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A review by ninetalevixen
Anna Undreaming by Thomas Welsh
3.0
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect my rating or opinions.
3.5 stars.
The premise and general mood of this novel are so unique; it really conveys that creepy but slightly hazy (pun intended) feeling of a bad dream — come to think of it, the vibe reminds me a bit of the TV show Falling Water (which I had not realized had a second season! After finishing this book, I kind of want to watch it now, inevitable nightmares notwithstanding).
Anna's character is wonderfully nuanced, with moments of determination and of depression and grief; she's humanly flawed and dynamic and constantly developing, and I really enjoyed that. The other characters felt a little more flat, though they have a perverse quirky appeal — except Teej; he seems relatively normal, if mysterious — and hopefully we'll get more insight into the remaining Dreamers and Metiks as the series goes on.
Plot-wise, I did get a little confused since the scenes tend to flow into each other, which does fit with the blurring of reality/dream (Basine/Haze) but isn't the most pleasant reading experience in my opinion. The action is continuous: there are some lulls, but on the whole it's a really immersive reading experience.
Overall, this was a fascinating read and a solid start to the trilogy; I'm looking forward to the sequels!
content warnings:
Recommended by Kal @ Reader Voracious.
3.5 stars.
The premise and general mood of this novel are so unique; it really conveys that creepy but slightly hazy (pun intended) feeling of a bad dream — come to think of it, the vibe reminds me a bit of the TV show Falling Water (which I had not realized had a second season! After finishing this book, I kind of want to watch it now, inevitable nightmares notwithstanding).
Anna's character is wonderfully nuanced, with moments of determination and of depression and grief; she's humanly flawed and dynamic and constantly developing, and I really enjoyed that. The other characters felt a little more flat, though they have a perverse quirky appeal — except Teej; he seems relatively normal, if mysterious — and hopefully we'll get more insight into the remaining Dreamers and Metiks as the series goes on.
Plot-wise, I did get a little confused since the scenes tend to flow into each other, which does fit with the blurring of reality/dream (Basine/Haze) but isn't the most pleasant reading experience in my opinion. The action is continuous: there are some lulls, but on the whole it's a really immersive reading experience.
Overall, this was a fascinating read and a solid start to the trilogy; I'm looking forward to the sequels!
content warnings:
Spoiler
roofies (date rape drugs), [implied] substance abuse, depression, suicide ideation, blood, death, minor gore, some ableist languageRecommended by Kal @ Reader Voracious.