Official Review: Twilight of a Dream by Felipe Alvarez

Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 07 Dec 2019, 03:02

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Twilight of a Dream" by Felipe Alvarez.]

3 out of 4 stars

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On the acceptance page for the review, the author of Twilight of a Dream states that the reviewer he is looking for is one who can completely suspend disbelief and simply enjoy the ride. I took this as a challenge. Twilight of a Dream, by Felipe Alvarez, takes place in the fantasies, dreams, and daydreams (both sleeping and awake), of Joaquin, our main protagonist. Fully aware of this phenomenon, Joaquin has developed a system to help him differentiate between what is an objective reality and what is not. We are introduced to this system early in the book, and Joaquin refers to it often to process his experiences. Unfortunately, though helpful, it is not always a foolproof system. Fantasy frequently sneaks through to color and affect supposed reality.

One of Joaquin’s recurring daydreams involves a little bird who has taken up residence on his windowsill. “Finch” is real enough, but around him, Joaquin creates an intricate world which melds fantasy and reality. Finch and the web of fantasy woven around him are so influential to Joaquin that the little bird can easily be said to be a character in his own right. Through Finch and the illusions that have been built around him, Joaquin even meets his soul mate in the “real world.” The romance between Joaquin and Juliette is sweet and charmingly old-fashioned. Its tranquility is complicated, however, by threatening shades of Juliette’s past, which come calling.

As difficult as it may sound, the author has entwined Joaquin’s leaps between his dream world and reality in a surprisingly comprehensible way. Understand, some moments may make you want to go back and re-read a paragraph or two, but that is all part and parcel of the dream-like quality of the writing. Imagine floating down a gentle stream or bayou, encountering the occasional swirl and adjustment of direction as the water passes an obstacle or flows over a slight dip. That’s the absolute best analogy I can give of reading Twilight of a Dream. You float along with the writing, taking things as they come, and living Joaquin’s dreams and romance with Juliette.

Perhaps what I loved about Twilight of a Dream more than anything else is that it is wholly character-driven and is very much written in a ‘show’ not ‘tell’ style. This takes place through the conversations, behaviors, and interactions of the characters themselves. Occasionally a side character is introduced. Their motivations are seldom clear. They might complicate or even threaten Joaquin and Juliette’s journey together, or they could be of the more helpful or even protective variety. Sometimes, one may even masquerade as the other.

Some side characters have more importance in the story than others, are seen more frequently, and affect Joaquin and Juliette’s building relationship more intensely. I would, unfortunately, venture to say that these are the characters given the most backstory, more even than Joaquin and Juliette themselves. Some of these characters live on the fringes of society or are in minorities having difficulty being accepted. In all cases, the characters are portrayed with respect and empathy.

There was really nothing I disliked about this book. I would truly love to give it full stars. Unfortunately, the writing was rife with errors of all types: misplaced or missing commas, misspelled and misused words, and a plethora of awkwardly phrased sentences, such as when Joaquin tries to “insert (an emerald ring) into Juliette’s finger.” Ouch. Due to these problems, I am forced to award the book 3 out of 4 stars. There was precisely one curse word in the entire book, and references to intimacy were very discreet. I have but one trigger warning. If you are offended by LGBTQ characters or the subject itself, I recommend you avoid this book.

Because of the extremely esoteric quality of Twilight of a Dream, I wouldn’t recommend it for young readers. It would likely only confuse them. However, if you are a young adult or older reader who enjoys the whimsical, down the rabbit hole type of book, which also often delves into the philosophical, I believe you would enjoy Twilight of a Dream. I leave you with my favorite quote from the book. To me, it represents it perfectly: “… we all are in our own way, misfits of some sort. But then, that’s when the abnormal becomes the normal, for who’s to dictate what or whom should be conventional? Someone “normal?” Enjoy your trip into fantasy and the land of dreams!

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Twilight of a Dream
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nicole-adrianne · Post by **nicole-adrianne** » 01 Jan 2020, 13:28

Thank you for your insightful review! I love your use of analogy in describing the reading experience, and I appreciate your trigger warning and description of intended audiences.

rumik · Post by **rumik** » 01 Jan 2020, 21:25

Wow, I love all the themes this book seems to have, psychological elements as well as philosophical. I'd love to try this out -- hopefully once the errors are corrected! Thanks for the great review.

Kanda_theGreat · Post by **Kanda_theGreat** » 02 Jan 2020, 10:15

There's one incredible technique that I admire about reowned experienced authors; the ability to telepot their readers to a world of fantasy and keep them engrossed to the last page, which is quite evident in this book.
Thank you for the review.

Nisha Ward · Post by **Nisha Ward** » 02 Jan 2020, 22:42

The winding, down the rabbit hole style and reliance on dreams is certainly innovative but it seems to be a bit too esoteric for me. Great review though!

Benis abdi · Post by **Benis abdi** » 04 Jan 2020, 01:26

This book keeps the readers reading until the last page. It helps readers leave reality and enter a fantasy world. The theme of the book is very enjoyable.

tristenb · Post by **tristenb** » 04 Jan 2020, 17:23

I loved reading this review! The book sounds intriguing as it bounces back and forth between reality and Joaquin's dream world. I love the quote you put at the end. I certainly think it is correct.

Sheila_Jay · Post by **Sheila_Jay** » 06 Jan 2020, 07:24

This sounds like an amazing book, but as a person who is not comfortable with LGBTQ characters, I guess I will have to pass this one.

Mbrooks2518 · Post by **Mbrooks2518** » 06 Jan 2020, 08:44

I loved your review, but I don't think this book is for me.

Erin Painter Baker · Post by **Erin Painter Baker** » 06 Jan 2020, 15:31

What a lovely review. It definitely sounds like a good book to float away with on a vacation or sometime when I don't have to return to the real world anytime soon.

Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 07 Jan 2020, 00:41

nicole-adrianne wrote: ↑01 Jan 2020, 13:28 Thank you for your insightful review! I love your use of analogy in describing the reading experience, and I appreciate your trigger warning and description of intended audiences.

Thank you! I can't count how many experiences I've had with people giving me very strange looks because I often use analogies to describe things. It's nice to have someone like it for a change!

Thanks for stopping in and commenting!

Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 07 Jan 2020, 00:42

rumik wrote: ↑01 Jan 2020, 21:25 Wow, I love all the themes this book seems to have, psychological elements as well as philosophical. I'd love to try this out -- hopefully once the errors are corrected! Thanks for the great review.

It is truly a different experience than the majority of books I have ever read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 07 Jan 2020, 00:44

Kanda_theGreat wrote: ↑02 Jan 2020, 10:15 There's one incredible technique that I admire about reowned experienced authors; the ability to telepot their readers to a world of fantasy and keep them engrossed to the last page, which is quite evident in this book.
Thank you for the review.

This ability is truly a gift not possessed by all writers. This author displayed it beautifully. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 07 Jan 2020, 00:46

Nisha Ward wrote: ↑02 Jan 2020, 22:42 The winding, down the rabbit hole style and reliance on dreams is certainly innovative but it seems to be a bit too esoteric for me. Great review though!

The author definitely used a unique approach, unlike one I've seen before. It is, as you say, quite esoteric, though. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 07 Jan 2020, 00:50

Benis abdi wrote: ↑04 Jan 2020, 01:26 This book keeps the readers reading until the last page. It helps readers leave reality and enter a fantasy world. The theme of the book is very enjoyable.

tristenb wrote: ↑04 Jan 2020, 17:23 I loved reading this review! The book sounds intriguing as it bounces back and forth between reality and Joaquin's dream world. I love the quote you put at the end. I certainly think it is correct.

The flow in and out of fantasy took a little getting used to, but as the author stated from the beginning: the book requires a strong ability to suspend disbelief. Thanks for the compliment, tristenb. And thank you both for dropping by and commenting!