Praiseworthy Pages

Reader Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ (2/5 stars)

I had high hopes for this book not only because it was recommended by a friend and has received so many awards, but also because the concept is intriguing: in a world ransacked by war, citizens of all countries lose their ability to dream except for the indigenous races. Natives maintain their ability to dream because it’s ingrained in their bone marrow. The world now hunts all indigenous individuals, capturing any and all that they can in order to extract from their bones the essence of dreaming so the world doesn’t go mad.

It sounds captivating, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, I was extremely put out by the overwhelming clichés, the messy overlapping genres, and the lack of connection between characters and their actions. It felt very forced. All in all, it may be somebody’s cup of tea, but it sadly was not mine.

Language: 6/10 (Frequent swearing).
Sex: 6/10 (Allusions to sex).
Violence and gore: 7/10 (Occasional violence or gore).

Plot: 4/10 (Fascinating concept for a novel but disappointingly cliché execution).
Characters: 4/10 (Very one-dimensional and flat. The ragtag family of characters all had unique backstories but flat personalities).
Writing style: 6/10 (Overly descriptive in some places, confusingly vague in others).

Genre: Dystopian, science fiction, fantasy, young adult literature
Potential triggers: Murder, racism, betrayal, loss of loved ones, rape, etc.
Is this book part of a series? No.
I would recommend this book to readers 16+.