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13th out of 598 books
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Dreamland
by
Sarah Dessen (Goodreads Author)
Rogerson Biscoe, with his green eyes and dark curly hair, is absolutely seductive. Before long, sixteen-year-old Caitlin finds herself under his spell. And when he starts to abuse her, she finds she's in too deep to get herself out...
Paperback, 250 pages
Published
May 11th 2004
by Puffin
(first published September 1st 2000)
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Cara
rated it
Recommends it for:
Sarah Dessen fans
Recommended to Cara by:
Ash
Shelves:
realistic-fiction
Is there another word for heartbreaking? One that really can sum up feeling totally drained, broken, but at the same time hopeful? If the word does exist, that's this book in a nutshell.
While reading this I literally cringed and would slap the book shut, but a couple seconds later I would open it again to see what happens to a girl named Caitlin. She never feels like she measures up to her sister Cass, and in turn that leads her to trouble. And that trouble is named Rogerson (this i...more
While reading this I literally cringed and would slap the book shut, but a couple seconds later I would open it again to see what happens to a girl named Caitlin. She never feels like she measures up to her sister Cass, and in turn that leads her to trouble. And that trouble is named Rogerson (this i...more
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Dreamland is about a girl named Caitlin. The books starts with her older sister, Cassandra, running away-which leaves Caitlin's family situation in chaos, and also leaves Caitlin to fill her "perfect" sister's place. She joins the cheerleading squad and starts to date a jock-the whole prep girl routine. But that abruptly ends when she meets a bad-boy named Rogerson.
This book was amazingly written-just like Sarah Dessen's other book (that I've read) This Lullaby.
But it...more
This book was amazingly written-just like Sarah Dessen's other book (that I've read) This Lullaby.
But it...more
Before this book, I'd only read one other book by Sarah Dessen--Lock and Key. And while it was a pretty decent read, I wasn't sure what the whole fuss over Sarah Dessen was about. And now I totes do!
I didn't really know much about the novel before reading it...besides for it involving dating abuse. And I kind of love 'issue' novels, so this one sounded right up my alley. And it was!
The story starts off with the the MC Caitlin's sister Cass running ...more
I didn't really know much about the novel before reading it...besides for it involving dating abuse. And I kind of love 'issue' novels, so this one sounded right up my alley. And it was!
The story starts off with the the MC Caitlin's sister Cass running ...more
There is something to be said for authors that refuse to write the "Hollywood ending." They believe in their stories enough to write characters that need more than a big screen smooch to resolve their conflicts. Instead, these authors take the chance of writing an extended resolution, arguing, I imagine, that it takes time to resolve the problems people have. I would argue that novels that have a strong sense of resolution, something more than the sum of its tied-up-loose-ends, make a ...more
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Sixteen-year-old Caitlin had a terrible birthday; her older sister Cass ran away to New York that morning to be with her boyfriend, giving up her future at Yale and leaving only a note behind for her family. Since then, Caitlin has been struggling to sustain life as the girl left behind, missing Cass, but resenting the need to take her place at school and at home. Rebelling, she takes up with mysterious, dangerous Rogerson Biscoe, who helps her forget her problems...until he becomes a bigger pro...more
I actually enjoyed this book a great deal. It's a bit heavier in theme than most of Dessen's work, which I enjoyed, as it fit her tone well. But I wish she would stop writing cautionary tale-type fare; it's unfair to the target readers. Time and time again Dessen's stories don't stand on their own but instead as lessons to young girls to be good, that "bad boys" lead to trouble, that drinking leads to bad decision-making, that sex is not without its punishments, that generally boys kno...more
While reading this book, there was many things that I liked, and very few that I didn't. I can relate to this book in a couple of ways which to me was really cool. I like how in the book they go into detail about what is going on and explain it so that you will understand. I like how it gives a couple different outlooks on what could happen and then shows/tells what really did happen. I liked how when Rogerson & Caitlin first got together things were good but when they had been together for a wh...more
Barky
rated it
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Although this book may not start off so grim, it does get darker the deeper you go. This is not a bad thing though! I enjoy darker stories! The subject matter is so common these days and although its a depressing one, it provided quite an intense plot line for this book. Even though Dreamland may be depressing, it's a great read! I was so compelled to read what happened next! I've never read so much in a car (normally i get bored easily or am never in the mood to read while in the car. not this ...more
This book is a light, easy read that can be finished in one night. Dessen again finds strange situations to throw her protagonists into and then we all read on to see how they solved their problems.
I, however, did not like this book. I found the characters completely unlikeable excluding one or two minor characters. Basically, you have two crazy kids. Rogerson (drug dealer) and Caitlin (cheerleader & girlfriend to the drug dealer). At first, Rogerson seems all mysterious and cool...more
I, however, did not like this book. I found the characters completely unlikeable excluding one or two minor characters. Basically, you have two crazy kids. Rogerson (drug dealer) and Caitlin (cheerleader & girlfriend to the drug dealer). At first, Rogerson seems all mysterious and cool...more
Pg.1-138
So far what happened is Caitlin's older sister ran away with her boyfriend. Her family and neighbors are in major sadness. Caitlin joins cheerleading with her friend Rina. She goes to parties. One day before a party she was at a football game. The squad was doing their cheer. they did a pyrimid Caitlin was on top. When she got there she heard someone say Cass's name over and over again. Then she fell off the top of the pyrimid. She got caught and the girl that caught her didn...more
So far what happened is Caitlin's older sister ran away with her boyfriend. Her family and neighbors are in major sadness. Caitlin joins cheerleading with her friend Rina. She goes to parties. One day before a party she was at a football game. The squad was doing their cheer. they did a pyrimid Caitlin was on top. When she got there she heard someone say Cass's name over and over again. Then she fell off the top of the pyrimid. She got caught and the girl that caught her didn...more
"Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." --Eleanor Roosevelt
This was one of those books that I would start off easily. And also, one of those books that I would cringe and shut their covers because of too much tension and unbearable anxiety. Some of those books, they were left unfinished. I couldn't just go on because they were too hard to read. -But, all books have souls-. They would speak to you and nag you to finish them and find out about the c...more
This was one of those books that I would start off easily. And also, one of those books that I would cringe and shut their covers because of too much tension and unbearable anxiety. Some of those books, they were left unfinished. I couldn't just go on because they were too hard to read. -But, all books have souls-. They would speak to you and nag you to finish them and find out about the c...more
This book started slow for me, but I definitely got more into it as the story went on. The author does a good job of pulling the reader into Caitlin's plight; I cared what happened next.
That said, I had trouble with the way the abusive relationship was portrayed. I've done a lot of volunteer work in this area and abuse tends to happen in a "cycle"... the abuse occurs, then the abuser apologizes/says he'll never do it again/loves on the victim big time/etc. It goes from abso...more
That said, I had trouble with the way the abusive relationship was portrayed. I've done a lot of volunteer work in this area and abuse tends to happen in a "cycle"... the abuse occurs, then the abuser apologizes/says he'll never do it again/loves on the victim big time/etc. It goes from abso...more
When Caitlan discovers that her older sister, Cass has run away from home to be with her boyfriend, it shocks Caitlan's whole family. Cass was always like the "perfect" daughter, cheerleader, overachiever, all A's, etc. Caitlan feels obligated to join cheer squad to make her mother happy.
Caitlan later falls for mysterious, green eyed Rogerson. Rogerson and her have the perfect relationship. Rogerson introdues Caitlan to the drug world and when Rogerson hit her for the first time,...more
Caitlan later falls for mysterious, green eyed Rogerson. Rogerson and her have the perfect relationship. Rogerson introdues Caitlan to the drug world and when Rogerson hit her for the first time,...more
The book I read is called Dreamland by Sarah Dessen. Sarah has also written the novels titled That Summer, Someone like You, and Keeping the Moon. In “Dreamland”, a confused young teen named Caitlin turns her life in the wrong direction as she leaves a party with her soon-to-be boyfriend, Rogerson. Little did she know that this stranger she grew to love would be so controlling. Rogerson beats Caitlin and introduces her to drugs, but Caitlin’s parents do not seem to notice because they are too ca...more
I'm on my post-final YA fiction binge and working my way through the roommate's Sarah Dessen books. This one was, in my opinion, sadly lacking. Dessen gets into the head of an abused girlfriend very well, and the slow slide into an abusive relationship is believable. However, we never find out why her boyfriend was abusing her, leaving him to be a one-dimensional 'bad boy' and the circumstances around their relationship remained shallow. I don't have much patience for people who are too weak to ...more
This book was a lot better than I thought it would be. I've read most of Sarah Dessen's novels just not her older ones. I still have to get to Keeping the Moon and That Summer. She's definitely one of my favourite authors so when I finally got around to this one I was excited. This book was a lot different than her other novels but still had the same Sarah Dessen writing style. I wish it was a bit longer so you could really get to see what happened with Caitlin but I still really liked it. If yo...more
It took me so long to finish this book and not because I didn't like it, but because it was so hard for me to read. I wanted so badly to cry with Caitlin and so badly to punch Rogerson (How ironic...) But instead I was forcing myself to keep reading, hoping for a happy ending. The writing was simply real and raw. The characters were troubled and as real as anyone can get.
When Caitlin's perfect sister,Cass, goes missing, she uses that as an opportunity to find herself and step out of he...more
When Caitlin's perfect sister,Cass, goes missing, she uses that as an opportunity to find herself and step out of he...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Has your life ever turned upside down in one night?Caitlin O’koren has a pretty normal life until she wakes up on her sixteenth birthday to find out that her 18 year old sister, Cass, runs away with her boyfriend to a unknown place. Her parents were so stressed about what her sister did they didn’t even wish her a happy birthday. She was so upset that her sister Cass ran away the night before her birthday and that her parents forgot about her birthday and that was when she started rebelling. Cai...more
Dreamland is a very deep book; there are many real problems the main character, Caitlin, has to deal with. At the beginning of to book, Caitlin's sister runs away from home. Throughout the book she is away, and every once in a while Caitlin catches a glimpse of her on T.V. Things are pretty bad for this girl to start with. When they start to get better for her with the help of her new boyfriend, Rogerson, the book takes a turn that I didn't expect. Rogerson starts hitting and abusing Caitlin. No...more
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Caitlin is sick of walking in the shadow of her sister so when her sister disappears she thinks it's her time, but her parent's practically forget her and stare at a TV all day just to catch glimpses of her (she works off stage on some weird show). But when Rogerson comes along she finds herself happy and free to do whatever she wants. Then one night he snaps and hits her. Throughout the story I was turning (or in my case scrolling) every page going "I hope someone saves her NOW". The ...more
On the morning of Caitlin's sixteenth birthday, her older sister Cass runs away from home, leaving behind her "perfect" life and upcoming enrollment at Yale. In the void of Cass's absence, Caitlin tries to become everything that her older sister was not: she joins the cheerleading squad, smokes pot, and starts dating the mysterious Rogerson. When her relationship with Rogerson becomes dangerous and unhealthy, Caitlin begins to fade away, seeing her life as a dreamland from which ther...more
I'm generally not a fan of Sarah Dessen; I've picked up a few of her books, attempted to get into them, only to drop them uninterestedly. Dreamland, however, really broke the mold for me. I absolutely fell into this novel, captivated by Cait and Rogerson's tumultuous relationship. Rogerson himself is a wonderfully written character; seductive, mysterious, alluring, drives a nice car, and (my favorite quirk of his) knows a myriad of random trivia. I loved one part in the story where he actually p...more
While this was a great read, written wonderfully by Sarah Dessen, it is also one of the more depressing novels that Dessen has written. This novel follows Caitlin, a young girl in high school who is fighting to find her place in life after her older sister and idol, Cass, has run away to be with her boyfriend. Her sister's disappearance from her and her parents' lives has caused them all to react in slightly destructive ways, but very much so for Caitlin. She falls under the spell of your typica...more
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen is about a girl named Caitlyn. After her sister Cass disappears everybody starts to change. Caitlyn joined cheerleading with her best friend Rina because it was something Cass had never done. Caitlyn’s mom was devastated that Cass left, so she started to get very involved in Caitlyn’s cheerleading. But as time went on Cass always still seemed to be more important. Caitlyn was still feeling like she was just following in the footsteps of her sister, until she met Rogerso...more
The main character is called Caitlin O' Koren. At the age of 16, her sister ran away from home. At first she was really sad, but at the same time happy becuae now she could be the favorite child. BUt then she started changing; she joined chearleading, started smoking, had a new and dangerous boyfriend and she started forgeting about her family. Her boyfriend, Rogerson, had a business in which dealed with selling pot. As Caitlin's relationship with Rogerson grew longer, their happiness grew short...more
Dreamland is addictive. In fact, I think it’s Sarah Dessen’s best work (from what I’ve read so far). I end up saying that about every Dessen book I read, but I think Dreamland is completely unlike her other books. I mean, Sarah Dessen’s characteristic sombre prose was there, and although this book is like, eleven years old, (surprise, surprise) it’s something teenagers can relate to right now.
Abuse is a tough topic to handle, and an equally tough one to read about. The only book I’v...more
Abuse is a tough topic to handle, and an equally tough one to read about. The only book I’v...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ~YA. Girl's Fiction~: Dreamland | 1 | 2 | Feb 01, 2012 01:13pm | |
| Your thoughts? | 26 | 35 | Jan 23, 2012 12:24am | |
| why did rogerson hit her? | 19 | 142 | Dec 29, 2011 03:10pm | |
| hello world! jk jk | 2 | 41 | Oct 26, 2011 08:17pm | |
| Class of 2012: Is Rogerson good for Caitlin? | 1 | 5 | Oct 21, 2011 03:21pm | |
| Class of 2012: Who was that guy screaming in the stands for Cass? | 1 | 4 | Oct 19, 2011 02:39pm |
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“I was worn out, broken: He had taken almost everything. But he'd been all I'd had, all this time. And when the police led him away, I pulled out of the hands of all these loved one, sobbing, screaming, everything hurting, to try and make him stay.”
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285 people liked it
“I wondered if he ever thought of me, and hated the pang I felt when I told myself he didn't.”
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188 people liked it
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