“A fantastical tale with a powerful message” raves SPR.
2018 Purple Dragonfly Book Award First Place winner for Middle Grade fiction
2018 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards Gold Medal Winner for Pre-teen fiction – Mature Issues
2018 International Book Award Silver Medal Winner Readers’ Favorite for Coming of Age
12-year-old Jake has been suppressing his heartbreak over the loss of his mother for the … Coming of Age
12-year-old Jake has been suppressing his heartbreak over the loss of his mother for the past four years. But his emotions have a way of haunting his dreams and bubbling to the surface when he least expects it. When Jake learns how to take control in his dreams, he becomes a lucid dreamer, and that’s when the battle really heats up.
Using his wits to dodge bullies by day and a nefarious kangaroo hopping ever closer by night, Jake learns about loss, bravery, the power of love, and how you cannot fully heal until you face your greatest fear. This uncompromising novel is a magical yet honest exploration of emotional healing after a devastating loss.
Described as a “poignant coming-of-age novel (that) offers a sensitive and honest examination of a child’s spiritual and emotional battles” by The BookLife Prize.
This moving story is in the genre of magical realism, a type of storytelling popularized by acclaimed authors such as Neil Gaiman, Rebecca Stead, Katherine Applegate, Wendy Maas, and Roald Dahl.
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What an absolutely lovely and deftly crafted story this was! It was highly deceptive in its deliverables – a very poignant and masterfull-created journey through life, death, and the aftermath of both masquerading (for much of the book) as a lighthearted tale about unusual dreams and anger-management…
Jake lost his mother. Literally and figuratively. And he’s lost himself, trying to live every day as though this loss is (a) bearable, (b) not crushing him, and (c) not responsible for his reactions to everyone and everything around him. Naiman brings the anxiety, anguish, and angst of the loss of a parent into Technicolor focus with his descriptions of Jake and his gloriously unusual and beautifully eccentric dreams. He deals with bullies at school, his own maelstrom of anger and resentment toward his surviving family members, and his burgeoning feelings about a friend. He tries to rationalize or ignore his feelings – particularly anger and guilt – in a way that reads in a thoroughly authentic kid-voice but is also exceptionally relatable to adults. This is not just about how a (chronological) child deals with the death of a parent. It’s about how anyone does – young or old, when it happens we are all children losing our parents and the pain is just as sharp because the loss is just as powerful, even if for very different reasons.
This was a gorgeous, painful, sweet, delicately balanced tale. As I worked my way through the end there were tears running down my face. It was beautiful in its straightforward explanations and acceptances of all of the emotions surrounding death, from anguish to anger, grief to guilt. Kudos to you, David J. Naiman…
My review copy was provided via Kindle Unlimited. A special thank you to the author for contacting me and asking if I would be interested in taking a look at it – I was, and am a different person for it.
I love when I can review a preteen read. This book is amazing. I would recommend it to every parent of a 10-14-year-old. This story is one I hope Little Man will read when he is older.
There are so many teachable moments and life lessons in this book. It moved me and was written in a way to capture readers of any age. There are swear words but let’s face it, any kid in preteenage has probably heard them. However, it was not excessive and played a point in the morals of the story.
Jake is a boy in middle school with a lot on his plate and mind. He has these feelings and isn’t sure how to cope. This story takes him on a journey that has him growing up and tackling his obstacles with grace and wisdom. During his struggles, he begins to walk in his dreams. Controlling them and manipulating them to his advantage. Only he finds avoidance isn’t the answer and manipulation only leads to bigger issues.
This story also covers when Jake is awake. I loved how well the author captured the family dynamics and friendships. The tweenage is hard. The author shows just how much actions of others and grief can wreak havoc. I think the most beautiful part was at the end when Jake began to heal. He let it all out but also learned its ok to lean on people.
One life lesson I felt stood out is not everyone is going to like you. They may hate you for no reason. How you act and react is what is important.
I read this adventure in a day and would read it again. the emotions, imagery, and story will capture your heart and soul. This blogger gives it 5 point shoes and recommends it for tweens and adults.
This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Jake, Lucid Dreamer
Author: David J. Naiman
Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 19
Stats
Editing: 9/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 9/10
Cover: 9/10
Of the 19 readers:
17 would read another book by this author.
17 thought the cover was good or excellent.
19 felt it was easy to follow.
18 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
7 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
12 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
13 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
17 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.
Readers’ Comments
‘I liked this book very much. I thought it was very sad in parts but ended with hope.’ Girl, aged 8
‘A sad book. It must be so difficult to not have a mum anymore. I think the boy was brave. I also liked how he dreamt so much and how it started to feel real to him. That was clever.’ Boy, aged 11
‘Bullying is a horrible thing particularly when it’s happening to a boy who lost his mum. This was a really interesting book which I enjoyed a lot. I felt I really got to know Jake.’ Boy, aged 10
‘This is much more than a magical adventure. It’s the story of a boy coming to terms with the loss of his mother. Sensitively written.’ Primary teacher, aged 56
‘A boy who is escaping into dreams to not face up to the loss of his mother. Accessible writing style; the characters were described imaginatively as was the setting. I think it will appeal to 9 – 12 year olds. I particularly liked the dad character and how he faced up to loss in such a different way to his son.’ Primary teacher, aged 49
To Sum It Up:
‘The emotional battle of a boy coming to terms with the loss of his mother. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards