This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite
Sara Barnes, a medical student, starts to see other people’s dreams, which at first is problematic for her. Soon she finds a way to use her ability, which also leads her to the love of her life, Brian. But among those dreams are nightmares that belong to one mysterious person, terrorizing Sara at night. When a girl who is murdered in the nightmares appears in the news, Sara, Brian, and her friend Beth try to find the killer, aware that they could be the next victims. Book 1 of the Dreams series, Dream Student is a paranormal suspense by J.J. DiBenedetto.
First of all, commendable cover art from Ami Low. Even though it is juvenile, it is still dark, quirky, and really captures the essence of the story. Personally, it is one of the best covers I have seen in the paranormal genre. The concept of Dream Student is exciting and intriguing. All the characters are well-fleshed out, especially the protagonist, Sara. The time setting of the late '80s is nostalgic. On the other hand, the book’s pacing is quite slow which lasts until the middle part for me – there are times that I feel there are too many details about Sara’s college life rather than her nightmares and the murderer instead. Even so, the believable dialogue and plot, coupled with the humor that J.J. DiBenedetto includes in his writing, greatly compensate for this minor flaw. The thrill of “who done it” does keep me on edge. Overall, a fascinating story from start to finish and I intend to read the next installment in the series.
