Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

11 reviews

literary_liv's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

thealmightykatt's review against another edition

challenging mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

This book was somewhat difficult to read after experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Drug use and Car accident

mandi_lea's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Police brutality, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Pandemic/Epidemic

dnlrbchd's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Death and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Animal death, Medical content, and Death of parent

bebidocrimes's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Reactions to a pandemic are not completely unpredictable, but to have proof a year after you publish a book on it must be a weird sensation. I do understand the students wanting to break the quarantine because they have been given very little information and were handled poorly, but it happened so quick no one knew what was going on. Being unable to truly understand what the patients dreamed enhances the mystery and I love the idea that they are jumping timelines in their sleep. Every moment happens simultaneously and it could be interesting to explore that more. Imagine their deja vu once they woke up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality and Pregnancy

Moderate: Death, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury

lilifane's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

What the f*** did I just read? 

This book centers around several characters during the outbreak of an infectious disease. It's a virus causing a sleeping sickness, but other than that, the parallels to the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic are way too accurate. 
All the denial. All the measures to contain the disease, too little too late. All the careless decisions, all the irrational behaviors, all the selfish acts. All the conspiracy theories and specific vocabulary. You'd think it was a book written during lockdown... only it was published in January 2019, a whole year before the pandemic started. I still can't wrap my head around it, how closely someone can predict so many little details in human behavior. (I wonder how many people who read this in 2019 thought they had a déjà vu.)

The writing is beautiful. For the most part, the sentences are short and simple, written in present tense. This way, you get immersed quickly and have the impression to be part of the events that are unfolding in front of your eyes. Which was brilliantly done in my opinion. On the other hand, there are passages of beautiful, whimsical descriptions and quotable sentences, too. It's a very atmospheric book with eerie, melancholic vibes.
There are quite a few characters the book follows and although you don't get to know all of them intimately, it is enough to get attached to them and root for their individual journeys. I actually got very emotional towards the end. 

It's definitely not a book for people who like plot driven, action packed stories. Not much happens here. It's really more of a character study, and the ending might disappoint if you are waiting for a big twist or reveal or explanations. Instead, it raises some philosophical questions, which I personally liked. It fit the atmosphere of the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

fireside_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Pregnancy and Injury/Injury detail

readingwithmeredith's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content

Moderate: Confinement, Death, and Pregnancy

Minor: Gun violence, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury

jen_again's review against another edition

emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Pregnancy

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

birkenstonk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

It’s crazy to think that this book was written and published before Covid. So much of it is scary similar. Now, I’m not talking about the disease, but instead the response, the reactions, and the atmosphere. What a heartbreaking book, with such beautiful writing. This was a very harrowing experience to read, especially after experiencing Covid for as long as we have. I believe this is a book I will return to over and over and over. It’s about finding joy; the past, present, and future; family; sacrifice; love; what ties humanity together. I could both go on forever and yet still feel like I don’t have the right words to say to describe my experience and thoughts during and after reading this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury