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Sweet Dreams
A new thriller from the author of Teen Idol and Babysitter's Nightmare. Jan is terrified to go to sleep. Every night she dreams of the blaze that killed her parents. And as the dreams grow more vivid, Jan begins to suspect that the fire wasn't an accident--someone murdered her parents, and she thinks she knows who.
- GenresYoung AdultHorror
Paperback
First published November 1, 1992
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 8, 2023
I would have given this book five stars but the beginning was a little bit of a slow burn.
No pun intended.
The back blurb is not 100% accurate but maybe about 90%
Janelle Scott keeps having dreams where she relives the fire that killed her parents. The fire she was able to escape with burn scars on her arm while her parents slept. The smoke detector didn't go off and Jan can not remember how she got out.
Now she lives with her father's younger brother Peter, his wife Leah and her cousin Andrea. The nightmares and trauma have caused a slip in Jan's grades that she may not graduate with her grades dropping in almost all of her classes.
Being on the school paper and her boyfriend Mike Greenly, who works on the paper, are the only things that make Jan happy.
Her happiness becomes almost a distant memory when fires are being set around town. An arsonist is determined to be responsible for the fire that killed her parents and this triggers something Jan has not had to deal with for awhile - she begins to sleepwalk.
Each nighttime walk happens to place Jan at the scene of the next fire while at a sleepover with her cousin Andrea. Andrea and her friend Julie Rodgers get her away before the fire department comes.
Jan is starting to think that she may be behind the fires. She also begins to blank out parts of her memories that cause her to lose track of assignments and Jan almost forgets a date she has with Mike.
Rumors and gossip start to follow Jan around and she feels she can't even trust her friends or her boyfriend. The line is then crossed when the next fire...results in the death of the school guidance counselor.
Everyone now believes that Jan may have also killed her parents and not even Jan can dispute the facts when things are so hard to remember. Is Jan becoming a killer using the element of fire due to her parents' traumatic death?
Every night she lays down to sleep, Jan wonders where she'll wake up next. Next time, her bad dream may not be one she'll wake up from...
We get into some pretty heavy stuff dealing with PTSD, depression, anger, addiction to medications meant to help and heal, mistrust, loneliness...a whole big mess. It makes the plot pick up speed, raises the stakes a little and leads to a reveal and a harrowing climax.
It isn't too hard to actually figure what is going on after we learn a few things but it doesn't make the ending any less crazy or bittersweet or even emotional.
If you haven't read Sweet Dreams, I'd recommend it. I haven't read any other of Kate Daniel's books yet but so far I like her style once the ball get's rolling on the plot.
No pun intended.
The back blurb is not 100% accurate but maybe about 90%
Janelle Scott keeps having dreams where she relives the fire that killed her parents. The fire she was able to escape with burn scars on her arm while her parents slept. The smoke detector didn't go off and Jan can not remember how she got out.
Now she lives with her father's younger brother Peter, his wife Leah and her cousin Andrea. The nightmares and trauma have caused a slip in Jan's grades that she may not graduate with her grades dropping in almost all of her classes.
Being on the school paper and her boyfriend Mike Greenly, who works on the paper, are the only things that make Jan happy.
Her happiness becomes almost a distant memory when fires are being set around town. An arsonist is determined to be responsible for the fire that killed her parents and this triggers something Jan has not had to deal with for awhile - she begins to sleepwalk.
Each nighttime walk happens to place Jan at the scene of the next fire while at a sleepover with her cousin Andrea. Andrea and her friend Julie Rodgers get her away before the fire department comes.
Jan is starting to think that she may be behind the fires. She also begins to blank out parts of her memories that cause her to lose track of assignments and Jan almost forgets a date she has with Mike.
Rumors and gossip start to follow Jan around and she feels she can't even trust her friends or her boyfriend. The line is then crossed when the next fire...results in the death of the school guidance counselor.
Everyone now believes that Jan may have also killed her parents and not even Jan can dispute the facts when things are so hard to remember. Is Jan becoming a killer using the element of fire due to her parents' traumatic death?
Every night she lays down to sleep, Jan wonders where she'll wake up next. Next time, her bad dream may not be one she'll wake up from...
We get into some pretty heavy stuff dealing with PTSD, depression, anger, addiction to medications meant to help and heal, mistrust, loneliness...a whole big mess. It makes the plot pick up speed, raises the stakes a little and leads to a reveal and a harrowing climax.
It isn't too hard to actually figure what is going on after we learn a few things but it doesn't make the ending any less crazy or bittersweet or even emotional.
If you haven't read Sweet Dreams, I'd recommend it. I haven't read any other of Kate Daniel's books yet but so far I like her style once the ball get's rolling on the plot.
Displaying 1 of 1 review