Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor

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Title: Strange The Dreamer

Author: Laini Taylor

Published: 2017

Format: Audiobook via Libby, E Book via Libby, Audiobook via Audible

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy

Review*:

   I starting this book just randomly last fall as an effort to start listening to audiobooks again. I was struggling with finding a book that hooked me in. It was a slow start, to the point that I thought about DNF-ing. Although I didn't feel it was super prominent, and that may have just been me unable to be engaged in the story, but there are trigger warnings for this book regarding rape.

  As much as I loved Laini's writing, both the words she chose and the way she tackled the story, I just couldn't latch into the book enough to continuously read it. I switched between audiobook, e book, back to audiobook and it was still a slow go. That being said, at this time I don't know if I plan to read Muse of Nightmares anytime soon.

   I will admit, I had to phone a friend for this book. I was going back and forth and somewhat enjoying reading but as soon as something else came to my attention it immediately pulled me away and I'd have a hard time picking this back up, via audio book and also when I had an e-book copy. I felt like I was getting stagnant or lost in the story and not following along. I ended up Google-ing a synopsis of what happens to make sure I wasn't loosing track, which usually pulls me back into a book because I feel confident that I know whats happening between the plot, characters, setting, etc. So I threw myself back into the audiobook to just listen to and I again found myself having a hard time pulling into the story. I ended up listening to the rest of it via audible.

   I loved the writing. I loved the world building and the gods stuck on this floating citadel above the city undetected. But I didn't LOVE the characters, and I didn't really enjoy the setting. This was the weirdest book for me to read because it was like my brain was telling me no and not allowing me to enjoy it but I wanted to just skip to the parts with Sarai.

   What I enjoyed the most was Sarai and her siblings. I was super curious about their presence in this world that didn't know they were there. They just live in this citadel up high above the city below them in their own bubble, but curiously as survivors of a mass exodus of gods. I never really got a PTSD vibe from these gods except from Minya, who was very obviously affected. Sarai just seemed like "meh, these dreams tho". Like they just seems so naive to everything, either because they are pretentious gods or they are really short sighted? I know I said I enjoyed them, and then shat on them, but I found their part of the story weird and thought-provoking.

  I'm giving this book a 3/5 stars because I'm really neutral about how I feel about it. I think I need some time away from it, or to maybe jump into some reviews to see if I can pinpoint what I'm hung up on as a reader. This most certainly wasn't a helpful review to reflect on if you should read this. I still wanted to speak on how I felt throughout the book because you may find yourself in a similar situation with something you read, and others go through it too. Sometimes you just need to reset and move on rather than dwelling on a coherent review. 

    

*This section may contain spoilers.