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 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.
After graduating from Wesleyan University, David J. Naiman obtained his medical degree at New York University School of Medicine and trained in the primary care internal medicine program at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Writing nights and weekends, he published the award-winning #1 Amazon bestselling novel Didn’t Get Frazzled, a work of humorous medical fiction for adults, under the pen name David Z Hirsch.
From there, David turned to children’s literature to pursue the themes of family, friendship and the magic of childhood that continue to inspire him. Jake, Lucid Dreamer is his first middle grade novel. When he’s not writing, David toils in the front lines of primary care, battling scourges like diabetes, heart disease, and insurance companies, although probably not in that order. He lives in Maryland with his wife and two sons.
Reviewed by Kris Rondon for Readers' Favorite
Jake, Lucid Dreamer by David J. Naiman deals in a fictional, heart wrenching manner with what occurs after the death of a parent and how children can handle such a loss. Twelve-year-old Jake is grappling with the loss of his mother who passed away 4 years ago after a harrowing sickness. To deal with his loss, Jake escapes into the world of dreams. After four years, Jake’s father is still struggling to support his children over the loss of their mother while trying to have a normal life by starting to date. Jake is at that awkward age where he grapples between childhood and growing into adulthood, which is difficult in the best of circumstances. Jake gradually realizes that his dad and sister are also in pain as he finally connects with them.
Jake, the protagonist of Lucid Dreamer, is a Middle School boy dealing with the death of his mother, while also dealing with mundane issues many boys face, including bullying. The story is realistically heartbreaking and the author has succeeded in aptly entering the mind of a tormented 12-year-old. One wonders at times if the story is based on a biographical experience or if the author is simply a master at his craft of writing. David J. Naiman is an expert at character development. His characters are lifelike and relatable. Jake’s father is extremely convincing as a parent and husband dealing with the loss of a partner. Parents and children would enjoy and profit by reading this book together. When it is difficult to articulate suffering and sorrow, this thought-provoking novel would serve as an honest exploration of emotional healing after an upsetting loss.
