Good Friday

Dreams & Nightmares

Fiction - Short Story/Novela
53 Pages
Reviewed on 04/02/2020
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

JR Wirth is a licensed psychotherapist by trade with years of psychotherapeutic experience. For the last eight years, JR has supervised the therapy portion of a forensic mental health program within a locked psychiatric hospital. JR has several works published via independent publishers, including, but not limited to, two full-length novels and two short story collections. The most recent release, “The Christmas Town Calls” (Dec. 2019), is part-four of the “Christmas Town” collection, which Reader’s Favorite described as “whimsical” and “…a really fun holiday romp from author J. R. Wirth,” which is “…a truly charming and engaging holiday read.” Most works can be found in multiple venues and all are featured on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/J.R.Wirth/e/B00R9SDSR8/ JR also has several other pieces featured in online sites, including a poem. He is currently working on the next thriller—tentatively titled: Raising Cains.

    Book Review

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Good Friday: Dreams & Nightmares is a work of short fiction with paranormal and drama themes, and was penned by author J. R. Wirth. The story focuses on the central theme of ‘what if’ with some speculative intrusions and the mystery of reality versus dreams. Our central character is Daniel Johnson, who is in a new relationship with all its promises but is still haunted by events of the past and a life and love he once thought he would have. Plagued by dreams of what might have been, this novella explores the possibility that something other than insanity might be guiding Daniel towards an answer.

Author J. R. Wirth has crafted a truly intriguing novella that sits somewhere between an intense psychological drama and a surreal speculative mystery, both of which have much to offer curious readers seeking something truly unique. The characterization of Daniel Johnson as our central figure, an everyman trapped by the decisions and circumstances of his past, creates a well-drawn and fully rounded human experience that we can get really close to and understand. This closeness brings the questions of what is real and what isn’t to the fore as we, the audience, become less and less sure of his sanity, and that lends itself to the surreal aspects of the plot really well. Overall, this makes Good Friday: Dreams & Nightmares a highly engaging read, and I would definitely recommend it for adult readers seeking a short adventure that will keep you thinking long after you set it down.