From the imagination of Tom DeLonge of Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves and NY Times bestselling author Suzanne Young.
Jonas Anderson and his older brother Alan are Lucid Dreamers. But after a car accident lands Alan in a coma, Jonas sets out into the Dream World in an attempt to find his brother and wake him up. What he discovers instead is an entire shared consciousness where fear comes to life as a snarling beast called a Night Terror, and a creature named REM is bent on destruction and misery, devouring the souls of the strongest dreamers. With the help of a Dream Walker—a guardian of the dreamscape, Jonas must face his fears, save his brother, and become who he was always meant to be: Poet Anderson.
Tom DeLonge is an award-winning producer, author, platinum recording artist, researcher and entrepreneur from San Diego, CA. Today Tom, with his company To The Stars, produces original content that aims to inspire a newfound appreciation of the profound, yet unresolved, mysteries involving science and the universe through entertainment directly informed by science. His first multi-media franchise Love, told the story of an isolated astronaut on the International Space Station and included a double album by his band Angels And Airwaves with the feature film premiering in 600 theatres across the United States. His next franchise Poet Anderson was inspired by a dream study conducted at Stanford University and spanned an award-winning short film, a chart-topping album, acclaimed comic book series, graphic novel and a YA science fiction novel co-written with NYTimes Bestselling author Suzanne Young. Most recently he is working on Sekret Machines which spans both sci-fi fiction and nonfiction thesis informed by unprecedented access at the highest level of the government and science to uncover information about the UFO phenomenon with renowned authors AJ Hartley and Peter Levenda. His Sekret Machines work has won him the 2017 UFO Researcher of the Year award.
Oh man. This was amazing. I've always loved the creativity that Tom Delonge has and of course I adore Suzanne's words, so the two of them together is as close to perfection as you could get.
The story threw me a bit at first. There are a lot of layers and a much needed set up for the world. Once I was settled, I was captivated.
Jonas is an amazing character. He's naive and cocky and shy and confident and I love everything about him. Sam is absolutely delightful and the perfect counter to all of the snark Jonas has. I could read the two of them forever.
There is a lot a lot of build up and an interesting wrap up for an ending. I'm not sure if this is a series {it fucking better be}, but I definitely know I want more.
**Huge thanks to Suzanne for spoiling me and sending me an arc**
Book is simply amazing. It has an amazing concept, Tom has created an incredible unique world. It's fascinating and genius. You can tell how much authors loved writing the story and characters. It's like book has it's own soul! It makes you want to read faster, makes you impatient to know what will happen next but it also makes you want to be completely consumed by that incredible world and go slow to savor every moment of it.
Story has a bit of everything: drama, romance, comedy, action...and all of that felt nicely balanced. What caught my attention is how organically romance fits into the story, it wasn't annoying or too lovey-dovey. Relationship between Sam and Jonas is very well written and kinda adorable, it is comforting and makes you smile.
This book is a very nice way to spend a couple of evenings, make sure to grab a copy at To The Stars
This is a book I was sent for free from the Turnaround Publishing company but this in no way affects my opinions of the book or my review.
So, this book is a book which I didn't really care for. It was sold to me as a new, innovative and exciting book which has associated songs, animated films and other mechanise surrounding it but honestly the animated film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=97&am... did not really feel like the book, and didn't really interest me either. The song was ok, but not really my personal taste either: https://soundcloud.com/angelsandairwa...
The book is a YA book which focuses on the main character of Poet Anderson and it's co-authored by Tom DeLonge and Suzanne Young. Tom DeLonge is a singer mainly but has a company called To The Stars where he's trying to branch out over a fair few different medias and this book is part of the extended projects. Suzanne Young is a YA author of The Program (which I have read and enjoyed more) and some other books too.
So, this story focuses on Poet Anderson who is a Poet. This basically means that he can shape dreams and be lucid within his dreams. This is useful to him because in the world where he lives there's two worlds. Genesis, the sleeping world, and the Waking World (normal Earth presumably). In the sleeping world some people get lost or have the ability to wander dreams and be lucid, but only the Poet can actually help them to get back to their dreams and not involved in all the politics etc of the dream world. Unfortunately our main character is an orphan and so he's never been taught how to use his abilities and when his brother (and best friend) is involved in a freak accident and goes into a coma Poet (aka Jonas in the Waking World) is all on his own and has to learn how to take care of himself, his hospitalised brother, and all the madness which is going on within the dream world.
In the dream world there's nightmares and other bad guys. They're fairly one dimensional, underdeveloped, typical 'evil-through-and-through' type characters. There's a very limited backstory to them and they feel unconvincing to me. Poet himself also feels underdeveloped. Although he's the main character you kind of get thrown into his story in the midst of chaos and there's never any real time for the characterisation to develop to the point where I connected with or enjoyed him. He's also rather fickle and magical all at once with his miracle abilities to pull off death-defying stunts, and also fall into 'crazy f***ing love' with a girl who he meets in a dream (a little too cliché for my tastes).
The story is fast and easy to read. It's not awful, it's just nothing particularly interesting or engaging and personally it just didn't appeal at all to me. It's a standard story with a fair amount of underdevelopment and lack. It also uses the whole 'waking-dream' cliché in the same way as many others and brings nothing original besides the extra merch, which doesn't even count because it's not a part of the book. This clearly wasn't a book that was going to interest me unfortunately, and I read through all of it with the hopes of improvement, but sadly it was fairly 'pow, pow' and not a lot of emotional, interesting or vulnerable moments which would have made me connect. Not an awful book, but only a 1.5* review from me. If you like YA and the dream-walking idea intrigues you then maybe it will be more your thing, but it wasn't mine I'm afraid!
From an animated short film, to comic books, and now a novel, Poet Anderson has been captivating. For someone who is a fan of Bladerunner, or Star Wars, Poet Anderson Of Nightmares...is a book for you. Blending together a perfect mix of Sci-Fi, Action and Romance, DeLonge and Young have worked together to create a masterpiece. You can just imagine the world behind the characters as you follow Jonas Anderson through his travels through the dream world- Genisis. It's difficult to get into the concept without wanting to spoil anything. Summed up, we meet Jonas- an orphan who, like his older brother Alan, is a lucid dreamer. Genisis is a dream world where most people visit but have no real idea that they are dreaming. Lucid dreamers have more control over their dreams- and have the ability to change them with the knowledge that they are dreaming. When Alan goes into a coma from a car crash, Jonas sets off into the dream world to find him. It is there that he learns his place as a Poet- and his destiny. What the waking world doesn't know is that there is a war in the dream world. REM- who I can best describe as the antagonist in the plot is set to conquer not only the Dream World, but the Waking World as well. With his army of night terrors and night stalkers, nobody is safe, and they are out to battle Dream Walkers- or anyone that gets in their way. Here is where Jonas' destiny begins, and the depths of the novel become more than just a simple concept. Mixing together the war, with Jonas' relationship with Sam, to his loyalty and struggles, you're hooked from beginning to end. Adding in an even cooler concept comes the companion album from Angels and Airwaves "...Of Nightmares." It's an added masterpiece that flows with the novel. For me, this is an obvious 5/5 stars. With graphic descriptions, detailed characters and a world so 'close to home', I would highly recommend giving it a read. There hits a point where things start to become real. You're standing with these characters, fighting their battles, feeling their emotions- and evidentially, learning the same lessons. Suzanne Young's writing style mixed with Tom DeLonge's artistic visions makes for a story you will never forget.
Honestly as soon as I first started reading the book, it was just so interesting. Both Tom and Suzanne did an amazing job in writing this novel, it just felt so real. The way some of the scenes were described and the whole wording was great.
The exposition and climax were definitely attention grabbing. Here we have Jonas Anderson, a kid who relies so heavily on his older brother Alan and suddenly when Alan isn't able to be around that much anymore, he learns to be more self independent and self reliant to take on his job and still manage to go to school, etc. At the same time, he starts having these feelings for Sam whom he has met at school AND also in the dream world. He then mets his Dream Walker and he then learns that he is a poet. It's a whole lot for Jonas to take in, specially the readers since we weren't expecting any of this to happen.
Overall, I definitely recommend this book 100%. It will keep you wanting more and you won't want to put the book down at all. But seriously if you love a good action story, Poet Anderson of Nightmares is your book. I'm looking forward for the rest of the novels.
What a great book, my god. Tom has an amazing imagination, and Suzanne just has an amazing ability to bring everything to life with how she structures the look and feel of Tom's vision. I always wondered how books can be so suspenseful and leave you on the edge of your seat, just by reading words on a page. But it's obvious, this book takes you to another place. I had originally read the the prequel comic books (definitely suggest check it out!) and the transition from comic book style to novel was just... amazing. What I enjoyed most was Tom's accurate interpretation of a kid (Poet) falling in love, being scared, feeling angry, etc. It just shows how in tune he is with the actual character(s) he's envisioned. I highly recommend this book! To The Stars or Amazon
WHAT CAN I SAY... I've never really been able to get stuck in to a really good book in my whole 28 years of life but Tom DeLonge and Suzanne Young have come up with an absolute masterpiece to finally get me to read properly! I tip my (Poet) hat off to you both.
Poet Anderson...Of Nightmares took me to a different world, a place I've never been before, painting a dream world in my mind of exactly what I would expect would happen. Maybe I'm in a dream?
If you're into sci fi and lucid dreaming then this is the one for you. I can't wait for you all to read this epic novel and to share this experience. It also has an original EP by Angels & Airwaves to accompany the novel and is great to listen to whilst reading.
I received this book last week and I read it in 2 days. I could not put it down!! I tried so hard to pace myself while reading this book because I knew I didn't want it to end but I kept getting lost into the dream world with Jonas. I fell in love with Poet Anderson many many many months ago when I saw the short film and read the comics. The book is simply brilliant. It has everything you would want comedy, lovable characters, romance, fantasy and action. I'm a huge bookworm and I must say Jonas has made it to my top 5 favorite book characters of all time! DeLonge and Young wrote an amazing story. I'm really hoping for more adventures with the Anderson brothers!
Poet Anderson... Of Nightmares will take you on a wild ride to the crazy world of dreams where anything is possible. I picked up the book without having any kind of background information on the other Poet Anderson projects, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I imagined it would be something like Inception, and I suppose in some ways it was.
It's actually kind of hard to describe this book because there is just so much going on, but there is plenty of world building, so as a reader, you have no trouble catching on. I was pretty fascinated by the ingeniousness of the whole concept and thoroughly enjoyed reading about the characters' trips to the Dreamscape and everyone's involvement in keeping this "other reality" from affecting the real world. It's really complicated but at the same time it makes perfect sense.
Jonas and Sam were a great couple and I was glad that she was a big part of the story. Sam was pretty much the only good thing in Jonas's life because there was so much darkness surrounding him. In the Waking World, his parents were dead and his brother in a coma. And then in the Dreamscape he had REM, the Night Stalkers and his Night Terror to deal with. It felt like Sam was a small ray of sunshine in a world of darkness and death.
The battle is not over yet, so I hope there's more to come. I'd be interested to find out what happens next!
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Poet Anderson ...Of Nightmares is the story of a Lucid Dreamer becoming a hero. Through accidents and unforeseen circumstances, a weight is placed on a teenage boy to do what it takes to protect the ones he loves.
This book blends sci-fi, romance, and suspense all into one. You have elements that echo Tron and Star Wars that provide excitement and awesome imagery, while you have a romance that keeps Poet grounded to the Waking World as he navigates the unpredictable (and sometimes hellish) Dream World. The book has you engaged and interested the whole time and leaves you wanting more at the end.
It's a groundbreaking installment to Tom DeLonge's budding multimedia empire that will put his stories on the map like never before. It takes the stories of the previously-released short animated film and prequel comic series to new heights.
For fans of Tom DeLonge's music who are skeptical--you know that special feeling you get while listening to blink-182 or Angels and Airwaves? You get that same feeling reading this book. The themes that DeLonge has preached throughout his musical career--following your dreams, making the world a better place, achieving things you never thought possible--they're all here in the form of a novel. Better yet, the companion AVA EP is on iTunes or with the special To The Stars edition of the book, so you can get the best of both worlds.
I was not aware of Suzanne Young before this book but now I'm a huge fan. The writing style is accessible while remaining engaging throughout. Definitely pick up the book if you want to be one of the first to find a story that will likely end up on the big screen soon: http://tothestars.media/collections/p...
I will be honest, I am not much of a reader. This book has changed that. Tom Delonge and Suzanne Young have really drawn me in with Poet Anderson ...Of Nightmares. There was so much emotion, action, It truly draws you in. I have always been interested in dreams, lucid dreaming, etc. This book EXCEEDED my expectations, I got it on September 25th and I was so drawn in and interested that I finished it on the 28th. It left me literally wanting more. The story is really great and I could really relate to Jonas/Poet. I felt like I was him as I was reading especially when it talked about he and Sam. The story is also extremely well balanced especially when it came to Sam and Poet, their relationship felt like one I have and it was just again very relatable. What really caught my attention was the relationship Jonas had with his brother Allen and how quickly he lost him (coma). It makes me as a younger brother cherish my older brother and just learn to put my differences aside. It is a very moving action packed novel and I would suggest it to anyone!
The companion EP from Angels and Airwaves was also a very nice touch! If you listen to it while reading it really adds that much more emotion! It is truly amazing! Can't wait for another Poet Anderson novel!
hope you found my review helpful and I hope you make the right choice and purchase it from one of the following sites ;)
Poet Anderson...Of Nightmares is a thrill ride of storytelling. Jonas Anderson is a teenage boy who suffers some tragedy and finds himself flicking between the real world and his dream world. Things get complicated when a girl he meets in school shows up in his dreams, where he finds himself with powers and abilities beyond his understanding that he must learn to control to save his loved ones. It's got some real heartfelt moments and captures the inner turmoil of growing up and facing your real-life (education, holding down a job etc) with the fantastical set pieces of fighting armies and racing mono-bikes.
DeLonge has created a world so rich and visual, with real characters with great depth. Young brings her excellent dialogue skills and creates moments that have real resonance.
There's plenty of cliff hangers and excitement. I'm 30 years old but remember being that lost teenager dealing with the pressures of potential and working out who you were in the world. There's a great appeal for any age and gender.
Poet Anderson...Of Nightmares is a wonderful read, I am simply amazed at the care and thought put into this book. It follows the story of a boy named Jonas Anderson. His older brother Alan and himself are Lucid Dreamers. However, after a car accident lands Alan in a coma, Jonas sets out into the Dream World in an attempt to find his brother and wake him up. I adore this book so much, Suzanne Young is a great writer and her skills along with Tom's vision of how he wanted the book to turn out, ended up being a magical experience. I highly encourage everyone to give this a read as it honestly made me so proud and happy of Tom for achieving something like this. The book is full of good vs. evil, dream vs. reality and fiction vs. fantasy which is perfect for any reader as it includes drama, romance, comedy, fantasy and action. The relationship between Sam and Jonas is heart warming, very comforting and just a perfect read.
Tom Delonge and Suzanne Young have created a dreamworld that I thought couldn't happen. Poet Anderson ...of Nightmares is truly a amazing book!
It takes place in two different cities, Seattle, Washington and Genesis (Dreamworld) that is being terrorized by the Night Stalkers. When you think of Genesis you see elements of Star Wars and other sci-fi movies in this story. If you like Sci-fi, romantic, funny, war type of books this one is for you! The book makes you dream the impossible. Tom and his band Angels and Airwaves created a EP for you to listen while you read the book. Which creates and feeling that you are there in the dreamworld.
If I keep writing this review i will tell the whole story of the book and you wouldn't like that, So if you want to buy this book you can go to http://tothestars.media/ or buy it on Amazon.
Thouroughly impressed w/ the first collaborative effort in the Poet Anderson series from Tom DeLonge (Angels & Airwaves/Blink 182) and Suzanne Young.
The mission statement is "a dream is a dream is a dream".
You follow, Jonas, the central character and he weaves between reality and dreams. Colorful and feisty, you begin to be consumed w/ his otherwordly battles w/ Nightstalkers in an effort to keep his comatose brother safe. You cheer for his victory, you gasp at the love he finds.
A quick read w/ natural dialogue and brilliant imagery. Just get it, read it. Lay back, look up. Dream.
"A dream is a dream is a dream..." This book was ok, very easy to read and really built on the foundation the comic laid. The main fella Jonas was a bit two dimensional, just tht typical high school student on the edge of society, but as Poet I he became more interesting. I read some of this whilst listening to the Angels and Airwaves album that accompanies it and that was ok but didn't really enhance. Overall it was good, it had vibes of The Matrix, and I will be reading the second book...3 🌟
Suzanne Young and Tom DeLonge both outdid themselves with this novel. It is a great read with so many great scenes. This novel mixes a great love story with a battle between two armies in both the dream and waking world. If you enjoy a story with a lot of action, a great plot,a love story, and a lot of profanity then this book is for you. It takes you to the dream world into a city named Genesis where all of our dreams are stored, The protagonist: Jonas Anderson takes another identity in the dream world as a lucid dreamer- Poet Anderson. Here he meets his Dream Walker; a Dream Walker is someone who guides people away from their nightmares. Poet's destiny is to become a Dream Walker but in order to be able to do that he must first face his biggest fear- his night terror. In order to do this he must conquer all of his fears. In the mist of doing all of this he meets the love of his life who is in danger of being killed. He must face an entire army of Night Stalkers who are helping REM (an evil soul who is trying to take over the dream world and the waking world) take over the world. This novel will take you for a hell of a ride. I strongly recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good action story. It is an amazing book. One that will have you at the edge of your seat the entire journey.
I've been a fan of Tom Delonge's work for many years now and he never failed to impressed me. Its no different this time as he released his first book with Suzan Young and i must say that i love it! The story, the atmosphere, the tone and the overall setting gave me chills. I would recommend this book to anyone who's into sci-fi or who's up for a good read that leaves you thinking about it for many days/weeks after! The book comes with a free EP by Angels and Airwaves (Tom's band) that you should listen while reading the book it really enhance the the feeling you get getting lost into this world!
Just when I thought Tom Delonge couldn't be any more of a genius he teams up with Suzanna Young and come up with a masterpiece,
locking myself away and listening to the Angels and Airwaves EP '...Of nightmares' really helped me get sucked into the dream world Tom has created, from the first page I was hooked and didn't want to put the book down,
For me this book ticked all the boxes and more with a perfect mix of Sci-Fi, romance, Action and a bit of comedy,
I highly recommend giving this a read as it will open your mind to a whole new world.... a dream world
Poet Anderson… Of Nightmares is the latest installment of a cross-media project written by Tom Delonge and Suzanne Young. I have been a fan of Tom Delonge’s work for over a decade and have particularly enjoyed the Poet Anderson project which has already included an award winning animated short, three comic books, a graphic novel and two albums, The Dream Walker LP and the …Of Nightmares EP which is a companion to the novel. I impatiently awaited the release of the Poet Anderson… Of Nightmares novel and I was not disappointed.
The plot is a typical hero’s quest, but what really drew me in was the depth and detail of the world created by Tom Delonge and his creative team. It describes a Dream World, a place where all of us visit when we sleep. Most of us simply wander through the Dream World, unware that we are even dreaming. The Lucid Dreamers are well aware of their dream state and have the ability to control their dreams and, to an extent, change their environment. But there are those in the Dream World who have even greater awareness and even greater abilities.
Unbeknownst to most of the Waking World, there is war waging in the Dream World where REM, the epitome of evil and the harbinger of nightmares, strives to not only control the realm in which he exists, but he seeks to enter the Waking World where he can make nightmares real. He and his army of Night Stalkers and Night Terrors consistently battle the Dream Walkers, dreamers who will stop at nothing to put a stop to REMs malevolent ways.
Enter Jonas Anderson, an orphan who, like his older brother Alan, are Lucid Dreamers and have enjoyed exploring the Dream World in a very limited capacity. They have suspicions of deeper levels of subconscious awareness but never had a chance to fully explore. After Alan is put into a coma from a terrible and suspicious car accident, Jonas resolves to find a way into the deeper realms of the Dream World to find and retrieve his brother. It is then that Jonas begins to learn the true nature of the Dream World and his place in it.
Jonas has a destiny that neither he nor his brother ever imagined and Poet Anderson… Of Nightmares is about his journey to that discovery. In the Dream World he makes many friends and enemies, learns to overcome his fears, to own the pain he has for so long locked away and to trust in himself and the people he loves and love him.
The book reads extremely easily and the prose flowed so smoothly that I, as a 40 year old man, initially thought it was a little to “young” for my liking. However, after a few chapters of getting used to Suzanne Young’s style and getting familiar with the world and characters she eloquently describes, it was very easy for me to visualize everything that was transpiring on the pages. The dialogue between Jonas and his younger companions was appropriately juvenile (he is a high school student, after all) and the manner in which the more grown-up characters spoke effectively contrasted the attitudes of the mature and not so mature characters. The development of Jonas’ relationship with his love interest Sam felt particularly awkward, but then, what teenage romance isn’t awkward?
The mindsets and policies of the Dream Walkers, though ultimately benevolent, beg us to ask many questions: How far can you go to stop evil, even if it means sacrificing the lives of the good? How far is too far? It is a devastating war the Dream Walkers are fighting and REM has no objection to killing anyone in his way. But when the Dream Walkers determine that Jonas is the key to their victory and to REMs victory, should Jonas be destroyed for the sake of the rest of the world? It is a very important question that the book poses and it is an obvious reflection of our Waking World. It is a question we should be asking ourselves.
I enjoyed this book on all levels… the characters, the story, the highly detailed world. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys science-fiction… from cyberpunk to fantasy, space opera to thrillers… it even appealed to the part of my heart that is still 15 years old. The characters are lovable and loathsome, the story is gripping and the settings is unbelievable. The imagination of Tom Delonge is rich and deep and Suzanne young did an amazing job putting it on paper for all of us to experience.
Poet Anderson Of Nightmers... is one of the greatest books I have had the pleasure to read. It sets out to create a facinating story about Jonas Anderson and his travels but instead makes you fall in love with every character and the world behind them(Genisis). It took everything great about Harry Potter, Tron, and Bladerunner creating a very original story. I highly recommend checking out the Prequal comic book series to have a better understanding of the characters. But if not the book does a great job developing every character you read about.
From Start to finish I was invested in every character and the journey they set out on. Susan Young creates a very heartfelt and entertaining love story at the same time. It is one that along with other plot points will keep you intersted throughout the entire book.
Now lets talk about the amazing vision from Tom Delonge. It started out as a concept and then a animated short. The short was highly awarded and it sparked a franchise. Poet Anderson is one of the most interesting character I have yet to read about. From his family issues and his loyalty to his brother spark many events to take place.
Another thing that is great about this book is the action and description. From page one you can picture the world and the events that happen throughout. I have read many books that can't keep this going because it starts to blend together. But in this book you can see the brightly lit futuristic city that is known as Genisis. Along with the action. It feels like your watching Star Wars with the way it is presented. It is very fast and action packed.
I recommend this book to anyone above the age of ten becasue there are some themes that will go over there heads. It is truly a great book and a breath of fresh air. Too many movies and books repeat themselves where this is a very original idea.
Go check it out at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, And To the Stars.com
Poet Anderson ‘…Of Nightmares’ is a story about Jonas and Alan Anderson. When their parents pass away, Jonas and Alan are forced to live life as adults, well, at least Alan anyway. When a terrible car crash leaves Alan in a coma, the time comes for Jonas to do some growing up of his own. He goes to a new school and takes a new job. He even meets a girl he’s fond of. But, things start going south very quickly. Jonas is being sucked into an alternate reality; the dream world. In the dream world, there is a city called Genesis, the main hub of the dreamscape. Here, Jonas learns he is in fact a Poet, meaning he is able to ‘bend’ the dreamscape. He can open up tunnels and move other dreamers between dreams. Sounds fun and dandy right? Wrong! Because with the power of being a Poet comes the awful task of facing REM, the evil leader of the Night Stalkers who feeds off of people’s nightmares. With the soul of a Poet, REM can become strong enough to cross over into the waking world, where he can wreak havoc on humanity and cause everyone to have nightmares, making him even stronger. Poet is the only one who can stop REM from taking over the world, but Poet is the number one target for REM. With a battle fast approaching, Poet has to learn his skills of being a Poet in order to take down the terror that is REM.
Spoilers
Hmm. Where do I start? This book honestly is a roller coaster. There are just so many turning points and secret revelations that it really does make you double take. Sam, Poet’s lover, is your typical girl who you are in love with, but not sure if she loves you back, even though she clearly loves you back, even though you still aren’t sure. Make sense? Haha. Meeting Sam was a bad decision on Poets part though. She’s all tied up with the dream world because of her dad. He is the owner of the Eden Hotel, which you learn is the hub for the Dream Walkers. When Jonas gets a job there, he can tell things are awfully strange, but that’s only the beginning. Like, everyone he meets there ends up being a dream walker. Dream walkers are supposed to be on your side, but some of them (can’t recall the names) were betting on Poet in a motorcycle race, which almost killed him. Then, it’s found out that Poet’s mom was actually a Dream Walker (she had worked at the Eden) who had her soul taken by REM. REM, now in the waking world, then killed Poet’s dad. So with this revelation that REM killed his parents, Poet is even more eager to take REM down. Poet is guided by a Dream Walker, Jarabec, who tries to teach him how to use his powers of being a Poet, but sadly is killed in a battle against REM. The ending of the book is insane, because (SUPER spoiler-y) basically everybody fucking dies. Like, Poet, Alan, and Sam live, but basically all the other Dream Walkers die in a battle that leaves REM alive and well. But, this is the first book in a planned trilogy, so I can see why they didn’t take out the bad guy right away. The book is filled with lots of typical young adult themes; internal struggle, love. It’s basically a coming of age story, but with the twist of dream world super powers. I thought it was a ‘good read’ (puns) and I hope you do too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I'm speechless! I finished this book a few weeks ago and can only now write my review. I sat down many times to write it, but the words never came to me. All I could think of was how can I express the epicness that is this book. How can I put the incoherent thoughts going around in my brain into words?? This book was phenomenal and one I urge everyone to read!!!
I have to say that the first thing to draw me to this book was the cover. Its so unique and eye catching that if I saw it in the store, I'd definitely pick it up! The second thing to pull me in was Suzanne Youngs name attached to it. I've loved everything I've read by her so was eager to start! I had never heard of Tom DeLonge and was a bit hesitant seeing that he was a musician but thought the book sounded great and with Suzanne Young as a co-author, well you cant go wrong!
So dived in, I did, (sorry couldn't resist with the new Star Wars being released!! ;) ) and honestly couldn't put it down. These two authors make an amazing team!
I'm not going to get into the plot because there are so many elements and layers to it that it has to be experienced to be believed! Suffice it to say that the absolute best thing about the book is the world building. It. Is. Phenomenal!!! (You will hear that a lot in this review). It has a perfect blend of imagination, believability, action, adventure and romance. I was grabbed from the very first page and brought on an imaginative and amazing adventure.
The characters themselves were amazing as well. Each is well developed and written. Jonas grows so much during the book and is such a determined kid, that it's hard not to love him. He goes from relying on his older brother for everything, to having to do it all on his own. I loved everything about his character!!
Despite this book being so amazing, I'm still struggling to put it into words. If only there was a device that can translate thoughts into words then I would be sorted, but there's not. Every time I try to say something else about this, all I can think of is that it's phenomenal and best experienced first hand. It's such a unique and imaginative book and one I know will stay on my favourite shelf forever. All I can think to say is, go buy this exceptional book now!!! You won't regret it.
When I was first contacted about joining the blog tour for Poet Anderson…Of Nightmares I was immediately intrigued by the book’s cover, I’m such a sucker for great covers and this one is breathtaking. I then looked to see who the author was and literally started jumping up and down in my seat! Being a teen in the 90’s I was a huge fan off all things punk & grunge which of course includes Blink-182 and I’ve been a fan of Tom Delonge’s various projects ever since. I was not aware, however, that he’d crossed over into the world of writing books so after I signed up for the tour I scoured the internet for all information regarding the amazing transmedia project that is Poet Anderson. The more I read, the more thrilled I became at the prospect of being a part of something so unique. Needless to say I was ecstatic when my book arrived in the mail, even more so when I opened it up to discover they’d sent a beautiful hardback copy that included an accompanying soundtrack CD from Angels and Airways, Tom’s current band, as well as a poster of the cover plus an incredible preface from Tom detailing his journey of turning the idea of Poet Anderson into a reality. I had extremely high expectations for this book and it absolutely did NOT disappoint!
Poet Anderson…Of Nightmares is the story of two incredible brothers, Jonas and Alan, who are lucid dreamers. You’ll quickly discover there’s much more to this story than two brothers who go romping around in the dream world; I was actually surprised by the amount of depth in this story. Jonas and Alan are all on their own, trying to survive in a world without their parents who’ve both died. I immediately connected with older brother Alan who’s trying his best to make ends-meat, taking care of his younger brother and insisting he stay in school till he graduates. If you’re a fan of Supernatural then you’ll love the relationship between Alan and Jonas as they very much reminded me of a younger Sam and Dean :) In a tragic turn of events, an accident leaves Alan in a coma and it’s Jonas who must now step up to the plate and face his fears, entering the dream world to battle his demons and nightmares in an effort to save his brother and become the true hero most in the dream world believe he can be. While on his quest, Jonas will discover truths about his parents and his destiny of becoming Poet Anderson (I loved how everyone in the dream world knew him as “Poet” before Jonas himself understood what it meant). And that’s really all I can say without giving anything else away!
I think it took me about 15 pages to fall head over heels in love with this book! Everything about it from the fascinating world building, its wonderfully relatable characters, the fast-paced action, and even the sweet love story felt so fresh and just came alive for me that I read the entire book in just over a day. There are so many moral undertones within this story that beg the reader to question what kind of person they really are. How far would you really go to save to most important person in your life? How much of yourself would you give? And for how long could you walk the fine line between good and evil before succumbing to the “dark side”? These themes and more are addressed in such a realistic and non-pretentious way that true YA readers will absolutely get the message without giving the standard eye-roll in the process.
But what truly makes this book special is Jonas. The story is told entirely through his POV so you’re completely connected to everything he thinks, feels and goes through. He’s your typical teen who’s sarcastic and witty yet he’s also extremely loyal and just downright cool! This is a book that guys and girls, as well as their parents, can get behind and totally fall in love and that’s so rare to find these days. If you’re ready for a book that will take you into a world which can be found each time you close your eyes, a dark adventure full of new and fascinating places and characters you won’t soon forget, then absolutely pick up Poet Anderson…Of Nightmares and get prepared to be blown away!! Absolutely my favorite read of 2015 and I can’t wait for book two!!
A huge, huge thank you to publishers, To the Stars, for providing me with a review copy of Poet Anderson…Of Nightmares in exchange for my honest review. And thank you to CBB Book Promotions for inviting me to be a part of this fabulous blog tour!!
I love it when I come across something different to read so when I read the summary of Poet Anderson…Of Nightmares, I was immediately intrigued. Tom DeLonge and Suzanne Young created a story that pulled me in from the very first page and kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next.
Jonas and his brother, Alan, are lucid dreamers and since the death of their parents they have been hopping around from city to city. As they are headed to what Alan believes will be their chance for something stable, they are in a car accident. As the story picks up, Alan is in a coma and Jonas’ dreams are turning into something different. As Jonas turns to the dream world to find Alan and wake him up, he finds Night Terrors and Dream Walkers…things he doesn’t really know anything about.
I loved Jonas as a main character and thought his development was well done. I loved the relationship he had with his brother and it was fantastic to learn all about what it means to be Poet Anderson right alongside Jonas. As the story progresses, Jonas grows up. He has always had Alan to lean on and now that he is on his own, he has to figure things out and he has to do it quickly. As Jonas learns more about the dream world, he also learns more about his family and what is expected of him.
Outside of Jonas, there are a number of other characters that add to the story. Sam is the girl from school who not only catches Jonas’ attention, but she also has some important connections. The Dream Walkers are an interesting group and their interactions with Jonas and ultimately, their motivations made things complicated but I loved how things were tied together at the end. The other major character is REM and he is definitely the bad guy. He has history with Jonas’ family and he will do whatever he needs to in order to get what he wants and what he wants is a Poet.
I loved the world that DeLonge and Young have built out. Both the waking world and the dream world are well developed and provide layers for the story to jump into. The authors have also created a story that blends together a fantastic mix of action, and horror with a side of romance and family.
There’s not much more I can tell you about the actual story here as I don’t want to ruin anything. Just know that I loved every minute of this book and am hopeful that we will have more stories from these two that include the Andersons. Definitely consider checking this book out when you can - I found I was unable to put it down and now that I am finished I just want more.
I feel like this book spoke to me on a different level, I mean... I don't have a monster trying to kill me and eat my soul in my sleep, but my dreams are INTENSE. I started this and was so intrigued with the idea of lucid dreamers and being able to be aware that you're dreaming that I was able put myself right in the book. I've always had vivid dreams and when I was growing up I had the same nightmare over and over again, thinking about it now still gives me shivers. I also have this issue that when I read before I fall asleep I dream about finishing the book, but I can never remember how it ends, unfortunately, that would be pretty convenient if I could read in my sleep.
Okay enough about me and my dreaming, Jonas Anderson aka Poet Anderson (Poet in the Dream World) has some real issues and life threatening problems to solve. While moving to Washington Alan and Jonas get into a car accident putting Alan in a coma. Jonas is convinced his brother is in Dream World and he has made it his mission to find his brother and wake him up. While on the mission to find his brother and bring him back to the Waking World, Poet runs into some obstacles, some terrifying obstacles.
I won't lie to you and say I wasn't a tad confused while we were in the Dream World, differentiating between Lucid Dreamers, Dream Walkers, Night Stalkers, and the other scary stuff, but I figured it out and just still dont trust anyone, not completely that is. Like I was saying earlier though anything dealing with dreams and dreamers is completely intriguing. Even the idea of dreams occurring is cool concept, let alone being aware that you're dreaming and being involved in the dream too. *Mind Blown*
This is definitely a book I suggest to the sci-fi world or someone looking for something new. I'm not sure if the dream world is a realm that is touched on often, but it's something that left me wanting more. Thankfully this is a series and I do get more. - Shannon
This is more of a 2.5 . I liked it enough that the ending made me interested about what will happen in the second installment and there were enough salvageable parts that I have hope that maybe the story will give me what I'm looking for.
I really wanted to love this book, but it was just meh.
The dreamscape was cool, and I feel like if the characters had been fleshed out more I would have had a chance to care about them, but they weren't and I didn't. They all felt very 2D. Half of the time I was reading this I just wanted it to be over, but I also wanted to know how it ended because that is just the kind of person I am. If something is even mildly entertaining I want to know how it ends.
The writing was simple and sometimes it seemed like an amateur was writing it, but I know that this author has other books out. There were tons of filter words that took away from making the world and character, the book as a whole really, come alive. Personally I think that any good editor would have caught things like this. It wasn't just a few times, it was pretty much on every page.
Anyway, I have a lot to say, but I always forget to come back and talk about the books so I figured I'd throw my "short version" out there.