A review by read_writing_hood
Dream Woods by Patrick Lacey
2.0
The book was OK. I didn't dislike it, but I don't know that I would recommend it, either.
It's a quick read. The chapters are short and it's pretty fast-paced. Although, not really interesting and not scary at all.
There was a lot of repetitiveness. We were constantly being told about the dinosaur park being Vince's favorite part of the park, Vince and Audra tattoos, Audra making it to the highway, and Tim's diabetes. "Preternatural", "peripherals", and "pins and needles" were used a lot throughout the book.
The book is told through 5 different POVs. I didn't dislike any of the characters, but I also didn't care about any of them, either.
I think the most jarring part was the inconsistencies in the timeline of Audra and Vince's relationship and how old the twins (Tim and Andrew) were supposed to be. I think it was pretty obvious the twins were supposed to be pre-teens/ early teens (based on the way they talked and behaved and one of them mentioned having dirty magazines hidden under his mattress). But then, in chapter 5, when Vince is asked how long he and Audra have been married, he says, "[Audra and I] went together four years and then she got pregnant with the boys. We married a year later. It'll be six years this September." Which means the twins would only be seven at the oldest. Also, later when Audra is thinking back to the day she found out she was pregnant, it's stated, "There was something magical about the thought. She could bring life into the world with this man she'd known for just a year." Even though earlier it says they had been together for four years before she got pregnant.
Anyway. The fact that I just finished the book and this is what stands out most to me says a lot about how interesting this book is.
Again, I didn't dislike it. This is the book equivalent of that B horror movie on Netflix or Amazon Prime that you just watch because, ya know, why not. While it's somewhat entertaining at the time, ultimately it's pretty forgettable.
This book is good for anyone looking for a quick spooky read around Halloween or for fans of creepy pastas and r/nosleep stories.
It's a quick read. The chapters are short and it's pretty fast-paced. Although, not really interesting and not scary at all.
There was a lot of repetitiveness. We were constantly being told about the dinosaur park being Vince's favorite part of the park, Vince and Audra tattoos, Audra making it to the highway, and Tim's diabetes. "Preternatural", "peripherals", and "pins and needles" were used a lot throughout the book.
The book is told through 5 different POVs. I didn't dislike any of the characters, but I also didn't care about any of them, either.
I think the most jarring part was the inconsistencies in the timeline of Audra and Vince's relationship and how old the twins (Tim and Andrew) were supposed to be. I think it was pretty obvious the twins were supposed to be pre-teens/ early teens (based on the way they talked and behaved and one of them mentioned having dirty magazines hidden under his mattress). But then, in chapter 5, when Vince is asked how long he and Audra have been married, he says, "[Audra and I] went together four years and then she got pregnant with the boys. We married a year later. It'll be six years this September." Which means the twins would only be seven at the oldest. Also, later when Audra is thinking back to the day she found out she was pregnant, it's stated, "There was something magical about the thought. She could bring life into the world with this man she'd known for just a year." Even though earlier it says they had been together for four years before she got pregnant.
Anyway. The fact that I just finished the book and this is what stands out most to me says a lot about how interesting this book is.
Again, I didn't dislike it. This is the book equivalent of that B horror movie on Netflix or Amazon Prime that you just watch because, ya know, why not. While it's somewhat entertaining at the time, ultimately it's pretty forgettable.
This book is good for anyone looking for a quick spooky read around Halloween or for fans of creepy pastas and r/nosleep stories.