Review: The Dreamers

The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Once again I find myself penning a review that is far afield of the majority and doing so without apology. The Dreamers is everything psychological horror should be—frightening, thought-provoking and eerily personal.

The story begins with the sudden illness and subsequent passing of a college freshman—a popular girl who was seemingly healthy and vibrant before falling victim to what would come to be called the “sleeping sickness”. As more students contract the illness and fall into a deep sleep from which they cannot be awakened, panic grips the school. When the mysterious affliction spreads to the surrounding community, the entire country takes notice, and extreme measures are enacted in an effort to stop the disease from spreading beyond the town’s borders.

The writing itself will appeal to those who appreciate a style that is at once unusual and engaging. At first, the narrative is seemingly abrupt, dispassionate and clinical. After the first few pages, however, that approach fades into the background as the characters take center stage. The point of view is consistently third person, but the chapters alternate between the stories of individuals from both the college and the town, as well as a bird’s eye view of the entire situation. The author is able to within that construct move from a voice of objectivity to the voice of those directly impacted. It is those characters that make this personal for such a diverse swath of readers. There’s a pregnant teen, a young couple with a newborn, an aging gay couple, a widower, young children, dedicated nurses, etc. No matter the audience, there is most certainly at least one aspect of this novel to which each reader can relate. In all, the work is fascinating to unpack and examine, making it a perfect choice for book clubs and partnered reading.

If pushed to find any weaknesses here, it would be with the conclusion. For those seeking definitives, this might not hit the mark. If, however, the reader is able to accept that the answers aren’t always black and white—that sometimes the best we can do as human beings is shrouded in shades of gray—this is a read that is at once satisfying, haunting and insightful.










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