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alexctelander's review against another edition
4.0
Christopher Golden, author of The Boys Are Back in Town and coauthor of The Map of Moments, takes a journey away from his usual stories of the magical and horrific to tell a story of a different kind of horror and the macabre for a younger audience. Because of this, Golden is writing under the pseudonym of Thomas Randall, taking us to Japan and its complex culture and ancient supernatural legends.
Kara Foster’s mother was killed in a car crash, leaving her and her father alone. After years of studying Japanese culture and learning the language, they emigrate to Miyazu City where tall and blond Kara will be starting at a new school where her father teaches English. She is terrified, wanting to make friends and fit in, but also knowing she is a gaijin or foreigner, and will have to work hard to gain the respect of others. She eventually befriends the rebellious Sakura and learns of the dark history of Sakura’s sister at Monju-no-Chie school. On the spit of land known as Ama-no-Hashidate she was murdered by a group of school girls for having the love of a boy she had no intention of returning. And now those girls are started to turn up dead, through mysterious circumstances, while they all appear to be having terrible nightmares involving girls without faces and terrifying cats with sharp claws and teeth – Kara included. Sakura believes it to be the haunting spirit of her sister, exacting revenge, but as Kara discovers, it is something much worse.
Christopher Golden has outdone himself in taking the reader deep into Japanese culture, quick to explain how and why habits and characteristics are different, but at the same time he has a great horror story at the heart of Dreams of the Dead that will keep you riveted to the very end. And the good news is this is the first of a ongoing series by Thomas Randall and includes the prologue and first chapter to the next book in the series, Spirits of the Noh.
For more book reviews and exclusive author interviews, go to BookBanter.
Kara Foster’s mother was killed in a car crash, leaving her and her father alone. After years of studying Japanese culture and learning the language, they emigrate to Miyazu City where tall and blond Kara will be starting at a new school where her father teaches English. She is terrified, wanting to make friends and fit in, but also knowing she is a gaijin or foreigner, and will have to work hard to gain the respect of others. She eventually befriends the rebellious Sakura and learns of the dark history of Sakura’s sister at Monju-no-Chie school. On the spit of land known as Ama-no-Hashidate she was murdered by a group of school girls for having the love of a boy she had no intention of returning. And now those girls are started to turn up dead, through mysterious circumstances, while they all appear to be having terrible nightmares involving girls without faces and terrifying cats with sharp claws and teeth – Kara included. Sakura believes it to be the haunting spirit of her sister, exacting revenge, but as Kara discovers, it is something much worse.
Christopher Golden has outdone himself in taking the reader deep into Japanese culture, quick to explain how and why habits and characteristics are different, but at the same time he has a great horror story at the heart of Dreams of the Dead that will keep you riveted to the very end. And the good news is this is the first of a ongoing series by Thomas Randall and includes the prologue and first chapter to the next book in the series, Spirits of the Noh.
For more book reviews and exclusive author interviews, go to BookBanter.
kimbaloo's review against another edition
4.0
Engaging story about Japanese folklore and about letting go of grief and rage. I like the characters-though cliche-were well-developed.
sasbookreviews's review against another edition
4.0
The waking series pulls you in and it doesn't you go till the end. I read the first book in one night and found the other two a few years later. If you like Japanese folk lore this series doesn't disappoint. I literally dreamed about the demons in these books after I read them.
Book 1 : n american girl named Kara moves to Japan with her dad who gets a teaching job at the local high school. Sakura is the schools rule breaker she is morning the loss of her sister when see meets Kara and Introduces her to her friend Miho a shy girl. Kara has nightmares a bout a dead girl who turns out to be Sakura's sister who was murdered. Kara tells the girls and Sakura thinks its her sister seeking revenge, but could it be something worse like a demon feeding off Sakura's grief. Can the girls get the ghost to rest before it causes more damage???? read to find out.
Book 2: The girls are back and their putting on a Noh play about a Hannya a snake demon that feeds off female jealousy. Students start to disappear and Kara doesn't think the plays theme is no longer a coincidence she thinks the curse is bad and in the form of the Hannya demon. IS Kara right and how will the girls stop this new demon??? Read to find out.
BOOK 3: The girls are back one last time with one last demon curse of the Noh a Yuki-Onna a snow women. Yuki-Onna lurse men to their death by freezing them like ice-cycles. The friends all go out on a field trip and a student goes missing, the friends know its the curse at it again and this time its Yuki-Onna who legion says lives on the mountain. The worst part is the Yuki-Onna has Kara's boyfriend too who went after the missing student and Kara wants him back. Will Kara succeed will the finds defeat YUKI-Onna???? Read the final installment of the series to find out.
Book 1 : n american girl named Kara moves to Japan with her dad who gets a teaching job at the local high school. Sakura is the schools rule breaker she is morning the loss of her sister when see meets Kara and Introduces her to her friend Miho a shy girl. Kara has nightmares a bout a dead girl who turns out to be Sakura's sister who was murdered. Kara tells the girls and Sakura thinks its her sister seeking revenge, but could it be something worse like a demon feeding off Sakura's grief. Can the girls get the ghost to rest before it causes more damage???? read to find out.
Book 2: The girls are back and their putting on a Noh play about a Hannya a snake demon that feeds off female jealousy. Students start to disappear and Kara doesn't think the plays theme is no longer a coincidence she thinks the curse is bad and in the form of the Hannya demon. IS Kara right and how will the girls stop this new demon??? Read to find out.
BOOK 3: The girls are back one last time with one last demon curse of the Noh a Yuki-Onna a snow women. Yuki-Onna lurse men to their death by freezing them like ice-cycles. The friends all go out on a field trip and a student goes missing, the friends know its the curse at it again and this time its Yuki-Onna who legion says lives on the mountain. The worst part is the Yuki-Onna has Kara's boyfriend too who went after the missing student and Kara wants him back. Will Kara succeed will the finds defeat YUKI-Onna???? Read the final installment of the series to find out.
iamastraythought's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it well enough but it isn't enough to pull me into to reading the sequels especially after that blurb. The last thing I need to do is read about a girl jealous of her father's new girlfriend.
absurtiddy's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicide
Minor: Car accident and Death of parent
theawkwardbookw's review
3.0
Want to see more bookish things from me? Check out my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCferU-BCL2dlFjWdD0rS75Q/videos
Kara and her father move to Japan after the death of her mother in a car accident. Being the only American student at her school, many of the student want nothing to do with her, until she meets two girls, Miho and Sakura. When Kara arrives at her new school, she quickly discovers the students are grieving the murder of their fellow classmate, Akane, Sakura's sister. Plagued with nightmares, Kara and her fellow classmates begin to fear for their lives as more and more students turn up dead.
I felt that the plot was too slow-pace for me and I often found my self bored with the story. I found the Japanese culture interesting to learn about but other than that the story didn't hold my attention for very long periods. The book is meant to be a horror novel but I wasn't getting the vibes I wanted from it.
Kara and her father move to Japan after the death of her mother in a car accident. Being the only American student at her school, many of the student want nothing to do with her, until she meets two girls, Miho and Sakura. When Kara arrives at her new school, she quickly discovers the students are grieving the murder of their fellow classmate, Akane, Sakura's sister. Plagued with nightmares, Kara and her fellow classmates begin to fear for their lives as more and more students turn up dead.
I felt that the plot was too slow-pace for me and I often found my self bored with the story. I found the Japanese culture interesting to learn about but other than that the story didn't hold my attention for very long periods. The book is meant to be a horror novel but I wasn't getting the vibes I wanted from it.
jldyer's review
4.0
Nice weaving of a modern day horror story with Japanese legend. I enjoyed the story and the characters even with the predictability.
shutupnread's review
3.0
A very well-written novel that incorporates the Japanese culture and a very typical and ordinary horror story. Though the horror story was derived from the Japanese culture - the many demons that the Japanese believe in.
The one thing that took me so long to read this novel was the extremely slow pace that it had. I have to admit, at first, it seemed extremely suspenseful but as time progressed and the plot just kept getting prolonged, it just made me extremely weary of the plot. And the ending was too rushed to be enjoyable. If the whole thing had moved faster, then the ending would have served a better purpose.
Another thing I noticed was the author's intensive research on the Japanese culture. He gave lessons on how the Japanese acted and their culture and custom that it seemed as if it was a whole other subplot separate from the supposedly horror plot. I mean, it was really well-written and very informative but it wasn't necessary - at least, all the many details weren't necessary.
The characters were not so in-depth. They lacked a lot of characteristics and it seemed as if the author just skimmed the surface of their personality. There were a lot of details about them but it seemed so repetitive that it felt as if the author was repeating the same characteristics over and over again.
Overall, The Waking: Dreams of the Dead was an intriguing novel that really has some eerily creepy scenes that will entice readers but be prepared for the slow plot and the many Japanese lessons on behavior and culture.
The one thing that took me so long to read this novel was the extremely slow pace that it had. I have to admit, at first, it seemed extremely suspenseful but as time progressed and the plot just kept getting prolonged, it just made me extremely weary of the plot. And the ending was too rushed to be enjoyable. If the whole thing had moved faster, then the ending would have served a better purpose.
Another thing I noticed was the author's intensive research on the Japanese culture. He gave lessons on how the Japanese acted and their culture and custom that it seemed as if it was a whole other subplot separate from the supposedly horror plot. I mean, it was really well-written and very informative but it wasn't necessary - at least, all the many details weren't necessary.
The characters were not so in-depth. They lacked a lot of characteristics and it seemed as if the author just skimmed the surface of their personality. There were a lot of details about them but it seemed so repetitive that it felt as if the author was repeating the same characteristics over and over again.
Overall, The Waking: Dreams of the Dead was an intriguing novel that really has some eerily creepy scenes that will entice readers but be prepared for the slow plot and the many Japanese lessons on behavior and culture.
alexctelander's review
4.0
Christopher Golden, author of The Boys Are Back in Town and coauthor of The Map of Moments, takes a journey away from his usual stories of the magical and horrific to tell a story of a different kind of horror and the macabre for a younger audience. Because of this, Golden is writing under the pseudonym of Thomas Randall, taking us to Japan and its complex culture and ancient supernatural legends.
Kara Foster’s mother was killed in a car crash, leaving her and her father alone. After years of studying Japanese culture and learning the language, they emigrate to Miyazu City where tall and blond Kara will be starting at a new school where her father teaches English. She is terrified, wanting to make friends and fit in, but also knowing she is a gaijin or foreigner, and will have to work hard to gain the respect of others. She eventually befriends the rebellious Sakura and learns of the dark history of Sakura’s sister at Monju-no-Chie school. On the spit of land known as Ama-no-Hashidate she was murdered by a group of school girls for having the love of a boy she had no intention of returning. And now those girls are started to turn up dead, through mysterious circumstances, while they all appear to be having terrible nightmares involving girls without faces and terrifying cats with sharp claws and teeth – Kara included. Sakura believes it to be the haunting spirit of her sister, exacting revenge, but as Kara discovers, it is something much worse.
Christopher Golden has outdone himself in taking the reader deep into Japanese culture, quick to explain how and why habits and characteristics are different, but at the same time he has a great horror story at the heart of Dreams of the Dead that will keep you riveted to the very end. And the good news is this is the first of a ongoing series by Thomas Randall and includes the prologue and first chapter to the next book in the series, Spirits of the Noh.
For more book reviews and exclusive author interviews, go to BookBanter.
Kara Foster’s mother was killed in a car crash, leaving her and her father alone. After years of studying Japanese culture and learning the language, they emigrate to Miyazu City where tall and blond Kara will be starting at a new school where her father teaches English. She is terrified, wanting to make friends and fit in, but also knowing she is a gaijin or foreigner, and will have to work hard to gain the respect of others. She eventually befriends the rebellious Sakura and learns of the dark history of Sakura’s sister at Monju-no-Chie school. On the spit of land known as Ama-no-Hashidate she was murdered by a group of school girls for having the love of a boy she had no intention of returning. And now those girls are started to turn up dead, through mysterious circumstances, while they all appear to be having terrible nightmares involving girls without faces and terrifying cats with sharp claws and teeth – Kara included. Sakura believes it to be the haunting spirit of her sister, exacting revenge, but as Kara discovers, it is something much worse.
Christopher Golden has outdone himself in taking the reader deep into Japanese culture, quick to explain how and why habits and characteristics are different, but at the same time he has a great horror story at the heart of Dreams of the Dead that will keep you riveted to the very end. And the good news is this is the first of a ongoing series by Thomas Randall and includes the prologue and first chapter to the next book in the series, Spirits of the Noh.
For more book reviews and exclusive author interviews, go to BookBanter.
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