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Monday, May 1, 2017

So... Things Are Looking Up? The Dream Thieves Audiobook Review!

Format: Audiobook, Narrated by Will Patton
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Ronan Lynch has secrets. Some he keeps from others. Some he keeps from himself.
One secret: Ronan can bring things out of his dreams.

And sometimes he's not the only one who wants those things.

Ronan is one of the raven boys - a group of friends, practically brothers, searching for a dead king named Glendower, who they think is hidden somewhere in the hills by their elite private school, Aglionby Academy. The path to Glendower has long lived as an undercurrent beneath town. But now, like Ronan's secrets, it is beginning to rise to the surface - changing everything in its wake.

I'm sure many of you know how much I disliked The Raven Boys. BUT! As promised, I'm sticking this series out . . . mainly because I have them as audiobooks, so I can basically listen to one in a day. Plus, I want to really give this series a chance since so many of you love it, and I really want to be able to understand what you all are talking about haha.

So unlike The Raven Boys, I didn't hate The Dream Thieves. After all, this book focuses more on Ronan, and he is actually one of the very few characters that I liked in book one. I enjoyed finding out more of his backstory with his family, and I found his ability to take things out of dreams to be interesting and unique. Also, his relationship with Matthew—his little brother—is super cute.

Alas, I'm still not into Blue, or her Adam and Gansey problems. Despite the fact that I actually liked Adam and Gansey more here than in the previous book, I'm still not connecting with Blue at all. All in all, I'm okay with this book, though I'm still nowhere near the 'fangirl' stage. So maybe by the time I get to The Raven King, I'll finally grow to love these books?


Will Patton does a real disservice to this series. He doesn't know how to emote anything, and while he did a slightly better job narrating this audiobook, his voice quite literally grates on my eardrums. It's such a shame that he narrated all four books.



1) I really like that this book's focus was mostly on Ronan and his ability to pull things into reality from his dreams and nightmares. This is a really cool and intriguing concept, and I enjoyed seeing this power explored. Learning more about his family and why he and Declan are estranged was also nice.

2) I'm intrigued by the Gray Man. I want to know more about him and how he came to be a hitman. Also, I totally ship him and Maura! xD Maura needs more happiness in her life, the poor lady. 


3) Despite my dislike for Blue, I understand her feelings slightly more in this book. I even felt some of the tension between her and Gansey. Regardless, I still feel that Gansey can do way better than Blue . . .


1) I've already mentioned it a couple of times in this review, so I'm not going to go too much into detail about this point, but I simply do not like Blue. While this book gave me more ways to understand her, I still find her to be difficult to connect with. I don't like how she handles acts of kindness towards her, and I hated how she crushed Adam when it was so clear that he hasn't been the same since his sacrifice in The Raven Boys. She wants to be one of the Raven Boys, and to be treated the same as these guys who have known each other for years. Like, I get wanting that, but throwing a hissy fit is not going to make it happen.


2) I don't understand why everyone treats Gansey like crap. He's trying to hold everything together, and to help everyone, and still, he gets a lot of shit thrown his way. And why? Just because he was born into money and he has more doors open to him than the others do? It's ridiculous. Does he say douchey things sometimes? Yes. But it's clear that he's doing his best, and I think he deserves more credit. 

3) I don't like the ambiguity of Blue's family. First, they just seem to be fortune tellers, but now they can perform spells, know how to fix the Ley Lines, and know how to set Adam straight. Like, how? I would like more explanation about the magical aspects of this story. 


She felt bigger than her body. High as the stars. He leaned toward her — her heart spun again — and pressed his cheek against hers. His lips didn't touch her skin, but she felt his breath, hot and uneven, on her face. His fingers splayed on either side of her spine. Her lips were so close to his jaw that she felt a hint of stubble at the end of them. It was mint and memories and the past and the future and she felt as if she'd done this before and already she longed to do it again.

Oh, help, she thought. Help, help, help. 

He pulled away. He said, "And now we never speak of it again."
"I'd ask you out, if I was alive."

Nothing was fair.

"I'd say okay," she replied.

She only had time to see him smile faintly. And then he was gone.

24 comments:

  1. I started this book literally more than three times and then put it down...i don't know why but i just can't get into it, and i've seen so many people raving about this series! Cool post :P!
    Kariny @kariny's book frenzy

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  2. Glad you liked this one better! Personally TRB is my favorite of the 4 books :D I also can't connect with Blue, and I hate the way both Blue and Adam react to kindness shown to them. I don't get it either why people are mean to Gansey because he's rich. He's trying his best to be better and help his friend, why does he get so many shit as payback...

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  3. You are the best! I don't think that I have the energy to stick out a series even if I owned the books. This is one series that I am interested in giving a try as well, but it helps to know that if I don't enjoy it, I won't be alone. Hopefully it picks up for you! :)

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  4. I've been waiting to see this review since I read your review of the 1st book lol. It did not disappoint! :)

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  5. I don't think I'll ever listen to these books in audio. Or print... it just doesn't sound that appealing now reading your reviews. But I do hope you do end up enjoying the rest of the series since you'll stick with it to the end. ;)

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  6. Yikes! Sorry to hear you aren't into this series much! I have The Raven Boys and this one in paperback, but haven't gotten into reading them yet. I think I'm worried I won't enjoy them too much because of how hyped up they are? Part of the fun of listening to an audiobook is having a narrator who can really express emotion and make the story just come alive, so it's a shame that the narrator of this one wasn't able to do that so well. If you do stick with the series, I hope you like the next book better!

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  7. Aw sorry you didn't really care for it. I know you liked it better but not by leaps and bounds. I'm sorry the audio didn't wow you. I think that is why I ended up liking the series more than I did is because of the audio. Oh well. I do love reading why you don't like it. I know you aren't alone in that opinion. Hope your next book really rocks for you!

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  8. Sorry that you are still not that impressed with the series. I have to hand it you though, your determination to finish the series, in spite of how you felt about the two books you read so far, is commendable. I do hope it gets better.
    Great review.

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  9. That narrator... UGH, he sounds like a drunken dock worker who smokes too much and drinks too much whiskey. Whoever thought that voice would appeal to YA readers needs to be fired. Ha ha.

    The "magic" in these books is more paranormal and metaphysical. There is actual science behind ley lines. It isn't really fantasy type "magic". It's more like Pagan "magick", natural Earth energies and magnetism. In Blue's family some are more sensitive to certain energies than others and are stronger in using and manipulating specific energies. Even the tarot card readings are based on reading the energy of the cards. It's all just Earth energy.

    She is writing some books based on Ronan. Maybe you will like those better. :)

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  10. My biggest issue with this series is the slow pace. At the end of every book there was a ton of action and I felt like things would really take off in the next book, but they didn't. I enjoyed the story overall and would recommend reading The Raven King since you have made it this far, but it wasn't the EPIC conclusion I was hoping for.

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  11. I'm really glad to hear you enjoyed that one a bit better than the first book, and hope it keeps on going up-hill from here ahah. I loved the focus on Ronan in that story just as well <3

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  12. I mean, I kind of agree on the whole grating on eardrums. I'm not too thrilled about going back to the series DESPITE THE FACT I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHYYY.

    But thank goodness things are looking up. This means not all hope is lost and the rest of the fandom can't hate me. I hope. ^^

    ~Sophia @ Bookwyrming Thoughts

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  13. I read The Raven Boys a few years ago and was similarly unimpressed. Glad you enjoyed this one a little bit more though! <3
    Megan @ http://wanderingsofabookbird.blogspot.co.uk/

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  14. GAH YESS! So, just like with Raven Boys, I liked this a bit more than you, BUT like you, I also liked this more than TRB- but I am still not 100% understanding the fuss? And oh my goodness, my absolute biggest gripe is why everyone treats Gansey like that! He should be like "you know what then? Leave, and I won't annoy you with my friendship and such anymore" and see what happens.

    But I legit will never understand why these people are trying to find some dead dude. Ever. Maybe, unless the end of the series tells me which would be nice, tbh. I guess I will be joining you in BLLB someday ;)

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  16. I loved this series, but I read it, didn't listen to it. I'm a huge fan of Stiefvater's. Hopefully you will continue to give it a chance, the third book I did like quite a bit. The final book left me a little unsatisfied with the way things happened, but I still did quite enjoy it. Great review!

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  17. Lovely review Brittany. <3 Aw. I'm sad that you are still not loving these books, haha :D But so glad you liked this one better, though. <3 Hugs. I love them lots.. but can understand why you have issues :) And uuuugh. Everyone treats Gansey like shit :( It's not fair at all. I hated that in the books. Sigh. Curious to know your thoughts about the next two books :) Good luck sweetie. <3

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  19. This is the second book in The Raven Cycle. Readers who are most drawn to Ronan's character will probably love this one the most of the four books. As always, Stiefvater's writing is exemplary. And frankly, no one writing YA lit today can match her in terms of imagination. I love these books, and this one did not disappoint.

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