REVIEW : Gone by Lisa McMann

REVIEW : Gone by Lisa McMann

   12:26 PM       Elisa

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Gone (Dream Catcher Series #3)

Author     : Lisa McMann
Publisher  : Gramedia Pustaka Utama (Indonesia)
Pages       : 216
Source     : Borrow

Blurb :
Janie thought she knew what her future held. And she thought she'd made her peace with it. But she can't handle dragging Cabel down with her.

She knows he will stay with her, despite what she sees in his dreams. He's amazing. And she's a train wreck. Janie sees only one way to give him the life he deserves--she has to disappear. And it's going to kill them both.

Then a stranger enters her life--and everything unravels. The future Janie once faced now has an ominous twist, and her choices are more dire than she'd ever thought possible. She alone must decide between the lesser of two evils. And time is running out...

*sigh*
This is the last book of Dream Catcher series and I'm eerr... not really satisfied. It doesn't mean "Gone" is bad. On the contrary, I think it's the perfect sad-but-happy ending. I mean the series just.... too short! Ugh. And somehow this book more like a spin off, because of more focusing on Janie problems, after at 'Wake' and 'Fade' we saw her did her job as undercover agent, fought sexual predators and drug dealers. I was hoping we can see Janie as professional undercover agent and facing more tense cases, or she can deal and control her ability. And it just happen in my imagination.
But well, I still enjoyed and liked it. VERY enjoy and like it.

This book is more psychologically tense than the other, more emotional, heartbreaking but also hopeful. I think I already said this but again, I usually can't stand stories with depressing storyline so it needs to has a really really make sense or very-mesmerizing-sad-storyline to make me stay gripping it. This series is definitely the rare-one of it, at least for me. Even my eyes were teary at the last part of book, gah!

We introduce to Janie's alcoholic mother, who keeps ignoring Janie and locking herself inside her room. She's so helpless and Janie was already tired of her, but someday because of her mom, Janie meets unexpected person, her father. Janie keeps sucked into his dream everytime she visited him, very chaotic and disturbing dreams and Janie almost can't get out of it. From her father too, she revealed that no matter what future she chooses, there's no happy end for her life. She only can choose one with less worst end.
Although both of her destinies are very bad, but I'm glad she finally choose the best, and she has Cabel who determine to stay by her side whatever will happen to her. I love Cabel more here. Janie and Cabel are definitely my favorite characters. Their relationship is not lovey dovey and flowery, but very real and I feel strong and beautiful emotion between them. Love them so much!

For the International cover :

Lonely and vague, this cover gives eerie feeling, portrays what Janie saw inside her father's chaotic dream. Also, maybe it's a symbolization of one of the future Janie has. Just an amateur judgement =p.
I like this version so much, but for Indonesian cover, it's the best among all =)

Sorry for being cheesy, but oh Cabel if only you're exist in this real world...
Anyway, don't you think Jeremy Sumpter fits Cabel much?
Well Cabel's hair isn't wavy his and should be more blonde, and should look more... hippie? Well, but I saw he likely has Cabel's outer qualities /daydreaming/.

I already read many negative review about this book, so many unsatisfaction. But for me (who is sensitive, easily pleased and has high understanding, lol, slap me), this book is unique, bring up different theme and issue, and very awesome. So yeap, 5 stars for this book =) and recommended to those who love to see another story beside fantasy and paranormal genres, and easily pleased like me, kkk~
Just hope will read another book of Lisa McMann next time.

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REVIEW : Fade by Lisa McMann

REVIEW : Fade by Lisa McMann

   12:31 PM       Elisa

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Fade (Dream Catcher Series #2)

Author     : Lisa McMann
Publisher  : GPU
Pages       :
Source     : Borrow

Blurb :
For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck. Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open--but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both.

Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability. And it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a Dream Catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd even feared...

Lisa McMann's still awesome. "Fade" is darker and tense, but also painfully beautiful. Still amused me with real characters, fast pace and unique writing style.

At this second book, Janie learns (or struggles) to controls her ability, helping people who ask for help to her through dreams. She faces her first undercover investigation after secretly recruited by Cabel's boss at local police department. There's a secret report about sexual predators who drugging and rape some girl students disguise as a teacher at Janie's school. A coincidence too, Janie enters her classmate's horrible dream, she watched her friend was raped violently. So Janie takes a part as a bait for the culprit, which makes protective Cabel very mad.

Then about her dream-catcher ability, from a journal of her deceased dream-catcher mentor, Janie find a shocking facts about the bad effects of her ability. Actually it was predictable, a lot scenes told about her experienced some bad symptoms after entering dreams. But yeah it's wicked ennough and makes her really down, she can't avoid and have a hard moment to deal with it.

The relationship between Janie and Cabel grows to next level than just 'lover'. At first I was annoyed when Cabel took a distance from Janie, after everything happened to Janie at her first case and the dream catcher wicked thingies. But read the rest and I was glad this boy is still very very awesome. He's one of good things on Janie's 'cursed' life.

The English version cover is :

Again, although this one is gorgeous and seems meaningful, I don't complain on Indonesia cover. Still with the same girl, showing her whole body, but with half face. Attractive =)

Just one caution.
This series contains a LOT of sexual contents. Lisa McMann still wrote some sex scenes with quite vulgar delineation like before. But thanks God, not between Janie and Cabel =D
If you love "Wake" and adultery things don't disturb you, you'll love this like I do =)

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REVIEW : Wake by Lisa McMann

REVIEW : Wake by Lisa McMann

   11:22 PM       Elisa

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Wake (Dream Catcher Series #1)

Author     : Lisa McMann
Publisher  : Gramedia Pustaka Utama
Pages       : 211
Source     : Borrowed

Blurb :
For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.

She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.

Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant....

I was interested to this series for a long time, but decided not to bought it for some reasons. And then, although I have a huge book pile, I borrowed this from my friend one day, and read the 3 books in about 2 weeks.

And yeap. Can't put it down.

My reaction.

I LOVE THIS BOOK.

I think I have to get one too, finally ;D


The storyline is uncommon and unique, depressing but addicting. Lisa MacMann is definitely amazing.

We see this story through Janie, a girl with too much troubles in her life. Her mother is an alcoholic and only care her bottles, she has no father (or she assumes so), she lives in poverty and above all, she has a gift but more like a curse to her that she can tell to no one. She can visit people's dream, or uncontrolly sucked and trapped into them since she was 8 years old. School life is even harder to her because a lot of her friends fall asleep at the class during school hours, at the library, at the yard, everywhere. Even her own house doesn't save for her too.

Then there is Cabel Strumheller, a notorious drugs user, loner, goth but turns hot after he changed his appearance. Cabel seems caring Janie a lot with some small treats and hide away his feeling to Janie. He also bears lot of burdens and bad memories like Janie does, after Janie entered his dream by accident.
With keeps wary on him because of what she saw a Cabel's dream, Janie falls for him instantly (and I don't blame her, who won't flatter if you have a sweet hot guy cares you so much ;D) because they have the same condition and they understand each other's feeling.

Janie and Cabel maybe seem so pathetic, but what I like the most is those obstacles make them incredibly strong. I really love to see how their relationship developed, how they always help each other, and very glad Janie finally can use her ability for goods, like Cabel does.

Although there's a lot complains for MacMann's writing style like chopping sentences, raw draft, or like short journal, I didn't find it bother me. I even like it, very unique way to write a story that so deep, heart stirring, and it doesn't make this story lost the plots and the feeling. And also, MacMann use a bit vulgar languages, a bit swearing, a bit adult things, but again it's still okay for me.

This is the original cover :

The cover gives dark and mysterious feeling, i'm so liking it. But I'm not complaining for Indonesia cover though. The drawing is nice, and i love the color combination for it, pale yellow and black.
So, if things above don't disturb you, I fully recommend this series to be at your reading list.
Read.
Now.

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