Dead Dreams by Emma Right

About the Book: 

For readers 13 to 18.
Eighteen-year-old Brie O’Mara has so much going for her: a loving family in the sidelines, an heiress for a roommate, and dreams that might just come true. Big dreams--of going to acting school, finishing college and making a name for herself. She is about to be the envy of everyone she knew. What more could she hope for? Except her dreams are about to lead her down the road to nightmares. Nightmares that could turn into a deadly reality.

About the Author:

Emma Right is a happy wife and homeschool mother of five living in the Pacific West Coast of the USA. Besides running a busy home, and looking after their five pets, which includes two cats, two bunnies and a Long-haired dachshund, she also writes stories for her children. When she doesn't have her nose in a book, she is telling her kids to get theirs in one. Right worked as a copywriter for two major advertising agencies writing print and radio commercials and she has won several awards, including the prestigious Clio for her ads.

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My Review:

I am completely baffled by some of the negative reviews on this book. For the most part, people were upset that the book left you hanging, but that's very common in books these days. Not only that, but I felt the author did a very good job at choosing a place for her ending. It's like the second stage of the story, so it only makes sense that it should be the next book in the series. That's what a series does--it continues where the previous book left off. These reviews make no sense to me. I loved the cliffhanger. Of course, there was the initial "Awe, man!" but that's okay, I've read many books that end like that and while it's a bit frustrating that I can't get the rest of the story right away, it helps build the anticipation for me when I finally do get the next book. If you're like me in that regard, then you'll love this story. If not, steer clear. You have been warned!

I'm not usually into psychological thrillers because I'm not one of those people who likes to be scared. That being said, the storyline of this particular book sounded so compelling that I just had to give it a try. I was not disappointed. The story was more suspenseful than scary, though I will admit that I had to release my grip on my throw a couple of times during some of the more tense scenes. In addition to the suspense, there's a ton of mystery (which is what I usually read). The entire time I was reading I was trying to figure out if people were really who they said they were and what other secrets people were hiding. My brain was spinning the entire time, and honestly, I have no idea what the second book will reveal, but I'm looking forward to reading it.

I think another thing that made me like this book even though I don't usually read books of this type was the fact that the language was clean. I didn't have to skim over words or scenes that I find offensive. Instead, I was left to simply enjoy the story, which I did immensely.

If there was one drawback to the book I would say that there could have been a little more character development. I like to know the characters so well that I can almost guess what they're going to do or say next. I couldn't do this very well in this book. The characters were good, realistic and likable (or unlikable, depending on the character), but I didn't feel there was enough information about them to really know them inside and out. The basics are there, but I'd like to see the author add a little more depth.

All in all, this was an excellent story that didn't take me long to read, which is good since I'm often pressed for time. It was clean, and the plot was both mysterious and compelling. Whether you're a young adult or older, I think you'll love this book, as long as you're prepared to be left in suspense until the next book, which I definitely am!