A review by todayisnot
The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker

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

2.5

Read for the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2023 - prompt: #BookTok recommendation. 

Objectively, I can see why people would like this story. It starts off interestingly - a sleeping sickness descends on a quiet college town and you see the consequences through the eyes of a few characters as they muddle through it. It was atmospheric and reflective but by the end it just felt a little flat/repetitive and unresolved. And there were perspectives I actively disliked. 

Most of the characters are very passive, which is reflective of the dream-like nature of the sickness and story. But it also made it feel like the story was dragging on and repetitive. Ultimately, there's no explanation for why the plague starts and no reason given why it ends - again, this isn't a hard science book but a little more exploration would have helped move the plot better. Finally, reading about pregnancy developments (especially essentially forced pregnancy) really squicks me out. I hate it so much. One of the dreamers is unknowingly pregnant and this is treated essentially as a blessing as the fetus develops. It's just not for me and it kept recurring - i had to forward through those parts in order to finish the book.
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