Dream Of The Year

Dream of the Year

By: Missy

The dream started off normal from what I could tell. I was myself in the dream and I performed my normal routine of going to Wal-Mart (or Hell-Mart, as what I like to call it sometimes). Although my brain was telling me that I was there to shop for groceries, I found myself in the toy isle where I was looking at two particular dolls (Monster High dolls to be precise). Suddenly, I strongly noticed how bright orange one of the dolls were. It was one of the werewolf sisters, Howleen. I also noticed Lagoona and she seemed to radiate with her cool blue color. The orange in this case was clearly more prominent. I then began to notice textures and Wal-Mart’s cold marble floors changed to downy soft white carpet. For some reason, I felt the need to crawl on all fours and physically touch this softness with my hands. I felt like I was touching the fur of a rabbit or the downy feathers of baby birds. I continued down the now seemingly long Wal-Mart isle and noticed myself heading into the pet department.

The lights went out. Instead of wandering in the dark, a few dim lights (like flames) created a path for me. Instead of being inside Wal-Mart, I noticed that my environment has changed drastically. The ground in which I stood on, reminded me of a swamp and the cold gross green water was completely covered my ankles. The walls and the basic structure of my environment reminded me of my mother’s old piano. The walls and material was made of a really dark…perhaps mahogany wood. Blackwood is what I would like to believe it to be. There were arches that reminded me of a gothic cathedral and although there were windows, none of them contained any stain glass. Rather, these windows lead to the open black night sky. It was a moonless and starless night. As I walked through the water, I noticed on both sides of the walls, there were windows which were peering areas like how someone would look inside animal exhibits at the zoo. The problem was that when I looked through the first few exhibits, the environments were also very swampy however no animals could be found. Moving onward, I came across a specific exhibit which looked like the windows were sealed closed with planks of wood and nails. A wooden sign over the door had dripping red painted letters which spelled “Dracula”. Feeling creeped out by the security of that particular exhibit, I started running. Water splashed up my legs as I raced passed another exhibit which sparked and popped in frenzy. The words “Frankenstein” blazed like bright light bulb and although I refused to peer through the glass of that exhibit, the corner of my eye caught a glimpse of the creature within.

My mind then processed that my running and the environment formed the shape of a U. When I reached the end of this U, my environment changed once again. This time, I was in what looked like to be a farm home. There was no furniture present, and very few decorations hanging on the plain white walls. There weren’t any lights installed in this place however the sunlight coming from the open windows provided me with the light I needed. In this place, I wasn’t myself anymore. In this new location I took on a new form of being a girl with a pair of golden braids and I was wearing a white dress. There were others in the location. There was a boy who may have been 11 or 13 and another girl who also had blond hair but she was clearly shorter than the boy, perhaps she was younger. In this new body, I was the sister to this boy and girl. They also seemed to acknowledge me as their sister. Although they clearly were not my real siblings in reality, in this form I was their family. The boy and girl formed a small circle and started to whisper to each other quietly while sometimes looking at me. They giggled and snickered like they were keeping a secret and I could tell that it was one meant for me to never know. Then the father of this particular family walked in and he looked like a very tall and dark…however he looked like an Amish version of “SlenderMan” only minus the beard. He also talked with the children quietly as if keeping a secret from me. I didn’t quite know what it was about them, but I didn’t feel safe at all. I walked into the bathroom of the home and closed the door behind me. I looked into the medicine cabinet and found an unusual object. I picked up what looked like a sponge made up mostly of straw material. What was unusual about this moment was how I noticed a very predominant smell. It wasn’t a good smell, nor was it a bad smell. All I seemed to notice was that this object had a very strong odor. Since I had picked up this object with my hands, I sensed that the other people in the home sensed that I had touched something that they didn’t want me to touch. I felt the fear rising and seeing the small round blinded window; I opened it and tried crawling through the space. Outside, the farm home was completely surrounded by corn fields (some hay fields). I ran into these fields as the family chased me. I physically couldn’t see it happening however I was cut down from my flight. I suddenly left the gold braided girl and was seeing the scene unfold from a birds eye view. The girl who was once my form laid dead, the boy had cut her with a sharp curved blade. My perspective shifted over to the boy and I was looking at the family and a new person enters the scene. The newcomer was a younger boy with blond hair and the first thing he said was, “I want to be Billy now”. I then acquired this notion that perhaps, these people were characters in a murder story. The boy, whom I was now seeing through his perspective, was the original character playing as Billy. The other characters started to talk to each other on what roles they wanted to be next, however it was clear that the new boy was set on playing Billy. As the character roles fell into place, this unusual family turned their heads at the same time to stare at me. The little boy, now playing as Billy, gave me this evil smile. Fear began to rise again as my concluding thoughts screamed that I was going to be the next victim…again.

This is where the dream ended.

My personal analysis is simply baffled with what I saw and I do highly rank this dream as one of the most unusual dreams of the year (for me at least). This dream was extremely inconsistent and normally I do well in deciphering my own dreams. Never in my whole life have I ever had a dream so detailed with colors, textures, and inner feelings. As a witness to such a dream, I really like how good the transitions were from location to location.

My personal experience has always taught me to be mindful of the details in dreams. As long as you remember simple things like colors, numbers, words, letters, names, objects, and themes, it can be fairly simple to find out the meaning behind it. Based on what I remember, I will create a list of explanations of what I have seen. These explanations can be found on http://www.dreammoods.com. So if any of you have a hard time figuring out your own dreams, you can find most explanations there.

Orange
Orange denotes hope, friendliness, courtesy, generosity, liveliness, sociability, and an out-going nature. It also represents a stimulation of the senses. You feel alive! You may want to expand your horizons and look into new interests

Blue
Blue represents truth, wisdom, heaven, eternity, devotion, tranquility, loyalty and openness. Perhaps you are expressing a desire to get away. The presence of this color in your dream may symbolize your spiritual guide and your optimism of the future. You have clarity of mind. Alternatively, the color blue may also be a metaphor for "being blue" and feeling sad.

If you are wearing light blue in your dream, then it symbolizes your creativity. You like to pace yourself in whatever you are doing.

Wood Paneling (best thing I could find for the mahogany wood I saw)
To see wood paneling in your dream symbolizes your outdated surroundings and thinking. You are stuck in a time period and are looking at the world from an archaic perspective.

Blonde
To see a blond person in your dream suggests that you need to enjoy life and live it up. Be a little glamorous.

To dream that you dye your hair blond indicates that you literally need to lighten up and quit being so serious all the time. Try to be more upbeat.

Hay
To see hay in your dream represents the necessity of hard work; nothing in life comes easy. You may also be feeling hopeless about a situation.� Alternatively, hay indicates the need to nurture your maternal instincts, masculine energy, and/or your sexual urges. Consider also the symbol as a pun on "hey". Your dream may be trying to call your attention to something.

Enclosure (best thing I could find for the exhibits I saw
To dream that you are in an enclosure indicates that you are in defensive mode. Some situation in your waking life has put you on guard. You feel the need to protect and defend yourself.

To dream that you are in an enclosure that is shrinking indicates that you feel restrained and confined in some circumstance. It represents actual or perceived limitations. You need to start testing out your boundaries in order to grow.

To dream that you are in an enclosure made of glass suggests that you are too critical about a person or situation.

Yourself
To see yourself in your dream is a reflection of how you act and behave in your waking life.�Consider what you are doing and how you are feeling in the dream for additional significance.

Character
To dream that you are playing a character indicates that you are avoiding some responsibility or refusing to acknowledge your role in it. Alternatively the dream means that you are putting on an act. By playing a character, you are pretending be someone else instead of being yourself. Consider a situation in your waking life where you are not being genuine.

Fictional Character
To see a fictional character in your dream implies that you are trying to escape from your own reality. Consider the qualities of the fictional character and how you may need to incorporate or acknowledge those qualities within yourself. Alternatively, the fictional character may be an archetypal symbol depending on the character.

Swamp
To see a swamp in your dream symbolizes the repressed and dark aspects of yourself. You may be feeling insecure. The dream may also be a pun on feeling swamped from work, a relationship, or other emotional burden.

To dream that you are walking through a swampy area foretells that you will find yourself in an adverse situation. You may experience setbacks and disappointments in love. Alternatively, walking through a swamp in your dream denotes the attainment of prosperity and pleasure through dangerous and underhanded means.

Marsh
To see or dream that you are at a marsh suggests instability in your emotional realm. You are feeling bogged down, insecure or unsure about the future or how to go about with achieving your goals.�

To dream that a marsh is being drained indicates that you are feeling weary and emotionally drained. Alternatively, you feel lost.

Market (best I could find for Wal-Mart)
To dream that you are in a market represents some emotional or physical need that you are currently lacking in your life. You may be in need of nurturance and some fulfillment. Consider the specific items that you are shopping for. Alternatively, the market signifies frugality.

To see a barren market in your dream signifies depression and gloominess. There is a void in your life. If the market is large or well-stocked, then it means possibilities and choices.

Farm
To see or live on a farm in your dream suggests that you need to develop an aspect of yourself and utilize your potential. You are ready for growth.

Smell
To smell something in your dream indicates your past experiences and feelings you associate with that particular smell. Your dream is trying to convey a feeling with a familiar smell or scent. Alternatively, the scent may be part of your real environment which you have incorporated into your dream.

To smell death in your dream refers to a situation that has long been dead. It is time to stop dwelling on the past and move on.

This is all I have for now. I’m sure I will add more later once I find more explanations for the other things. But in the meantime, this will have to do.

In other announcements, I am currently borrowing a book from a friend called The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I’m not sure at this time if I want to do a book review on this but it could be a possibility. Until next time, have a happy reading time!

-Missy

My Book Review: Hidden

My Book Review On Kristin and PC Cast’s Novel Hidden

Okay so before I blow up in a furious rage, let’s start off with my list of things that I liked about the book…and then a list of things that I fricken’ hated about the book. By the way, there will be spoilers so prepare your minds for such. And please forgive me for my foul language. I will be swearing often in this review.

Note: For those who are not familiar with the Marked series, I like to explain this series as a vampire version of the Harry Potter series. Only in this case, most of the protagonists are girls and it is basically about a school of vampires who deal with magic (gifts, elements, etc.) So hopefully that helps.

List of things I liked:

1. Although I never really liked the Twins earlier in the book series (mostly because their dialogue as Twins became repetitive and boring) I do like that the authors separated the Twins so that they could be their own personalities. It was kind of nice to see these girls as their true selves.
2. I also liked that the story finally presented Damien with a new love interest.
3. Although it wasn’t much, I really did appreciate the clues at the end which hinted at what kind of past Neferet endured.
4. I was pleasantly surprised that the story hinted that Nicole was potentially working on becoming one of the good guys instead of one of the bad guys.
5. The awesome title of the novel reflects the overall theme to the story. Zoey and her group realized that in order to defeat Neferet, they needed to ally together as a team by using their specific prophecy gifts, sight gifts, and Zoey’s old magick stone. An odd weapon to have to fight against Neferet who has violence and darkness on her side but okay. Either way, I really liked how the students were paired up to work together and I really liked how Zoey’s stone was able to see Health in Aurox and see Lenobia’s old lover in Travis. The idea of Shaylin being able to see colors also reflects possibilities in any and all characters in the story and that fact alone is very deep, intriguing, and succeeds so well in reflecting the overall theme of the story.

List of things that I hated:

1. Neferet is fricken’ still alive! Okay let me vent here but if it’s one thing that pisses me off the most is when authors have lingering villains that are still alive and still tormenting the protagonists for well over 10 books. I’m sorry but over time, her development as a character has become embarrassingly predictable. In my humble opinion, I really think Neferet should have been killed off once Kalona entered the picture because that way he could essentially take her place as the main villain. Don’t get me wrong, I love the father and son relationship that he developed once Kalona has proven to be a good guy but I totally could imagine him being a much greater threat than….this High “Bitch” Priestess Neferet.
2. What the fuck is up with Erin? Okay yeah, I guess this story didn’t have enough roaring conflicts so the authors hooked Erin up with *gag me* Dallas. (Which is odd considering, I really liked the idea of Stevie Rae and Dallas being a couple together.) It’s disappointing that he turned out to be a bastard from hell working for Neferet but hey, the story just needed more drama.
3. Who the fuck is Shaylin? If memory serves me correctly I believe she was introduced in the book before Hidden, however, I feel like her sudden involvement with what is going on in the House of Night feels way too rushed. I think it is cool that she can see colors, however again; I honestly don’t know how to feel about her except for, “wow, you joined the band wagon so fast”. It makes sense that she wants to make new friends in the vampire world because she is new and all that jazz…but her sudden appearance was simply…too sudden and not well received in my opinion.
4. Where is Damien emotionally? After the tragic death of his boyfriend Jack, why haven’t the authors took the time to write chapters explaining his own personal journey, his own grief? I really want to see Damien expand to more than just “that friend who is the brains of this operation”. I really hope in the future that the authors take time to expand and help Damien’s character develop.
5. Why in the bloody hell was Erebus in this book? I honestly felt like this character served no purpose other than torment Kalona…and that’s it? It was so stupid that Kalona was so easily quick to brush him off, and Erebus just “talked the talk but didn’t walk the walk”….AND WHAT REAL PURPOSE DID THEIR INTERATION PROVE? To see who has the biggest dick? Seriously, that time spent in writing Erebus should have been used to better develop the other and more important characters…but no. We get a random character from out of the blue who serves no other purpose other than being an annoying knat for readers who want to read THE REAL STORY.
6. Erik Night, why so serious? Obviously there was a lot of drama written between him and Zoey but why in the hell did the authors try to hook him up with Shaylin? Was this intended for Shaylin to feel like she fit in with the story? If she was hooked up with one of the main characters from back in the day? Again, I felt like that development was rushed way too much. And no offense to Erik Night fans but damn, I figured by now he would have at least moved on from the past and expanded as a character in a positive way…rather than this perverted way.
7. Zoey, okay how hard is it to kill the villain? If it was one thing that bothered me throughout the entire series was that the adults were too damn stupid to believe the nerd herd pointing out that Neferet is evil. When they do have the support of the adults, they have to go about in the politically correct way to take Neferet down. It sounds like to me that Zoey doesn’t want to kill Neferet however, this is a fantasy story so why was it so hard for Zoey and the nerd herd to poison Neferet’s food, or stab her with a knife, or cut off her head? I know she is supposedly a “goddess” but seriously, every being has their own set of weaknesses, how come our protagonists can’t figure this shit out? Maybe it’s been awhile since the last time I read the earlier books but there were so many opportunities where Neferet could have easily been defeated. Come on kiddos of the House of Night! Pick up an axe and end this villain! Please! She has lived far too long! For crying out loud, book 11 is on its way! Can we please get it right this time!?
8. Okay I feel like I’m going to shoot myself in the foot with this next one but let’s talk about our good ol’ boy Stark. Where the hell is the cool old Stark that we use to know? I know he died and became a red vampire but why does everything he has to say or do be all about macho man stuff like “I will defend you Zoey because I am your Warrior!” and the obnoxious “let’s cuddle up and have sex just so you forget your problems momentarily”. I’m personally very tired of Zoey complaining about her struggles and her always being lovey dovey over her macho man who seems more like a sex toy than a boyfriend, future husband, or whatever you want to call him. That type of language has become so repetitive that I have suddenly lost all hope and respect for Zoey. Yeah sure she finally grew up at the end and figured out how to grow a pair of ovaries but seriously, why did it take THIS LONG just for her to get her act together? Which brings me into my next point.
9. Who is Zoey now? I miss the good old books where she was adapting and growing with each new struggle. I really missed Zoey expanded with more of her vampire tattoos. I miss all that good stuff. I honestly wish her transformation into a woman would make her more confident than always crying her problems on Stark or seeking others to solve her problems for her. (Again I understand if I am shooting myself in the foot for this point but damn) I’m very tired of Zoey’s repetitive dialogue. For once, I would like to see Zoey do something completely unexpected or better yet, change her character and make her somehow reflect on her journey from being a newbie vampire to a fully grown and confident leader who isn’t afraid of that bitch Neferet. Zoey my dear girl, YOU ARE A VAMPIRE, you are the Darkness! Don’t be afraid of Darkness. Make Darkness be afraid of you!

My overall opinion of the Marked series:

I really liked books 1-7. My most favorite of all the books in the series is Burned and my main reason is that I honestly enjoyed the journey that Stevie Rae went through and how her relationship between herself and the other red fledglings changed. I really liked the earlier books when they described Stevie Rae as being trapped in a more disgusting monstrous state. From Stevie Rae’s perspective, she has transformed so much that I admire her and love how she overcame her “monster side”. I really miss reading about her struggles with being a red vampire and how she lost her humanity. You know, for a moment I even enjoyed Stark when he struggled with his humanity after he changed into a red vampire. To be honest, as I was reading Hidden, I honestly thought that one of the Twins was going to turn into a red vampire. I was given the impression that perhaps the authors would try to further distant the Twins by having one of them change into a different type of vampire. And honestly it would have been cool to see another one of the nerd herd go through the struggle of losing their humanity. (And getting their humanity back of course). I’m not going to lie, I was sort of let down that this prediction of mine didn’t come true.

After reading Hidden, I’m slightly afraid as to where this story is going to go next. Especially since Neferet isn’t dead and the Twins’ situation isn’t resolved. Obviously the humans are more involved into the House of Night so does this mean that Neferet is going to use her evil red fledglings to manipulate the humans to kill all the vampires at the House of Night? Will Neferet finally succeed in killing one or more members in Zoey’s nerd herd? (I predict maybe Aphrodite or Shaylin purely based on their effective gifts). I suppose the authors left things unclear so that there was more room for them to write new things…or throw in random characters that are annoyingly rushed into the story that makes no sense at all? The possibilities are endless.

I will admit that I will most likely buy the next book right away when it comes out, purely based on the fact that I grew up reading this series and I watched these characters grow in certain aspects. As much as I want to flip tables and scream at the top of my lungs at how horrible the novels have become as of late, I really want to keep reading and cross my fingers that the nerd herd will finally destroy Neferet for good! The only reason, in fact, is that I hope Neferet’s downfall comes very soon. If it doesn’t then I very well may abandon the entire series and no longer give a shit about Zoey or her nerd herd.

So folks, now you have it….my book review of Hidden by Kristin and PC Cast. I do apologize again for the swearing and the fact that this was mostly a negative book review but to be honest, I’m frustrated with this book series. I can only hope that I am not the only one who thinks this way too. But until next time, have a happy reading time!

-Missy

Suggestions For Next Book Review?

Suggestions For Next Book Review?

I'm still currently reading Hidden by Cast, however I want to start thinking of the next possible books to read for future reviews. I've been thinking of books that I never read before like Matched, City of Bones, I Am the Messenger, and so on. I'm open minded to reading other books so feel free to suggest them. I've also been thinking about re-reading some old books that I want to read again like The Looking Glass Wars, The Sight, The Firebringer Trilogy (by Meredith Ann Pierce), and so on.

I've already have a lot of things to say about the current book I'm reading, Hidden. Let me just hint that there are a lot of negative things to say so far. I will apologize ahead of time that the review will consist of things that I had issues with in the novel. I have a love and hate relationship with the Marked series in general which I will get to explaining later when I start my review. There is so much that I love about the series and so many things that I either really hate or responded with a "what the f**k?"

So anyways, if any of you have suggestions for books, please let me know! And prepare thyselves with an epic tongue lashing beyond comprehension. Or just prepare for a long lecture. Until next time! Have a happy reading time!

-Missy