The Dreamers

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It all starts at a university in Southern California when a student, Kara, falls asleep and no one can rouse her, not her roommate, Mei, and not even the doctors at the hospital. That event is then followed by another student, and then another, and then the town is sieged with panic by this unknown and perplexing illness. In the end they split up their forces, and the Maags go north to Dahlaine's Domain. Rabbit, Longbow, Red-beard and Keselo go with them. Ekial and Veltan go to the land of the Malavi to hire Malavi horse warriors, and then with a little tampering from Veltan get the warriors to Dahlaine's country. They discover that the servants of the Vlagh are stirring up trouble in the numerous clans of Dahlaine's nations. Lillabeth has her dream, which the other Dreamers know about and tell Zelana that Aracia is trying to keep Lillabeth quiet. Zelana goes to intimidate her sister and learn of the dream. The defenders get rid of the insane Atazkan chief and find the source of the plague which is not a plague - it is actually the poison of the servants of the Vlagh.

All the days are such a darkness, that all of us move through our hours as if blindfolded, never knowing what will happen next.” This author's writing style was mesmerizing and magical. I was absorbed in her words and the fictional town in California. Literary fiction at its best without needless side stories or wasted dialogue. The story flows effortlessly and I adored it.It appears that while the victims sleep they are at heightened dream level. What is going on in their minds? We spend a third of our lives sleeping, After all, there has to be some part of our day when we stop talking and just listen. Dreams give us more than surrealistic landscapes and a cow or two descending from a cloud. They provide the knowledge and the tools we need to have happier, more fulfilling lives. How this virus is spread, the response of those who are supposed to help and protect, the question of an allegiance to those we know and love vs. strangers, the fragility of life, these are among the provocative ideas and questions that are posed in this novel. a b c Garner, Dwight (2019-01-07). "Dangerously Deep Sleep Is Contagious in 'The Dreamers' ". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2019-05-21. Also, the curious part of me is really irritated with the fact that we never really find out why the sleeping virus exists and where it came from?? I guess it's not exactly the point of the story but the entire story is based around this sleeping virus and we never find out why it happened in the first place and I just need to know alksjdlkajsda. There were definitely some things hinted at at the end of potential reasons why it happened and what those people were experiencing when they were sleeping but nothing is confirmed.

Walker uses writing as a way to combat anxiety and fear for possible future disasters, which influenced her decision to write her first novel, The Dreamers as a psychological realism story. Walker spent five years thinking about the plot of her novel and conducting research into the logistics of sleep. Walker noted that one of her inspirations for the storyline came as a result of this intense process, as it made her realize how humans "haven't figured out why we sleep and dream." [7] Walker claims that what interests her as a writer is how individuals react in situations of extreme disaster, [7] a fascination that allowed her to consider what would happen if sleep became a contagious virus. [8] Moreover, Walker claims that Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Never Let Me Go, was a major inspiration that had an immense impact on the way she combined aspects of psychological and emotional realism with speculation. [8] Ann Patchett’s novel Bel Canto, was another creative influence that helped her manage a plentiful cast of characters. [8] Walker also noted that what she loves most in literary fiction are, "the characters, beautiful sentences, and the language," which comprises the structural focus of her novel. [9] a b c " 'The Dreamers' is a startling, beautiful portrait of a community in peril: EW review". EW.com . Retrieved 2019-05-21.

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This] book is necessary reading for anyone interested in immigrant rights and, beyond that, in cultural approaches to the study of social movements. Nicholls has written a captivating account of one of the most important social movements in recent American history in tremendous empirical detail. This book simultaneously introduces several fruitful propositions that can push the literature on immigration politics in promising new directions." Granted – this book does make you think. Those who have fallen asleep appear to have really high brain activity, they are having really elaborate and powerful dreams. Some dream of the future – which may or may not come true. Some dream an entire lifetime, only to wake up and realise it didn’t happen. These instances were fascinating and I loved reading about them. On May 17, 2010, four undocumented students occupied the Arizona office of Senator John McCain. Across the country a flurry of occupations, hunger strikes, demonstrations, and marches followed, calling for support of the DREAM Act that would allow these young people the legal right to stay in the United States. The highly public, confrontational nature of these actions marked a sharp departure from more subdued, anonymous forms of activism of years past. Another semester of college has started in a sleepy Southern California town. Kara leaves a party one night saying she doesn't feel well. Everyone figures she's probably had too much to drink. She gets into bed and falls asleep. She's still asleep when her roommate, Mei, leaves for class the next morning, but Mei isn't concerned, because Kara has done this before. Kara is still asleep when evening comes, but no one can wake her, not Mei, not Kara's friends, not even the paramedics or the doctors at the hospital where she was taken.

A fantastic buddy read with my friend Marialyce, this beautifully written book hit all the right notes with everything I love in a novel. The premise is not a new one but the story Thompson writes is unique and compelling. What makes this book different is the thoughtful nature of the writing, the dreamy quality, and the brilliant turns of phrases. This is not a horror/sci-fi/thriller, but a quiet character study. NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS’ CHOICE •An ordinary town is transformed by a mysterious illness that triggers perpetual sleep in this mesmerizing novel from the bestselling author of The Age of Miracles. Told through multiple characters perspectives, the story unfolded brilliantly. I was engaged with each character, however, my sole focus was on the big picture of how the community reacted and managed this obscure disease. I was invested in this small towns’ fight to combat this epidemic. a b "Karen Thompson Walker Turns Sleep Into an Infectious Illness". Electric Literature. 2019-01-25 . Retrieved 2019-05-21.stars. I'm rating this purely based on my personal enjoyment and connection with the narrative. Some people are going to love this book. His daughter, as she is now, the grown woman in San Francisco, does not seem to understand what he is trying to tell her on the phone. “He’s cured?” She says. “How is that possible?” She has a lot of questions that he does not want to consider. So it says for fans of Station Eleven (which I LOVED) and Never let me Go (of which I wasn't a fan). They are just three more names on an ever-growing list. The hospital can no longer accommodate all the sleeping patients, so they erect tents around the main building. The National Guard comes to hand out essential supplies, but they're also there to keep the town's residents in place so the virus can't spread.