Tell Me Your Dreams

Rating:
Summary: There's Movies Like This...Made before the book came out.
Review: I won't give away the story because the synopsis given in the editorial review is really all you should know about the book if you really want to enjoy it. No sense in giving away any bits of plot to what IS a Murder Mystery. But the problem was, as good as the book is, it becomes very predictable towards the end. The true highpoint and most memorable part of the book is the very last paragraph on the very last page: it brings this evil "oh-my-damn-god" smile to your face. Unfortunately, if you watch a lot of Psyche-Thrillers(Good or sub-standard, doesn't matter) or even shows like The X-Files; you probably will see the end coming. One more point, the courtroom scenes aren't as great as one might expect. I actually found the scenes from a TV Show like Ally McBeal or The Practice to be more Intelligent. The only reason I finished the book in a single sitting is because half-way through the book, I figured how the book would end..I got a little bit of it right and after she*****SPOILER********
gets into rehab, I knew EXACTLY how she was gonna get out of there. And that's why I LOVED finishing this book: I got a big kick out of knowing that I knew EXACTLY how it would end!!! Read it at your local library. I've never really felt like going through it again.

Rating:
Summary: A Dissapointing Read
Review: Sheldon should have "retired" from writing after masterpieces like Memories of Midnight and A Stranger in the Mirror. This is because his subsequent novels from "The Stars Shine Down" onwards, have been nothing but huge dissapointments. He uses the same formulae for every book, but they have become somewhat stale and tired. The literary language he uses is limited, prefering to use short sentences and simple words. I think even a primary/grade 3 student could read and review his book easily. "Tell Me Your Dreams" is no different. The storyline is so thin and predictable. Apart from the rather shocking revelation on who the murderer was (before you even finish half the book), you just know what's going to happen to all the main characters after that. The main character, Ashley Patterson has MPD and is accused of murder, but her character is not well developed, and you hardly emphatise with her situation for find yourself rooting for her. After "Tell Me Your Dreams", I must say I've truly had enough of Sheldon's style of writing, and am giving up on him for good. For a good mystery novel, turn to Scott Turow or Steve Thayer - their plots are meatier, the characters more believable and real.

Rating:
Summary: Add a Star if You are Listening to Unabridged Audio Version
Review: Sheldon uses his tried and true formula to produce a fast paced tale based on a true story. The plot hinges on the unraveling of a lovely computer graphics analyst working at a large Silicon Valley company --- someone is following her with the intent to kill her; she has no where to turn, her passive personality prevents her from speaking about her fears the her friends and her uncomfortable relationship with her famous heart surgeon father further defines her as someone who reacts rather than interacts. When Ashley suddenly finds herself as the prime suspect in a series of brutal sex-related murders, she discovers that the world she relied on is a fantasy and there are only two close friends that can help her recover her sense of reality.

I'll say no more about the plot -- to say more would ruin the reader's fun. As with other Sheldon novels, the author uses dialogue to move the story along at a quick pace. There are snappy courtroom scenes, revealing patient doctor sessions using hypnosis and other trademark techniques to keep you reading chapter after chapter until the last page. Although fun, don't expect Sheldon at the top of his game, the story, once the secret has been revealed becomes too familiar rather than formulaic. When reading a Sheldon novel, one expects and applauds his formula. I think the subject basis of this story has been over utilized by so many popular writers and recent money-grossing films. Hence, a slight lack of punch. Since the story is advertisized as based on a true story, I would have liked to have seen references to the actual facts listed in the back of the book rather than the lists of institutions and articles written on the subject itself.

I listened to the unabridged audio version of this book--and believe me it is just the type of story you want to be listening to as you mindlessly exercise. I found that the page turning characteristic of the story made me want to run further just to discover just what had happened at a particular junction in the plot. At times the narrator when playing Ashley is a little too naive---but her performances of the two other main characters are well done, accents and all.

Bottom line: predictable, but if you like Sheldon's fast-paced fun, give it a shot especially on audio-book. However, I would not recommend this for family listening.

Rating:
Summary: Psychological mystery murder!
Review: TELL ME YOUR DREAMS starts out with the introduction of three women, Ashley, Toni, and Alette. All three are very different, and only two of them know each other. A few chapters and several murders later, we find out that all three women are the same person. It's a story centered on multiple personality disorder, and I found it fascinating. The controversy behind this disorder is one of the main themes of the book - does it really exist? Are there truly people out there that ARE made up of several distinct personalities in one person?

TELL ME YOUR DREAMS is one of many Sidney Sheldon books I've read over the years. This novel, however, is written in a slightly different format. Although this novel was great, I felt that it could've been treated as two different novels, because there are actually two different "endings" to this story: the conclusion of the trial is one ending, and the afterward that goes into Ashley's psychiatric case is another conclusion. It read like TWO books, with the 2nd part of the book being an "addendum" to the first; a follow up story to what happened to the woman with the split personalities. Although both parts of the book were interesting enough for me, I dont' feel this is one of Sheldon's better novels, in terms of structure.

But as always, he knows how to tell a good story! I could not put this book down and it created an interest to look further into cases of multiple personality disorders. I recommend this book, especially to fans of Sidney Sheldon.