cyngharris's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bluejayreads's review
3.75
I didn't have high expectations when picking this one up. It gave me "mediocre YA romance" vibes, and I can't really explain why. But I am a sucker for books featuring mythologies I'm not super familiar with, and for as interesting as Indian mythology is, I don't know a whole lot about it. So I decided to give it a chance.
In many ways, this book does fall a little flat. The narrative assumes a base knowledge of Indian terms and phrases that I just don't have, so I was frequently nudged out of immersion by an unfamiliar term and have to either Google or guess at the meaning. The descriptions were largely limited to color and shape, and occasionally size and shininess, making a visually rich world that lacked the multisensory richness that would have made it feel truly engaging. Aside from Tanvi and Venkat, the characters were well-rounded but largely uninteresting. And I guessed the big devastating twist really early.
But most of these things I only really noticed in retrospect. I read through *Dream Runners* fairly quickly and stayed engaged the whole time. And that's because there is one thing this book does spectacularly well: emotions. Tanvi and Venkat alternate narration and both had different but vivid emotions they were going through. Tanvi especially, as she went through confusing, painful emotional process of emerging from the dream runner mental state and regaining her memories, had such vivid, realistic, engaging feelings that they covered over a multitude of confusing terminology and lifeless descriptions. The sheer emotionality of this story hit the perfect balance - it was sharp and intense without tipping over into corny and melodramatic. Regardless of the other flaws in this book, the emotional aspect is spot-on.
There was also an interesting theme of sisterhood and conflict running throughout the book. A large part of Tanvi's journey as she gets her memory back is her sister - memories of her, her sister as she is now, seven years later, and the ongoing conflict between them. For most of the book, the naga and garuda conflict felt like an irritating distraction from what actually should be an emotional, personal story. But when it comes to a head in the climax, it actually ties into the theme of conflict between sisters.
I also have to briefly mention the romance (because it's a YA book featuring one female and one male protagonist, there can't not be a romance). I kept picturing Venkat as significantly older than Tanvi, so it felt a little weird for that. But the romance part was short, sweet, and very, very minor, which I appreciated. It added to the ending, but neither character spent too much time dwelling on it while they were supposed to be doing other stuff, which I think is generally the right way to do romances.
Ultimately, the book as a whole seemed a little flat. It was good, but not great; entertaining, but not engrossing. The world was solid and had good potential, but seemed to be missing a fundamental richness that would make it feel full and vibrant. But the plot on the whole was good, if a little predictable, and the emotions were spectacularly done. It's certainly not the best book I've ever read, but it's perfectly good.
In many ways, this book does fall a little flat. The narrative assumes a base knowledge of Indian terms and phrases that I just don't have, so I was frequently nudged out of immersion by an unfamiliar term and have to either Google or guess at the meaning. The descriptions were largely limited to color and shape, and occasionally size and shininess, making a visually rich world that lacked the multisensory richness that would have made it feel truly engaging. Aside from Tanvi and Venkat, the characters were well-rounded but largely uninteresting. And I guessed the big devastating twist really early.
But most of these things I only really noticed in retrospect. I read through *Dream Runners* fairly quickly and stayed engaged the whole time. And that's because there is one thing this book does spectacularly well: emotions. Tanvi and Venkat alternate narration and both had different but vivid emotions they were going through. Tanvi especially, as she went through confusing, painful emotional process of emerging from the dream runner mental state and regaining her memories, had such vivid, realistic, engaging feelings that they covered over a multitude of confusing terminology and lifeless descriptions. The sheer emotionality of this story hit the perfect balance - it was sharp and intense without tipping over into corny and melodramatic. Regardless of the other flaws in this book, the emotional aspect is spot-on.
There was also an interesting theme of sisterhood and conflict running throughout the book. A large part of Tanvi's journey as she gets her memory back is her sister - memories of her, her sister as she is now, seven years later, and the ongoing conflict between them. For most of the book, the naga and garuda conflict felt like an irritating distraction from what actually should be an emotional, personal story. But when it comes to a head in the climax, it actually ties into the theme of conflict between sisters.
I also have to briefly mention the romance (because it's a YA book featuring one female and one male protagonist, there can't not be a romance). I kept picturing Venkat as significantly older than Tanvi, so it felt a little weird for that. But the romance part was short, sweet, and very, very minor, which I appreciated. It added to the ending, but neither character spent too much time dwelling on it while they were supposed to be doing other stuff, which I think is generally the right way to do romances.
Ultimately, the book as a whole seemed a little flat. It was good, but not great; entertaining, but not engrossing. The world was solid and had good potential, but seemed to be missing a fundamental richness that would make it feel full and vibrant. But the plot on the whole was good, if a little predictable, and the emotions were spectacularly done. It's certainly not the best book I've ever read, but it's perfectly good.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Grief, Confinement, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Death of parent and Blood
Memory lossmochimustreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
nerdydreamer107's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I absolutely love Thakrar's world building, it is always so vibrant and rich.
Sadly, the characters are not and neither was the pacing in this one.
Still a great read though!
Sadly, the characters are not and neither was the pacing in this one.
Still a great read though!
lpcoolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
Loved reading this book, the world was so interesting, and I loved these characters and their story!
rainbow_reader's review against another edition
3.5
This had a decent plot and I liked the atmosphere/world. However, I wish I felt more connected to the story or the relationships.
mandimsadler's review against another edition
3.0
I really loved the setup for this novel. It reminds me a lot of a combination of Laini Taylor's portal fantasy and dream weaving concepts. The world building in this novel is also stunning. Really unique, rich, and colorful.
I will say, I felt kind of confused getting into this world-- there were so many terms and characters included in the very beginning, and even as a seasoned fantasy reader I found myself going "huh?"
The characters and the plot were fine. I kept waiting for the plot to get more exciting, but it stayed at about a 3 star throughout.
I didn't love the ending. It felt too easy.
I would consider reading more of this author's work after a few more books-- I see so much potential here. But right now the writing itself leaves a lot to be desired.
I read this for the Carterhaugh School bookclub, and we got to listen to a live discussion with the author. It was really interesting to hear more about her process and her experience with publishing!
I will say, I felt kind of confused getting into this world-- there were so many terms and characters included in the very beginning, and even as a seasoned fantasy reader I found myself going "huh?"
The characters and the plot were fine. I kept waiting for the plot to get more exciting, but it stayed at about a 3 star throughout.
I didn't love the ending. It felt too easy.
I would consider reading more of this author's work after a few more books-- I see so much potential here. But right now the writing itself leaves a lot to be desired.
I read this for the Carterhaugh School bookclub, and we got to listen to a live discussion with the author. It was really interesting to hear more about her process and her experience with publishing!
inkylink's review against another edition
4.0
okokokok but um. ok but that aro rep just being thrown in there made my heart hnnggghhh
this was a fantastic story. beautiful and fun and wonderfully self-contained. not five stars because i did feel like some beats became too repetitive while other ones weren't explored in enough depth which was disappointing, but as a whole, i'm really glad i read this story. amazing stuff
this was a fantastic story. beautiful and fun and wonderfully self-contained. not five stars because i did feel like some beats became too repetitive while other ones weren't explored in enough depth which was disappointing, but as a whole, i'm really glad i read this story. amazing stuff
scribe391's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
When Tanvi begins having nightmares, Venkat realizes that there might be something wrong with the Dream Runners.
Thakar’s fantasy incorporates characters and stories from the Hindu pantheon
Thakar’s fantasy incorporates characters and stories from the Hindu pantheon
carjohnsxn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25