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The Vault of Dreamers #1
The Vault of Dreamers
WELCOME TO THE PRESTIGIOUS Forge School of the Arts, where every waking moment of the students' lives is televised. For twelve hours a day, every class, conversation, and gesture is broadcast to millions of viewers. And for twelve hours each night, the students undergo an induced sleep, proven to maximize creativity.
Rosie Sinclair has staked all her dreams of becoming a filmmaker on succeeding at Forge. But when she skips her sleeping pill one night, she discovers an insidious world behind the cameras. As she navigates the Forge landscape of art and manipulation by day, Rosie finds it increasingly difficult to trust either her instincts or her mind. The only thing she knows for certain is that she must unearth the ghastly secret that the Forge School is hiding.
From the author of the Birthmarked Trilogy comes a fast-paced, psychologically thrilling novel about what happens when the dreams you follow are no longer your own.
Rosie Sinclair has staked all her dreams of becoming a filmmaker on succeeding at Forge. But when she skips her sleeping pill one night, she discovers an insidious world behind the cameras. As she navigates the Forge landscape of art and manipulation by day, Rosie finds it increasingly difficult to trust either her instincts or her mind. The only thing she knows for certain is that she must unearth the ghastly secret that the Forge School is hiding.
From the author of the Birthmarked Trilogy comes a fast-paced, psychologically thrilling novel about what happens when the dreams you follow are no longer your own.
418 pages, Hardcover
First published September 16, 2014
About the author
Caragh M. O'Brien
25 books2,206 followersCaragh M. O'Brien is the author of the BIRTHMARKED trilogy and THE VAULT OF DREAMERS series, both from Macmillan/Roaring Brook Press. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Ms. O'Brien earned her BA from Williams College and her MA from Johns Hopkins University. Once a high school English teacher, she resigned to write young adult novels. For more information, visit http://www.caraghobrien.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,008 reviews
April 25, 2023
2.5/3
I didn't love it but I definitely didn't hate it. It really didn't make me feel much of anything. The characters are just ok. Rosie seems like she might be a super strong character later on maybe in like book two or three but right now she's just kind of so so. Linus seems really adorable, cute, and probably the most likable character in the story, but really that's about as much as I can say about them. I didn't really have a special bond or connection with either of them. Come to think of it I don't really feel like I knew any of the characters. The "twist" at the end was rather predictable for the most part. I will say the little bit of romance that was sprinkled here and there was cute, but nothing to write home about.
I also wish the characters (well Rosie) was older. In the story she is fifteen and Linus is seventeen. I wish they were both seventeen. To me at least I think this story was lacking some major action. At the end I felt like nothing at all had happened. The ending was also a little confusing. To the point where it's really even hard to explain. Like I completely got what was happening but at the same time had no idea what was going on, and it wasn't in a good way. I would overall just say this book was ok, I just wish I would have gotten more. Pretty disappointed.
I didn't love it but I definitely didn't hate it. It really didn't make me feel much of anything. The characters are just ok. Rosie seems like she might be a super strong character later on maybe in like book two or three but right now she's just kind of so so. Linus seems really adorable, cute, and probably the most likable character in the story, but really that's about as much as I can say about them. I didn't really have a special bond or connection with either of them. Come to think of it I don't really feel like I knew any of the characters. The "twist" at the end was rather predictable for the most part. I will say the little bit of romance that was sprinkled here and there was cute, but nothing to write home about.
I also wish the characters (well Rosie) was older. In the story she is fifteen and Linus is seventeen. I wish they were both seventeen. To me at least I think this story was lacking some major action. At the end I felt like nothing at all had happened. The ending was also a little confusing. To the point where it's really even hard to explain. Like I completely got what was happening but at the same time had no idea what was going on, and it wasn't in a good way. I would overall just say this book was ok, I just wish I would have gotten more. Pretty disappointed.
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February 11, 2014I missed night.
February 13, 2015
It could have been great mash-up of How to lead a life of crime and Unwind, but it wasn't up there with the violence and it lacked a strong disturbing factor. In comparison it was very very very soft. Like cloud or pillow soft. Or cat soft.
It seemed very much like a kid book (6th grade level), not sure if older readers would enough it much. Although the main character Rosie Sinclair has a interesting back story of how she got into the prestigious Forge School, it wasn't enough to make me feel anything for her. She also seemed so bland because there wasn't a unique thing about her.
Another issue I had with the book was that it lacked arts. It briefly mentioned general academics (dance, instruments, filmmaker) but barely touches on what art school is. I would've liked to seen her go through more rigorous courses, which would have made the story more intense.
Other reasons I disliked it:
The bad guy in this wasn't that evil, it seemed like he was just a little weird or even a bit delusional.
Personally, I didn't like the love interest and the author tried to play with a love triangle but it wasn't quite one.
Rosie seemed to be in distress a lot but it wasn't properly portrayed.
I like the general concept of the Forge School being a school and a reality TV show and if this book were adapted into a movie I think I would've enjoyed it a lot more.
3/5 stars
Edit
Not too sure about this one, I'll have to sleep on it before writing a full review.
Edit: The cover is just amazing, its high quality and unique. The colors are spectacular too.
It seemed very much like a kid book (6th grade level), not sure if older readers would enough it much. Although the main character Rosie Sinclair has a interesting back story of how she got into the prestigious Forge School, it wasn't enough to make me feel anything for her. She also seemed so bland because there wasn't a unique thing about her.
Another issue I had with the book was that it lacked arts. It briefly mentioned general academics (dance, instruments, filmmaker) but barely touches on what art school is. I would've liked to seen her go through more rigorous courses, which would have made the story more intense.
Other reasons I disliked it:
The bad guy in this wasn't that evil, it seemed like he was just a little weird or even a bit delusional.
Personally, I didn't like the love interest and the author tried to play with a love triangle but it wasn't quite one.
Rosie seemed to be in distress a lot but it wasn't properly portrayed.
I like the general concept of the Forge School being a school and a reality TV show and if this book were adapted into a movie I think I would've enjoyed it a lot more.
3/5 stars
Edit
Not too sure about this one, I'll have to sleep on it before writing a full review.
Edit: The cover is just amazing, its high quality and unique. The colors are spectacular too.
August 2, 2014
3.5 stars I quite liked this one--cool future tech, interesting characters, and engrossing plot. I'm not sure how I feel about some elements of the the ending, however, as the guardianship stuff seemed pretty farfetched (I know, I know, I can buy dream-mining, but there's got to be some logic even within fantastical circumstances), and I'm not clear on exactly what happened in those final moments. A stronger finish would have been better, as well as a little more detail/development with the stepfather stuff and the female relationships. Still, lots to enjoy here, including cool technology, reality show integrated into daily life in a believable way, and investment in Rosie and her friends. Look forward to book two!
March 12, 2015
Everybody who’s anybody wants to get into The Forge School.
The elite institution for a high school degree in the creative arts, Forge is not only a school, but an immersive experience. From the thousands of applicants every year, only a group of 100 are admitted into the freshman class – and of those 100, only the top 50 are allowed to continue their education.
Who determines the top 50 and the cuts?
Why, the viewers, of course!
You see, Forge is more than just an incubator of creative geniuses of dance, filmmaking, song, and artistry; it’s also the world’s most popular reality television show. From waking to sleeping, every moment of a Forge student’s day is filmed and broadcast. Viewers can choose whom they want to follow – and with followers, of course, come advertising opportunities (money, for the student), popularity, and class ranking.
Rosie Sinclair never thought she would get into Forge. A young teen from an impoverished town, she’s certainly not the usual demographic for the school or the show (her friends, family and hometown don’t have much in the way of resources – televisions, tablets, or other computers – to watch the show and give Rosie a boost). It’s without surprise, then, when on the eve of the fifty cuts, Rosie discovers that she’s somewhere near the bottom of her class rank pack. And for that last night before she’s sure she will be sent home, Rosie decides to break the rules.
Everyone at Forge is required to sleep twelve hours a night – twelve hours induced by a special kind of sleeping pill, meant to boost creativity and productivity, though it also means an end to dreams for each pill-taking student. When the students retire in their sleep pods for the evening, the cameras stop rolling, and all is silent…or so Rosie thinks. She skips her sleeping pill on the eve of the cuts, desperate to gaze upon the night sky, and see her school from a different angle one last time.
What she discovers, however, is an insidious secret that administrators at the Forge School will go to great lengths to hide. Doctors perform tests on sleeping students. Whispered talks about “mining” and “seeding” the children (and their dreams) ensue. There are stakeholder calls, and hushed explanations of Forge suicides and accidents, and frightening experiments.
Rosie is determined to find out the truth about Forge – or pay the ultimate price.
A dystopian-style novel with a reality television twist, The Vault of Dreamers is solid and enjoyable YA science fiction. Set in the near future, in a post-war world with some technological advancements and socioeconomic decline, this book seems (at least from the synopsis) to be a deep dive into a reality television-obsessed culture…but it’s not. The Vault of Dreamers is more The Truman Show than Flash Point; told from the perspective of Rosie from within the school, there’s very little actual interaction or understanding of what outside viewers are seeing and how they are interacting with the Forge show. Instead, this book focuses on two tracks: the maneuvers Rosie makes to stay in the top 50 (pseudo-real romantic interest, plus human interest drama), and a fraught storyline about dreams, secrets, and Rosie’s mental health.
The first part of the story – Rosie’s standings in the school and her friendships with more popular/higher ranking students – is… interesting. Unexpected, even. When reading her narrative, Rosie never comes off as ruthless or calculating, though all of her actions could certainly be interpreted that way. She befriends popular students, sparks up an on-camera romance, takes to videotaping students in order to make the last minute cut. She undeniably does what she has to in order to stay in the school, but without sacrificing her integrity (and should anyone call her out on being manipulative or crass, Rosie sticks up for herself beautifully). I love that about her character. I also love the genuine friendships she makes with her fellow students, in particular the surly Linus, the intelligent Burnham, and charismatic Janice.
The second part of the story, though – the driving part of the story – is somewhat more fraught. This is a speculative fiction novel at its heart, and a story about the secrets a school holds over its mandatory-sleep-induced students. What happens when one’s dreams are taken? When sleep is monitored and manipulated, what happens to the sleeper? What is that voice Rosie is hearing – real, or is it all the projections of a stressed mind? While I like the ideas presented in The Vault of Dreamers in theory, in practice, things are a little too nebulous for my liking. The dream mining and seeding angles aren’t ever fully defined or explained, and I wish there was more there (less of the “is she suffering from a nervous breakdown or is it all real” tension for more of the actual science fictional elements). Also, while the last quarter of the book ratchets up the action and stakes, it’s all incredibly rushed and frustratingly dissatisfying (particularly that cliffhanger ending).
Still, these criticisms said, I enjoyed The Vault of Dreamers very much – much more than I thought I would. I’ll be back to see where Rosie’s journey takes her next, in the hopes for a little more definition and overarching plot development.
The elite institution for a high school degree in the creative arts, Forge is not only a school, but an immersive experience. From the thousands of applicants every year, only a group of 100 are admitted into the freshman class – and of those 100, only the top 50 are allowed to continue their education.
Who determines the top 50 and the cuts?
Why, the viewers, of course!
You see, Forge is more than just an incubator of creative geniuses of dance, filmmaking, song, and artistry; it’s also the world’s most popular reality television show. From waking to sleeping, every moment of a Forge student’s day is filmed and broadcast. Viewers can choose whom they want to follow – and with followers, of course, come advertising opportunities (money, for the student), popularity, and class ranking.
Rosie Sinclair never thought she would get into Forge. A young teen from an impoverished town, she’s certainly not the usual demographic for the school or the show (her friends, family and hometown don’t have much in the way of resources – televisions, tablets, or other computers – to watch the show and give Rosie a boost). It’s without surprise, then, when on the eve of the fifty cuts, Rosie discovers that she’s somewhere near the bottom of her class rank pack. And for that last night before she’s sure she will be sent home, Rosie decides to break the rules.
Everyone at Forge is required to sleep twelve hours a night – twelve hours induced by a special kind of sleeping pill, meant to boost creativity and productivity, though it also means an end to dreams for each pill-taking student. When the students retire in their sleep pods for the evening, the cameras stop rolling, and all is silent…or so Rosie thinks. She skips her sleeping pill on the eve of the cuts, desperate to gaze upon the night sky, and see her school from a different angle one last time.
What she discovers, however, is an insidious secret that administrators at the Forge School will go to great lengths to hide. Doctors perform tests on sleeping students. Whispered talks about “mining” and “seeding” the children (and their dreams) ensue. There are stakeholder calls, and hushed explanations of Forge suicides and accidents, and frightening experiments.
Rosie is determined to find out the truth about Forge – or pay the ultimate price.
A dystopian-style novel with a reality television twist, The Vault of Dreamers is solid and enjoyable YA science fiction. Set in the near future, in a post-war world with some technological advancements and socioeconomic decline, this book seems (at least from the synopsis) to be a deep dive into a reality television-obsessed culture…but it’s not. The Vault of Dreamers is more The Truman Show than Flash Point; told from the perspective of Rosie from within the school, there’s very little actual interaction or understanding of what outside viewers are seeing and how they are interacting with the Forge show. Instead, this book focuses on two tracks: the maneuvers Rosie makes to stay in the top 50 (pseudo-real romantic interest, plus human interest drama), and a fraught storyline about dreams, secrets, and Rosie’s mental health.
The first part of the story – Rosie’s standings in the school and her friendships with more popular/higher ranking students – is… interesting. Unexpected, even. When reading her narrative, Rosie never comes off as ruthless or calculating, though all of her actions could certainly be interpreted that way. She befriends popular students, sparks up an on-camera romance, takes to videotaping students in order to make the last minute cut. She undeniably does what she has to in order to stay in the school, but without sacrificing her integrity (and should anyone call her out on being manipulative or crass, Rosie sticks up for herself beautifully). I love that about her character. I also love the genuine friendships she makes with her fellow students, in particular the surly Linus, the intelligent Burnham, and charismatic Janice.
The second part of the story, though – the driving part of the story – is somewhat more fraught. This is a speculative fiction novel at its heart, and a story about the secrets a school holds over its mandatory-sleep-induced students. What happens when one’s dreams are taken? When sleep is monitored and manipulated, what happens to the sleeper? What is that voice Rosie is hearing – real, or is it all the projections of a stressed mind? While I like the ideas presented in The Vault of Dreamers in theory, in practice, things are a little too nebulous for my liking. The dream mining and seeding angles aren’t ever fully defined or explained, and I wish there was more there (less of the “is she suffering from a nervous breakdown or is it all real” tension for more of the actual science fictional elements). Also, while the last quarter of the book ratchets up the action and stakes, it’s all incredibly rushed and frustratingly dissatisfying (particularly that cliffhanger ending).
Still, these criticisms said, I enjoyed The Vault of Dreamers very much – much more than I thought I would. I’ll be back to see where Rosie’s journey takes her next, in the hopes for a little more definition and overarching plot development.
January 26, 2022
This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
I liked this book. I have had this book on my tbr for years but never got around to reading it for one reason or another. I happened to notice that the audiobook was available to borrow from my library and I decided to jump in. I actually really enjoyed the book a lot until the story drew to a close. This is the first book in a trilogy but I felt like this book’s ending was more of a setup for the next installment in the series than anything else. I found this to be a quick read that was rather entertaining.
Rosie is a student at Forge School of the Arts. The prestigious school films every aspect of the students’ lives to be televised. To stay at the school you have to achieve a certain ranking and the pressure to rank higher never ends. While at the school, students are filmed for 12 hours daily and then are induced to sleep for the remaining 12 hours of the day. Rosie is suspicious of what really happens during the students’ drugged sleep and starts taking steps to find out what is really going on.
I liked the characters in this book and I was really curious about what was really happening at the school. I wanted Rosie to be successful in her quest to find the truth. It was interesting to see how the students’ dealt with being on camera at all times. The more I learned the more I wanted to know.
Emily Woo Zeller did an amazing job with the narration. I honestly doubt that I would have enjoyed the book as much as I did if I had not decided to grab the audiobook. I thought that her narration added a lot of excitement and emotion to the story and I really enjoyed the character voices that she used.
I think that a lot of readers might like this one more than I did. I found the ending to be rather weak and felt like the book fizzled out more than anything. I am sure that a lot of the questions that I still have would probably be addressed in the next two books in the trilogy but I am unsure if I will ever pick those up.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library.
Initial Thoughts
This was interesting! I thought that the story started out really strong. I found the idea of the school with the reality show element to be rather original and intriguing. I liked Rosie and was eager to see her get to the bottom of what is really going on at the school during the night. I found the ending to be rather weak and felt like the book fizzled out more than anything. I am sure that a lot of the questions that I still have would probably be addressed in the next two books in the trilogy but I am unsure if I will ever pick those up. I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrator did a fantastic job with the story.
I liked this book. I have had this book on my tbr for years but never got around to reading it for one reason or another. I happened to notice that the audiobook was available to borrow from my library and I decided to jump in. I actually really enjoyed the book a lot until the story drew to a close. This is the first book in a trilogy but I felt like this book’s ending was more of a setup for the next installment in the series than anything else. I found this to be a quick read that was rather entertaining.
Rosie is a student at Forge School of the Arts. The prestigious school films every aspect of the students’ lives to be televised. To stay at the school you have to achieve a certain ranking and the pressure to rank higher never ends. While at the school, students are filmed for 12 hours daily and then are induced to sleep for the remaining 12 hours of the day. Rosie is suspicious of what really happens during the students’ drugged sleep and starts taking steps to find out what is really going on.
I liked the characters in this book and I was really curious about what was really happening at the school. I wanted Rosie to be successful in her quest to find the truth. It was interesting to see how the students’ dealt with being on camera at all times. The more I learned the more I wanted to know.
Emily Woo Zeller did an amazing job with the narration. I honestly doubt that I would have enjoyed the book as much as I did if I had not decided to grab the audiobook. I thought that her narration added a lot of excitement and emotion to the story and I really enjoyed the character voices that she used.
I think that a lot of readers might like this one more than I did. I found the ending to be rather weak and felt like the book fizzled out more than anything. I am sure that a lot of the questions that I still have would probably be addressed in the next two books in the trilogy but I am unsure if I will ever pick those up.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library.
Initial Thoughts
This was interesting! I thought that the story started out really strong. I found the idea of the school with the reality show element to be rather original and intriguing. I liked Rosie and was eager to see her get to the bottom of what is really going on at the school during the night. I found the ending to be rather weak and felt like the book fizzled out more than anything. I am sure that a lot of the questions that I still have would probably be addressed in the next two books in the trilogy but I am unsure if I will ever pick those up. I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrator did a fantastic job with the story.
August 11, 2017
That was weird. But a good, interesting weird. I have been interested in reading this trilogy for awhile now but have not gotten around to it. I seen the first two books at my library this week so grabbed them to read since the final book comes out at the end of this month (August 29, 2017). I am glad I did because I am actually very fascinated by this plot. Very strange and intriguing!
October 21, 2014
The Vault of Dreamers was an interesting book to say the least. I didn’t love it to bits and pieces but it was definitely something that got the wheels turning in my head. It’s a book written more to mess with your mind than to actually provide answers so if that’s not your thing, you may want to give this book a pass.
Rosie Sinclair isn’t the brightest thing out there but she served her purpose. That said, there were times when I just wanted to shake her. She could be so impulsive at times and didn't really think things through. Impulsiveness does not help uncover a dystopic plot, in fact, it’s more likely to get you caught.
This was one of the reasons why I spent a good chunk of the beginning being skeptic, I kept on wondering when the other shoe would drop and the book would start reading like a generic dystopia. Luckily, that didn’t happen. That isn’t to say it was unlike a typical dystopia, because it was, in some ways, but it also managed to stand out on it's own.
Linus and Burnham were interesting additions to the story. At first I thought it was going to be some weird love triangle but I was incredibly thankful that that wasn’t the case. I think what upset me about Burnham though was the fact that there was just not enough of him. There were some major things that he could have been a part off but wasn’t. I was also really curious to know what he knew and was upset we never really got to find out. With Linus, I was just never really a 100% sold on him. He was the love interest too so that not a good thing. I was always a little suspicious of him and I never quite felt like he genuinely cared for Rosie. I think a major reason for this could be that the romance was not nearly as well developed as it could have been.
It didn’t come out of nowhere and the L word didn’t pop out of nowhere either but there was just this awkwardness to it. I felt like there was no real transition into a relationship and that’s what made it hard for me to ship the two as a couple.
The world building was a tad disappointing yet really intriguing at the same time. I think the fact that we were kept in the dark was vital to the story but as someone who tends to be more than a little curious, it can be hard to not know all the facts. I closed the book with so many questions on my mind yet at the same time I wasn’t angry that the author didn’t give us more information.
The saving grace of the story was the interesting twist that popped up. I had no idea that the author would choose to go down that road and that’s what made the story stick out to me. It’s what set it apart from all the other dystopias out there. It made me question some of the things the author had already laid out and made me come up with my own theories about what was going on and just made the book a lot more interesting. The twist also made our narrator unreliable which is always fun (but we may have different definitions of fun).
I think the ending was interesting too. In most other cases, I probably would have been really angry but it worked with the context of the story. Given the things this story is dealing with, an easy solution wrapped up with a bow tie just wouldn't work.
Given the way it ended though, I feel like a follow up would be interesting but at the same time, I am content with the way things ended.
Really, if you're just looking for a fun book for a rainy day that is bound to mess with your mind, why not give this a shot?
Rosie Sinclair isn’t the brightest thing out there but she served her purpose. That said, there were times when I just wanted to shake her. She could be so impulsive at times and didn't really think things through. Impulsiveness does not help uncover a dystopic plot, in fact, it’s more likely to get you caught.
This was one of the reasons why I spent a good chunk of the beginning being skeptic, I kept on wondering when the other shoe would drop and the book would start reading like a generic dystopia. Luckily, that didn’t happen. That isn’t to say it was unlike a typical dystopia, because it was, in some ways, but it also managed to stand out on it's own.
Linus and Burnham were interesting additions to the story. At first I thought it was going to be some weird love triangle but I was incredibly thankful that that wasn’t the case. I think what upset me about Burnham though was the fact that there was just not enough of him. There were some major things that he could have been a part off but wasn’t. I was also really curious to know what he knew and was upset we never really got to find out. With Linus, I was just never really a 100% sold on him. He was the love interest too so that not a good thing. I was always a little suspicious of him and I never quite felt like he genuinely cared for Rosie. I think a major reason for this could be that the romance was not nearly as well developed as it could have been.
It didn’t come out of nowhere and the L word didn’t pop out of nowhere either but there was just this awkwardness to it. I felt like there was no real transition into a relationship and that’s what made it hard for me to ship the two as a couple.
The world building was a tad disappointing yet really intriguing at the same time. I think the fact that we were kept in the dark was vital to the story but as someone who tends to be more than a little curious, it can be hard to not know all the facts. I closed the book with so many questions on my mind yet at the same time I wasn’t angry that the author didn’t give us more information.
The saving grace of the story was the interesting twist that popped up. I had no idea that the author would choose to go down that road and that’s what made the story stick out to me. It’s what set it apart from all the other dystopias out there. It made me question some of the things the author had already laid out and made me come up with my own theories about what was going on and just made the book a lot more interesting. The twist also made our narrator unreliable which is always fun (but we may have different definitions of fun).
I think the ending was interesting too. In most other cases, I probably would have been really angry but it worked with the context of the story. Given the things this story is dealing with, an easy solution wrapped up with a bow tie just wouldn't work.
Given the way it ended though, I feel like a follow up would be interesting but at the same time, I am content with the way things ended.
Really, if you're just looking for a fun book for a rainy day that is bound to mess with your mind, why not give this a shot?
June 12, 2022
2022 Review:
* Rosie is at a school where each pupil is constantly being recorded and beamed out to televisions all around the work. Except for the 12 hours during which they're asleep.
- I liked this. I felt so sorry for Rosie when it seemed like everyone was telling her she was crazy. And then what the Dean was doing to her? Awful!
This was a YA sci-fi story, about a group of kids living in a school which was part of a reality show.
Rosie was an interesting character, and she certainly had determination. Every time someone doubted her she just fought harder against them, even when fighting wasn’t the best option!
The storyline in this started off being about the reality show, and about Rosie getting enough points to make it into the final cut, and then went on to be about a bit of a conspiracy theory that Rosie had thought up, and her trying to find a way to expose the school for what it really was. The pace in this was quite slow though, and it made the book drag quite a bit.
The ending to this was okay, and I’m interested to find out what happens in the next book in the series.
7 out of 10
* Rosie is at a school where each pupil is constantly being recorded and beamed out to televisions all around the work. Except for the 12 hours during which they're asleep.
- I liked this. I felt so sorry for Rosie when it seemed like everyone was telling her she was crazy. And then what the Dean was doing to her? Awful!
“For your own sake, don’t tell them about any of it.”
This was a YA sci-fi story, about a group of kids living in a school which was part of a reality show.
Rosie was an interesting character, and she certainly had determination. Every time someone doubted her she just fought harder against them, even when fighting wasn’t the best option!
The storyline in this started off being about the reality show, and about Rosie getting enough points to make it into the final cut, and then went on to be about a bit of a conspiracy theory that Rosie had thought up, and her trying to find a way to expose the school for what it really was. The pace in this was quite slow though, and it made the book drag quite a bit.
The ending to this was okay, and I’m interested to find out what happens in the next book in the series.
7 out of 10
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2014
Oh, I tried. I really did try to love this book. But seriously. I could not. Not at all. I'm sorry to say that I didn't like this book one bit. And my review will most likely not be all that positive. Just saying. As I'm also giving this book a one star rating. If it weren't for my print ARC, I would not have finished the book.
I will try my best to explain how everything went wrong in this book. But honestly, I just want to forget about it all. And that ending was fucked up. Truly. So there should be a sequel. But it isn't confirmed yet, I think, but yeah. You cannot end a book like that. You can't. Well, unless she died. But I don't think so.
I just really wanted to love this book. But I knew when I peeked weeks ago that I would not. But I still gave it a try. Which I kind of regret. But still glad I managed to read the whole book. It just makes me sad. Because I wanted this book to be amazing. I have read other books by this author. A few I loved. A few I really disliked. So it's been a bit up and down. While this book was very, very down. There was just nothing I liked about it. Nothing. I could have loved Linus. But even he wasn't written well enough. I barely knew anything about him. And it wasn't enough. I'm sorry, but there were too many things to hate in this book. At least for me. I should say that I understand why some love it, but honestly, I don't. Because to me, it was awful.
First issue with this book. It has a weird beginning. I don't know anything about the world. I don't know that much about the main character either. I don't know enough about the school she had been in for nine days already. To me, it started in the wrong place. Sigh. And I knew from the very beginning that I did not like the writing. At all. Sniffs. It just felt so wrong. I didn't connect to anything. It felt like the girl was just telling us what happened. I got no feelings from anything. Which was very depressing.
Another thing was that this book is set in 2066. Seriously? I don't get that at all. Not a single part of the book said "future" to me. It felt more like the past. Nothing seemed different than it is now, which I know it will be in the future. So yes. That disappointed me too. Because seriously. This whole book is focused on this school. Where all the kids are being filmed 12 hours a day, and are getting sleeping pills and sleeping for the other 12 hours. It was fucked up. And boring. And way too much drama all the time.
I really wanted to like the main character. Rosie. But I didn't. I didn't connect to her at all. First, she spent the first nine days talking to no one. And then fifty people are going to get cut from the school. And now she's suddenly making friends with so many. She went through a lot of personality changes in this book. And I didn't like any of them. We see a bit of her past. Her family. I felt nothing. Nothing at all. Her stepdad is supposed to be mean and hit her. I felt nothing. He was described as two people.
There was just so much that pissed me off in this book. I just didn't like it. I didn't like reading it. I didn't like Rosie. I didn't like the other characters. I wanted to love Linus. I didn't. And suddenly there is a romance there. They are kissing. A lot. But they only kiss. They barely talk. They don't talk about themselves. They don't share things. My god. I did not like this romance one bit. And that made me even more sad. Oh, and there could even be a love triangle. Who knows. It wasn't in this book, though.
The plot. I cannot with the plot in this book. It kind of.. sucked? Yeah, it could have been interesting sometimes. But I didn't care. It wasn't enough. It wasn't done well enough. And Rosie acted like a crazy person so many times. And she changed so often. Oh, and she hears a voice in her head near the end. Which she tells no one about. That pissed me off too. And the school. Seriously. It was beyond boring. It wasn't interesting at all. Well, it could have been, probably. But I just did not care. I didn't care one bit.
The Vault of Dreamers was supposed to be creepy and scary, I suppose. But it wasn't. To me, it was silly. And I didn't like it. I wanted to, but I didn't. And that ending. Ugh. How much timed had passed in that last chapter? Weeks? YEARS? That is what pissed me off the most. It was a cruel ending. Not that I would want to read a book two. Sigh. But I wanted more from the ending. I expected more. But I didn't get anything that I expected from this book. Which makes me sad. But it is what it is. I did not like it.
Huge thank you to Ksenia at Macmillan Kids for the print ARC of this book. <3 I'm so sorry that I didn't like it. Sigh. But. My copy is gorgeous, hih. And I will always love that I were able to read and review it early. But yeah. I did not like this book. And I will always be honest, no matter how I get the book. So I'm not sure I can honestly say that I want anyone to read this. Because I mostly hated it. But I am curious. I am curious if there are someone who will feel the same as I did. So you must let me know if you read it.
I will try my best to explain how everything went wrong in this book. But honestly, I just want to forget about it all. And that ending was fucked up. Truly. So there should be a sequel. But it isn't confirmed yet, I think, but yeah. You cannot end a book like that. You can't. Well, unless she died. But I don't think so.
I just really wanted to love this book. But I knew when I peeked weeks ago that I would not. But I still gave it a try. Which I kind of regret. But still glad I managed to read the whole book. It just makes me sad. Because I wanted this book to be amazing. I have read other books by this author. A few I loved. A few I really disliked. So it's been a bit up and down. While this book was very, very down. There was just nothing I liked about it. Nothing. I could have loved Linus. But even he wasn't written well enough. I barely knew anything about him. And it wasn't enough. I'm sorry, but there were too many things to hate in this book. At least for me. I should say that I understand why some love it, but honestly, I don't. Because to me, it was awful.
First issue with this book. It has a weird beginning. I don't know anything about the world. I don't know that much about the main character either. I don't know enough about the school she had been in for nine days already. To me, it started in the wrong place. Sigh. And I knew from the very beginning that I did not like the writing. At all. Sniffs. It just felt so wrong. I didn't connect to anything. It felt like the girl was just telling us what happened. I got no feelings from anything. Which was very depressing.
Another thing was that this book is set in 2066. Seriously? I don't get that at all. Not a single part of the book said "future" to me. It felt more like the past. Nothing seemed different than it is now, which I know it will be in the future. So yes. That disappointed me too. Because seriously. This whole book is focused on this school. Where all the kids are being filmed 12 hours a day, and are getting sleeping pills and sleeping for the other 12 hours. It was fucked up. And boring. And way too much drama all the time.
I really wanted to like the main character. Rosie. But I didn't. I didn't connect to her at all. First, she spent the first nine days talking to no one. And then fifty people are going to get cut from the school. And now she's suddenly making friends with so many. She went through a lot of personality changes in this book. And I didn't like any of them. We see a bit of her past. Her family. I felt nothing. Nothing at all. Her stepdad is supposed to be mean and hit her. I felt nothing. He was described as two people.
There was just so much that pissed me off in this book. I just didn't like it. I didn't like reading it. I didn't like Rosie. I didn't like the other characters. I wanted to love Linus. I didn't. And suddenly there is a romance there. They are kissing. A lot. But they only kiss. They barely talk. They don't talk about themselves. They don't share things. My god. I did not like this romance one bit. And that made me even more sad. Oh, and there could even be a love triangle. Who knows. It wasn't in this book, though.
The plot. I cannot with the plot in this book. It kind of.. sucked? Yeah, it could have been interesting sometimes. But I didn't care. It wasn't enough. It wasn't done well enough. And Rosie acted like a crazy person so many times. And she changed so often. Oh, and she hears a voice in her head near the end. Which she tells no one about. That pissed me off too. And the school. Seriously. It was beyond boring. It wasn't interesting at all. Well, it could have been, probably. But I just did not care. I didn't care one bit.
The Vault of Dreamers was supposed to be creepy and scary, I suppose. But it wasn't. To me, it was silly. And I didn't like it. I wanted to, but I didn't. And that ending. Ugh. How much timed had passed in that last chapter? Weeks? YEARS? That is what pissed me off the most. It was a cruel ending. Not that I would want to read a book two. Sigh. But I wanted more from the ending. I expected more. But I didn't get anything that I expected from this book. Which makes me sad. But it is what it is. I did not like it.
Huge thank you to Ksenia at Macmillan Kids for the print ARC of this book. <3 I'm so sorry that I didn't like it. Sigh. But. My copy is gorgeous, hih. And I will always love that I were able to read and review it early. But yeah. I did not like this book. And I will always be honest, no matter how I get the book. So I'm not sure I can honestly say that I want anyone to read this. Because I mostly hated it. But I am curious. I am curious if there are someone who will feel the same as I did. So you must let me know if you read it.
July 31, 2020
3.5 stars
So, how does one bring Hunger Games to Art School? By making it a reality TV series popularity contest. The main characters is somewhat surprised she was selected for this super prestigious art school, and will do whatever it takes to stay in the game (aka the most popular kids on the show). While it is strange that a reality show determines who graduates from Art School, it is not per se evil and it is known that many people in the end don't get to finish it.
What made this particularly evil were the things that happened in the night with the students dream. As anyone could have told these characters - 12h of forced sleep each night (to enrich creativity) is not normal and reeks of ulterior motive.
For me, I quite liked it. It was impossible to take too seriously (what with the reality TV series) and the ending wasn't quite what I would have liked to see, but I was very busy when reading it and it got me through.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Find this and other reviews on https://www.urlphantomhive.com
So, how does one bring Hunger Games to Art School? By making it a reality TV series popularity contest. The main characters is somewhat surprised she was selected for this super prestigious art school, and will do whatever it takes to stay in the game (aka the most popular kids on the show). While it is strange that a reality show determines who graduates from Art School, it is not per se evil and it is known that many people in the end don't get to finish it.
What made this particularly evil were the things that happened in the night with the students dream. As anyone could have told these characters - 12h of forced sleep each night (to enrich creativity) is not normal and reeks of ulterior motive.
For me, I quite liked it. It was impossible to take too seriously (what with the reality TV series) and the ending wasn't quite what I would have liked to see, but I was very busy when reading it and it got me through.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Find this and other reviews on https://www.urlphantomhive.com
September 3, 2020
Halfway through writing this review everything got deleted, so review to come when I find the time.
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July 5, 2014
Loved it till the last page. The ending wasn't subjectively to my liking. Great writing.
January 17, 2021
My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Roaring Brook Press for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
Sadly, despite the interesting cover and premise, the execution fell flat for me. I didn't like the MC Rosie who was a tad too on the TSTL side for me, the book started in a weird place and there was at least one uncomfortable spot in this book and I peeked at the start of the second book, and there seems to be a theme of unconscious teen girls having teen boys try/succeed at touching/kissing them. Each time I came across it, the boy was stopped and it was shown to be wrong, but it was rather distasteful for me to read.
The cuts in the beginning weren't very clear, it seemed that there were 50 girls in the dorm room to begin with and that 25 were cut, but there were boys who were cut too, so it's not clear if there were 100 freshmen total, boys and girls, or if there were 100 of each gender. Also, if you knew you had ten days to make an impression on viewers so they would watch you and you wouldn't be cut, would you wait until the LAST DAY to try to get their attention? The kids in the competition could SEE their scores, it's not like Rosie didn't know she was practically dead last.
Rosie's actions didn't seem to make much sense and the plot was...weak? Weird and not in a good way? From reading other reviews, it seems that this trilogy jumps off of the rails pretty early on and I don't really want to be a part of that ride, so I am DNFing it at 38% in the first book.
That's not to say that other readers wouldn't really enjoy this book and trilogy, just that it didn't work for me personally. I am glad that I have had exposure to this book/trilogy/author, so I can suggest it to readers who come to our store asking about it. I wouldn't not recommend it as it wasn't terrible, just not for me.
2, it isn't for me but it may be for you, stars.
Sadly, despite the interesting cover and premise, the execution fell flat for me. I didn't like the MC Rosie who was a tad too on the TSTL side for me, the book started in a weird place and there was at least one uncomfortable spot in this book and I peeked at the start of the second book, and there seems to be a theme of unconscious teen girls having teen boys try/succeed at touching/kissing them. Each time I came across it, the boy was stopped and it was shown to be wrong, but it was rather distasteful for me to read.
The cuts in the beginning weren't very clear, it seemed that there were 50 girls in the dorm room to begin with and that 25 were cut, but there were boys who were cut too, so it's not clear if there were 100 freshmen total, boys and girls, or if there were 100 of each gender. Also, if you knew you had ten days to make an impression on viewers so they would watch you and you wouldn't be cut, would you wait until the LAST DAY to try to get their attention? The kids in the competition could SEE their scores, it's not like Rosie didn't know she was practically dead last.
Rosie's actions didn't seem to make much sense and the plot was...weak? Weird and not in a good way? From reading other reviews, it seems that this trilogy jumps off of the rails pretty early on and I don't really want to be a part of that ride, so I am DNFing it at 38% in the first book.
That's not to say that other readers wouldn't really enjoy this book and trilogy, just that it didn't work for me personally. I am glad that I have had exposure to this book/trilogy/author, so I can suggest it to readers who come to our store asking about it. I wouldn't not recommend it as it wasn't terrible, just not for me.
2, it isn't for me but it may be for you, stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
September 14, 2017Rosie’s journey goes from an artistic hopeful to a complete cuckoo's nest.
so if you're a fan of unsettling endings that keep you thinking long after you close the book, then this is for you, amigo.
... also, where the hell is Linus?
I guess we'll find out in the next episode of What The Bleeping Fuck It's Going On Here?! 🕵🏻♀️
so if you're a fan of unsettling endings that keep you thinking long after you close the book, then this is for you, amigo.
... also, where the hell is Linus?
I guess we'll find out in the next episode of What The Bleeping Fuck It's Going On Here?! 🕵🏻♀️
September 17, 2014
I am always on the look out for something different and interesting and most of all fun. A book that keeps me guessing and wondering and eagerly turning the pages. O'Brien delivered on all aspects and even went further and made me think, really think about the what ifs.
I don't honestly even know where to begin to describe how unusual, imaginative, and thrilling this book was to read. It kept me on my toes and so eager for more. At the same time I had to stop and think about each passage I read, each new clue or hint of something wrong, that came into the picture. Never quite sure exactly what horrors the school was undertaking.
To say it messed with my mind a little might be an understatement but I loved ever freaking minute of it.
The concept behind the horrors of the unimaginable, the whole design of the school. The poverty of the world that was Rosie's and of course the whole outrageous plot and mystery behind it all, it was just captivating.
My only real hiccup with the whole book was the ending. How in the world could it have ended that way? That couldn't COULDN'T have been it. That couldn't have been how it all came together and ended. Please tell me that wasn't how it all came together and ended because it wasn't good enough. I don't except it and I want more dang it! There better be more.
So here I am, waiting patiently for that book two that I just know is out there, in the works, waiting for us all to be able to pick it up and read it. Right Ms. O'Brien? Right? There is a book two right?
(And yes since having read this, I now know there is a book two planned so whew! I will definitely be eagerly awaiting it's release.)
I don't honestly even know where to begin to describe how unusual, imaginative, and thrilling this book was to read. It kept me on my toes and so eager for more. At the same time I had to stop and think about each passage I read, each new clue or hint of something wrong, that came into the picture. Never quite sure exactly what horrors the school was undertaking.
To say it messed with my mind a little might be an understatement but I loved ever freaking minute of it.
The concept behind the horrors of the unimaginable, the whole design of the school. The poverty of the world that was Rosie's and of course the whole outrageous plot and mystery behind it all, it was just captivating.
My only real hiccup with the whole book was the ending. How in the world could it have ended that way? That couldn't COULDN'T have been it. That couldn't have been how it all came together and ended. Please tell me that wasn't how it all came together and ended because it wasn't good enough. I don't except it and I want more dang it! There better be more.
So here I am, waiting patiently for that book two that I just know is out there, in the works, waiting for us all to be able to pick it up and read it. Right Ms. O'Brien? Right? There is a book two right?
(And yes since having read this, I now know there is a book two planned so whew! I will definitely be eagerly awaiting it's release.)
December 13, 2014
This review and others can be found at my blog: http://www.spacebetweenthespines.com/
4.5 Creepishly Awesome Stars!
Dreams have always been source of mystery for mankind. There have been theories surrounding the nightly visions for hundreds of years, if not more, as well as countless studies from various disciplines – form cognitive psychology to biology. Yet, despite all the studies, dreams remain elusive and secretive. Every one of us dreams. Sometimes we remember them upon waking and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes they take us on grand adventures, other times they’re just a collection of images thrown together by our subconscious. Either way, they are our dreams. No one but us know the darkest desires we have and what we dream. But what if someone found a way to see them? To get inside your head and taken them without your approval? This is the exciting premise of The Vault of Dreamers.
Rosie Sinclair is a fifteen year old filmmaker from Doli, Arizona, a dirt poor town with little opportunity. In a stroke of luck, Rosie is selected to receive a scholarship to study filmmaking at the prestigious Forge Academy – an art school for talented and creative artists of all types. But the Forge School isn’t your run-of-the-mill art school. It’s also one of the most popular reality TV shows on the air. Cameras are placed all over the school and the students are on air nearly every waking moment of the day. Students’ popularity is directly linked to the numbers of viewers who watch their feed and with higher number of viewers comes marketing opportunities and big money to help with their future endeavors.
And if being on live TV wasn’t enough, the school also has a strict policy on sleeping – every student must be in bed by six in the evening and sleep twelve hours until six the following morning. At night, the students are always given sleeping pills to help them drift off. This practice, the school claims, helps peak creativity. But when Rosie skips the nightly pill one evening, she suddenly discovers that something unseemly is going on at night. Kids are being fed drugs through IVs, are wheeled out of their dorms at night, and – worst of all – Rosie knows it’s happened to her at least once.
The majority of the book deals with the mystery surrounding the Forge School. After investigation – which included her sneaking out of bed, going to off-limit sectors of the school, stealing swipe cards and what have you – she determines that kids’ dreams are being “mined.” In other words, they’re being drugged and their mind is sorted through against their will.
There is something unsettling and decidedly creepy about this entire concept. And that is why I found this book so fascinating! We want to feel safe in the confines of our sleep; we believe in the sanctity of our dreams – that they are ours and no one can touch them. So, when we are threatened at our most vulnerable – while we’re fast asleep – we feel violated. Rosie goes through all these mixed feelings and more. I can feel her terror throughout the entire narrative and I sympathize with her.
So, why are these evil people mining dreams you might ask? There’s a very detailed chapter dedicated to the reasoning behind it. I don’t want to give away too much, as I want to keep this review as spoiler free as possible, but it dealt with helping coma victims. I was very impressed with Ms. O’Brien’s theories behind it. Now, I majored in archaeology in college, so I have no way of knowing if the biological theories behind the whole dream mining is completely legitimate – but from what I read it was certainly a clever theory and leaves the reader wondering if something like this could, indeed, happen in the distant future. It was so creepy!
As Rosie digs deeper and deeper into the secrets surrounding the Forge School, her grip on reality starts to slip. The story is told from the first person point of view, making her questioning of her own sanity all the more entrancing for the reader. In an attempt to document what it going on behind the scenes at the school, Rosie tries to record the nightly secretive activity, only to find that every time she looks back on the footage, it’s either been erased or tampered with. Is someone really taking her camera when she isn’t looking? Did she really see what she thought she saw? Did she dream up the entire dream “mining” idea or is she simply crazy? With friends and foes both questioning her, we are right there with Rosie as the tries to maneuver through all these feelings. O’Brien’s pacing with part of the novel was pitch perfect! There were some chapters that I was wondering myself if Rosie was a reliable narrator and if I could trust what she saw.
Add to this creepy plot some interesting side characters and a dash of romance and – viola! You have everything you could ever ask for in a compelling, young adult read. The only problem I had with the entire book was the ending – Gosh, that ending! The Young Adult genre as a whole, I fear, is certainly suffering from “AED” or what I like to call, “Abrupt Ending Disorder.” I felt as if the last few chapters had been left out of my ARC and there were too many questions left unanswered. As a stand-alone novel, the ending definitely left something to be desired. But I dearly hope that Ms. O’Brien decides to give us a sequel to at least tie up the loose ends.
Nonetheless, The Vault of Dreamers is an eerie and captivating read and, despite the irritating ending, I highly recommend you pick it up come September 2014!
4.5 Creepishly Awesome Stars!
Dreams have always been source of mystery for mankind. There have been theories surrounding the nightly visions for hundreds of years, if not more, as well as countless studies from various disciplines – form cognitive psychology to biology. Yet, despite all the studies, dreams remain elusive and secretive. Every one of us dreams. Sometimes we remember them upon waking and sometimes we don’t. Sometimes they take us on grand adventures, other times they’re just a collection of images thrown together by our subconscious. Either way, they are our dreams. No one but us know the darkest desires we have and what we dream. But what if someone found a way to see them? To get inside your head and taken them without your approval? This is the exciting premise of The Vault of Dreamers.
Rosie Sinclair is a fifteen year old filmmaker from Doli, Arizona, a dirt poor town with little opportunity. In a stroke of luck, Rosie is selected to receive a scholarship to study filmmaking at the prestigious Forge Academy – an art school for talented and creative artists of all types. But the Forge School isn’t your run-of-the-mill art school. It’s also one of the most popular reality TV shows on the air. Cameras are placed all over the school and the students are on air nearly every waking moment of the day. Students’ popularity is directly linked to the numbers of viewers who watch their feed and with higher number of viewers comes marketing opportunities and big money to help with their future endeavors.
And if being on live TV wasn’t enough, the school also has a strict policy on sleeping – every student must be in bed by six in the evening and sleep twelve hours until six the following morning. At night, the students are always given sleeping pills to help them drift off. This practice, the school claims, helps peak creativity. But when Rosie skips the nightly pill one evening, she suddenly discovers that something unseemly is going on at night. Kids are being fed drugs through IVs, are wheeled out of their dorms at night, and – worst of all – Rosie knows it’s happened to her at least once.
The majority of the book deals with the mystery surrounding the Forge School. After investigation – which included her sneaking out of bed, going to off-limit sectors of the school, stealing swipe cards and what have you – she determines that kids’ dreams are being “mined.” In other words, they’re being drugged and their mind is sorted through against their will.
There is something unsettling and decidedly creepy about this entire concept. And that is why I found this book so fascinating! We want to feel safe in the confines of our sleep; we believe in the sanctity of our dreams – that they are ours and no one can touch them. So, when we are threatened at our most vulnerable – while we’re fast asleep – we feel violated. Rosie goes through all these mixed feelings and more. I can feel her terror throughout the entire narrative and I sympathize with her.
So, why are these evil people mining dreams you might ask? There’s a very detailed chapter dedicated to the reasoning behind it. I don’t want to give away too much, as I want to keep this review as spoiler free as possible, but it dealt with helping coma victims. I was very impressed with Ms. O’Brien’s theories behind it. Now, I majored in archaeology in college, so I have no way of knowing if the biological theories behind the whole dream mining is completely legitimate – but from what I read it was certainly a clever theory and leaves the reader wondering if something like this could, indeed, happen in the distant future. It was so creepy!
As Rosie digs deeper and deeper into the secrets surrounding the Forge School, her grip on reality starts to slip. The story is told from the first person point of view, making her questioning of her own sanity all the more entrancing for the reader. In an attempt to document what it going on behind the scenes at the school, Rosie tries to record the nightly secretive activity, only to find that every time she looks back on the footage, it’s either been erased or tampered with. Is someone really taking her camera when she isn’t looking? Did she really see what she thought she saw? Did she dream up the entire dream “mining” idea or is she simply crazy? With friends and foes both questioning her, we are right there with Rosie as the tries to maneuver through all these feelings. O’Brien’s pacing with part of the novel was pitch perfect! There were some chapters that I was wondering myself if Rosie was a reliable narrator and if I could trust what she saw.
Add to this creepy plot some interesting side characters and a dash of romance and – viola! You have everything you could ever ask for in a compelling, young adult read. The only problem I had with the entire book was the ending – Gosh, that ending! The Young Adult genre as a whole, I fear, is certainly suffering from “AED” or what I like to call, “Abrupt Ending Disorder.” I felt as if the last few chapters had been left out of my ARC and there were too many questions left unanswered. As a stand-alone novel, the ending definitely left something to be desired. But I dearly hope that Ms. O’Brien decides to give us a sequel to at least tie up the loose ends.
Nonetheless, The Vault of Dreamers is an eerie and captivating read and, despite the irritating ending, I highly recommend you pick it up come September 2014!
April 7, 2016
An Advanced Reader Copy was provided by the publisher for review. Quotes pulled from the ARC may be incorrect and may be subject to change.
People on Twitter were really excited about this one and I never even heard about it until all the flurry that was made at BEA earlier this year. As soon as I finished reading the synopsis, I knew I had to get it in my hands. Dystopia within a reality show? Sign me up!
I thought this was a great start to a series. Living at a boarding school, living your life with NO privacy with everyone who has a television watching your every move can't be easy. The story progressed very slowly. I mean there was a point where I wanted to stop reading and take a break, but I pushed through and almost mid-way in, the story started to get better. The boring bits are in the beginning and somewhere in the middle, but if you push through, you're able to get into the mystery surrounding the Forge School's Dean.
The whole world is set in the future and even though I loved the technology and the whole concept of this reality show where you have sponsors who make you popular was creative, I still felt lost. How did this world came to be? What were those wars and how did it affect people? Why is her family living in a boxcar? Things like that made me question a lot of things and I wished they were answered.
Rosie Sinclair's character persevered and she kept digging and digging into everything that didn't make sense. What was weird was that she never got caught and we find out later why that's the case. The reasoning behind it made me smirk, and it didn't wholly make sense to me. Everything that Rosie was going into was truly fascinating and at one point I wanted it to be all a dream..Now that would have been a real twist.
A good start to the series, and I'm still interested to find out where it will go next.
People on Twitter were really excited about this one and I never even heard about it until all the flurry that was made at BEA earlier this year. As soon as I finished reading the synopsis, I knew I had to get it in my hands. Dystopia within a reality show? Sign me up!
I thought this was a great start to a series. Living at a boarding school, living your life with NO privacy with everyone who has a television watching your every move can't be easy. The story progressed very slowly. I mean there was a point where I wanted to stop reading and take a break, but I pushed through and almost mid-way in, the story started to get better. The boring bits are in the beginning and somewhere in the middle, but if you push through, you're able to get into the mystery surrounding the Forge School's Dean.
The whole world is set in the future and even though I loved the technology and the whole concept of this reality show where you have sponsors who make you popular was creative, I still felt lost. How did this world came to be? What were those wars and how did it affect people? Why is her family living in a boxcar? Things like that made me question a lot of things and I wished they were answered.
Rosie Sinclair's character persevered and she kept digging and digging into everything that didn't make sense. What was weird was that she never got caught and we find out later why that's the case. The reasoning behind it made me smirk, and it didn't wholly make sense to me. Everything that Rosie was going into was truly fascinating and at one point I wanted it to be all a dream..Now that would have been a real twist.
A good start to the series, and I'm still interested to find out where it will go next.
May 22, 2016
The Forge School is one of the most prestigious art schools in the country and The Forge Show is one of the most popular reality television programs, as well. The reason is because the students lives lives are broadcast live to the viewing public, and their popularity rankings determine their time at the school. The students even have a mandatory twelve hour sleep cycle to help boost their creativity. When Rosie, a first-year, decides to skip her sleeping pill one evening, she realizes that there is something off about the school as she begins to suspect that something nefarious is going on beyond the ever-present cameras' reach. The more she tries to look into it, the more she begins to notice that something isn't quite right at the edges of her own mind.
I've heard so many great things about Caragh M. O'Brien that I thought it was time to try her work, and I was quite pleased to see that The Vault of Dreamers, the first volume in her new series, was available on audio. A great way to describe this story is as a 1984-esque dystopian set in the world of a reality show, and it works really well. The beginning of the story certainly hooked me and I was invested in following Rosie's school career and her struggle to find out what's going what's going on at The Forge School. The only aspects that I didn't care for was the (somewhat) love triangle, the fact that Rosie seemed to make a few progressively dumb decisions, and that massive cliffhanger ending. I'm going to have to read the sequel, The Rule of Mirrors.
I've heard so many great things about Caragh M. O'Brien that I thought it was time to try her work, and I was quite pleased to see that The Vault of Dreamers, the first volume in her new series, was available on audio. A great way to describe this story is as a 1984-esque dystopian set in the world of a reality show, and it works really well. The beginning of the story certainly hooked me and I was invested in following Rosie's school career and her struggle to find out what's going what's going on at The Forge School. The only aspects that I didn't care for was the (somewhat) love triangle, the fact that Rosie seemed to make a few progressively dumb decisions, and that massive cliffhanger ending. I'm going to have to read the sequel, The Rule of Mirrors.
November 5, 2016
The full review is on my blog! Click here to be transported to IS SHE CRAZY OR ON TO SOMETHING? | THE VAULT OF DREAMERS BY CARAGH M. O'BRIEN.
A reality show in school? I'm worried enough about my grades now without having to worry about what countless, unamed people over the interweb think of me. Although being a teenager, we tend to think that everyone's watching us anyway. This just kind of brings it to life!
keypoints:
• the protag is called rosie
• she's a filmaker
• there are camera's everywhere in the school cause it's basically reality tv
• there are 100 students and 50 of them are going to be expelled (for the thrills)
• students take a pill to sleep for 12 hours a night
• she stays awake one night and see's them doing something to a girl while everyone's asleep
that wasn't a spoiler btw, it happens in the first chapter
• she's creeped out that people are doing things to them in their sleep and wants to investigate
• linus is her boyfriend, kind of?
A reality show in school? I'm worried enough about my grades now without having to worry about what countless, unamed people over the interweb think of me. Although being a teenager, we tend to think that everyone's watching us anyway. This just kind of brings it to life!
keypoints:
• the protag is called rosie
• she's a filmaker
• there are camera's everywhere in the school cause it's basically reality tv
• there are 100 students and 50 of them are going to be expelled (for the thrills)
• students take a pill to sleep for 12 hours a night
• she stays awake one night and see's them doing something to a girl while everyone's asleep
that wasn't a spoiler btw, it happens in the first chapter
• she's creeped out that people are doing things to them in their sleep and wants to investigate
• linus is her boyfriend, kind of?
March 20, 2016
This story is set in an art school that doubles as a reality show. That sounds like my kind of fun! Except not really because I would 100% be at the bottom of the popularity ranks and get kicked off the show.
I loved this book! I meant to write a review when I first read it... two years ago... but I never did and now I can barely remember anything important. But I do remember enjoying the MC and her mission to rise through the ranks. The plot itself turned out to be really interesting, especially when coupled with the art reality show. The love interest was awesome too.
I'm reading the second book in the trilogy now and I hope it doesn't go the way of O'Brien's Birthmarked trilogy—that is, complete nosedive. It would be a shame because this book is really good. *crosses fingers*
I loved this book! I meant to write a review when I first read it... two years ago... but I never did and now I can barely remember anything important. But I do remember enjoying the MC and her mission to rise through the ranks. The plot itself turned out to be really interesting, especially when coupled with the art reality show. The love interest was awesome too.
I'm reading the second book in the trilogy now and I hope it doesn't go the way of O'Brien's Birthmarked trilogy—that is, complete nosedive. It would be a shame because this book is really good. *crosses fingers*
August 12, 2014
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh O'Brien
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication Date: September 16, 2014
Rating: 3 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
The Forge School is the most prestigious arts school in the country. The secret to its success: every moment of the students' lives is televised as part of the insanely popular Forge Show, and the students' schedule includes twelve hours of induced sleep meant to enhance creativity. But when first year student Rosie Sinclair skips her sleeping pill, she discovers there is something off about Forge. In fact, she suspects that there are sinister things going on deep below the reaches of the cameras in the school. What's worse is, she starts to notice that the edges of her consciousness do not feel quite right. And soon, she unearths the ghastly secret that the Forge School is hiding—and what it truly means to dream there.
What I Liked:
Not impressed. I was not impressed with this book. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. I think I was expecting more epicness, especially with the setting of the book (a boarding school/academy), the nature of the story (TV reality show), and the science fiction aspects (studying students for dream extraction). Overall, I was massively disappointed and sorely unimpressed.
Rosie Sinclair goes to the Forge School, an arts school in which the entire school is televised as a TV reality show. Rosie wants to be a filmmaker, not an actress, so she's not entirely interested in the drama and fame of being on TV. But she needs to be in the top fifty to stay in the school. She makes the cut, but she realizes that she needs to have a flair for drama in order to make the fifty, and stay in the fifty. However, Rosie has not been taking her sleeping pill, and she realizes that things are not right in this school.
I think my favorite part of this book was the romance, as the story was going. Not at the end, because ehhh. But during the story, the romance was really sweet. I really like Rosie and Linus together - Linus is sweet and blase and thoughtful and down-to-earth. Rosie is humble and observant - she isn't as competitive or cutthroat as some. The two of them are great together, and they work together to help Rosie get into the top fifty. Rosie trusts Linus with her revelations about the school - and this is when the romance hits the crossroads.
Rosie doesn't take her sleeping pill, and she notices things. The students must sleep in "sleep shells", and Rosie sees that some students are wheeled out of the room at night, and taken to who knows where to have who knows what done to them. I was really intrigued by this mystery, even if I had a general idea of what was going on. It turns out I was dead on. Also, the whole big "reveal" of the mystery was seriously anticlimactic. Or really watered down. Or not epic and oh-my-gosh-we're-at-a-school-run-by-insane-people. More on that later. In fact, read on, for my dislikes.
What I Did Not Like:
As I before, the climax/"big reveal" was really anticlimactic. I already guessed by then what was going on, and then the climax wasn't even that great. The rising action wasn't all that great either. While I was intrigued and wanted to know what was going on, I feel like the science fiction aspect of the book was drowned out by the TV reality show part. And goodness knows I hated that aspect.
I totally understand that the television show aspect was really important to the originality of this book - I get it, really. But I was not impressed by this aspect, not in the least. I was more bored by it, than anything else. And it eclipsed the science fiction aspect of the book, which was annoying. The science fiction aspect had to do with what was happening to the students (which I won't describe specifically), but I feel like the science fiction aspect wasn't well explained or foreshadowed or hyped up or SOMETHING. Maybe I'm not describing this well enough, but it felt like the science fiction aspect was seriously lacking.
For that matter, I'm seriously confused as to what exactly is being done to the students, and what this data/information/STUFF is being used to do. Yup, the "big reveal" was especially disappointing, since I didn't understand the entire point of the book (the science fiction aspect).
Another thing that was lacking was the feelings of déjà vu , the hallucinations, the voices, everything that made Rosie think she was going crazy and dreaming everything, instead of actually seeing them. Basically, I WAS CONFUSED. And I pride myself in not being confused easily. So many questions go unanswered in this book. Burnham? Do students lose their memories? Why the déjà vu? The voices are what/who? Etc.
Also, it's interesting how this book is set in the wayyyy future. I wanted to see more of how knowing this connected with what they were doing with the students. Like, medically speaking, since they are in the future, should what they're doing be more medically advanced, etc.? Maybe it is, and it was just really poorly described. That could be why I was confused.
I found the family aspect lacking, in this book. We know that Rosie has an abusive stepfather, an enabling mother, and a sweet sister. But I feel like these three characters are just archetypes, and not supporting characters. They're like cardboard figures instead of real people. I wasn't really feeling that aspect of the book, even though O'Brien made it abundantly clear that they were/would be important.
And the ending. What. What. What. I don't think I liked the ending AT ALL. Is this a standalone novel? On Goodreads, the author said she's working on a sequel. Yay? I think that fact alone might save this book a little. I might actually read the sequel.
Would I Recommend It:
Ehhhh, no. If you already have a copy of this book, then definitely read it! By all means! But if you don't already have a copy of this book, then don't bother. Not really worth the time.
Rating:
2.5 stars -> rounded up to 3 stars. Believe it or not, I was really enjoying this book as I was reading. Key words: AS I WAS READING. But the ending sucked and overall, I was left with a bitter aftertaste. I'll probably read the sequel. Unless this is a trilogy (or more). If it's a duology, I can handle that.
The Vault of Dreamers by Caragh O'Brien
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication Date: September 16, 2014
Rating: 3 stars
Source: ARC sent by the publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):
The Forge School is the most prestigious arts school in the country. The secret to its success: every moment of the students' lives is televised as part of the insanely popular Forge Show, and the students' schedule includes twelve hours of induced sleep meant to enhance creativity. But when first year student Rosie Sinclair skips her sleeping pill, she discovers there is something off about Forge. In fact, she suspects that there are sinister things going on deep below the reaches of the cameras in the school. What's worse is, she starts to notice that the edges of her consciousness do not feel quite right. And soon, she unearths the ghastly secret that the Forge School is hiding—and what it truly means to dream there.
What I Liked:
Not impressed. I was not impressed with this book. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. I think I was expecting more epicness, especially with the setting of the book (a boarding school/academy), the nature of the story (TV reality show), and the science fiction aspects (studying students for dream extraction). Overall, I was massively disappointed and sorely unimpressed.
Rosie Sinclair goes to the Forge School, an arts school in which the entire school is televised as a TV reality show. Rosie wants to be a filmmaker, not an actress, so she's not entirely interested in the drama and fame of being on TV. But she needs to be in the top fifty to stay in the school. She makes the cut, but she realizes that she needs to have a flair for drama in order to make the fifty, and stay in the fifty. However, Rosie has not been taking her sleeping pill, and she realizes that things are not right in this school.
I think my favorite part of this book was the romance, as the story was going. Not at the end, because ehhh. But during the story, the romance was really sweet. I really like Rosie and Linus together - Linus is sweet and blase and thoughtful and down-to-earth. Rosie is humble and observant - she isn't as competitive or cutthroat as some. The two of them are great together, and they work together to help Rosie get into the top fifty. Rosie trusts Linus with her revelations about the school - and this is when the romance hits the crossroads.
Rosie doesn't take her sleeping pill, and she notices things. The students must sleep in "sleep shells", and Rosie sees that some students are wheeled out of the room at night, and taken to who knows where to have who knows what done to them. I was really intrigued by this mystery, even if I had a general idea of what was going on. It turns out I was dead on. Also, the whole big "reveal" of the mystery was seriously anticlimactic. Or really watered down. Or not epic and oh-my-gosh-we're-at-a-school-run-by-insane-people. More on that later. In fact, read on, for my dislikes.
What I Did Not Like:
As I before, the climax/"big reveal" was really anticlimactic. I already guessed by then what was going on, and then the climax wasn't even that great. The rising action wasn't all that great either. While I was intrigued and wanted to know what was going on, I feel like the science fiction aspect of the book was drowned out by the TV reality show part. And goodness knows I hated that aspect.
I totally understand that the television show aspect was really important to the originality of this book - I get it, really. But I was not impressed by this aspect, not in the least. I was more bored by it, than anything else. And it eclipsed the science fiction aspect of the book, which was annoying. The science fiction aspect had to do with what was happening to the students (which I won't describe specifically), but I feel like the science fiction aspect wasn't well explained or foreshadowed or hyped up or SOMETHING. Maybe I'm not describing this well enough, but it felt like the science fiction aspect was seriously lacking.
For that matter, I'm seriously confused as to what exactly is being done to the students, and what this data/information/STUFF is being used to do. Yup, the "big reveal" was especially disappointing, since I didn't understand the entire point of the book (the science fiction aspect).
Another thing that was lacking was the feelings of déjà vu , the hallucinations, the voices, everything that made Rosie think she was going crazy and dreaming everything, instead of actually seeing them. Basically, I WAS CONFUSED. And I pride myself in not being confused easily. So many questions go unanswered in this book. Burnham? Do students lose their memories? Why the déjà vu? The voices are what/who? Etc.
Also, it's interesting how this book is set in the wayyyy future. I wanted to see more of how knowing this connected with what they were doing with the students. Like, medically speaking, since they are in the future, should what they're doing be more medically advanced, etc.? Maybe it is, and it was just really poorly described. That could be why I was confused.
I found the family aspect lacking, in this book. We know that Rosie has an abusive stepfather, an enabling mother, and a sweet sister. But I feel like these three characters are just archetypes, and not supporting characters. They're like cardboard figures instead of real people. I wasn't really feeling that aspect of the book, even though O'Brien made it abundantly clear that they were/would be important.
And the ending. What. What. What. I don't think I liked the ending AT ALL. Is this a standalone novel? On Goodreads, the author said she's working on a sequel. Yay? I think that fact alone might save this book a little. I might actually read the sequel.
Would I Recommend It:
Ehhhh, no. If you already have a copy of this book, then definitely read it! By all means! But if you don't already have a copy of this book, then don't bother. Not really worth the time.
Rating:
2.5 stars -> rounded up to 3 stars. Believe it or not, I was really enjoying this book as I was reading. Key words: AS I WAS READING. But the ending sucked and overall, I was left with a bitter aftertaste. I'll probably read the sequel. Unless this is a trilogy (or more). If it's a duology, I can handle that.
September 23, 2018
May I just sigh here? This is a pretty good story and I'm interested enough to at least send to the library for the 2nd book in the series. That said...sigh.
This book feels SO young. I've mentioned before that YA books can be YA, yA or Ya. In other words a book may be more Youth oriented, Adult oriented, or somewhat balanced. This one seems so very young to me. Our protagonist gets into some very adult troubles .
So my recommendation would be, be prepared for a pretty good plot and some teenage angst sprinkled into a story that seems to split between a young narrator and an interesting plot. I'd say try this one for yourself.
Oh, I have assumed here you've read the synopsis of the book ^ above and didn't need me to run that down. This is a sort of science fantasy in a crappy future. That seems to be a popular theme today.
This book feels SO young. I've mentioned before that YA books can be YA, yA or Ya. In other words a book may be more Youth oriented, Adult oriented, or somewhat balanced. This one seems so very young to me. Our protagonist gets into some very adult troubles .
So my recommendation would be, be prepared for a pretty good plot and some teenage angst sprinkled into a story that seems to split between a young narrator and an interesting plot. I'd say try this one for yourself.
Oh, I have assumed here you've read the synopsis of the book ^ above and didn't need me to run that down. This is a sort of science fantasy in a crappy future. That seems to be a popular theme today.
February 21, 2015
This book was one of those that I simply could not put down. It kept me up well into the night, long past when I should have gone to sleep. I was completely immersed in it, from beginning to end. Since I was reading an ebook, I was absolutely floored when I realized it was over 400 pages, because it simply did not feel long in the least. It sped by, in a good way.
The setting of the book is The Forge School, which is both an elite art school and a reality show that allows viewers to decide who stays to continue their education and who gets sent packing. The students are filmed 12 hours a day, and the other 12 are designated for sleep. Is it creepy that this seems completely plausible to me? It did. It sounded like something that I could seriously imagine happening in the not-so-distant future. As if high school wasn't stressful enough, the students/contestants have "blip scores" that will ultimately decide who stays and who goes. The students are constantly obsessing over the scores, since attending this school is a seemingly amazing opportunity. Of course, rarely are things what they seem.
The main character, Rosie, is quite likable, though I would have liked to delve a little deeper into her personality. She comes from a very rough upbringing in Arizona, and for her to be at the Forge School is an opportunity that she doesn't want to squander. But Rosie is also very curious by nature, and willing to take risks, which of course lead to her making some startling discoveries about the school and its leaders.
Rosie was a bit of a loner when we first meet her, but she ends up making some friends and even finding a bit of a romantic interest in Linus, who is on the kitchen staff at the school. Her new group of friends aren't particularly fleshed out, which is fine (I think it would have added more confusion to the story), but one group member, Burnham, has more of a storyline than the others and is quite likable. Rosie's family is shown through some phone conversations, and of course some of Rosie's own thoughts about them. While we don't know a ton about them, we do get an idea via their limited communication of what Rosie dealt with growing up.
The plot gets creepy as Rosie starts to skip her sleeping pill and try to figure out what is going on at the school. I won't get into it because obviously I don't want to spoil things, but I didn't know where the plot was headed at times (which was a huge bonus for me, and kept me wanting to keep reading).
The only thing for me that was missing was more character/world development. There were times that I felt like I needed to know much more about Rosie than I did so that I could connect better to her. I also wish I knew a bit more about the world around Rosie, the world that is fine with watching teens at school and voting on their fates, a world that allows some pretty intense stuff to take place without accountability. Perhaps it would have seemed more believable if we'd had more information.
At the end, things get really crazy. The book's ending is very fast paced, and ends in a huge cliffhanger, one that left me reeling. When I read this book, I had assumed erroneously that it was a standalone, and I was mad. But after looking into it, on Caragh O'Brien's website, she confirms that it is a trilogy, and I felt much better about the whole thing. I definitely will be reading the next book, as I cannot wait to find out what is going on and how things will play out for Rosie, Linus, Burnham, and The Forge School in general.
The setting of the book is The Forge School, which is both an elite art school and a reality show that allows viewers to decide who stays to continue their education and who gets sent packing. The students are filmed 12 hours a day, and the other 12 are designated for sleep. Is it creepy that this seems completely plausible to me? It did. It sounded like something that I could seriously imagine happening in the not-so-distant future. As if high school wasn't stressful enough, the students/contestants have "blip scores" that will ultimately decide who stays and who goes. The students are constantly obsessing over the scores, since attending this school is a seemingly amazing opportunity. Of course, rarely are things what they seem.
The main character, Rosie, is quite likable, though I would have liked to delve a little deeper into her personality. She comes from a very rough upbringing in Arizona, and for her to be at the Forge School is an opportunity that she doesn't want to squander. But Rosie is also very curious by nature, and willing to take risks, which of course lead to her making some startling discoveries about the school and its leaders.
Rosie was a bit of a loner when we first meet her, but she ends up making some friends and even finding a bit of a romantic interest in Linus, who is on the kitchen staff at the school. Her new group of friends aren't particularly fleshed out, which is fine (I think it would have added more confusion to the story), but one group member, Burnham, has more of a storyline than the others and is quite likable. Rosie's family is shown through some phone conversations, and of course some of Rosie's own thoughts about them. While we don't know a ton about them, we do get an idea via their limited communication of what Rosie dealt with growing up.
The plot gets creepy as Rosie starts to skip her sleeping pill and try to figure out what is going on at the school. I won't get into it because obviously I don't want to spoil things, but I didn't know where the plot was headed at times (which was a huge bonus for me, and kept me wanting to keep reading).
The only thing for me that was missing was more character/world development. There were times that I felt like I needed to know much more about Rosie than I did so that I could connect better to her. I also wish I knew a bit more about the world around Rosie, the world that is fine with watching teens at school and voting on their fates, a world that allows some pretty intense stuff to take place without accountability. Perhaps it would have seemed more believable if we'd had more information.
At the end, things get really crazy. The book's ending is very fast paced, and ends in a huge cliffhanger, one that left me reeling. When I read this book, I had assumed erroneously that it was a standalone, and I was mad. But after looking into it, on Caragh O'Brien's website, she confirms that it is a trilogy, and I felt much better about the whole thing. I definitely will be reading the next book, as I cannot wait to find out what is going on and how things will play out for Rosie, Linus, Burnham, and The Forge School in general.
January 11, 2015
I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to think of The Vault of Dreamers by author Caragh M. O’Brien. I’ve never read any of the author’s previous works but quickly looked up her Birthmarked novels on Goodreads and saw relatively positive reviews, so I was ready for anything. I can honestly say that the Vault of Dreamers isn’t at all what I expected it to be but it was definitely an experience.
In The Vault of Dreamers our protagonist Rosie Sinclair is attending the Forge School, an elite school that televises every moment of their students’ lives for the world to see. There is hardly any privacy and students with the highest ratings and the best viewership are successful and receive grand sums of money for their attendance at the school. Each night students are given a sleeping pill and while they sleep viewers can catch up on everything they’ve missed. However when Rosie decides to skip her sleeping pill she soon begins to discover that something else is going on at the Forge School. Something that might have sinister consequences and that at the Forge School not only is nothing at all what it seems, but that there is something wicked at hand.
I was surprised by the direction that The Vault of Dreamers went in. I found the plot entirely unpredictable to an extent. In terms of climaxes, plot twists, and the like I really enjoyed what The Vault of Dreamers had to offer. Not often do I enjoy going into a novel without an idea of what is going to happen but The Vault of Dreamers does an excellent job of weaving a mystery that will leave readers curious as to what will happen next.
The characters in The Vault of Dreamers are all unique. While my favorite character was not our main character Rosie, I enjoyed the entire cast. Ranging from the cameramen to the antagonist who I did not see coming, The Vault of Dreamers is very good at creating a diverse cast who impact one another and are all individual. This is one of those novels where everyone will be able to find a character who they can relate to in some way, shape, or form.
The writing in The Vault of Dreamers was decent. There were a lot of scenes where the descriptions painted vivid pictures in my mind but others felt like they were skimming over some of the more important details that could give a clear image of the novel’s world. I still have a lot of questions even after having finished the novel and I do think that this could be attributed to the lack of major details. There are plot holes that I could do without and I really do hope that at some point in time they will all be answered. As for pacing, I think there could have been a better divide between crazy dramatic points and points that were the total opposite. There is romance in The Vault of Dreamers but it doesn’t overtake the plot that is all about conspiracy and action and the big bad truth about the Forge School.
I really enjoyed the premise for The Vault of Dreamers and it reminded me a lot of novels like Flash Point by Nancy Kress and How to Lead a Life of Crime. To any readers who found those types of novels interesting (i.e. stories dealing with characters in either Game Shows/Reality TV shows or teens fighting to become the next best thing at their schools) then you would definitely enjoy The Vault of Dreamers. It has the best of those two worlds. Any readers who want a novel with romantic sub-plots, action, and teenage angst and drama all thrown into one story should definitely check out The Vault of Dreamers.
In The Vault of Dreamers our protagonist Rosie Sinclair is attending the Forge School, an elite school that televises every moment of their students’ lives for the world to see. There is hardly any privacy and students with the highest ratings and the best viewership are successful and receive grand sums of money for their attendance at the school. Each night students are given a sleeping pill and while they sleep viewers can catch up on everything they’ve missed. However when Rosie decides to skip her sleeping pill she soon begins to discover that something else is going on at the Forge School. Something that might have sinister consequences and that at the Forge School not only is nothing at all what it seems, but that there is something wicked at hand.
I was surprised by the direction that The Vault of Dreamers went in. I found the plot entirely unpredictable to an extent. In terms of climaxes, plot twists, and the like I really enjoyed what The Vault of Dreamers had to offer. Not often do I enjoy going into a novel without an idea of what is going to happen but The Vault of Dreamers does an excellent job of weaving a mystery that will leave readers curious as to what will happen next.
The characters in The Vault of Dreamers are all unique. While my favorite character was not our main character Rosie, I enjoyed the entire cast. Ranging from the cameramen to the antagonist who I did not see coming, The Vault of Dreamers is very good at creating a diverse cast who impact one another and are all individual. This is one of those novels where everyone will be able to find a character who they can relate to in some way, shape, or form.
The writing in The Vault of Dreamers was decent. There were a lot of scenes where the descriptions painted vivid pictures in my mind but others felt like they were skimming over some of the more important details that could give a clear image of the novel’s world. I still have a lot of questions even after having finished the novel and I do think that this could be attributed to the lack of major details. There are plot holes that I could do without and I really do hope that at some point in time they will all be answered. As for pacing, I think there could have been a better divide between crazy dramatic points and points that were the total opposite. There is romance in The Vault of Dreamers but it doesn’t overtake the plot that is all about conspiracy and action and the big bad truth about the Forge School.
I really enjoyed the premise for The Vault of Dreamers and it reminded me a lot of novels like Flash Point by Nancy Kress and How to Lead a Life of Crime. To any readers who found those types of novels interesting (i.e. stories dealing with characters in either Game Shows/Reality TV shows or teens fighting to become the next best thing at their schools) then you would definitely enjoy The Vault of Dreamers. It has the best of those two worlds. Any readers who want a novel with romantic sub-plots, action, and teenage angst and drama all thrown into one story should definitely check out The Vault of Dreamers.
February 27, 2016
**I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
Caragh O'Brien is one of my favorite authors. I loved the Birthmarked series, and I have been waiting to read Vault of Dreamers for a LONG time.
I loved every moment of this book: there is a blend of reality and illusion, and you are constantly wondering whether the main character, Rosie, is really seeing the things she sees, or if she is losing her mind.
Rosie attends the prestigious Forge School, where artists come to make their dream come true. It's also the world's most famous reality show. As Rosie fights to stay based on ratings, she starts to uncover a secret so big that if anyone knew, the school would be closed and the students disgusted. But only Rosie knows, and any time she tries to provide proof of the secret inner workings of the school, no one believes her. Is Rosie crazy? Or are her suspicions about what goes on at night when the cameras are off really founded in truth? Ooh, you'll have to read the book to find out.
It definitely ends on a cliffhanger...and now The Rule of Mirrors is out. I must continue to see what becomes of Rosie...and the boy that dared to believe in her, Linus.
O'Brien's stories are so fresh and original. She does not write the typical dystopian book, or use the usual sci-fi elements. And her world-building is fantastic. I felt I could understand Rosie to the core. I think O'Brien could create a new genre all her own. I love her novels, and I am so glad I finally got a chance to read this. Thank goodness for NetGalley!!
Caragh O'Brien is one of my favorite authors. I loved the Birthmarked series, and I have been waiting to read Vault of Dreamers for a LONG time.
I loved every moment of this book: there is a blend of reality and illusion, and you are constantly wondering whether the main character, Rosie, is really seeing the things she sees, or if she is losing her mind.
Rosie attends the prestigious Forge School, where artists come to make their dream come true. It's also the world's most famous reality show. As Rosie fights to stay based on ratings, she starts to uncover a secret so big that if anyone knew, the school would be closed and the students disgusted. But only Rosie knows, and any time she tries to provide proof of the secret inner workings of the school, no one believes her. Is Rosie crazy? Or are her suspicions about what goes on at night when the cameras are off really founded in truth? Ooh, you'll have to read the book to find out.
It definitely ends on a cliffhanger...and now The Rule of Mirrors is out. I must continue to see what becomes of Rosie...and the boy that dared to believe in her, Linus.
O'Brien's stories are so fresh and original. She does not write the typical dystopian book, or use the usual sci-fi elements. And her world-building is fantastic. I felt I could understand Rosie to the core. I think O'Brien could create a new genre all her own. I love her novels, and I am so glad I finally got a chance to read this. Thank goodness for NetGalley!!
November 2, 2020
DNF @92%
I decided I just had zero desire to finish this. I don’t even know why I kept reading.
Book source ~ NetGalley
Rosie Sinclair is competing with 99 other students in her grade to stay at Forge School - a prestigious school that is also a popular reality tv show. But things aren’t all that they seem and Rosie is determined to find out what evil lurks below the surface.
First off, these students are supposed to take a sleeping pill so they stay asleep for 8 hrs a night. So, we have drugging the students. Check. When Rosie fakes taking her pill and stays awake she discovers that some students are being taken from their dorm room and given an IV with who knows what in it. Experimentation? Check. The Dean is well-respected but Rosie sees something else in him. Mild-mannered evil genius? Check.
I made it to 92% of this book and then just gave up. Why? Because I was pissed at myself for even reading that far. Why did I subject myself to mediocre writing and a fucking twat as a main character? Because I’m a fucking dumbass. Not only that, all the characters are two-dimensional clichéness and the plot is so convoluted as to be indecipherable. Did I mention Rosie is a twat? Not to mention the “romance” between her and the kitchen guy (who is so memorable I can’t even think of his name) was forced and unnatural. I stopped reading and pretended Rosie died in the end. Now I’m partly satisfied.
I decided I just had zero desire to finish this. I don’t even know why I kept reading.
Book source ~ NetGalley
Rosie Sinclair is competing with 99 other students in her grade to stay at Forge School - a prestigious school that is also a popular reality tv show. But things aren’t all that they seem and Rosie is determined to find out what evil lurks below the surface.
First off, these students are supposed to take a sleeping pill so they stay asleep for 8 hrs a night. So, we have drugging the students. Check. When Rosie fakes taking her pill and stays awake she discovers that some students are being taken from their dorm room and given an IV with who knows what in it. Experimentation? Check. The Dean is well-respected but Rosie sees something else in him. Mild-mannered evil genius? Check.
I made it to 92% of this book and then just gave up. Why? Because I was pissed at myself for even reading that far. Why did I subject myself to mediocre writing and a fucking twat as a main character? Because I’m a fucking dumbass. Not only that, all the characters are two-dimensional clichéness and the plot is so convoluted as to be indecipherable. Did I mention Rosie is a twat? Not to mention the “romance” between her and the kitchen guy (who is so memorable I can’t even think of his name) was forced and unnatural. I stopped reading and pretended Rosie died in the end. Now I’m partly satisfied.
July 1, 2017
This was an okay read. The story was good, but there were moments where I was bored. Also, there were some weird moments in the book as well. The characters were okay. I liked Rosie the most out of all of the characters. I wish the book was more fast-paced. I did like the way the book was about kids living in a school as part of a reality show, and the conspiracy theory. The ending was okay. I am interested to see what happens in book 2. Overall, an alright read.
November 18, 2015
3.75
This was quite fantastic. Heavy on the action and light on the romance--not that there wasn't some of that present. The ending was brilliant and left me wanting the second book immediately. I don't mind waiting for it though-as long as it is as fantastic as this one. We will see.
This was quite fantastic. Heavy on the action and light on the romance--not that there wasn't some of that present. The ending was brilliant and left me wanting the second book immediately. I don't mind waiting for it though-as long as it is as fantastic as this one. We will see.
January 1, 2022
My rating: 3.5/5
I didn't know I was going to keep reading. But I highly recommend have to keep reading. It kept getting so much better after, well, you read most of the chapters. In a way, I don't think this was 'fast-paced.' I prefer to call it 'stalling' till were at the climax of the story.
I think I got sucked in the story when I reached this point,
...That last bit was exactly what I’ve been looking for. Invigorating. Intoxicating. I feel ten years younger. Don’t tease me with this nonsense of her being too fragile to mine for more.”
Like what the hell is mining (and seen in later chapters, seeding )?
I believe this was chapter 13 when the reader gets a hint on what the Forge school is about. After reaching the end of the book, I'm still unsure what these all means...
Before we delve into the plot, let's talk about the characters!
1. Rosie Sinclair (protagonist)
- In the beginning, I thought she had no personality. But after she talked to a couple of kids her age about her concerns in not making it to the 50 cuts (this is a tv show), we finally get to see a bit of her personality. And because this book has elements from Divergent, you should know that our mc is special. Not a surprise, really. I would say that this book is like Divergent meets Variant, meets Big Brother? Except that the students are in an art school.
Not a stickler for rules. I didn't realize this till now, but she's a REBEL since the beginning of the book.
2. Linus Pitts
- He was so charming! I actually loved his character. He made the protagonist so interesting, only because he makes her 'look' sane.
“Why would meeting you be worth a spike?” I asked.
“Because I’m a student and you’re on the staff? Is that supposed to make us special?”
“Don’t be dense.”
I searched back and forth between his mismatched eyes, waiting for something in his words to make sense.
He smiled slightly and spun a hand back and forth between us. “We have this,” he said.
“This what?”
“You know,” he said softly.
I did not know. The fine, expectant buzzing in my chest had nothing to do with him.
And then it did.
His eyes warmed. “See?”
I took a step back. The buzzing had exploded into wild wings of surprise.
“You’re smiling,” he said.
3. Burnham
- I honestly don't know what happened to this guy. I believe he was a fan-favorite in the show. I was also glad that there was no love triangle in the book, because if there was, then he would be the other guy trying to win Rosie.
“Hey, Sinclair,” he said. “You busy?”
I smiled and set the Ping-Pong ball back on Burnham’s paper clip.
“Come on in. Do you know Burnham?”
Linus stayed where he was in the doorway. Burnham swiveled his chair around and said hi.
Linus said hi back.
It wasn’t awkward at all.
Really Rosie? I beg to differ. They're the only contestants who seem to know more about what the school is letting on.
4. Dean Berg
- Shady af
“I glanced across the room to find Dean Berg regarding me thoughtfully. Our eyes met for too long to pretend otherwise, and I wasn’t sure how to respond. He broke into a genial smile and lifted his glass to me briefly before his gaze moved on.”
5. Dr. Ash
- Man, we want to believe her but she was still shady af.
I want to include some more characters but I think this is enough.
I'm curious and I will still most likely read the next book.
I just don't think that it easily pulls the reader in the story.
I would recommend this to science fiction and dystopian fanatics.
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