Did not finish at 25%

I got the audio from Libby, mainly because I wanted to fulfill a bingo board prompt, but also because I could see I was struggling with the e-book. Unfortunately I had to send it back early because I didn’t like the narrator at all. I think the voice for the one character was fine, I just couldn’t deal with the main character’s voice. He was already whiny in my eyes and the voice made it worse. convenience

Then I chose to fully dnf afterwards. I didn’t like any of the characters I’d met so far. I’d thought even though I didn’t them, maybe the plot points would be better for me – that wasn’t the case. And finally I wasn’t a fan of the dialogue – especially between Gaige (our main character) and Logan (his boyfriend). It started to make me like them and the book less. So rather than having to force myself to finish the book, I chose to say bye bye.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

This was a decent book that felt like some sections had been stretched out unnecessarily. For instance, it was cute to read about Gaige’s feelings for Logan, but they were repeated too many times. It was nice to see the various representations of LGBTQIA+ culture, though.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

A powerful, fresh story that pulled me in right away. The characters felt real and memorable, and the central mystery kept the story moving at a great pace.

Gaige enters a shop, he is drawn to a book and then he touches it. This starts some chaotic and interesting events. The bookseller tells him that he is connected to the book now and he can’t escape this destiny. Unexplained events occurs and he is unable to stop them. An entertaining and exciting story. A thrilling plot with fantastic characters. A fantastic story.


Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Chicago Review Press - Interlude Press - Duet Books for this review copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was my first book by this author but I did enjoy it quite a bit. I truly enjoyed this YA fantasy story. When our MC Gaige is sucked into a book, he unleashes a series of events that not only costs him his time in the real world, but he involves his friends and puts them at risk. it has quite a few twists and turns along with worldbuilding to keep you turning the pages.

An intriguing concept that misses the mark.

Aimed at a teen audience, the dialogue and characterisation straddles a curious line that might just be too young and slightly cringe-y for the age group at the centre of the novel.

Absolutely loved the concept - kid walks into a creepy bookstore and is tricked into a sinister magical plot - but Book of Dreams didn't quite get there for me.

A young man discovers a strange book that claims him. The shopkeeper makes him take it, saying it is already paid for.

Very talk-y. Lots of talking and explaining instead of taking action.

Book of Dreams by Kevin Craig - 3/5


I truly enjoyed this YA fantasy story. When our MC Gaige is sucked into a book, he unleashes a series of events that not only costs him his time in the real world, but he involves his friends and puts them at risk.

I may not have loved how the author wrote this story, it tended to be a little cringy at times, but it didn't take away from the plot of the story. I like how the characters don't always agree and that makes them feel real and relatable. I found myself drawn to the different worlds they encounter, real life and inside the book along with the drama that creates.

Thank you NetGalley and Publishers for the ARC.

3/5 stars

Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and Kevin Craig for allowing me to read and review this book.

I honestly do not know where to start with this review. I though about putting it down and DNFing it several times. However, something continuously drew me in and made me keep reading. Which honestly, is kind of fantastic considering that is what the Book of Dreams in the book does to the main character.

This book was gripping and an interesting read. It was also a quick read. At points it was a little hard to follow, but never too bad that you couldn't figure everything out.

I am unsure of how to feel about [arts of this book because I have grown up reading a lot of adult horror books, but never really any young adult horror books. In my opinion, there was a lot of unnecessary cursing and relationship details within this book. Some people may think I am being homophobic because the main character is in a gay relationship, however I feel the same way about the gay couple and the straight couple in this book. It is a horror book, not a romance, I do not need the details of their relationships. In my opinion it added nothing to the story.

Overall, this was a pretty good book, but definitely not a favorite for me. But, to each their own, and I am sure there are plenty of people out there that this book would be well suited for.

I love story about books, booksellers and I liked this story that is entertaining and well plotted. A bit slow at the beginning, it kept me turning paged and on the edge.
Good storytelling, world building, and character development.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Book of Dreams is a peculiar YA fantasy story. It starts when Gaige enters a bookshop on Elm Street (red flag, Gaige) which wasn't there before, owned by an old man who should be dead and acquires a book which can suck him inside it.

There he encounters Mael, a boy trapped in limbo between the real world and the book's world for decades. He finds out that he loses time in the real world whenever he is drawn in the book.

Gaige's boyfriend Logan and his best friend Noah are drawn into this terrifying world when Gaige desperately tries to explain to them what is happening, and they find themselves in precarious situations as the old man is determined to use them as a tool to uncover the book's world secrets.

The description is very vivid and inspired by horror films, and the villain is downright creepy.

I loved the depiction of Gaige's and Logan's relationship: they're quite different personalities and don't always see eye to eye, but they love each other, resolve the tension with a kiss and accept that they will have arguments sometimes. I found it very sweet!

The book could have better dialogue and a more extended epilogue in my view.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

There is a promising story here with some great narration, but unfortunately this didnt quite work for me and so I wont be continuing with it for now.

Teenager Gaige can’t pass up a bookstore. During his parents’ latest feud, he escapes downtown to the refuge of a store he’s never seen before, a store that shouldn’t exist. Once inside, he’s entranced by a book with a golden spine — The Book of Dreams. Ignoring the shopkeeper’s warnings, he takes the book, beginning a descent into a world of nightmares.

—

This will probably be the most brutal review I’ve written yet, but this book was… a letdown. My biggest problems were with the characters and the writing. I don’t believe their ages were ever mentioned, but I’m estimating them around 16 years old. However, they read as not only more immature than that, but completely unrealistic. The writing was cringy — I can’t count how many times I rolled my eyes over the main character describing kissing his boyfriend — and despite being written by a queer author, it felt like an outsider writing what they think queer teens are like. Even the villain, arguably the most interesting character, was sullied by some truly horrendous dialogue. There were also multiple moments of what I’m calling fake wokeness, where it seemed more like the author wanted the characters to appear woke, but they just came off as disingenuous.

Spoilers ahead.

The one aspect that I did actually enjoy was the plot. I love a book about books, so I was really intrigued by this idea of the villain being able to create his own world within a book. Unfortunately, while it was the most interesting aspect, I felt that the plot still fell short of its potential. I wanted more about how the discovery of this book and the ability to remake the world came to be. I wanted to know more about the villain. Overall I just wanted more.

This is very much a YA book, and I think teenagers are likely to enjoy it if they're looking for a creepy and undemanding good time, especially if it sweetens the pot for them that Gaige, the protagonist, is gay and completely unconflicted about it. Logan, his boyfriend, doesn't seem to have any trouble either. (There's also a straight boy bestie, Noah, and the bestie's girlfriend, Sara, who has a fighting move that we ancients will recognize from Blade Runner.) Oh, and a mysterious person named Mael who spends almost all of the book trapped in a monstrous underworld.

Book of Dreams may not be so well suited for readers who've begun to develop a critical eye for characterization and narrative coherence. Gaige to start with, and later Gaige and Noah together, seem consistently to do dumb things of the horror-movie For Pete's Sake Don't Go in the Cellar variety; readers may get impatient with them. And the reactions of the other characters to Gaige's account of what's happening to him seem to oscillate wildly among believing him, not believing him, getting angry with him, and going back to normal shit-talking each other when you might expect them to get wigged out and stay that way. But again, that may not matter, depending on what the reader's looking for.

In time-honored YA fashion, parents and teachers are useless and/or absent, as they'd have to be for our heroes to get up to all the trouble they manage in the course of the story.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

There is definitely a good story here. Reminded me of Stranger Things. My problem was that the dialogue was just not good. Some things like the villain saying "farking" would completely pull me out of the story. With a bit more editing this could be great.

This was a supernatural thriller that I did not expect. I went into this blind and it did not disappoint. I can not express to you how the twists and turns got me. There was a few issues in this book but I liked it all the same.

Thanks Netgalley and Duet Books for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I loved the concept of this book and think it’s unique! Gaige, a book lover, goes into a bookstore where he is warned not to touch a specific book by the creepy old bookseller. Turns out the book is a gateway to the “Other World” a place full of Dark Ichor and if he’s not careful will consume Gaige and he’ll be lost forever! He wants nothing to do with the book but the creepy bookseller won’t let him give it up. With the help of friends both inside and outside the book adventure ensues. Will he be consumed by the “Other Side”? Will he defeat the creepy bookseller? The book was a little slow at first but a quick read and after a little bit it hits its stride and I couldn’t put it down! I enjoyed Gaige’s ability to be a little extra and his confidence! It made for some funny moments along his adventure! I loved his use of the term “Lurch” for the creepy bookseller! Logan, Noah, and Mael we’re all fun characters as well! I enjoyed the plot of how the creepy bookseller came to his evil and why he was doing it all! If you like supernatural adventures with LGBTQ+ characters with some humor mixed in, you should definitely check this book out! Excited to add it to my collection of books!

I'd call this a solid, if not slightly frustrating, read.

I loved the concept of the story. There's obvious inspirations from A Nightmare on Elm Street, which I'm a huge fan of. The mythology, at least what part of it was actually explained, was interesting. The book itself was very visually descriptive, sometime overly so to the point where I think it might have made a better movie than a book.

My biggest negative has to be the characters. Or rather, the writing for their dialogue. It's occasionally fine, mostly serviceable, but it's often cringe inducing. There were a few times where I let out an audible groan, because people do not speak this way in real life. It often felt like the cast were caricatures rather than characters.

-

“What the fuck, Noah. A girl? She’s not invited into this.”

“Whoa, now,” Sara says. She gets in my face, clearly ready for a fight. “What the hell is it with you gays, always attacking straight girls like this? Is there anyone more sexist than a gay white male?”

“You gays?” I stare at her, astonished, and turn to Noah. “Are you gonna let her talk to me like that? You gays?”

-

The only character I actually liked by the end of the book was Logan. He deserves an award for putting up with Gaige.

Overall, this was an easy book to spend a little over a day with. The story itself is good, and I love the inspirations from the horror genera that it wears on its sleeve, I just wish the characters and dialogue were written a little differently so it would elevate them to the same level as the plot.

There isn't enough gay horror for my liking, and I'm glad that this exists to fill a hole in the market, I just wish I could look past my annoyances with the characters themselves.