police around, and he teams up with Tonks, the owner of a diner, and Klaus, the owner of a supermarket, to figure out who killed the girl.

Six seemingly unrelated people embark on a journey through this vibrant, mostly deserted world, but nothing is what it seems, and this anomalous world will stop at nothing to assure the convergence of their paths.

This was so beautifully written and I love the plot and twists. I was wondering the entire time what happened, what did they all have in common, etc. Is this something I would be re-reading soon? ABSOLUTELY. This is such a masterpiece for me. From the synopsis alone, I had high expectations and I was not disappointed.

Nicely done. This has interesting characters, and the way the story is laid out and presented works really well, including the ending. Recommended.

Thanks very much for the free review copy for review!!

What drew me to this book was the cover. I absolutely love it!

The book is centered around a shared lucid dream. It is written in the perspective of six people who are in this shared dream. Each of them waking up to a scream in the middle of the night, followed by an extensive loss of memory the following day. The then navigate through this new world, realizing that the world itself is trying to push them in a certain direction.

It was a very interesting read, kept me on the edge and kept me guessing. At first, I had no idea where it was going to lead. I enjoyed it thoroughly but I felt like the last two chapters and the epilogue were a little unnecessary to the story.

From a child, to an elderly lady who commits suicide, to a narcissist with a duty to fulfill, a diner owner who was too nice on the surface, a hotel owner and a teenage boy who turned out to be someone he didn't think he was, the story twisted and turned and captivated me.

I enjoyed this book even though it was a little long.

Mindbender was appealing fiction for a gmail of the genre. I enjoyed the range of characters, the ways the story came together, and the world that these characters inhabit.

Is it unspeakably cruel to say that I read this book out loud to my roommates so we could laugh at long segments? The concept of waking up with no memories, in a town with no people, with lucid layers and everyone knowing something different, could have been very strong, but then we go completely off the rails. Pogo does not speak like a child- in fact, no one in this book speaks like a human being would- and the character interactions are awkward and stilted. There's a multi-page scene where two characters decide to order chicken sandwiches and espressos, order the chicken sandwiches and espressos, receive the chicken sandwiches and espressos, and eat some of the chicken sandwiches and espressos before abandoning their plates for another insane plot detail. Sarah alternatively creeps on and dotes on these children she doesn't know and is lying to, the points of view of the government agents only make things more confusing, the "scientific" terms and explanations need severe editing for clarity, and it's impossible to keep track of who is who. Pogo is Joshua, alternatively a cousin and brother, and Joshua is Marko, but there is another Marko, and then there's a blue werewolf from absolutely nowhere that decapitates a child who never existed, except he kind of did because Marko has multiple personalities? MPD is no longer an actual medical term and the explanations for dissociative disorders cross into being genuinely offensive, particularly because lucid dreaming and dissociation.have fascinating connections that get completely ignored. The crime doesn't seem important enough for this investigation, the murder being a mistake about BDSM is highly laughable instead of tragic, and ending the book with the same questions posed to multiple people we don't know, in a way that makes things more confusing, was a bad idea. There is a line where a character says that his mother "must have been surprised and sad when her own husband killed her" and I can't stop thinking about it. That's such an understatement. I had to draw a chart to explain parts of this to someone else. Absolutely incomprehensible.

A really unique and interesting read about lucid dreaming. I found it especially cool it was written by someone who experiences lucid dreaming firsthand. It did feel a little long for me though. Otherwise very enjoyable.

Pogo, a young lovable kid, wakes up to the scream and is scared that his mom has left him. Joshua, a smart, meticulous boy, is disturbed by the scream and begins observing strange incidents in the world he just woke up in. Sarah, a simple senescent lady, wakes up to the scream and realizes her daughter and husband are missing.
Concurrently, a girl has been murdered at the only visible hotel in this world, and its hotel manager, Kobi, is not sure how the situation needs to be handled. There are no police around, and he teams up with Tonks, the owner of a diner, and Klaus, the owner of a supermarket, to figure out who killed the girl.
Six seemingly unrelated people embark on a journey through this vibrant, mostly deserted world, but nothing is what it seems, and this anomalous world will stop at nothing to assure the convergence of their paths.
Really enjoyed this book totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and BooksGoSocial
I just reviewed Mindbender by Avinash Naduvath. #Mindbender #NetGalley