Saturday 19 February 2022

What Dreams We Had by Phill Featherstone


What Dreams We Had
by
Phill Featherstone

has RECEIVED a


A PREMIER Readers’ Award


Premier Readers’ Award is honoured to books that receive exceptional high evaluations from Chill Readers.

This book is shortlisted for Book of the Month.

Five school leavers have finished their exams and are waiting for the results. Meanwhile they have the summer to fill. Four of them are in a band, which is asked by a wealthy entrepreneur to play at a celebrity wedding in Italy. It sounds too good to be true, and although they (and their parents) have misgivings, they’re conceited enough to believe the invitation is genuine and hey, it’s a free holiday in the sun; so the four plus a friend accept.

They arrive at the host's remote villa after a gruelling journey to find that it’s deserted. There’s no wifi and no phone signal, and they have no transport, so they’re cut off. However, there’s a note from their host to say he’ll join them shortly and so they begin to settle in.

For three days the only other person they see is a deaf cook, who comes each evening to prepare their dinner. While they wait for their host they try to fill the time. They talk about their futures. They argue, fight, make up, and there are romantic realignments. They drink, take drugs, and of course there’s sex.

On successive nights three of them experience highly graphic and very disturbing nightmares, which we see are related to their backgrounds, anxieties and fears. By day four there is still no sign of their host or anyone else and they have become extremely restless. The two girls explore, and find that a sophisticated surveillance system is observing everything they do. They are horrified and they all decide to get out, but before they can the villa is raided by the police, who arrest them on drugs charges and swiftly deport them.

Back in England they learn the truth behind what has happened to them. As the young people reflect on their experiences we discover more about them, and they learn about themselves and each other, forcing them to reassess who they are and what’s important to them.

Pages: 302
Genre:  Coming of Age Fiction


What Dreams We Had
  was read and evaluated by THREE Chill's readers against the following...

Were the characters strong and engaging?
 Was the book well written?
Did the story / plot have you turning the page to find out what happened next?
Was the ending satisfying?
Would you recommend to someone who reads this kind of story?


1 comment:

  1. My thanks to you, Pauline, and to your readers. As we say in the north, I'm right chuffed!

    ReplyDelete