Thursday, October 23, 2014

The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters {Review & Giveaway}


The Cure for Dreaming
by Cat Winters
♦publisher: Amulet Books
♦release date: October 14th, 2014
♦hardcover, 368 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: ALA

Olivia Mead is a headstrong, independent girl—a suffragist—in an age that prefers its girls to be docile. It’s 1900 in Oregon, and Olivia’s father, concerned that she’s headed for trouble, convinces a stage mesmerist to try to hypnotize the rebellion out of her. But the hypnotist, an intriguing young man named Henri Reverie, gives her a terrible gift instead: she’s able to see people’s true natures, manifesting as visions of darkness and goodness, while also unable to speak her true thoughts out loud. These supernatural challenges only make Olivia more determined to speak her mind, and so she’s drawn into a dangerous relationship with the hypnotist and his mysterious motives, all while secretly fighting for the rights of women. Winters breathes new life into history once again with an atmospheric, vividly real story, including archival photos and art from the period throughout.

Review: For the second time, Cat Winters has astounded me with her breathtaking, spine-chilling writing, her ability to create a cast full of engaging characters, and her absolute death grip of a grasp on how to make a reader feel like they’ve been plopped right down into important moments in history.  In The Cure for Dreaming, she completely immerses us into the chaos and frustrations of the woman’s suffrage movement through the eyes of a young woman named Olivia.  The story opens on Halloween night, Olivia’s birthday, and she and her friends are attending a show where gifted hypnotist Henrie Reverie is about to give her an amazing mystical experience and make her the talk of the town.   At home, Olivia is in constant battle with her backward-thinking father, a horrible man who thinks woman are only good for serving their husbands and takes a little too much pleasure in the pain he inflicts as a dentist. 

What most impresses me is how terrifying this story is. In an effort to get his “wild daughter” under control, Olivia’s father hires Henrie to hypnotize her into “seeing the world the way it truly is” and the shock of what that means sinks in when she first opens her eyes and sees her father as a gaunt, red-eyed, long-fanged beast.  She sees the cruelty in people as a monstrous manifestation. She envisions downtrodden women as so drained of life you can see right through them.  It gives the story an incredibly chilling paranormal feel without anything but a psychological manipulation actually happening! Brilliantly done!
While her new way of seeing things scares her beyond words, Olivia also becomes an even stronger woman because of it.  I loved the part she played in the suffrage movement, I loved the twisting and unpredictable, not-so-much love story, but attraction and fascination that Henrie and Olivia had toward each other.  And I love that at the end, she is standing strong, following no one’s influence but her own.


So much to recommend about this addictive, mesmerizing, psychological horror story. Read it. For those of you that loved In the Shadow of Blackbirds, I dare say this was even more captivating. 



Find Cat Winters online:  Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook
Purchase the book: BN.com  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

Halloween Giveaway!!
This book makes such a perfect Halloween read, I want to get it into the hands of one lucky reader by Halloween night!
Contest ends 10/27/14---Just a quick one! 
US addresses only please.
*OK, not sure why my rafflecopter was being nutty before, but it appears to be working now! Sorry about that!*
a Rafflecopter giveaway

20 comments :

  1. YAY :D Amazing review Becky. <3 I'm so so glad that you loved this book too. Sigh. It was just all kinds of awesome, wasn't it? :) I adore Cat. <3 and I cannot wait to read all her upcoming books :D

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  2. This book keeps getting recommended to me on Goodreads so I think after this glowing review I should give it a go :D

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  3. Hi Becky, thanks for the great review! Although I struggled with the first book, I'm curious about this. I would check it out. I like the concept of it.

    Precious Fragments of Life

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  4. I've never read In The Shadow of Blackbirds, but I do remember how most of the ratings I saw for that book were also positive. Now I'm curious to find out what's so great about Cat Winters' books! I think I'll have to read The Cure for Dreaming soon. Thanks Becky for recommending so many good books lately :D

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  5. Such an interesting cover, this one.

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  6. I'm pretty really curious about this book based on the premise. Good review!

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  7. I've been super excited about this book! Sounds great and love the cover too! Thanks for the giveaway<3

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  8. Great review! Sounds absolutely chilling...but amazing. The cover is so interesting and beautiful as well.

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  9. This book sounds SO amazing. I seriously have yet to read a negative review about it. I need this book in my life! Great review, I love that it is so psychologically-driven, those kind of stories fascinate me! Thanks for the giveaway :)

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  10. A very good review!! <3 Addictive, mesmerizing & terrifying, you bet I can't wait to get my grubby little book-loving paws on this one lol :)

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  11. I'm currently read In the Shadow of Blackbirds I'm starting to get into it. The author does a nice job with creeping me out, and it's exactly what I need to get ready for Halloween. I would love to read this one as well.

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  12. I am so excited to read this!! :) Thanks for the giveaway!!

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  13. This books sounds so intriguing, and I just love the cover. Thanks for the chance to win!

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  14. I haven't read Blackbirds yet but I really like the sound of this book. The plot sounds very intricate and I love the main character already. Thanks.

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  15. This is a great review! I love that it has such a great story point with the suffrage movement. That is such a relevant topic with all the equality and feminist discussions/battles going on right now! It sounds scary and empowering all at the same time (is that a weird combo? LOL). I can't wait to pick this up!


    Thanks for the chance to win!

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  16. Ooh, yay! I bought this last week after loving In the Shadow of Blackbirds and hearing only good things about this, so I'm just dying to get to it. I didn't realize that part of it involved her seeing things "how they really are"! That's AWESOME. Must get to now. :D Great review Becky!!

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  17. I want to read this book THIS MUCH!!! LOL. It sounds like it would be really good.
    Rafflecopter; CAROLSUE

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  18. I have had this book on my TBR for a while, but now I really want to reading it! You've made it sound brilliant and I love that it has a terrifying feel to it. I've not read In the Shadow of Blackbirds, but will definitely add that to my list as well. Thanks for the great review, and glad you enjoyed this book! :)

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  19. I loved the review. It sounds like an amazing and very different book, and I would enjoy reading it. Thanks for having the giveaway.

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  20. I really enjoyed Blackbirds and this sounds like one I'll love too. Psychological horror is totally my thing (strange, I know!)

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