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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
I love a good book about doom, death, and destruction, So when I was approached to review Dare to Dream and take part in the blog tour I did not hesitate, what's not to love about it.
I began reading Dare to Dream with a lot of anticipation, looking forward to really getting into this book, looking forward to the nightmare/premonitions, and as they are described it was definitely something I would not want to experience myself. The follow on from these nightmares further on in the book was just total death and destruction everywhere, buildings are demolished in the blink of an eye, roads are trashed, there are very few survivors, and I loved every word of it.The protagonist, Maggie, was someone who I did feel sorry for, not only is her family life not the best, but the nightmares plaguing her sleep don't help her at all. She feels left out, the odd one in her family, and this comes across clearly in the pages. Her friend is there for her when she needs her to be, and is one of the only few who believe her pleas to leave for the caves.
However I did find a few things that I didn't really click with. While the idea of the nightmares was amazing, the detail retold to perfection, I understand the author wanted to make sure that the warning was listened to, but there are only so many nightmares a girl can have before it becomes slightly repetitive for the reader. I also felt like the build up was too long for my own liking, but what makes this a very mixed up review is how much I enjoyed the ending.
Yes it took a while to get there, but the eventual destruction of the earth was great reading, and the little twist that was added into the mix was something I never expected at all. Dare to Dream was a mixed book for me, with both positive and negative aspects about it.
Final Verdict
Dare to Dream was a book that had me up and down on what I thought about it. Overall it was an okay read with some great moments.
I began reading Dare to Dream with a lot of anticipation, looking forward to really getting into this book, looking forward to the nightmare/premonitions, and as they are described it was definitely something I would not want to experience myself. The follow on from these nightmares further on in the book was just total death and destruction everywhere, buildings are demolished in the blink of an eye, roads are trashed, there are very few survivors, and I loved every word of it.The protagonist, Maggie, was someone who I did feel sorry for, not only is her family life not the best, but the nightmares plaguing her sleep don't help her at all. She feels left out, the odd one in her family, and this comes across clearly in the pages. Her friend is there for her when she needs her to be, and is one of the only few who believe her pleas to leave for the caves.
However I did find a few things that I didn't really click with. While the idea of the nightmares was amazing, the detail retold to perfection, I understand the author wanted to make sure that the warning was listened to, but there are only so many nightmares a girl can have before it becomes slightly repetitive for the reader. I also felt like the build up was too long for my own liking, but what makes this a very mixed up review is how much I enjoyed the ending.
Yes it took a while to get there, but the eventual destruction of the earth was great reading, and the little twist that was added into the mix was something I never expected at all. Dare to Dream was a mixed book for me, with both positive and negative aspects about it.
Final Verdict
Dare to Dream was a book that had me up and down on what I thought about it. Overall it was an okay read with some great moments.
23337621
Amazon / Goodreads
“The world was going to end. Of that, Maggie Trafford was certain.”
Fourteen-year-old Maggie Trafford leads a normal life. Well, as normal as being crammed in a three-bedroom house with four siblings and a single parent can be, anyway. But despite being somewhat ignored at home, Maggie excels, earning top grades, a best friend who would do anything for her, and stolen looks from a boy in Maths.
It’s not until the dreams start that Maggie realizes “normal” is the least of her problems. Every night, she lives the same nightmare—red lightning, shattered glass, destruction. But nightmares are just that, right? No one believes her when she says it’s an omen. At least, not until the already mysterious pillars of Stonehenge start falling.
No longer alone in her fear, Maggie and the world watch with bated breath as one after another, the historic stones tumble, like a clock counting down. But only Maggie knows what it means: when the last stone falls, destruction will reign. And when the world ends, there’s only one option left—survive.
Horrifying and raw, Dare to Dream is equal parts tragedy and hope, detailing the aftermath of apocalyptic catastrophe, the quest for survival, and the importance of belief.
Maggie is fine. Her visions are the only thing that make her interesting. She isn't an interesting character really. Smart. Bad family problems. Alright. That happens to enough people. How does that make her stand out? Visions is the only thing. But why did she have them? Hm? Maggie isn't interesting. She doesn't have a stunning personality. She doesn't have a fascinating backstory. There isn't really anything to make her stand out. I don't see anything special about her. Really.
Dawn...a bit whiny. Her reason to be noticed could have been built upon. Maybe she wasn't noticed by anyone else. Maybe her parents didn't love her. But...she still seemed whiny. Especially when she saw the spark between Andy and Maggie. Why, Dawn? There are probably other people out there. Don't be selfish. Let Maggie get her guy. Anyways. You're fourteen. I don't think you're THAT attention seeking. You're still discovering your person. But...there could have been something there.
Andy is a good leader. I like his bravery. He took charge. Which is great. No one was taking the reins. He had to. But he was so cruel. For a quiet guy, he had a lot of bark. He was rude. He didn't have to snap at Dawn or Maggie. And how does that show feelings for Maggie? Okay. That makes no sense. That is not how people really show feelings. Only in books. Sure, there's a highly unlikely chance of love hidden beneath nasty remarks, but that's highly improbable.
The bond of friendship is very strong. Which is great. It's a good bond between Maggie and Dawn. They were really good friends. I could tell. Dawn believe Maggie when their people didn't. Dawn believed that Maggie wasn't telling a lie but a truth. That trust? That's important. That's very important. Friendship kept this group together. Dawn and Maggie? They helped the group get through the hard times. I saw that. They made little quips. Supported each other.
Friendship is more important than anything. (Other than family of course.) Friendship can help you in the hardest of times. In the worst of times.
But then we hit the romance. And I groan. What is this? You're fourteen. Try to understand your place in the world first. Andy. You've been treating the girls like crap. How does that imply feelings? At all? I don't understand. I already mentioned this, I know. Why did we need that? I don't get it. Why did we need romance? Because there is some importance to it later on? As in the next book? Um... I don't know. (It's not like I can telepathically predict what the author wants.)
I don't get why every YA book out there has to have romance. You could be perfectly fine without it. You don't need romance. And I promise you that enough of your readers AREN'T in relationships. At all. Maybe they WERE in one. Or HOPE to be in one. But readers aren't always hooking up.
The way the world ends is a different. It does seem oddly religious. I hope the author isn't trying to make a statement about God. That could cause a controversy. Emphasis on the world could.
But I think it's unique. Most people say it's World War III. Or a nuclear fallout. Or robots taking over the world. Or drought. Famine. And on and on. But this book...the world went down with lightning. Bam bam. And the red sky thing? Ominous. That's different. People don't think too much about random lightning bolts striking down the population. (Wow. That does sound religious. Man. I'm actually torn between saying it's God or Zeus. I'm atheist and all...)
There are a few questions coming to mind. Why isn't the cause revealed? Why don't the pincher things...talk or something? Why aren't there messages to the survivors? Or...is this all a dream? I was beginning to have that odd feeling that this was all a dream. What I'm trying to say is that maybe Maggie walked into her dream. Maybe she fell into a coma and is dreaming up everything. Isn't theory right? I'm probably wrong. The world probably did end for her. But it's a theory. And theories are allowed.
The plot is boring and dull. I can't be nicer about it.
They take such a long time to travel. And they have almost no provisions. They don't think about ransacking any stores. (Which I think is odd. The characters get stuff from stores to keep them alive.) Honestly, with the amount of food they ate, they probably traveled for a week or so. And it took that long to detail a trip for about a week. It can't be any longer. They would have starved every day if it was longer. (I think.) My estimate might be off. But nothing happened. They weren't attacked. They weren't harassed. It was blank space and each other. They had problems within their group. That's all, though. And they're just walking one long road. How can no one else survive? They're had to be people traveling in cars. Unless...the people were transported to somewhere else to let the 'survivors' freak. (I had this theory too.)
Nothing really happens until the end.
And the ending is too much honestly.
The ending is such a cliffhanger. What happens next? Will they survive? Why do all of them have visions? Hm? I don't get it. What's going on with that?
But it seems like the plot just...glides by. Until the ending. The ending is a landslide. Everything is being toppled onto you. It's too much. Everything happened. I didn't like that. It was too much for me to handle. I also don't think it helped the plot. The plot was flatlined. Then...it was a major drop. It was a bit...scary.
Weather:
Sunny with a 50% chance of rain
3/5
Amazon / Goodreads
“The world was going to end. Of that, Maggie Trafford was certain.”
Fourteen-year-old Maggie Trafford leads a normal life. Well, as normal as being crammed in a three-bedroom house with four siblings and a single parent can be, anyway. But despite being somewhat ignored at home, Maggie excels, earning top grades, a best friend who would do anything for her, and stolen looks from a boy in Maths.
It’s not until the dreams start that Maggie realizes “normal” is the least of her problems. Every night, she lives the same nightmare—red lightning, shattered glass, destruction. But nightmares are just that, right? No one believes her when she says it’s an omen. At least, not until the already mysterious pillars of Stonehenge start falling.
No longer alone in her fear, Maggie and the world watch with bated breath as one after another, the historic stones tumble, like a clock counting down. But only Maggie knows what it means: when the last stone falls, destruction will reign. And when the world ends, there’s only one option left—survive.
Horrifying and raw, Dare to Dream is equal parts tragedy and hope, detailing the aftermath of apocalyptic catastrophe, the quest for survival, and the importance of belief.
Maggie is fine. Her visions are the only thing that make her interesting. She isn't an interesting character really. Smart. Bad family problems. Alright. That happens to enough people. How does that make her stand out? Visions is the only thing. But why did she have them? Hm? Maggie isn't interesting. She doesn't have a stunning personality. She doesn't have a fascinating backstory. There isn't really anything to make her stand out. I don't see anything special about her. Really.
Dawn...a bit whiny. Her reason to be noticed could have been built upon. Maybe she wasn't noticed by anyone else. Maybe her parents didn't love her. But...she still seemed whiny. Especially when she saw the spark between Andy and Maggie. Why, Dawn? There are probably other people out there. Don't be selfish. Let Maggie get her guy. Anyways. You're fourteen. I don't think you're THAT attention seeking. You're still discovering your person. But...there could have been something there.
Andy is a good leader. I like his bravery. He took charge. Which is great. No one was taking the reins. He had to. But he was so cruel. For a quiet guy, he had a lot of bark. He was rude. He didn't have to snap at Dawn or Maggie. And how does that show feelings for Maggie? Okay. That makes no sense. That is not how people really show feelings. Only in books. Sure, there's a highly unlikely chance of love hidden beneath nasty remarks, but that's highly improbable.
The bond of friendship is very strong. Which is great. It's a good bond between Maggie and Dawn. They were really good friends. I could tell. Dawn believe Maggie when their people didn't. Dawn believed that Maggie wasn't telling a lie but a truth. That trust? That's important. That's very important. Friendship kept this group together. Dawn and Maggie? They helped the group get through the hard times. I saw that. They made little quips. Supported each other.
Friendship is more important than anything. (Other than family of course.) Friendship can help you in the hardest of times. In the worst of times.
But then we hit the romance. And I groan. What is this? You're fourteen. Try to understand your place in the world first. Andy. You've been treating the girls like crap. How does that imply feelings? At all? I don't understand. I already mentioned this, I know. Why did we need that? I don't get it. Why did we need romance? Because there is some importance to it later on? As in the next book? Um... I don't know. (It's not like I can telepathically predict what the author wants.)
I don't get why every YA book out there has to have romance. You could be perfectly fine without it. You don't need romance. And I promise you that enough of your readers AREN'T in relationships. At all. Maybe they WERE in one. Or HOPE to be in one. But readers aren't always hooking up.
The way the world ends is a different. It does seem oddly religious. I hope the author isn't trying to make a statement about God. That could cause a controversy. Emphasis on the world could.
But I think it's unique. Most people say it's World War III. Or a nuclear fallout. Or robots taking over the world. Or drought. Famine. And on and on. But this book...the world went down with lightning. Bam bam. And the red sky thing? Ominous. That's different. People don't think too much about random lightning bolts striking down the population. (Wow. That does sound religious. Man. I'm actually torn between saying it's God or Zeus. I'm atheist and all...)
There are a few questions coming to mind. Why isn't the cause revealed? Why don't the pincher things...talk or something? Why aren't there messages to the survivors? Or...is this all a dream? I was beginning to have that odd feeling that this was all a dream. What I'm trying to say is that maybe Maggie walked into her dream. Maybe she fell into a coma and is dreaming up everything. Isn't theory right? I'm probably wrong. The world probably did end for her. But it's a theory. And theories are allowed.
The plot is boring and dull. I can't be nicer about it.
They take such a long time to travel. And they have almost no provisions. They don't think about ransacking any stores. (Which I think is odd. The characters get stuff from stores to keep them alive.) Honestly, with the amount of food they ate, they probably traveled for a week or so. And it took that long to detail a trip for about a week. It can't be any longer. They would have starved every day if it was longer. (I think.) My estimate might be off. But nothing happened. They weren't attacked. They weren't harassed. It was blank space and each other. They had problems within their group. That's all, though. And they're just walking one long road. How can no one else survive? They're had to be people traveling in cars. Unless...the people were transported to somewhere else to let the 'survivors' freak. (I had this theory too.)
Nothing really happens until the end.
And the ending is too much honestly.
The ending is such a cliffhanger. What happens next? Will they survive? Why do all of them have visions? Hm? I don't get it. What's going on with that?
But it seems like the plot just...glides by. Until the ending. The ending is a landslide. Everything is being toppled onto you. It's too much. Everything happened. I didn't like that. It was too much for me to handle. I also don't think it helped the plot. The plot was flatlined. Then...it was a major drop. It was a bit...scary.
Weather:
Sunny with a 50% chance of rain
3/5
Reviewed By: Paperback Princesses
*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
“The world was going to end. Of that, Maggie Trafford was certain.”
Dare to Dream starts us off with young Maggie Trafford. She’s a middle child, good in school, mostly ignored… There’s nothing extraordinary about Maggie. At least, not until she starts having dreams. Vivid dreams. Red lightning, destruction and devastation. Normally, she could probably shrug them off as just a nightmare, go back to sleep, and never bother her again. Unfortunately, this dream appears every time she closes her eyes. It plagues her, affecting her sleep as well as her waking hours.
Dare to Dream has been one of the best apocalypse books I’ve read. I won’t lie and say I wasn’t one of those people who was terrified of 2012. I lied about it then, but now it doesn’t bother me at all. This book preys on that fear. It’s fiction enough for the reader to remember it isn’t real, but you relate so well to Maggie, in spite of her age, that in the back of your mind you wonder if the events in her dream could really happen. Maggie’s very mature for fourteen years old, and it’s not totally unreasonable for her to not fear these dreams. People fear dreams all the time, but then again, most people don’t get premonitions.
There’s little I dislike about this book. There may be a few plot holes, but the way the ending is, it seems as if there might be a sequel?
Normally, this book wouldn’t have been one I’d read, simply because of Maggie’s age. I usually like to stay more in the upper teens than lowers, but the summary gave me chills. I’m really glad I read this, and it was definitely worth staying up until 4 am to finish reading!
I could see myself reading this one again, definitely if there was a follow up. But even if I don’t read it again myself, I will definitely suggest it to other people.
Thank you, Carys, for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*
“The world was going to end. Of that, Maggie Trafford was certain.”
Dare to Dream starts us off with young Maggie Trafford. She’s a middle child, good in school, mostly ignored… There’s nothing extraordinary about Maggie. At least, not until she starts having dreams. Vivid dreams. Red lightning, destruction and devastation. Normally, she could probably shrug them off as just a nightmare, go back to sleep, and never bother her again. Unfortunately, this dream appears every time she closes her eyes. It plagues her, affecting her sleep as well as her waking hours.
Dare to Dream has been one of the best apocalypse books I’ve read. I won’t lie and say I wasn’t one of those people who was terrified of 2012. I lied about it then, but now it doesn’t bother me at all. This book preys on that fear. It’s fiction enough for the reader to remember it isn’t real, but you relate so well to Maggie, in spite of her age, that in the back of your mind you wonder if the events in her dream could really happen. Maggie’s very mature for fourteen years old, and it’s not totally unreasonable for her to not fear these dreams. People fear dreams all the time, but then again, most people don’t get premonitions.
There’s little I dislike about this book. There may be a few plot holes, but the way the ending is, it seems as if there might be a sequel?
Normally, this book wouldn’t have been one I’d read, simply because of Maggie’s age. I usually like to stay more in the upper teens than lowers, but the summary gave me chills. I’m really glad I read this, and it was definitely worth staying up until 4 am to finish reading!
I could see myself reading this one again, definitely if there was a follow up. But even if I don’t read it again myself, I will definitely suggest it to other people.
Thank you, Carys, for giving me the opportunity to read this book!
MC was extremely problematic, and there were SO MANY INFODUMPS.
This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for my honest review.
Maggie Trafford is a very unusual girl, in the middle of her familys poverty and bad behaviour she succeeds academicly, being a model student in her school and a balanced human being.
But this alll ends when she starts getting awful nightmares of the armageddon and her behaviour changes, since no one believes that the world is going to end!
The book is divided in two parts and I have to admit that I enjoyed both of them, even if I think that there are some things that probably needed more work.
The first part is very slow paced and the second part happens so quickly that you never see it coming!
I would like to have seen some more characther development mainly in Maggies friends and father, the history has so much potencial that simply wasn't explored and worked with.
The characthers were a little unbalanced since the only relly interesting characther was Maggie and I think that if the other characthers were more developed they would be way more appealing and it would give a completely different taste to this story!
Overall this is a very fine book if you're into sci-fy or simply adventurous books, this book didn't let me down and I enjoyed reading it! I had never read something like it before and I really like this concept of "world destruction".
I really hope that there's a second book since I really want to know how this adventure ends!
If you're into thrilling adventures and survival tales mixed with some deeper emotional challenges you should read this book!
This review is posted on my blog at:
http://addictedbookslover.blogspot.pt/2015/05/dare-to-dream-by-carys-jones.html
Maggie Trafford is a very unusual girl, in the middle of her familys poverty and bad behaviour she succeeds academicly, being a model student in her school and a balanced human being.
But this alll ends when she starts getting awful nightmares of the armageddon and her behaviour changes, since no one believes that the world is going to end!
The book is divided in two parts and I have to admit that I enjoyed both of them, even if I think that there are some things that probably needed more work.
The first part is very slow paced and the second part happens so quickly that you never see it coming!
I would like to have seen some more characther development mainly in Maggies friends and father, the history has so much potencial that simply wasn't explored and worked with.
The characthers were a little unbalanced since the only relly interesting characther was Maggie and I think that if the other characthers were more developed they would be way more appealing and it would give a completely different taste to this story!
Overall this is a very fine book if you're into sci-fy or simply adventurous books, this book didn't let me down and I enjoyed reading it! I had never read something like it before and I really like this concept of "world destruction".
I really hope that there's a second book since I really want to know how this adventure ends!
If you're into thrilling adventures and survival tales mixed with some deeper emotional challenges you should read this book!
This review is posted on my blog at:
http://addictedbookslover.blogspot.pt/2015/05/dare-to-dream-by-carys-jones.html
Maggie is having nightmares, but they're not normal nightmares. She dreams of the end of the world. In fact, she knows that it's going to happen. And soon. Stonehenge is falling, and it is only a matter of time.
The author takes you through the mind of a 14-year-old girl who keeps dreaming of the end of the world. Black skies and red lightning destroying the Earth and turning it to dust.
The story starts off slow, taking you through the dull, daily life of Maggie and those she is close to. As time goes on, the impending doom sits on your shoulders and you wait for something bad to happen.
Toward the end of the book, your heart is racing, not knowing what is going to happen.
This book was different for me, not something that I normally pick up. I love the mystical history of Stonehenge and thought it would be a good read, and it was. I did think the book started off REALLY slow. It was hard for me to connect at all to the characters. However, once the ball started rolling, it just kept going and picking up speed. My heart was racing through the last 150 pages.
I really hope there will be a second book because I feel like I was left hanging and wanting more!
All around great read!
The author takes you through the mind of a 14-year-old girl who keeps dreaming of the end of the world. Black skies and red lightning destroying the Earth and turning it to dust.
The story starts off slow, taking you through the dull, daily life of Maggie and those she is close to. As time goes on, the impending doom sits on your shoulders and you wait for something bad to happen.
Toward the end of the book, your heart is racing, not knowing what is going to happen.
This book was different for me, not something that I normally pick up. I love the mystical history of Stonehenge and thought it would be a good read, and it was. I did think the book started off REALLY slow. It was hard for me to connect at all to the characters. However, once the ball started rolling, it just kept going and picking up speed. My heart was racing through the last 150 pages.
I really hope there will be a second book because I feel like I was left hanging and wanting more!
All around great read!
*this book was provided to me by the author for a honest review* Oh my sour skittles. This book doh. I loved this book! I loved the concept of the story and the characters (except for the mother) and it all just blended together to make an awesome book. It did have some paranormal details in it and I loved that and it kept me on my feet until the end. CAN NOT WAIT TO READ THE SECOND BOOK (if it is in a series because I don't know) Full review to come on my blog
Note: I was provided with a copy of this book from the author for review.
This is a fantastic story. Jones has created a gripping story about the fall of humanity but has done so with style, anticipation, and mystery. There are not certainties about anything and despite best efforts
The build up and the waiting make the story strong; the anticipation, the uncertainty, even Maggie's fruitless attempts at trying to alert her family and authority figures all add to the suspense. Both reader and Maggie are not sure what is going to happen and when the countdown starts there is no telling what will happen at the end other than what Maggie keeps seeing in her dreams.
Jones' writing is gripping and real, and the sudden changes and the unexpectedness can be a shock but it can also create excellent tension and suspense. The writing captures the feeling and the despair of the apocalyptic environment superbly, and with detailed and vivid descriptions the eerie undertone and isolation is expressed beautifully.
Even before the event occurs Jones inserts you into the story, right from the beginning. Maggie's frustrations and her anxiety, the intense friendships and the isolation all shine from the pages. Jones highlights the fear and the trauma after the fact as well, the frustration and the confusion, the shock and the determination are coupled with vivid descriptions and amazing detail that express everything Maggie and the others are experiencing.
One thing I loved about this was the conclusion. Jones brings it to a close perfectly where there are questions, just enough left unexplained to leave you wanting more but content with where it's ended and enough of a resolution to offer hope and satisfaction.
There are certainly surprises, some more grim than others, and an unexpectedness that adds an extra spark to the story. As you read Jones tempts you by never really confirming things or reassuring you things will go the way they appear to be going which only adds to the anticipation. The unexpected nature of events adds urgency and a nice sense of reality among the science fiction aspect; nothing is mapped out, a rushed plan is formed, and human nature and instinct often override the best-laid plans. It is an incredibly well told and clever story you certainly won't forget anytime soon.
A longer version of this review was published on my blog https://lostinagoodbk.wordpress.com/2015/09/14/dare-to-dream-by-carys-jones/
This is a fantastic story. Jones has created a gripping story about the fall of humanity but has done so with style, anticipation, and mystery. There are not certainties about anything and despite best efforts
The build up and the waiting make the story strong; the anticipation, the uncertainty, even Maggie's fruitless attempts at trying to alert her family and authority figures all add to the suspense. Both reader and Maggie are not sure what is going to happen and when the countdown starts there is no telling what will happen at the end other than what Maggie keeps seeing in her dreams.
Jones' writing is gripping and real, and the sudden changes and the unexpectedness can be a shock but it can also create excellent tension and suspense. The writing captures the feeling and the despair of the apocalyptic environment superbly, and with detailed and vivid descriptions the eerie undertone and isolation is expressed beautifully.
Even before the event occurs Jones inserts you into the story, right from the beginning. Maggie's frustrations and her anxiety, the intense friendships and the isolation all shine from the pages. Jones highlights the fear and the trauma after the fact as well, the frustration and the confusion, the shock and the determination are coupled with vivid descriptions and amazing detail that express everything Maggie and the others are experiencing.
One thing I loved about this was the conclusion. Jones brings it to a close perfectly where there are questions, just enough left unexplained to leave you wanting more but content with where it's ended and enough of a resolution to offer hope and satisfaction.
There are certainly surprises, some more grim than others, and an unexpectedness that adds an extra spark to the story. As you read Jones tempts you by never really confirming things or reassuring you things will go the way they appear to be going which only adds to the anticipation. The unexpected nature of events adds urgency and a nice sense of reality among the science fiction aspect; nothing is mapped out, a rushed plan is formed, and human nature and instinct often override the best-laid plans. It is an incredibly well told and clever story you certainly won't forget anytime soon.
A longer version of this review was published on my blog https://lostinagoodbk.wordpress.com/2015/09/14/dare-to-dream-by-carys-jones/
Looook at this cover!!! It's so beautiful *_* I was actually recently in the UK and went to Stonehenge, so the timing on this is perfect!
I have a thing for fiction where someone completely ordinary finds out that there's something extraordinary about them, or figures out that something extraordinary is going to happen. So as you can imagine, when I read this summary I was fascinated and wanted to know more!
I think one of my favourite things about this book was the build-up. So often apocalyptic fiction focuses on the action - and for good reason, of course, since that's what fascinates a lot of people. Sometimes, however, that is at the expense of character development or even just world building - if I'm going to read about a world being torn apart, the author had better make sure that I care about the world and the people in it, and illustrate fully why what's about to happen is a bad thing.
So this book does a great job of that. Maggie's home life isn't the happiest - she has four siblings, a small house, a mother run ragged. When things start going haywire, all of that adds to the pressure on Maggie's shoulders as she finds nightmares plaguing her, seemingly in sync with the mysterious events at Stonehenge... Then when the proverbial crap hits the fan things really get fascinating as the world falls apart around them and Maggie and her two friends find themselves running for their lives, struggling for basic survival and to keep themselves hidden.
At times the plot dragged, however. Finding a balance between build-up and dragging is very difficult and there were points where I wanted things to move along just a wee bit faster, particularly in the first part of the book. The repetition of dreams, fights with her mother and siblings, difficulty at school, etc, all became a bit too much after awhile. In the second half of the book things were much better, though it did remind me of the complaints that people had about the 'tramping through the forest' in the Deathly Hallows!
The end of the book was also a bit uneven and left me with a lot of questions. What's going on? Who caused it? What's going to happen next? To what end is all of this going on? Etc. None of that is a bad thing, I just wished that we'd gotten some more hints along the way, but it serves as a bit of a build-up for book two.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I have a thing for fiction where someone completely ordinary finds out that there's something extraordinary about them, or figures out that something extraordinary is going to happen. So as you can imagine, when I read this summary I was fascinated and wanted to know more!
I think one of my favourite things about this book was the build-up. So often apocalyptic fiction focuses on the action - and for good reason, of course, since that's what fascinates a lot of people. Sometimes, however, that is at the expense of character development or even just world building - if I'm going to read about a world being torn apart, the author had better make sure that I care about the world and the people in it, and illustrate fully why what's about to happen is a bad thing.
So this book does a great job of that. Maggie's home life isn't the happiest - she has four siblings, a small house, a mother run ragged. When things start going haywire, all of that adds to the pressure on Maggie's shoulders as she finds nightmares plaguing her, seemingly in sync with the mysterious events at Stonehenge... Then when the proverbial crap hits the fan things really get fascinating as the world falls apart around them and Maggie and her two friends find themselves running for their lives, struggling for basic survival and to keep themselves hidden.
At times the plot dragged, however. Finding a balance between build-up and dragging is very difficult and there were points where I wanted things to move along just a wee bit faster, particularly in the first part of the book. The repetition of dreams, fights with her mother and siblings, difficulty at school, etc, all became a bit too much after awhile. In the second half of the book things were much better, though it did remind me of the complaints that people had about the 'tramping through the forest' in the Deathly Hallows!
The end of the book was also a bit uneven and left me with a lot of questions. What's going on? Who caused it? What's going to happen next? To what end is all of this going on? Etc. None of that is a bad thing, I just wished that we'd gotten some more hints along the way, but it serves as a bit of a build-up for book two.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Dare to Dream isn't so much as horrifying as to a novel aimed at a younger audience rather than the upper teens running amok from book to book behind Bookwyrming Thoughts (and of course, their own blogs). Simply put: Ella will butcher this, Lupe will make this sprout unicorns, Rundus will dissect this in a manner as seriously as possible, and Sophia might do a combination of blandly blunt dissection while trying to sprout at least one unicorn so no one (hopefully) will get a headache in the process.
But of course, the very last reviewer might be exaggerating a little. She may also be hitting the truth button at the exact same time she decided to press the "write a review in the third person" button.
In this ever so "blandly blunt dissection" of a mini-review, Dare to Dream is essentially divided into two parts: the first part is before the apocalypse, and the second part is the aftermath. It is really just a book that has a main character with a broken family, cries often (well, she is fourteen), and finding her place in the world – all while receiving dreams of the end of the world in the same way nightly and finding out it's in connection to the demise of Stonehenge. Oh, and it is also a day by day play of events that feels more proper in a sleeptastic documentary.
Basically, it's just tales of family drama from a fourteen-year-old British schoolgirl. The whole apocalypse thing? It might as well be a subplot until you get to the second part, where the primary purpose is surviving it day by day. But the point is, middle school Sophia might like this better than high school senior Sophia, who actually likes the whole Stonehenge aspect.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
But of course, the very last reviewer might be exaggerating a little. She may also be hitting the truth button at the exact same time she decided to press the "write a review in the third person" button.
In this ever so "blandly blunt dissection" of a mini-review, Dare to Dream is essentially divided into two parts: the first part is before the apocalypse, and the second part is the aftermath. It is really just a book that has a main character with a broken family, cries often (well, she is fourteen), and finding her place in the world – all while receiving dreams of the end of the world in the same way nightly and finding out it's in connection to the demise of Stonehenge. Oh, and it is also a day by day play of events that feels more proper in a sleeptastic documentary.
Basically, it's just tales of family drama from a fourteen-year-old British schoolgirl. The whole apocalypse thing? It might as well be a subplot until you get to the second part, where the primary purpose is surviving it day by day. But the point is, middle school Sophia might like this better than high school senior Sophia, who actually likes the whole Stonehenge aspect.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts