Kara’s afraid to go to sleep—until the nightmares come when she’s awake . . . .
Sixteen-year-old Kara Foster is an outsider in Jap...
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reviews
Mar 09, 2011
Kara Harper and her father have finally realized their life-long dream of starting a new life in Japan. Looking out at the peaceful blue of Miyazu Bay, photographing Ama-no- Hashidate, the Bridge to Heaven, Kara thinks it’s the most beautiful place on earth. If only her mother had lived to share it with her. As Kara walks up the long, forested path towards the pagoda towers of her new school, she stops at a candlelit shrine where the offerings of local monks and residents remind her of the fasci
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Jan 23, 2010
Wally
rated it: 
After her mother's sudden death, Kara and her father move to Japan, where he teaches English at her new school. While she has trouble making inroads with the popular soccer girls, two others befriend her easily, including one whose sister was murdered on school grounds by the soccer girls (no spoiler there - it's in the prologue). After some of the soccer girls begin dying off, Kara tries to figure out who killed the girl and why other students are dying in horrible and mysterious ways, eventu
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Apr 30, 2011
Kristen
rated it:
This book takes place in Japan. The prologue feels so Japanese I was wondering whether or not I was going to be able to relate at all to the book. Starting in Chapter One our point of view is from an American teen who just moved to Japan. So then I could relate just fine.
This is an interesting take on school life in Japan when mixed with murder and an ancient scary legend.
My only beef--and I know the author has absolutely nothing to do with this--is the cover. It has absolutely More...
This is an interesting take on school life in Japan when mixed with murder and an ancient scary legend.
My only beef--and I know the author has absolutely nothing to do with this--is the cover. It has absolutely More...
Apr 07, 2010
Erin
rated it:
Kara and her father have moved to Japan for a fresh start since her mother died and to fulfill a long dream of theirs. They both start at a private school--she attending, he teaching--unaware of a vicious student death that took place the previous fall. Kara befriends Sakura, the dead girl's sister, and finds herself having terribly realistic nightmares, as more and more sinister things seem to be occurring, including the violent deaths of more students and creepy cats that seem to stalk her at
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Nov 17, 2009
Kaia
rated it: 
Considering what an awkward foot Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall (Christopher Golden) starts off on, I was pretty surprised when, shortly after beginning, I found myself unable to put it down.
In spite of my overactive imagination, I like something scary once in a while. Poor Thomas Randall was already up against some stiff competition, since only days ago I wheedled my husband into watching Ringu (the Japanese horror film re-made as The Ring Stateside) with me. Fortunately, Drea More...
In spite of my overactive imagination, I like something scary once in a while. Poor Thomas Randall was already up against some stiff competition, since only days ago I wheedled my husband into watching Ringu (the Japanese horror film re-made as The Ring Stateside) with me. Fortunately, Drea More...
Nov 02, 2011
Emma
rated it: 
The book Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall is a really good book. At first it's kind of confusing but then everything comes together. The main character has to go through a lot of changes in her life. Kara's mother has died and Kara and her father have moved to a completely different country. She must make friends and learn a different language. Kara must also figure out why some of the students at her school are being terrorized by nightmares, scared enough to take their own lives. It all ha
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Jun 12, 2011
Emily
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Oct 20, 2010
Karen
rated it:
I really liked the way this book was written and the idea of the book. I only gave it 3 stars though because I like my books to have twists in them and this have that.
The characters in this book were good, although I didn't see any character development much. No, actually, not really at all.
The book was basically about a legend?(there is a Noh play about it) come to life. One student dies at the very beginning of the book and then other students start turning up dead.
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The characters in this book were good, although I didn't see any character development much. No, actually, not really at all.
The book was basically about a legend?(there is a Noh play about it) come to life. One student dies at the very beginning of the book and then other students start turning up dead.
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Sep 20, 2010
Alex
rated it:
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. Afte More...
Kara Foster’s mother was killed in a car crash, leaving her and her father alone. Afte More...
Jan 06, 2010
Leslie (That Chick That Reads)
rated it:
The waking is book one of the dreams of the dead series. It’s about a girl named Kara who moves to Japan with her father after her mother dies in a tragic car accident but then she befriends Sakura, a strange girl who recently lost her sister due to murder. Suddenly very strange thing start to happen in a course of dreams and Kara is forced to make the ultimate decision.
At first I couldn’t get into this novel. Don’t get me wrong, the writing was wonderful, the characters start of fa More...
At first I couldn’t get into this novel. Don’t get me wrong, the writing was wonderful, the characters start of fa More...
Jun 11, 2011
Kate
rated it:
Dreams of the Dead has been sitting on my bookcase for probably over a year. Every time I looked at it, I was not sure it was going to be a book for me. It was not until I read the summary for the second book in the series that I felt the calling to dive into Dreams of the Dead's pages. The tale starts off with a haunting beginning: "Akane Murakami died for a boy she did not love." From there, I was hooked.
Dreams of the Dead's main selling point is its focus on Japanese hi More...
Dreams of the Dead's main selling point is its focus on Japanese hi More...
Jan 22, 2010
Ryan
rated it:
The story follows a girl named Kara who, along with her teacher father, move to Japan. The pair have relocated to the small Japanese town of Miyazu Bay following the death of Kara's mother a few years before. Kara doesn't make many friends at first, but is instantly interested in a rebel punk girl named Sakura who seems to be an outsider herself. As Kara gets into the swing of the Japenese school year and way of life, she starts to hear whispers about a girl who was murdered just outside the sch
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Dec 03, 2009
Katie
rated it:
I have to start out by saying that I was really disappointed by this book. I really expected to like it and at first I did but as the book went on I really lost interest and almost couldn't even finish it. It took me forever to get through it just because I didn't want to read it.
Dreams of the Dead started off with a bang. Everything really started on the very first page and there wasn't much background. Once Kate was introduced I felt like I was just thrown straight into her l More...
Dreams of the Dead started off with a bang. Everything really started on the very first page and there wasn't much background. Once Kate was introduced I felt like I was just thrown straight into her l More...
Nov 20, 2009
Stephanie
rated it:
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 More...
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 More...
Oct 02, 2009
Steph Su
rated it:
DREAMS OF THE DEAD is a well-written novel that combines the fascinating ways of Japanese life with your typical horror story. It may satisfy young horror fans’ appetite for creepiness, but others may find it difficult to stay engaged with the slow-moving plot.
Perhaps most brilliant about this book are its endless depictions of Japanese customs. Either the author has done his research well, or he has actually lived in Japan before, because we truly get to experience Kara’s discomfort More...
Perhaps most brilliant about this book are its endless depictions of Japanese customs. Either the author has done his research well, or he has actually lived in Japan before, because we truly get to experience Kara’s discomfort More...
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Dec 04, 2009
Jennifer
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Reviewed by Ashley B for TeensReadToo.com
Kara Foster and her father just moved to Japan to follow their dreams after the death of Kara's mother. She is the American girl, an outsider. Then she meets Sakura, another outsider at the private school.
Sakura is haunted by her sister's death that happened during the previous school year. Then, Kara starts having nightmares. Other students turn up dead. But who is killing them?
The story went on pretty slow from the st More...
Kara Foster and her father just moved to Japan to follow their dreams after the death of Kara's mother. She is the American girl, an outsider. Then she meets Sakura, another outsider at the private school.
Sakura is haunted by her sister's death that happened during the previous school year. Then, Kara starts having nightmares. Other students turn up dead. But who is killing them?
The story went on pretty slow from the st More...
May 06, 2010
Shul
rated it:
I categorized this as YA horror, but it wasn't really that scary.
The whole time I was reading this book I was going 'why not meeeee????' It's basically my life dream minus the dead people.
This book was very enjoyable. I liked it a lot. There was a lot of Japanese culture and history worked into the story which was pretty interesting. Learning about the Noh Theatre and Japanese legends was pretty neat. Can't wait to read the next one!
The whole time I was reading this book I was going 'why not meeeee????' It's basically my life dream minus the dead people.
This book was very enjoyable. I liked it a lot. There was a lot of Japanese culture and history worked into the story which was pretty interesting. Learning about the Noh Theatre and Japanese legends was pretty neat. Can't wait to read the next one!
Aug 03, 2011
Casey (A Passion for Books)
rated it:
When first hearing about this book, I was automatically intrigued by the setting. I haven’t read, or even know of, many books that are set in Japan. Although I was a little worried (mainly because of the unique setting) and also excited, I was not disappointed. I really liked the way Japanese culture was mixed in too – made the story less boring, plus I learned some new things about Japan’s history along the way.
It was a little slow getting to learning about Kara’s nightmares, but this More...
It was a little slow getting to learning about Kara’s nightmares, but this More...
Nov 03, 2009
Marilyn
rated it: 
This was supposed to be scary but it wasn't really. The setting (Kyoto prefecture in Japan) is unique as is the use of Japanese Noh demons brought to life through feelings of anger and grief. I've been to the place in Japan where this is set and really enjoyed the descriptions of Amanohashidate and its surroundings. The book itself? Meh. Just didn't work any spell on me at all. Some mild language.
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Jul 05, 2010
Jordan
rated it:
I really liked this book. The author did a good job describing what it would be like for a teen girl from the US to move to Japan with her father: different expectations, schedules, foods, homework, etc. But it isn't all description. There is plenty of creepy action. I like how the prologue tells you who the murderer was, but the supernatural element gradually becomes evident.
Jan 22, 2012
Emmy
rated it:
Loved it!! Mr. Randall is a great writer - I found this book intriguing, disturbing, creepy, beautiful.. it is steeped in Japanese history, lore, and culture. The settings were described in very easy-to-picture detail; the main characters were believable and easy to relate to. The story was haunting, chilling. I am going to start the sequel right away!
Mar 09, 2010
Autumn
rated it:
omg omg omg this book is awsome and set in jappan so it is a little hard to read some of the words. This book is about ketsuki and kyetsuike to cat gods of evil and anger when sakuras sister dies it comes to take vengins on the people who are invalved in murder and the people who know read it.
Oct 04, 2011
Casey
rated it:
If you like Japanese culture or horror novels I would definetly pick this up.
+Japan! Loved being somewhere other than the US.
+Lots of mystery. I wasn't sure what was causing all the mayhem.
+Characters were great. None of them really stood out as memorable but I still really enjoyed them all.
+It wasn't romantically driven and didn't take over the plot. I actually wanted more, which is a rarity.
-The creep factor just wasn't there. I wasn't on edge and when somet More...
+Japan! Loved being somewhere other than the US.
+Lots of mystery. I wasn't sure what was causing all the mayhem.
+Characters were great. None of them really stood out as memorable but I still really enjoyed them all.
+It wasn't romantically driven and didn't take over the plot. I actually wanted more, which is a rarity.
-The creep factor just wasn't there. I wasn't on edge and when somet More...
Nov 11, 2009
Susan
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Oct 31, 2010
Krista
rated it:
Ghosts, revenge and murder. This is an entertaining novel with a very likeable set of characters. It was an all around good read, the action flowed well throughout the book with a constant creepy factor, great for Halloween.
Jan 30, 2012
Creepy girl in a white dress with black hair? You have piqued my interest. After all, those always seem to be the coolest kind of horror movie monsters.
Jan 24, 2011
Tessa
rated it:
I had high hopes for this being creepy, based only on the original cover designs. But it was like watching a Canadian made-for-TV movie based on Japanese horror when you wish you were re-watching The Grudge or something.
Jul 08, 2011
Sai1000
rated it:
The Waking: Dreams of the Dead has an interesting plot however...it wasnt my type. I'm not fond of these kind of stories. :l
Apr 22, 2010
Tori
rated it:
I think students that like Manga will enjoy this title. An American girl travels with her father, a teacher, to Japan to live. she attends a boarding school, though she lives at home with her father. One of the students' sister was found dead before Kara arrived. There is mystery around how she died.
