The Waking: Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall
Bloomsbury, 2009
Available: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1599905853
Kara Harper and her father have finally realized their life-long dream of starting a new life in Japan. Looking out at the peaceful blue of Miyazu Bay, photographing Ama-no- Hashidate, the Bridge to Heaven, Kara thinks it’s the most beautiful place on earth. If only her mother had lived to share it with her. As Kara walks up the long, forested path towards the pagoda towers of her new school, she stops at a candlelit shrine where the offerings of local monks and residents remind her of the fascinating and complex culture that this adventure will open to her. But when she sees the freshly built memorial to Akane, a school girl brutally murdered only months before, she discovers that evil may lurk in even the most dream-like places.
Jealousy and unrequited love have caused a horrible tragedy here, and Kara accidentally becomes a conduit. Grief, rage and guilt tear a hole in the fabric of reality, unleashing an unspeakable nightmare that can enter the waking world. Sleep becomes impossible for many. Faceless horrors visit in the night, and the death toll mounts. As terror strangles the minds and hearts of the students, Kara and her friends are determined to destroy the demonic presence and send it back into the shadows of legend.
Vividly told and bone-chilling, Dreams of the Dead is a cool mix of Japanese pop culture, mystery and suspense–intense enough to keep you safely awake all night long. The style is passive and imaginative, and the exotic location is beautifully described. Thomas Randall (a nom de plume for author Christopher Golden) is the author of the popular children’s fantasy series, Adventures in Strangewood (ROC, 2004). Dreams of the Dead is the first book in The Waking series; Spirits of the Noh and A Winter of Ghosts are forthcoming in 2011. Recommended for ages 11-up.
Contains: N/A
Reviewed by: Sheila Shedd