Review of Quando Dormo

[La Dunar]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Quando Dormo" by Edward Izzi.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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“Quando Dormo” by Edward Izzi centers on a story that comprises much suspense, intrigue influences, crime, and struggle that is psychological. The story reveals the protagonist of the novel, David, who has severe disorders of sleep, nightmares, and possibly somnambulism accompanied by hidden phobias and horrifying childhood memories. Guilt, forgetfulness, amnesia, and creation of memory are among many explored themes, including the dream state and the wakeup state, which are the main concepts of the novel.



In his interactions with his sleep specialist, Dr. Jeanne, one can see how psychologically disturbed David is. He shys off to express the extent of his sleepwalking and nightmares that plague him; in fact, he thinks that if he faces these, he will further mess up his already weak mental health. This aspect of the story underscores a key theme: self-acknowledgement of one’s weaknesses and explorations of the effects of the buried trauma on one’s psyche and bodily condition.

The detailed descriptions of dreams of the main character are rather useful in the development of the plot. There is psychological growth of characters; the main character suffers from sleep disturbances, which makes his troubles relatable. The pacing is fairly good, and the proportion of intense scenes compared with contemplative sequences is balanced. The language used by the author is quite simple; the narration is rather to the point so that it does not overshadow the actual story.

“Quando Dormo” is a well-crafted book with well-crafted dream sequences, but the story seems to be quite predictable, which may spoil its suspense. The motives and the background of the secondary characters are not very well developed, so they seem flat. The ending of this novel may be considered inconclusive by some people; it appears somewhat hasty and could make one wish that the author provided a closer and more invulnerable ending.
 
Despite the flaws I noticed, I’d like to lean towards the pros while rating this book because I enjoyed it; therefore, I’d give it a solid four out of five stars. I’d strongly recommend this book to lovers of psychological thrillers.

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Quando Dormo
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