Dreamwalk
Sarah MacManusYoung adult
Available from Young Rebel Publications
ISBN: 978-1-908044-14-3
March 2011
| Chloe Hawthorn has been having terrifying nightmares since her mother's death. Taking her father's advice, she reads the book he gave her on controlling dreams. After watching a video link sent to her by her best friend, Chloe's dreams take her to the room of the Shane Anderson, the musician from the video. Her ability to walk the Dreaming, an ability inherited from her mother, allows Chloe to find Shane in the past. Now she needs to find a way to control her Dreamwalk so she can prevent him from succumbing to his addictions before it's too late for them both.
Though this book has a slow opening, it gains momentum once Chloe and Shane meet for the first time. They're both a little lost when they meet each other and find something together that defies the restrictions of time. Chloe is a determined young woman who will do everything in her power to save Shane once she finds him. Though her motives are slightly selfish at first, her priorities shift as she discovers more about Shane. Her shifting priorities highlight her growth as a character. Likewise, Shane grows as the story progresses, illustrating the positive affect Chloe's nocturnal visits have had on him. Overall, this is an interesting story. However, there are times when it is hard to follow because of the shifting perspectives. The change in font makes it clear which character's perspective that part of the story is being told in, but it is sometimes unclear how much time is passing when Chloe is narrating and if it is the same amount of time as when Shane is narrating. Also, some of the explanations about what the Dreamtime is and what happens in the Dreamtime are rather confusing and obscure. All that aside, the author does a fairly nice job of wrapping the story up with a somewhat vague ending.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Karin |
