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Dead Again: Dark Dreams (Dead Again – 1) by Linda Rey

Joan Portman’s nightmares are killing her; literally. Each evening, this troubled seventeen-year-old meets a painful demise in one of three horrific ways – by bullet, by fire or by attack of a pack of ferocious beasts. So authentic are these dreams, that Joan resorts to cutting herself upon waking, just to prove she’s still alive.

Tired of her meds and weary of being misunderstood, Joan accompanies her family on a European excursion in hopes of breaking this crazy cycle. But matters soon go from strange to surreal when Joan is thrust back in time in each country she visits – at once realizing that her frightening nightly visions are actually genuine memories of her former lives. Now, forced to re-live her harrowing experiences as a female gladiator in Rome in 90 AD, a prisoner of Auschwitz, Germany in 1943, and as heroine Joan of Arc in France in the 1400’s, Joan believes she may finally be able to put this torment behind her. But the key to Joan’s recovery may lie in a final act of bravery – one that will require her to risk her life once again, and this time it just may be her last.

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Author’s Bio

Hi, I’m Linda Rey, and I write books for teens and tweens. Writing a bio is about as awkward as having to write a “What I Did Last Summer” report the first day back in school, but here goes.

I live in Orange County, CA with my husband and a dog named Dude. My favorite color is green, but blue is a close second. I’d rather eat potato chips than ice cream, but give me a donut and I’ll be your friend for life. I’m a grandma to five grandchildren, but I’m a cool grandma who has a Harley Davidson motorcycle and a tattoo on my wrist that says Believe. My favorite books as a child were The Secret Garden, Charlotte’s Web, and anything by Judy Blume. My new favorites are all the books in The Hunger Games series, Wonder, and The Fault in Our Stars. If I can be remembered for just one thing after I’m gone, I hope it’s that people thought I was nice.

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My Review

5 stars

Joan Portman is not your typical teenager. She cuts herself and her parents can’t figure out why so they take her to a therapist that dopes her up on antidepressants. But this can’t help her. Joan is plagued by death in her dreams. She is constantly dreaming of being torn apart by animals, shot in the head, or burned alive. She cuts herself in the morning to make sure she is still alive.

Then Joan ends up lying to her therapist so she can join her family on vacation in Europe hoping this change will end the dreams. But at each destination she is taken back in time and relives her life as a gladiator, Jewish prisoner, and as Joan of Arc. This explains her dreams but will this stop them?

This is an interesting story. Definitely not what I was expecting. This book will run you the gambit of emotions. Poor Joan, here she is suffering and her family knows somethings wrong but not how to help. This story really shows how things like self-harm and such affect not only the individual but their family too. I loved the trips back in time. They were well written making me feel like I was right there with Joan. I hoped that they would help her heal from the damage of the dreams.

This is a great story and one that I think most people will enjoy. It’s definitely one to check out.

I received Dead Again from Ari at Candid Book Reviews for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.