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Dream State
After an asteroid hits the moon and knocks it out of orbit, global chaos ensues when people lose the ability to sleep. We follow society’s descent into madness through the eyes of a failed zoologist, an almost-bankrupt resort owner, and an underage bartender on a Belize island resort cut off from the rest of the world. As island resources become scarce and conflict erupts, the main characters will need to overcome their demons and fatigue in order to survive.
184 pages, Paperback
Published August 7, 2022
4 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Martin Ott
14 books129 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Born in Alaska and raised in Michigan, Martin Ott served as an interrogator in U.S. Army military intelligence.
He moved to Los Angeles to attend the Masters of Professional Writing Program at USC, and often writes about his adopted city, including in the novel The Interrogator's Notebook (currently being pitched by Paradigm as a TV pilot) and poetry books Captive, De Novo Prize Winner, C&R Press and Underdays, Sandeen Prize Winner, University of Notre Dame Press (Fall 2015).
Social and political themes are prevalent in all of his books, particularly Poets' Guide to America and Yankee Broadcast Network, coauthored with John F. Buckley, Brooklyn Arts Press and his short story collection, Interrogations, Fomite Press (Spring 2016). His novel Spectrum, C&R Press, (Fall 2016), asks what if a wall is built in a post-apocalyptic America, fueled by bigotry and the unintended consequences of technology.
His most recent poetry book, LESSONS IN CAMOUFLAGE, C&R Press, 2018, explores the hidden reservoirs of his life as an interrogator, divorced father, and estranged son to a dying mother, all with an eye on truths easy to conceal and sometimes painful to reveal.
His Writeliving blog - http://writeliving.wordpress.com/ - has been read by more than 30,000 people in 100+ countries. More at www.martinottwriter.com.
Born in Alaska and raised in Michigan, Martin Ott served as an interrogator in U.S. Army military intelligence.
He moved to Los Angeles to attend the Masters of Professional Writing Program at USC, and often writes about his adopted city, including in the novel The Interrogator's Notebook (currently being pitched by Paradigm as a TV pilot) and poetry books Captive, De Novo Prize Winner, C&R Press and Underdays, Sandeen Prize Winner, University of Notre Dame Press (Fall 2015).
Social and political themes are prevalent in all of his books, particularly Poets' Guide to America and Yankee Broadcast Network, coauthored with John F. Buckley, Brooklyn Arts Press and his short story collection, Interrogations, Fomite Press (Spring 2016). His novel Spectrum, C&R Press, (Fall 2016), asks what if a wall is built in a post-apocalyptic America, fueled by bigotry and the unintended consequences of technology.
His most recent poetry book, LESSONS IN CAMOUFLAGE, C&R Press, 2018, explores the hidden reservoirs of his life as an interrogator, divorced father, and estranged son to a dying mother, all with an eye on truths easy to conceal and sometimes painful to reveal.
His Writeliving blog - http://writeliving.wordpress.com/ - has been read by more than 30,000 people in 100+ countries. More at www.martinottwriter.com.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 26, 2022
Pub Date 8/9/22
I received this ARC from the author, Martin Ott. The opinions expressed are my own and freely given.
Cast of characters:
Heidi - a failed zoologist, living on a Navy SEALS training base with her boyfriend
Russell - owner of Copeland Resort
Marley - 17-year-old grandson of the local bar, Cava
This is set on an island of the coast of Belize. While a wedding party checks in and everyone congregates to Cava, an asteroid hits the moon, tilting it off course. This results in sleeping patterns being thrown off and the world seems to be in chaos. So begins the journey of 3 people and their fight for survival.
Each chapter is told from the 3 main characters perspective and as the week goes further along, lines are drawn and each of these three find themselves not united but against each other. The Naval base, the resort dwellers and the natives all try to lay claim to the island and each group wants to be in charge.
What I didn't like about this book was the women. I couldn't identify with any of them, and I definitely didn't like most of them. Heidi has too much of a past with sexual abuse and that seems to come to her mind way too much; that being said, she was a strong character that tried to get all the groups to work together.
Also, the men in the book seem to be power hungry and drunk.
All the negatives being said, I did like this book. It was action packed with accidental deaths, murders, and fights. This was very descriptive and played well in my mind while reading it. I was really not sure what to expect from this book as the genre was very different for me, but I enjoyed it. I couldn't wait to get to the end only to see how the world could get back to right, since the moon was broken.
I received this ARC from the author, Martin Ott. The opinions expressed are my own and freely given.
Cast of characters:
Heidi - a failed zoologist, living on a Navy SEALS training base with her boyfriend
Russell - owner of Copeland Resort
Marley - 17-year-old grandson of the local bar, Cava
This is set on an island of the coast of Belize. While a wedding party checks in and everyone congregates to Cava, an asteroid hits the moon, tilting it off course. This results in sleeping patterns being thrown off and the world seems to be in chaos. So begins the journey of 3 people and their fight for survival.
Each chapter is told from the 3 main characters perspective and as the week goes further along, lines are drawn and each of these three find themselves not united but against each other. The Naval base, the resort dwellers and the natives all try to lay claim to the island and each group wants to be in charge.
What I didn't like about this book was the women. I couldn't identify with any of them, and I definitely didn't like most of them. Heidi has too much of a past with sexual abuse and that seems to come to her mind way too much; that being said, she was a strong character that tried to get all the groups to work together.
Also, the men in the book seem to be power hungry and drunk.
All the negatives being said, I did like this book. It was action packed with accidental deaths, murders, and fights. This was very descriptive and played well in my mind while reading it. I was really not sure what to expect from this book as the genre was very different for me, but I enjoyed it. I couldn't wait to get to the end only to see how the world could get back to right, since the moon was broken.
August 18, 2022
‘I lost the trash in there. The human trash. I set them free.’ – Asteroids, dolphins and more
Los Angeles author Martin Ott was born in Alaska, raised in Michigan, and served as an interrogator in U.S. Army military intelligence. He now lives in Los Angeles, working as a communications professional developing projects for television and film, and as much as any writer, this movie star handsome poet captures the essence of this city better than any other writer. He is well schooled – earning a Masters of Professional Writing Program at USC and for all his youth he is already well established as a poet and author of the highest rank. His works to date – FAKE NEWS POEMS, UNDERDAYS, CAPTIVE, INTERROGATIONS, SPECTRUM, THE INTERROGATOR’S NOTEBOOK, LESSONS IN CAMOUFLAGE, and now DREAM STATE.
Martin’s prose reflects his roots in poetry – finely detailed character painting and atmosphere building in a space condensed to underscore rather than approaching superfluous. He enters this fascinating story that explores the insomnia/sleep deprivation state admixed with his thriller tale by first introducing Heidi Radar, a Los Angeles frustrated/failed zoologist/stripper transplanted to Belize described so authentically that she becomes visual and credible. But the provided synopsis explains the overview – ‘After an asteroid hits the moon and knocks it out of orbit, global chaos ensues when people lose the ability to sleep. We follow society’s descent into madness through the eyes of a failed zoologist, an almost-bankrupt resort owner, and an underage bartender on a Belize island resort cut off from the rest of the world. As island resources become scarce and conflict erupts, the main characters will need to overcome their demons and fatigue in order to survive.’ Martin’s ability to create a strange unnatural phenomenon incident coupled with brain alterations into an intensely interesting and credible novel once again cites his position in the realm of important contemporary poets and authors – and philosophers. Very highly recommended.
Los Angeles author Martin Ott was born in Alaska, raised in Michigan, and served as an interrogator in U.S. Army military intelligence. He now lives in Los Angeles, working as a communications professional developing projects for television and film, and as much as any writer, this movie star handsome poet captures the essence of this city better than any other writer. He is well schooled – earning a Masters of Professional Writing Program at USC and for all his youth he is already well established as a poet and author of the highest rank. His works to date – FAKE NEWS POEMS, UNDERDAYS, CAPTIVE, INTERROGATIONS, SPECTRUM, THE INTERROGATOR’S NOTEBOOK, LESSONS IN CAMOUFLAGE, and now DREAM STATE.
Martin’s prose reflects his roots in poetry – finely detailed character painting and atmosphere building in a space condensed to underscore rather than approaching superfluous. He enters this fascinating story that explores the insomnia/sleep deprivation state admixed with his thriller tale by first introducing Heidi Radar, a Los Angeles frustrated/failed zoologist/stripper transplanted to Belize described so authentically that she becomes visual and credible. But the provided synopsis explains the overview – ‘After an asteroid hits the moon and knocks it out of orbit, global chaos ensues when people lose the ability to sleep. We follow society’s descent into madness through the eyes of a failed zoologist, an almost-bankrupt resort owner, and an underage bartender on a Belize island resort cut off from the rest of the world. As island resources become scarce and conflict erupts, the main characters will need to overcome their demons and fatigue in order to survive.’ Martin’s ability to create a strange unnatural phenomenon incident coupled with brain alterations into an intensely interesting and credible novel once again cites his position in the realm of important contemporary poets and authors – and philosophers. Very highly recommended.
August 10, 2022
I loved this book!! It was such a good mix of sci-fi and thriller, with enough character fevelopment to fit into 400 pages! The idea of lack of sleep causing insanity was such an interesting notion because it felt like a "race against the clock" scenario with no finish line. I do wish it was a bit longer, since most things feel abrupt, but it was a delightful and easy read if you need a little pick-me-up to get through your TBR list!
August 9, 2022
Heidi, Russell, and Marley are on the island of Devil’s Cove in Belize when a meteor strikes the moon sending it into a different orbit and the world into state of indefinite insomnia. Each of them belongs to a different group vying for dominance as they face their demons and the other deteriorating inhabitants of the island as mass sleep deprivation brings madness and chaos.
Dream State is a fast-paced thriller with a troubled cast of characters. The story is told from multiple points of view and as the experiences of the sleepless days and nights wear on them, the main characters are plagued with hallucinations and waking nightmares of their pasts. Tragedy and terror stalk them day and night with little hope for sleep to save them from themselves and their island mates.
Read this one if you enjoy post-apocalyptic page-turners and don’t mind a significant amount of violence. Even though I didn’t find any of the three main characters particularly likeable, the unique premise and aftermath of the lunar event compelled me to see what happened in this state of unhinged mania. Be advised that there are many references to sexual abuse if that’s a trigger for you
Dream State is a fast-paced thriller with a troubled cast of characters. The story is told from multiple points of view and as the experiences of the sleepless days and nights wear on them, the main characters are plagued with hallucinations and waking nightmares of their pasts. Tragedy and terror stalk them day and night with little hope for sleep to save them from themselves and their island mates.
Read this one if you enjoy post-apocalyptic page-turners and don’t mind a significant amount of violence. Even though I didn’t find any of the three main characters particularly likeable, the unique premise and aftermath of the lunar event compelled me to see what happened in this state of unhinged mania. Be advised that there are many references to sexual abuse if that’s a trigger for you
August 13, 2022
I honestly don't know what to say.
First, I'd like to say thank you to the author for sending me this arc.
I knew going in this was a type of book I usually don't read, but it sounded interesting.
And it was, interesting, but also a bit confusing.
I kept having to stop and try to figure out what I just read. And then felt like I slept on some parts of the book making me feel lost and more confused.
Maybe my head wasn't fully committed and I need to try to reread it another time to understand better, but I don't know.
There was just a lot going on. The characters were a bit difficult to keep up with.
First, I'd like to say thank you to the author for sending me this arc.
I knew going in this was a type of book I usually don't read, but it sounded interesting.
And it was, interesting, but also a bit confusing.
I kept having to stop and try to figure out what I just read. And then felt like I slept on some parts of the book making me feel lost and more confused.
Maybe my head wasn't fully committed and I need to try to reread it another time to understand better, but I don't know.
There was just a lot going on. The characters were a bit difficult to keep up with.
August 15, 2022
Great combination of post-apocalyptic sci-fi and page-turning thriller. Told from the POV of three people, each from a different faction on the Island who being to turn on each other when the insomnia and madness kick in. A really unique premise which allows the exploration into what happens to the human mind without sleep and how quickly people's behaviour can switch from holiday makers and resort workers to savage murderers. Fast paced book packed full of action.
January 7, 2023
This was an intriguing and thought-provoking read that makes the reader reflect on human nature and how we act when we are pushed to our limits. The story and characters are engaging, especially in the latter half of the book where the action really gets going. The more I read, the more invested I felt in the characters and their fate. There's a lot of violence in the story which I tolerate better in a book than I would in a tv show, for example. And it is all integral to the plot. The only criticism I had was what I saw as minor contradictions in character development. This occurred more in the first few chapters which were primarily about setting up the characters and story. As I reflect on the book, though, I'm ok with that because we humans are inconsistent even at our best. We're full of contraditions and that too is part of what the book is exploring. Overall, well worth reading.
August 23, 2022
Wow - this book is a wild ride with such an interesting premise.
It’s a locked in vibe here on a remote island in Belize. When the moon is hit by an asteroid, it gets a bit crazy to put it mildly. People can no longer sleep and they are all trapped together in a state of desperate insomnia driven lunacy.
I really did like this book and it was packed with action. I was a sleep tech for years and so this is my kind of book. Perhaps it made me enjoy it more?! 🤷♀️
There is a large cast of characters here and at times it’s hard to keep track of but it also keeps the pace on track. The characters are not very good people and become less so as the story progresses.
This was a crazy read and I’m not so sure if Ott is much off track with what would really happen if this is ever a thing!
I appreciate the author for sending me my review copy. I would def read more books by him. In fact give me a sequel to this one- I need to know more. 👀
It’s a locked in vibe here on a remote island in Belize. When the moon is hit by an asteroid, it gets a bit crazy to put it mildly. People can no longer sleep and they are all trapped together in a state of desperate insomnia driven lunacy.
I really did like this book and it was packed with action. I was a sleep tech for years and so this is my kind of book. Perhaps it made me enjoy it more?! 🤷♀️
There is a large cast of characters here and at times it’s hard to keep track of but it also keeps the pace on track. The characters are not very good people and become less so as the story progresses.
This was a crazy read and I’m not so sure if Ott is much off track with what would really happen if this is ever a thing!
I appreciate the author for sending me my review copy. I would def read more books by him. In fact give me a sequel to this one- I need to know more. 👀
August 8, 2022
An insightful, disturbing thriller.
Sleep deprivation is normally reserved for adventure racers, torture victims and readers of Ott’s books who can’t put them down at midnight. The mind does funny things when it can’t sleep, and in Dream State it’s the whole world that can’t shut its eyes. Ott again weaves deep insights into what it means to be human—or at least the twisted humanity we’re capable of maintaining without sleep—into an action-packed page turner.
Sleep deprivation is normally reserved for adventure racers, torture victims and readers of Ott’s books who can’t put them down at midnight. The mind does funny things when it can’t sleep, and in Dream State it’s the whole world that can’t shut its eyes. Ott again weaves deep insights into what it means to be human—or at least the twisted humanity we’re capable of maintaining without sleep—into an action-packed page turner.
July 17, 2023
Thank you to the author for the ARC copy.
I felt very conflicted reviewing Dream State. I don’t like leaving negative reviews on books that have very few rating and were written by an author that isn’t well known, because I don’t want to be responsible for someone choosing to not read the book. In this case however, I feel that it is right to leave a review, because I believe my issues with the book do not stem from personal taste, but from fundamental flaws in the writing.
To begin I would like to discuss the sexist undertones throughout the novel. It felt as though no women in the book ever had thoughts about anything other than men. All of their words, actions, and inner monologues all centered around men. This really turned me off as women’s lives are actually not centered around men and we do actually have thoughts that aren’t about men. To show that this isn’t all my head I would like to quote some lines from the book:
“How did a women with a porn star’s name and a capitalist’s heart end up with her in the same boat, nipples pointing at the invisible broken moon?”
“Heidi unhooked her bathing suit top and began to tie off his wrist with a tourniquet.”
“Her anger only deepened when she spotted Maxine, the stranger in their midst, leaning suggestively against the counter waiting for water to boil, arms crossed beneath her breasts.”
“Women knew their own power. He was certain Stacy was flirting with the new head honcho. Gibraltar shot Kara a what are you going to do about this look and seemed to be enjoying the attention.”
As you can probably tell from the passages, there is also a lot of women on women hate — and pretty much all of it stemmed from jealousy due to being with/ flirting with men 🫠. Women’s lives do not, in fact, revolve completely around men, surprisingly enough.
I could talk about the sexist undertones and my issues with the women in the book for a lengthy amount of time so I am simply going to move on.
My second issue was the amount of characters. In a long novel it is possible to have 30 characters that are developed enough for the reader to know who they are. In a 180 page novel it is not. There were only around 7 characters that I could actually keep track of. New characters or people who had been mentioned in passing once kept popping up and I had no idea who they were and what they were doing. It made the book very confusing.
My third issue was the rational behind everyone being unable to sleep. The moon was hit by space debris or a meteor. This would definitely mess up the earth, but it wouldn’t stop everyone from sleeping. I researched online, and if the moon disappeared completely they length of days would shorten. I’m sure this would mess with peoples sleep schedule, but it wouldn’t stop them from sleeping altogether. In the book the moon didn’t even disappear completely. I brushed this aside with the thought they probably couldn’t sleep due to some supernatural reason. All of the characters also started to lose their minds after not sleeping for 1 or 2 days. Except at the end all of the characters were suddenly able to sleep because they adjusted to the new orbit? This confused me greatly.
I don’t really have anything to say about the writing in general. It was not my personal cup of tea as it was extremely fast paced and was not overly descriptive, but I know some people enjoy writing like that.
If you read this long review thank you for listening to my opinions. Of course this is subjective to me, but many of the issues in the book I could not get past no matter how hard I tried, especially the issues with the women.
This is the info I found about the effect missing the moon would have if you are interested:
“This means that the earth would not slow, which then means that the hours of our days would change. Suddenly, without the moon, our days would last between 6 and 12 hours, rather than the 24 hours we experience now. If our days became this short, then we would have significantly more days in our calendar year. Instead of 365 days in a year, we would have over a thousand… Scientists suggest that without the moon, tides would be 1/3 of the size they are now. High tides would be much smaller than they are now, and low tides would be even lower.”
“Earth’s oceans would have much smaller tides - about one-third the size of what they are now. Tides churn up material in the oceans, which allows coastal ecosystems to thrive. Animals in these environments – crabs, mussels, starfish, snails – rely on the tides for survival… Additionally, tidal movements help stabilise Earth’s climate. Ocean currents are driven by the tides, which distribute warmer water around the globe and influences the global climate. Temperatures could potentially be more extreme on the Earth without this influence… A missing Moon could cause a lot of confusion for animals all over the world. Predators rely on both the darkness of night and a small amount of moonlight to effectively hunt. Without any light at night, prey would likely thrive because predators would have a harder time spotting them. Just like the tides, this could cause a drastic change in ecosystem, and potentially lead to the extinction of certain predatory animals.”
I felt very conflicted reviewing Dream State. I don’t like leaving negative reviews on books that have very few rating and were written by an author that isn’t well known, because I don’t want to be responsible for someone choosing to not read the book. In this case however, I feel that it is right to leave a review, because I believe my issues with the book do not stem from personal taste, but from fundamental flaws in the writing.
To begin I would like to discuss the sexist undertones throughout the novel. It felt as though no women in the book ever had thoughts about anything other than men. All of their words, actions, and inner monologues all centered around men. This really turned me off as women’s lives are actually not centered around men and we do actually have thoughts that aren’t about men. To show that this isn’t all my head I would like to quote some lines from the book:
“How did a women with a porn star’s name and a capitalist’s heart end up with her in the same boat, nipples pointing at the invisible broken moon?”
“Heidi unhooked her bathing suit top and began to tie off his wrist with a tourniquet.”
“Her anger only deepened when she spotted Maxine, the stranger in their midst, leaning suggestively against the counter waiting for water to boil, arms crossed beneath her breasts.”
“Women knew their own power. He was certain Stacy was flirting with the new head honcho. Gibraltar shot Kara a what are you going to do about this look and seemed to be enjoying the attention.”
As you can probably tell from the passages, there is also a lot of women on women hate — and pretty much all of it stemmed from jealousy due to being with/ flirting with men 🫠. Women’s lives do not, in fact, revolve completely around men, surprisingly enough.
I could talk about the sexist undertones and my issues with the women in the book for a lengthy amount of time so I am simply going to move on.
My second issue was the amount of characters. In a long novel it is possible to have 30 characters that are developed enough for the reader to know who they are. In a 180 page novel it is not. There were only around 7 characters that I could actually keep track of. New characters or people who had been mentioned in passing once kept popping up and I had no idea who they were and what they were doing. It made the book very confusing.
My third issue was the rational behind everyone being unable to sleep. The moon was hit by space debris or a meteor. This would definitely mess up the earth, but it wouldn’t stop everyone from sleeping. I researched online, and if the moon disappeared completely they length of days would shorten. I’m sure this would mess with peoples sleep schedule, but it wouldn’t stop them from sleeping altogether. In the book the moon didn’t even disappear completely. I brushed this aside with the thought they probably couldn’t sleep due to some supernatural reason. All of the characters also started to lose their minds after not sleeping for 1 or 2 days. Except at the end all of the characters were suddenly able to sleep because they adjusted to the new orbit? This confused me greatly.
I don’t really have anything to say about the writing in general. It was not my personal cup of tea as it was extremely fast paced and was not overly descriptive, but I know some people enjoy writing like that.
If you read this long review thank you for listening to my opinions. Of course this is subjective to me, but many of the issues in the book I could not get past no matter how hard I tried, especially the issues with the women.
This is the info I found about the effect missing the moon would have if you are interested:
“This means that the earth would not slow, which then means that the hours of our days would change. Suddenly, without the moon, our days would last between 6 and 12 hours, rather than the 24 hours we experience now. If our days became this short, then we would have significantly more days in our calendar year. Instead of 365 days in a year, we would have over a thousand… Scientists suggest that without the moon, tides would be 1/3 of the size they are now. High tides would be much smaller than they are now, and low tides would be even lower.”
“Earth’s oceans would have much smaller tides - about one-third the size of what they are now. Tides churn up material in the oceans, which allows coastal ecosystems to thrive. Animals in these environments – crabs, mussels, starfish, snails – rely on the tides for survival… Additionally, tidal movements help stabilise Earth’s climate. Ocean currents are driven by the tides, which distribute warmer water around the globe and influences the global climate. Temperatures could potentially be more extreme on the Earth without this influence… A missing Moon could cause a lot of confusion for animals all over the world. Predators rely on both the darkness of night and a small amount of moonlight to effectively hunt. Without any light at night, prey would likely thrive because predators would have a harder time spotting them. Just like the tides, this could cause a drastic change in ecosystem, and potentially lead to the extinction of certain predatory animals.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2022
3.25⭐
Dream State by Martin Ott is not just a story. It is a circumstance, a condition, a situation, a state or a feeling one can be in. It's like being in a pool of consciousness, it's like that feeling of sand slipping through your fingers, like walking through clouds, like being in a dream. (It might not be making sense & I know that, but that's exactly how reading the pages of this book feels like). The title of the book perfectly reflects the "aura" of the book.
💭I've always been really interested in human behaviors & how circumstances affect those behaviors. In this book an asteroid hits the moon, knocking it out of the orbit, which has a direct influence on people's mental capabilities. We get to see the horrors through the eyes of three major characters.
💭The story is set on an isolated island where there are resort guests, villagers & military personnel. Everybody starts to go through behavioral changes, emotional changes & it begins with insomnia. Slowly, it starts getting tougher. They begin arguing, fighting, wrestling, laughing, crying, saying weird things, hallucinating, feeling being watched. They become violent, expose their secrets. They start losing chunks of time, become paranoid. The whole thing is a nightmare.
💭As the resources are becoming scarce, people start turning against each other, there's murder, there are accidents. It's a struggle for survival.
Each character has his/her own things to worry about, own life, own past, own demons that are attacking them now that they are the most vulnerable. Staying sane is the biggest challenge, reality is slipping through their hands.
💭This book is all about survival; surviving & becoming savages in the process. The crisis brings out everyone's worst selves & they have to deal with themselves first, more than anything else, in order to stay sane. It's about power, betrayal, humanity of the 'human'. It's about civilized people becoming animals.
💭It's confusing, it's disturbing, it's abrupt but that's how it's supposed to be. You can't point out anything in the book & say "well, that doesn't make sense" because OF COURSE it doesn't make sense, everybody is sleep deprived, their actions are not logical, their thinking is not right. I think the idea of this book was pretty clever too as it can't be criticized logically😅.
💭While reading it, I had the sudden urge to sleep, to make sure I still could 🫢🤣.
.
✨I enjoyed it!
Dream State by Martin Ott is not just a story. It is a circumstance, a condition, a situation, a state or a feeling one can be in. It's like being in a pool of consciousness, it's like that feeling of sand slipping through your fingers, like walking through clouds, like being in a dream. (It might not be making sense & I know that, but that's exactly how reading the pages of this book feels like). The title of the book perfectly reflects the "aura" of the book.
💭I've always been really interested in human behaviors & how circumstances affect those behaviors. In this book an asteroid hits the moon, knocking it out of the orbit, which has a direct influence on people's mental capabilities. We get to see the horrors through the eyes of three major characters.
💭The story is set on an isolated island where there are resort guests, villagers & military personnel. Everybody starts to go through behavioral changes, emotional changes & it begins with insomnia. Slowly, it starts getting tougher. They begin arguing, fighting, wrestling, laughing, crying, saying weird things, hallucinating, feeling being watched. They become violent, expose their secrets. They start losing chunks of time, become paranoid. The whole thing is a nightmare.
💭As the resources are becoming scarce, people start turning against each other, there's murder, there are accidents. It's a struggle for survival.
Each character has his/her own things to worry about, own life, own past, own demons that are attacking them now that they are the most vulnerable. Staying sane is the biggest challenge, reality is slipping through their hands.
💭This book is all about survival; surviving & becoming savages in the process. The crisis brings out everyone's worst selves & they have to deal with themselves first, more than anything else, in order to stay sane. It's about power, betrayal, humanity of the 'human'. It's about civilized people becoming animals.
💭It's confusing, it's disturbing, it's abrupt but that's how it's supposed to be. You can't point out anything in the book & say "well, that doesn't make sense" because OF COURSE it doesn't make sense, everybody is sleep deprived, their actions are not logical, their thinking is not right. I think the idea of this book was pretty clever too as it can't be criticized logically😅.
💭While reading it, I had the sudden urge to sleep, to make sure I still could 🫢🤣.
.
✨I enjoyed it!
August 11, 2022
A remote Belize island, called Devil’s Caye by many, is divided into three sects: the Navy military base where Heidi has been hired to work with the dolphins, the Resort that Russell has taken over, and D-town where Marley lives with other Belizean natives. Each of these communities reside together on the island with a tremulous sense of peace. Many secrets abound and many of the locals are unhappy with the intrusion on their island. However, the resort and Naval base due provide jobs and bring money into D-town’s businesses. There is a general unease when members from different parts of the island meet, but there is a grudging acceptance of the circumstances, even as Jira, the resident leader and voice of the locals, continues to be outspoken about the intruders bringing evil and curses upon the island.
Then, in the midst of that fragile peace being challenged, an asteroid streaks across the sky and connects with the moon. The moon emerges knocked out of its normal orbit and sporting a new shape. These changes have big consequence on Earth, impacting tides, weather, and the ability for humans to sleep. As the people residing on the island lose night after night of sleep, they indulge in alcohol and drugs, trying to find a way to get some rest. However, they are only heightening their own fears and hostilities. As they slowly lose their grasp on sanity, Heidi, Russell, and Marley each fight for survival as the island becomes a battleground.
This is an exciting plot with well-described scenes and events. The characters are very well-developed with detailed backstories and individual voices. This storyline is very unique and showcases the weaknesses of our human condition with how quickly and fully we will resort to animalistic behaviors when order is lost and survival is the only goal. An adult version of The Lord of the Flies. Definitely a recommended read!
Then, in the midst of that fragile peace being challenged, an asteroid streaks across the sky and connects with the moon. The moon emerges knocked out of its normal orbit and sporting a new shape. These changes have big consequence on Earth, impacting tides, weather, and the ability for humans to sleep. As the people residing on the island lose night after night of sleep, they indulge in alcohol and drugs, trying to find a way to get some rest. However, they are only heightening their own fears and hostilities. As they slowly lose their grasp on sanity, Heidi, Russell, and Marley each fight for survival as the island becomes a battleground.
This is an exciting plot with well-described scenes and events. The characters are very well-developed with detailed backstories and individual voices. This storyline is very unique and showcases the weaknesses of our human condition with how quickly and fully we will resort to animalistic behaviors when order is lost and survival is the only goal. An adult version of The Lord of the Flies. Definitely a recommended read!
August 26, 2022
Dream State | Martin Ott
⭐️ 4
An asteroid hits the moon and throws humanity into an extended state of insomnia and panic.
The eclectic group of people trapped on on Devil’s Caye, a remote island off of Belize, wonder if, and when they will ever sleep again.
The group of people made up of the military, resort guests and island natives fight to keep control of the island and themselves.
From accident, to murders. Affairs and family secrets, this book really does have a lot going for it!
This is not my typical genre but Dream State was fast paced and a real page turner! The multiple perspectives were excellent and it was helpful to see the events unfold from the three different points of view. Post apocalyptic stories can be so far fetched, but this was believable and I don’t doubt that something similar could happen in real life. (Hoping it doesn’t)
There were a lot of characters for a shorter book, I did find them a little hard to keep track of at some points and had to stop and think about how they were involved.
Dream State is so original and I have never read anything like it! I Definitely recommend giving Martin Ott a chance and I’m excited for this next book.
Cover: Sunset or sunrise? Maybe they all blend together when you’ve got Insomnia. Beautiful. 10/10
Genre: Thriller/Post-Apocalyptic
ARC: I was kindly gifted this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Martin Ott and Sabrina Dax
⭐️ 4
An asteroid hits the moon and throws humanity into an extended state of insomnia and panic.
The eclectic group of people trapped on on Devil’s Caye, a remote island off of Belize, wonder if, and when they will ever sleep again.
The group of people made up of the military, resort guests and island natives fight to keep control of the island and themselves.
From accident, to murders. Affairs and family secrets, this book really does have a lot going for it!
This is not my typical genre but Dream State was fast paced and a real page turner! The multiple perspectives were excellent and it was helpful to see the events unfold from the three different points of view. Post apocalyptic stories can be so far fetched, but this was believable and I don’t doubt that something similar could happen in real life. (Hoping it doesn’t)
There were a lot of characters for a shorter book, I did find them a little hard to keep track of at some points and had to stop and think about how they were involved.
Dream State is so original and I have never read anything like it! I Definitely recommend giving Martin Ott a chance and I’m excited for this next book.
Cover: Sunset or sunrise? Maybe they all blend together when you’ve got Insomnia. Beautiful. 10/10
Genre: Thriller/Post-Apocalyptic
ARC: I was kindly gifted this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks Martin Ott and Sabrina Dax
August 17, 2022
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The story begins with Heidi, a woman with a troubled past. It’s clear that she’s surrounded by misogynistic men which sets the pace for things to come.
Then there’s Russel, who took a gamble on a struggling resort with one shot to bring it (and him) back from the brink of failure.
Our 3rd main character is Marley, a 17 year old kid who looks down on his rich upbringing. He helps out his ex mob grandfather at the local bar.
Chaos ensues for all once disaster strikes (literally) from above. The moon is hit by an asteroid, knocking it out of orbit, affecting tides, sleep, and sanity alike.
Some of the dialogue is unnecessary and one dimensional. It made me dislike some of the characters, but they were minor so it didn’t take away from the story for me.
At first, I had issues with the way things jumped around so quickly and how times and places were a little confusing. But it actually helped with the story bc they’re disoriented and it made me as a reader identify with how the characters were processing things as they happened.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Heidi in the first half of this book, but I grew to like her a lot in the second half. The way she felt is probably how I would’ve felt so I related to her. I liked Russel from the start and really liked Marley.
This story was well rounded and had plenty of characters to keep things interesting with all the conflicts going on. I was very pleased with how it ended!
The story begins with Heidi, a woman with a troubled past. It’s clear that she’s surrounded by misogynistic men which sets the pace for things to come.
Then there’s Russel, who took a gamble on a struggling resort with one shot to bring it (and him) back from the brink of failure.
Our 3rd main character is Marley, a 17 year old kid who looks down on his rich upbringing. He helps out his ex mob grandfather at the local bar.
Chaos ensues for all once disaster strikes (literally) from above. The moon is hit by an asteroid, knocking it out of orbit, affecting tides, sleep, and sanity alike.
Some of the dialogue is unnecessary and one dimensional. It made me dislike some of the characters, but they were minor so it didn’t take away from the story for me.
At first, I had issues with the way things jumped around so quickly and how times and places were a little confusing. But it actually helped with the story bc they’re disoriented and it made me as a reader identify with how the characters were processing things as they happened.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Heidi in the first half of this book, but I grew to like her a lot in the second half. The way she felt is probably how I would’ve felt so I related to her. I liked Russel from the start and really liked Marley.
This story was well rounded and had plenty of characters to keep things interesting with all the conflicts going on. I was very pleased with how it ended!
August 29, 2022
This was an alright read for me. The writing was good but it was more focused on the devolution of the human mind than I guess I was expecting. I wanted more sci fi and I didn't really get any explanations I had been hoping for either.
August 20, 2022
This was the first ARC I received! I was super excited when I read the description for this Sci-Fi/Horror novel!
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After an asteroid strikes the moon, the entire planet is taken over by insomnia. In a remote island near Belize, people began to lose their minds almost instantly. This novel tells the stories of three characters who end up helping each other survive while facing threats from everything including the others on their island.
.
I loved the entire plot of this story! How quickly everyone changed and immediately their entire behaviors changed. This novel brought out the most primal behavior in every character, in a terrifyingly believable way!
.
After an asteroid strikes the moon, the entire planet is taken over by insomnia. In a remote island near Belize, people began to lose their minds almost instantly. This novel tells the stories of three characters who end up helping each other survive while facing threats from everything including the others on their island.
.
I loved the entire plot of this story! How quickly everyone changed and immediately their entire behaviors changed. This novel brought out the most primal behavior in every character, in a terrifyingly believable way!
November 27, 2022
Thank You to the author and publisher for a copy of the book for review!
Dream State was a surreal horror novella taking place on a resort on a secluded island. There are the resort employees and vacationers, a naval base with military men and women and the native islanders; all cohabiting this island.
It seems, although very different, they are making it work by staying on their respective sides of the island. This all changes when a meteor knocks the moon out of orbit. Not only does it mess with the tides, but also everyone’s natural circadian rhythm. People turn into insomniacs overnight and mania ensues.
I would compare this to Lord of the Flies for adults. The three main characters were well fleshed out and sincere. The villains had all the characteristics of great bad guys; money, power, zealotry and ruthlessness.
Good for readers who love a dystopian or apocalyptic story.
Dream State was a surreal horror novella taking place on a resort on a secluded island. There are the resort employees and vacationers, a naval base with military men and women and the native islanders; all cohabiting this island.
It seems, although very different, they are making it work by staying on their respective sides of the island. This all changes when a meteor knocks the moon out of orbit. Not only does it mess with the tides, but also everyone’s natural circadian rhythm. People turn into insomniacs overnight and mania ensues.
I would compare this to Lord of the Flies for adults. The three main characters were well fleshed out and sincere. The villains had all the characteristics of great bad guys; money, power, zealotry and ruthlessness.
Good for readers who love a dystopian or apocalyptic story.
September 7, 2022
This cook had such a cool concept, that the moon would be off of its obit and in turn making it impossible for people to sleep. Therefore causing people to be sleep deprived and try to survive. I enjoyed the cast of characters and the multiple point of views. This helped the story flow better in my opinion. The action throughout this story kept me very invested in this book. I really enjoyed how different this book was from many that I have read!
September 10, 2022
This is incredibly different from the apocalyptic, and end-of-the-world themes I have read. Not to give too much away, but this is definitely a fresh perspective of what if this happened instead of war, disease, and even zombies. As to err is to human, we come out of our humanity when we are tested. That test either turns you into a villain, or the unexpected. I was given an advance reader’s copy for this review.
August 10, 2022
Thank you to the author for my gifted ARC copy of Dream State in exchange for an honest review.
This book was quite the ride. It was totally outside of my comfort zone but I am glad I gave it a try! I felt that the beginning was a little bit slow, introducing all of the characters and giving a lot of backstory but About halfway through the book I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out if everything was going to work out for the characters.
The book mainly follows Heidi, Russell and Marley as they navigate a world where the moon is out of orbit and everyone is sleep deprived. I really liked the character of Heidi and thought she was tough and liked Marley’s character as well.
While I enjoyed this book I was left at the end wanting a little bit more. I felt like it wrapped up too quickly. There are a lot of minor characters and I felt like I needed a cheat sheet at times to keep track of the connections between all of them.
Overall, if you are into dystopian novels and survival no matter what it might take, be sure to check this one out!
Again, thank you to the author and publisher for letting me give this one a read!
Released today 8/9
This book was quite the ride. It was totally outside of my comfort zone but I am glad I gave it a try! I felt that the beginning was a little bit slow, introducing all of the characters and giving a lot of backstory but About halfway through the book I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out if everything was going to work out for the characters.
The book mainly follows Heidi, Russell and Marley as they navigate a world where the moon is out of orbit and everyone is sleep deprived. I really liked the character of Heidi and thought she was tough and liked Marley’s character as well.
While I enjoyed this book I was left at the end wanting a little bit more. I felt like it wrapped up too quickly. There are a lot of minor characters and I felt like I needed a cheat sheet at times to keep track of the connections between all of them.
Overall, if you are into dystopian novels and survival no matter what it might take, be sure to check this one out!
Again, thank you to the author and publisher for letting me give this one a read!
Released today 8/9
August 2, 2022
Whoa. This book was intense.
Fast paced ✔️
End of the world survival ✔️
Multiple POVs ✔️
The TLDR plot: An asteroid hits the moon. People can't sleep. Insanity ensues.
This book is short (182 pages) and has a lot packed into it. I loved the three different POVs but I felt like there were too many side characters to keep track of. I wasn't sure on the exact timeline of how long the book was spanning (maybe a few days?). The book did remind me of LORD OF THE FLIES, with it being basically every man for himself.
While I did enjoy the book, I do wish it was a bit longer. The characters fell flat and like I previously said, there was SO much happening that sometimes it was hard to follow. The amount of side characters led to some confusion as well.
Overall, DREAM STATE is a fast-paced dystopian read that really shows how far humanity will go when disaster strikes.
DREAM STATE releases Aug. 9. Thank you to the author for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
Fast paced ✔️
End of the world survival ✔️
Multiple POVs ✔️
The TLDR plot: An asteroid hits the moon. People can't sleep. Insanity ensues.
This book is short (182 pages) and has a lot packed into it. I loved the three different POVs but I felt like there were too many side characters to keep track of. I wasn't sure on the exact timeline of how long the book was spanning (maybe a few days?). The book did remind me of LORD OF THE FLIES, with it being basically every man for himself.
While I did enjoy the book, I do wish it was a bit longer. The characters fell flat and like I previously said, there was SO much happening that sometimes it was hard to follow. The amount of side characters led to some confusion as well.
Overall, DREAM STATE is a fast-paced dystopian read that really shows how far humanity will go when disaster strikes.
DREAM STATE releases Aug. 9. Thank you to the author for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 19, 2022
Firstly, I would like to thank the author for so kindly sending me a copy of Dream State to review!
If you are into action packed, drama filled, sex fueled, power hungry characters, this is the book for you! Just about every character in this book had some sort of sexual encounter, including some abuse so be warned if that is a trigger for you. For my personal tastes, I wasn’t a huge fan of any of the characters. However, it was nice to see the bad guys get their comeuppance when the time came.
The plot of the book is super cool and quite a scary idea! I would have loved for the author to have spent more time talking about the actual tragedy and the science behind why it caused people not to sleep.
Overall, this book has its ups and downs for sure, but I am so grateful for the author giving me the opportunity to read and share my feelings on this book.
If you are into action packed, drama filled, sex fueled, power hungry characters, this is the book for you! Just about every character in this book had some sort of sexual encounter, including some abuse so be warned if that is a trigger for you. For my personal tastes, I wasn’t a huge fan of any of the characters. However, it was nice to see the bad guys get their comeuppance when the time came.
The plot of the book is super cool and quite a scary idea! I would have loved for the author to have spent more time talking about the actual tragedy and the science behind why it caused people not to sleep.
Overall, this book has its ups and downs for sure, but I am so grateful for the author giving me the opportunity to read and share my feelings on this book.
August 19, 2022
Thank you Mr. Ott and CBM for your gifted copy!
CRAZY! ITS MENTAL! Words to describe the book.. Crazy good that will let you think, crazy in a way that its too short and for me need few more page to close the story... When everyone's having their time and life..most of them, the moon gets scarred and sleeping gets hard. Then from there, everything gets wild! There are phase where Im little confuse and lost, thankfully i get back on track and when everything gets quite clearer, thats where the story ends... We need more! For me its an open end where for the readers will let it decide which is which. Whether is everything is just a dream, science explanation or beyond more than that.
.
Or a power above.
CRAZY! ITS MENTAL! Words to describe the book.. Crazy good that will let you think, crazy in a way that its too short and for me need few more page to close the story... When everyone's having their time and life..most of them, the moon gets scarred and sleeping gets hard. Then from there, everything gets wild! There are phase where Im little confuse and lost, thankfully i get back on track and when everything gets quite clearer, thats where the story ends... We need more! For me its an open end where for the readers will let it decide which is which. Whether is everything is just a dream, science explanation or beyond more than that.
.
Or a power above.
August 16, 2022
https://3k2q.short.gy/DreamSate - #BookReview on @MartinOtt's #latest release - #DreamSate.
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#bookstagram #bookblog #readbooks #thriller #thrillerbooks #readersoftiktok #booktok #booktwitter #sleepdeprivition #bookstagram #booksales #readersofinstagram #readersoftwitter #wordpress
December 26, 2022
*I received this book from the publisher and author in exchange for an honest review.
The premise for this book sounded really interesting and in a lot of regards it was but I did struggle to connect to the characters. I don’t think this is due to the writing but more because I didn’t have a lot in common with any of them. By the end of the book I think I was most connected to Marley’s story.
The book is told from three alternating perspectives. It is a gritty look at humanity and how quickly society and order can crumble. After an asteroid hits the moon, no one can sleep and people quickly start losing their minds. Martin Ott’s portrayal of humility in a crisis is both realistic and disturbing. There is not a lot of hope in this book but it flickers here and there as some of the island’s inhabitants try to remain civilized despite hallucinations and madness.
Read this book if you love speculative fiction and studying humanity’s reaction to crisis.
📸 Find me on Instagram @thelastfew.pages
The premise for this book sounded really interesting and in a lot of regards it was but I did struggle to connect to the characters. I don’t think this is due to the writing but more because I didn’t have a lot in common with any of them. By the end of the book I think I was most connected to Marley’s story.
The book is told from three alternating perspectives. It is a gritty look at humanity and how quickly society and order can crumble. After an asteroid hits the moon, no one can sleep and people quickly start losing their minds. Martin Ott’s portrayal of humility in a crisis is both realistic and disturbing. There is not a lot of hope in this book but it flickers here and there as some of the island’s inhabitants try to remain civilized despite hallucinations and madness.
Read this book if you love speculative fiction and studying humanity’s reaction to crisis.
📸 Find me on Instagram @thelastfew.pages
October 5, 2022
When an asteroid hits the moon, the people of Earth are stunned. The tides disappearing they may have predicted, but the global insomnia that takes hold is a bit of a surprise. 🥱🌙🌊 Without sleep, we watch a Caribbean resort as its alcoholic owner, stripper-turned-dolphin-trainer, and misfit underage bartender navigate a microcosm of society that’s increasingly gone mad. How long can one last without sleep? Let’s hope we never have to find out…
Let me start by saying I LOVED this book. 🙌🏼 I’m a sucker for a good apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel, and this definitely didn’t disappoint!! 😳🫣🤯 I thought the author did an exceptional job of altering his style as the book progressed to reflect the insanity that the characters were drowning in. Unfortunately I am all too familiar with how it feels to be without sleep for days - the shaking, the agitation, the nausea, the vision changes. I was so sucked in to this book that I LOVED putting my head down on my pillow every night
Let me start by saying I LOVED this book. 🙌🏼 I’m a sucker for a good apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel, and this definitely didn’t disappoint!! 😳🫣🤯 I thought the author did an exceptional job of altering his style as the book progressed to reflect the insanity that the characters were drowning in. Unfortunately I am all too familiar with how it feels to be without sleep for days - the shaking, the agitation, the nausea, the vision changes. I was so sucked in to this book that I LOVED putting my head down on my pillow every night
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