Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Dream Factory

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 1,451 ratings · 196 reviews

When the character actors at Disney World go on strike, the teens hired as replacements learn that it isn't exactly the Happiest Place on Earth. Ella gets to be Cinderella, simply because the shoe fits. It should be a dream come true, but Ella no longer believes in dreams. Luke is a fur character, Dale the chipmunk. Chip is played by his girlfriend, Cassie, who is perfect...more

Hardcover, 250 pages

Published May 17th 2007 by Dutton Juvenile

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Best YA books that AREN'T paranormal

48th out of 184 books — 156 voters

Different Perspective Books

41st out of 167 books — 148 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,668)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Jan 19, 2009 Valerie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: male-protagonist, realistic-fiction

I thought the book had a good setting but I couldn't like the characters. The 2 main characters talked about bazaar things that are -in my opinion- unimportant and irrelevant. I could tell that the authors wanted Ella and Luke to look like deep thinkers but to me their conversations didn't sound deep, just weird. I mean, they talked about slugs -don't you just get goose bumps at the profoundness of it. And they talked about it like it was the most relevant thing in the world. From now on I will...more

6 likes · like · see review

Feb 19, 2013 Savannah S rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is called Dream Factory by: Brad Barkley. It is 250 pages long and I read it the week of october 22. The book is about a group of teenagers who are hired as replacements after the disney characters go on strike. The book is kind of a cinderella story between Ella, who plays Cinderella, and Luke, who plays Dale. In the begining Prince charming and Cinderella are dating and so are Chip and Dale. But then later on in the story the two couples go on a double date and get a surprise mystery...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 09, 2009 Runa added it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 05, 2007 Sonia Reppe rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-teen-lit, florida

Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler put the “zip” in zip-a-dee-doo-dah

Teen identity crisis against a backdrop of fairy tales and make-believe is what we get in Barkley and Hepler’s newest YA novel, Dream Factory, about teenagers who take temporary jobs at Disney World. The Disney World setting is an ironic contrast to teen angst, but this book isn't all about disillusionment. Nor does it go into familiar thematic formula—which one might associate with Disney—a villain, a hero, and a predictable endi...more Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler put the “zip” in zip-a-dee-doo-dah

Teen identity crisis against a backdrop of fairy tales and make-believe is what we get in Barkley and Hepler’s newest YA novel, Dream Factory, about teenagers who take temporary jobs at Disney World. The Disney World setting is an ironic contrast to teen angst, but this book isn't all about disillusionment. Nor does it go into familiar thematic formula—which one might associate with Disney—a villain, a hero, and a predictable ending. Barkley and Hepler don’t need to rely on this format. They give us an entertaining summer fling book in which, instead of fighting “bad guys,” their characters are dealing with the more personal trouble of “finding themselves.” The sunny Disney World backdrop is just that: a fun backdrop, and it helps guide the story’s theme of following one’s dreams.

The point of view flips each chapter between two aimless teens, Luke and Ella. Luke doesn’t want to follow his dad into the world of corporate careers and grown-up haircuts. For now, he’s happy dressing up as Dale (you know, the chipmunk) and playing make-believe; but Cassie, an ambitious beauty and his counterpart—Chip—can’t understand why he avoids a perfectly packaged future. They become a couple, but it becomes clear that his true counterpart is Ella, the only one who seems to get him. They joke and share quirky ruminations about life. But since Luke can’t seem to make up his mind about anything, he dallies between the two girls. His conflicting feelings between Ella and Cassie are real, and I like that true-to-life aspect. I didn’t get as much honest realness from Emma, who recently lost her brother to a car crash. We get her skepticism on the happily-ever-after tagline, but the book glosses over her feelings. When she starts to cry, the scene cuts away; we’re not taken into her moments of grief.
All the better for keeping an upbeat feel to the story. Every teen in the book spews witty dialogue smoothly and readily, and the rhythm of the narrative is as light and jaunty as a horse-drawn carriage on its way to a ball. My favorite supporting character is Mark, a good-hearted, sincere Disney devotee who is as princely as the Prince Charming character it is his job to play, opposite Ella’s forlorn Cinderella.
I like that the story’s main conflicts are internal; Luke and Ella wrestle with themselves and their choices, although there are some inflated, abstract analogies throughout the book when these two get introspective. Life is like a snow globe? I don’t know. But I enjoyed the book all the same. At the end I was expecting Luke and Ella to discover what it is they want to do with their lives, but no such convenient ending. We don’t get to go back with them to the real world. But why would we want to?
(less)

1 like · like · see review

Sep 09, 2007 Shelley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: youth

I'm torn on how I feel about this one. I generally liked the characters, and they all felt very real. But Ella and Luke were both so damned earnest and introspective and it was kind of annoying, because they aren't as important as they think they are. But in that way, I suppose they were very realistically 17 years old. *g*

I liked Luke more than Ella, who seemed to suffer in the two person writing - characterization wasn't as consistent for her. I also could empathize with Luke's situation, hav...more

2 likes · like · see review

Apr 07, 2008 Karla rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: teens - both boys and girls

Shelves: ya

This is a light romance set in Disneyworld which was the first draw for me. Ella and Luke fall for each other one summer while they are filling in for costume characters during a strike. This was a fun read but had more serious undertones for teens trying to discover what is real about themselves and the world around them. Disneyworld is all about creating and selling fantasy. So there are several levels of illusion the characters have to sift through - the illusion of their jobs, the illusions...more

1 like · like · see review

May 21, 2013 Erin Behr rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dream Factory tells the love story of teens Ella and Luke, who have been hired by Disney World to take over the character mascot roles while the normal workers are on strike. Ella and Luke both have significant others and are just friends—or are they?

I love this novel because it's told from both characters' points of view: it has two authors (Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler), each of which takes a character and writes from his/her perspective. This makes for a lot of awesome dialogue and a grea...more

like · see review

Feb 27, 2013 Nic rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Oh boy, I am torn. I'm rounding this book's score up to a four because I did enjoy the experience of reading it, but I did NOT like either of the point-of-view characters. In fact, I didn't take a particular shine to any character that I can remember.

The writing style is pretty fun, and not so heavy on the weird introspective monologues as Scrambled Eggs at Midnight, which is written by the same authors in the same style: alternating chapters between a guy's and girl's points of view as they fal...more Oh boy, I am torn. I'm rounding this book's score up to a four because I did enjoy the experience of reading it, but I did NOT like either of the point-of-view characters. In fact, I didn't take a particular shine to any character that I can remember.

The writing style is pretty fun, and not so heavy on the weird introspective monologues as Scrambled Eggs at Midnight, which is written by the same authors in the same style: alternating chapters between a guy's and girl's points of view as they fall for each other. I will say that, like Cal from Scrambled Eggs at Midnight, Ella of Dream Factory makes one long, unwieldy, distracting metaphor using colors. Only for Ella, so help me, colors are not enough. She makes all the things that have upset her into the cars of a train, which she then assigns colors seemingly at random. One event is an "orange boxcar," another a "blue passenger car," etc. I get that she's trying to create a visual of a series of discreet traumatic events linking together into one long train that is too much for her, but for me, it's a little much.

What drew me into the book - in fact, what made me pick it up - is the premise: the costumed characters at Disney World go on strike, and the park temporarily replaces them with a bunch of teens. Now, with minimal training, these teens (on the older side - seventeen, eighteen, nineteen) have to reenact Disney scenes, entertain hyper kids, and try to stay in character, whether that character is Cinderella (Ella) or Dale (Luke - that's Dale of Chip and Dale).

Whereas Scrambled Eggs at Midnight left me wishing for more detail about the interesting settings - a Renaissance Faire and a Christian weight-loss camp - this book absolutely delivers the goods. I'm very curious about how the authors know so much about working at Disney World, or whether it's possible they made it up. I'm guessing that either one of the authors worked there or they interviewed at least one person who did. I myself have never even been to the park, but this portrayal of the lives of the costumed character actors seems real (and hilarious) to me. Too bad there isn't a credit in the book somewhere to explain where the info came from. I was actually curious about the legalities of setting a story in a famous real place, especially given that the book is not always complimentary of Disney World. There is a sort of disclaimer at the front of the book, at the end of that bit saying that this is fiction and any resemblance blah blah is coincidental. It says something like, "This book depicts fictional events occurring in a real place." So . . . does that mean Disney couldn't sue or anything? Not that the book is exactly scathing, but what I've heard is that Disney can be pretty lawsuit-happy.

At any rate, the setting is excellent. Once again, my problem is with the characters. Basically, when we meet Ella and Luke, Luke can't believe he's lucky enough to be dating hot, smart, put-together Cassie, who plays Chip. Even though he doesn't actually like her. Meanwhile, Ella likes Luke, but will not make a move because since her brother died and her parents kind of abandoned her, she's scared that people she cares about can devastate her by leaving, so she doesn't want to let people get that close in the first place. Still, she doesn't like Cassie, and so she totally flirts with Luke anyway. Then Mark, the poor sweethearted sap who plays her Prince Charming, asks her out, and she says yes, so they start dating, despite the fact that Ella (a) doesn't want to connect to anyone really, and (b) if she were going to connect to someone, would definitely want it to be Luke.

Meanwhile there are a bunch of other characters, including Robin Hood (sleazy pickup artist, but mostly portrayed as kind of funny and occasionally bizarrely wise), Snow White (played by Ella's friend Amy), Friar Tuck (Jesse, eventually winds up dating Amy), and Eyore (Anna, who exists so that the other characters can slut-shame her, even though, uh, SHE'S not the one ignoring the person she's dating to flirt with another person who's dating someone else, and also Robin Hood appears in a MUCH more positive light, and I'm SO SURE it's just a coincidence that a guy interested in sex is fun and popular while a girl interested in sex is vapid and "slutty" and gets no respect from anyone, including Robin Hood, even when they're dating) (deep breath).

I feel like the authors are inconsistent on Cassie's character. Her characterization ranges from, "Cassie's ambitious and driven, but that doesn't make her a bad person," to, "Boy, that Cassie is a witch." Mostly, they avoid the easy trap of demonizing her automatically, and I appreciate that they let her make some very good and reasonable points about the way Luke is acting around Ella and how that makes Cassie feel. Of course, Luke's reaction is to feel kind of bad, but not stop. He's stringing Cassie along because she's a trophy and because she's what he thinks his family would pick out to go along with the perfect future they've arranged for him. By the end of the book, he's staying out all night with Ella and smooching her for four hours at a time, all without ever having broken up with Cassie. Ella takes absolutely zero issue with this on Cassie's behalf, being unhappy about it only insomuch as whyyyy is Luke still dating that girl I don't liiiiike? So now we're supposed to be rooting for a cheating guy and the complicit other woman? (Who isn't herself a cheater exactly because she and Mark break up shortly before this point, but whose treatment of him before that was far from stellar.)

As in Scrambled Eggs for Breakfast, the main boy and main girl seem to have a near-immediate sense that they belong together. However, in that other book, the two have no internal obstacles: they just get together, then spend the rest of the book resisting the attempts of the rest of the world to get in the way. In this book, the obstacles are mostly internal: Ella's sadness and fear of loss, Luke's discontent with the future his parents planned for him and fear of selling out. Which I could have dealt with if it weren't for Cassie and poor Mark. I just do not like, under virtually any circumstances, to be expected to sympathize with someone who is cheating on her/his partner. Especially in a situation like this, when just breaking up with said partner would be so easy and consequence-free. There are parts of this book where Cassie in particular is made to seem like the villain just for daring to be dating Luke when OBVIOUSLY Luke and Ella were made for each other. But, um, dating someone is a collaboration, and every glare being thrown at Cassie should engender an equal glare at Luke - maybe even a bigger one, because Cassie doesn't know that their relationship is standing in the way of TWU WUV and Luke does.

So, in review (of my review! ha ha!), love the setting, can't stand the characters. The final factor in my deciding to round up my score is Luke's middle name, because it is great and I never guessed.(less)

like · see review

Jun 12, 2012 Brittany rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Apr 24, 2012 Tangueray added it

When you were a kid, have you ever looked up to Disney character like the famous mickey mouse? or goofy? When you went to Disneyland or even Disney World your dream was to get a picture with your favorite cartoon character; but imagine you being able to play the part. Would you like the fact of walking around in a hot costume in a hundred degree weather, having kids nag at you every second of the day, and having to put on a show almost twice a day seven days a week?

In the fictional novel Dream...more When you were a kid, have you ever looked up to Disney character like the famous mickey mouse? or goofy? When you went to Disneyland or even Disney World your dream was to get a picture with your favorite cartoon character; but imagine you being able to play the part. Would you like the fact of walking around in a hot costume in a hundred degree weather, having kids nag at you every second of the day, and having to put on a show almost twice a day seven days a week?

In the fictional novel Dream Factory by Brad Barkley & Heather Hepler, a college girl named Ella who plays Cinderella, learns what it's really like to be behind the role of a fictional character. Besides all the makeup and fake act that they are forced to play while walking the streets of Disney World, Ella soon discovers that not all the people behind the characters are made up with love, trust, and pixie dust. She then gets tied between two lovers, Prince Charming, and Luke who plays one of the chipmunks. She also has to learn how to move on from her dreadful past of her older brother passing away from a car crash. Can she be able to juggle all this with the fear of being fired by her paranoid boss and getting ready for college soon?

Brad Barkley & Heather Hepler write the book using two different perspectives. It would start of as the first chapter being Ella, then the second chapter Luke, third chapter Ella, etc. I liked their way of writing the book like that because then you get a different point of view in certain problems instead of just one. It also spices up the story because Ella goes through different problems than Luke so each of their sections are different each time. They also use "teen language" so it can be relatable for the teens who read. Not much detail goes on in the story; you kind of have to use your imagination at most parts.

All and all I thought the story was pretty ok. It wasn't that boring but i still had a good time reading it because it was Disney themed. It was a different vibe from what I am use to reading. I would recommend this book to people who like Disney going to Disneyland and or Disney World since that is what the book focuses on. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Oct 15, 2009 Georgia_W rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dream Factory is a very appealing love story that puts a whole new twist on the fantastic,land of Disney World. This story shows the fun depiction of life within the Magic Kingdom. Brad Barkley's book, Dream Factory drew me in with its romantic plot and unique writing style.

One point that definitely needs to be made about this book is the theme. Dream Factory is one of those stories that has a very important lesson to learn by the end of the book. The lesson that I learned was to be yourself and...more Dream Factory is a very appealing love story that puts a whole new twist on the fantastic,land of Disney World. This story shows the fun depiction of life within the Magic Kingdom. Brad Barkley's book, Dream Factory drew me in with its romantic plot and unique writing style.

One point that definitely needs to be made about this book is the theme. Dream Factory is one of those stories that has a very important lesson to learn by the end of the book. The lesson that I learned was to be yourself and not care what people think of you. In the story, the main character Ella never tries to be anyone but herself. Even if other people find her strange, weird, or even crazy she doesn't try to keep up a different appearance. The other important character, Luke, by the end of the book finally learns how important this skill is.

As I said before, the romantic plot of Dream Factory was one of the main reasons that the book really grabbed my attention. The main story takes place in the wonderful world of Disney. A group of different teenagers from all over the country come together to work in Magic Kingdom for the summer. One of the teenagers that comes to work is named Luke and soon begins dating the beautiful, blond Cassie. Even though he does loves his girlfriend, he can't help but find himself fascinated with a strange girl named Ella. Luke and Ella soon become very close friends, and the plot thickens when Cassie becomes jealous and chooses a new partner for the park-wide scavenger hunt. Dream Factory continues to be an attention-grabbing love story that anyone would enjoy.

Finally, the characters of the story were all so different I couldn't help myself to not love getting to know all of them. She may have been gorgeous and fun but Cassie was my most disliked character. In the story, she cared too much about her looks and what people thought of her. She also was very clingy, and seemed to ruin the love story between Luke and Ella. Speaking of Ella, she was my most beloved character. Ella was unique, simple, and perfectly fine with her true self.

As you can see by reading my book review, I really loved this book! I am already a Disney fan to begin with, so this book just increased my love for Disney in general. I would mostly recommend Dream Factory for all of the girls who love a good love story. (less)

1 like · like · see review

Mar 10, 2012 Sama rated it 1 of 5 stars

OH MY GOD!! i couldn't stand this book. I kept telling myself that it would get better but but the hole book was just BLEH!! The only reason i actually finished this book is because i cant not finish a book and this book aggravated the sh*t out of me. 1. the characters. I felt no connection to any of them, literally, they could have gotten run over by a bus and i wouldn't have even cared. I mean i tried to connect with them but no absolutely nothing, zip, noda. any many other things i found wron...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 04, 2009 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Ella and Luke both work as characters in Disney World. Luke spends his days sweltering in the Florida heat in a full body chipmunk suit (a la Chip and Dale) while Ella spends her days dressed as Cinderella, marrying her Prince Charming every afternoon at three. The two are friends among a group of other character actors, but they seem to be destined to become more than friends. Told in alternating points of view from the two characters, this is a fun summer read with a hilarious setup.

The thing...more

like · see review

Mar 05, 2011 Paige rated it 3 of 5 stars

"Dream Factory" is about teens being hired to work at Disney World while the normal characters have gone on strike. Ella and Luke have become really good friends working as characters at Disney, but Luke has started to like Ella more than just friends-even if Ella has a boyfriend and Luke has a girlfriend. When their boss decides to make the new cast members go on a scavenger hunt, Ella's boyfriend pairs up with Luke's girlfriend. Everyone else was already partnered up, so Ella and Luke had to...more

like · see review

Sep 13, 2011 Raina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, realistic, ya

I'm impressed by the fine line walked by this book. On the one hand, it's an expose of Disneyworld - we meet annoying bosses, see behind the curtain in a lot of ways, and for goodness sake, the premise is that the character workers go on strike and a bunch of random teens have to take their places temporarily. On the other hand, the bubble never completely pops. Yes, one character is made fun of because of his devotion to the Kool-Aid. But at the end of the book, (view spoiler)...more

like · see review

Nov 07, 2012 Meredith R. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Author: Brad Barkley
Pages: 250
Genre: Realistic Fiction/ Romance
Date Read: November 5

This is a book about the Disney characters and their struggles with life. In the book it starts out as Chip and Dale dating, and Cinderella and Prince Charming dating. But then Prince Charming dumps Cinderella, and Dale starts liking her. Then they go to find a mysterious surprise.
I gave this book 3 stars becuase I thought it was good, except there was a little too much romance for the plot. It would have been...more

like · see review

May 21, 2013 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this book in the library and thought it would be interesting. In the book dream factory Ella and Luke are working as temparary characters at disney land while a stike is seatled with the original characters. my favorite quote from the book is "You asked me if I believed in magic, and I said yes, and that's how. You just step out, start pulling your life out of the air. You make friends, you find work you really like doing, you find places. You find diners and Laundromats. You find beache...more

like · see review

Dec 26, 2012 Ana Sofia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Reading this book was definitely an adventure. First, the friend that lent it to me told me she bought it just because it was cheap, and I expected crap just from there. However, if I had to rate the book I would say it got better as it progressed. The first chapter was a definite "didn't like it." I just read it and didn't want to open the book again. Stubborn me, though, can't go without finishing a book so I gave it a go. It got better, quite boring in parts but with a hope of a better read,...more

like · see review

Jun 14, 2011 Ashleyn Poston rated it 4 of 5 stars

There isn't much to say about Dream Factory by Brad Barkley and Heather Helper besides that it is cute, it makes you laugh, and it occasionally a witty line or two.

Here's the quick and easy: Disney World's actors have gone on strike for better food and benefits. In leu of the strike, the company hires cheap labor (aka high school kids who are paid minimum wage). Ella, who is hired to play Cinderella, likes this guy named Luke, who isn't Prince Charming. In fact, Luke plays Dale (from, you know,...more There isn't much to say about Dream Factory by Brad Barkley and Heather Helper besides that it is cute, it makes you laugh, and it occasionally a witty line or two.

Here's the quick and easy: Disney World's actors have gone on strike for better food and benefits. In leu of the strike, the company hires cheap labor (aka high school kids who are paid minimum wage). Ella, who is hired to play Cinderella, likes this guy named Luke, who isn't Prince Charming. In fact, Luke plays Dale (from, you know, Chip and Dale?)... and just so happens to have a girlfriend who plays Chip--a very smokin' girlfriend. When the new Prince Charming is hired, Ella is supposed to fall for him. She should fall for him. But she's falling so very hard for Luke, and Luke is doing just the same. Can these two lovestruck teenagers get their game together, or will they forever fail at Happily Ever After?

I won't tell you the ending, but I can tell you that this book is cute. It's squee-worthy, especially for Disney fans. The internal struggles in Ella and Luke--who they want to be, where home is, what their future holds, ect--both keep the novel interesting because they change their minds every two seconds ("I might like you, but you have a girlfriend!" "I like my girlfriend... but I like you more!" "I don't have a future with you but I want one!" "What will we do with a future together? You're better with her!" "He'd never like me, I'm so naive!" "I can't like her, my parents would kill me!" ...ect) but it also slows the read down. Like, to a snail's pace.

Also the character soliloquies almost killed me. They have so much internal thought, it takes up the majority of the novel. The authors have a wonderful way of telling you what the characters are feeling, but they do a shoddy job at showing it.

The dialogue (between those bulky soliloquies), however, is fresh and sharp. I enjoyed that more than anything else. Luke is a doll baby, and his girlfriend is likable, if not a little controlling. The boy who plays Prince Charming, Mark, is a sharp-shooter factoid spouting random bits about The Happiest Place On Earth. The character I enjoyed the most is Ella. Quirky, likable Ella. She asks the most wonderful questions.

"Do you believe in magic?" is one of my most favorites. And magic has a key element in this novel, not only because it is set in Disney World where the proverbial "magic" happens, but how they term the word magic. It's love, it's life. It's deciding what's right and what's wrong, and it's the word for things that fall so abstractly into place.

While I have my qualms with this novel, the good outweighs the bad, and while I will probably never read this novel again I'm glad I did the first time. It's a good beach read for those of you who want a little Disney throwback.(less)

like · see review

May 30, 2009 Lesley rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, multiple-narrators

Pros: Very romantic. Not typical bubble-gum romance, but the truly, madly, deeply kind. Will appeal to fans of deep, intense conversations. Sort of Nick-and-Norah but without the rampant swearing. Also no sex, which means you can give it to smart younger girls. Disneyworld setting provides lots of opportunities for wry observations.

Cons: Won't appeal to readers who aren't fans of deep, intense conversations. Not entirely clear to me what is keeping the romantic leads apart. Yes, they're each dat...more

like · see review

Nov 08, 2012 Hillary Jo rated it 1 of 5 stars

After reading and enjoying "Scrambled Eggs at Midnight" by the same authors as this book, I was expecting this one to be great too. I was unpleasantly surprised. There are a number of problems I have with this novel. One is that it isn't believable in the slightest. The romance is trivial and the characters emotions come off very fake throughout the entire book. Another problem was the confusion I felt while reading. At several points in the story, the authors would contradict each other and the...more

like · see review

Oct 28, 2009 Kathyred rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, realisticfiction

Ella and Luke are working at Disneyworld for the summer, replacing the striking character workers. As someone who has worked for Disneyland in the past, the relentless corporate cheeriness rings true, but some of the other details don't (how can they tell what character the strikers play? They're not allowed to take costumes out of the park) Luke, playing Dale, is dating perfect Cassie (playing Chip), but can't keep away from Ella (playing Cinderella). Alternating voices between Luke and Ella ma...more

like · see review

Feb 26, 2012 Aileen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

I chose to read Dream Factory by Heather Hepler and Brad Barkley because I was desperate to read a book and this one was the first to come into view. This book is basically about a bunch of teenagers who are hired to play disney characters at Disneyland because the original employees went on strike for better working conditions. Ella who plays Cinderella and Luke who plays Dale are brought together when their boss plans a team-building scavenger hunt. My favorite quote was, "I think it isn't so...more

like · see review

Mar 18, 2010 Marie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, favorites, young-adult

At first, I found this book to be a bit hard to follow. There isn't much of an introduction and you just jump right into the story. Ella and Luke spend the summer working at the happiest place on Earth with a bunch of other people around their age including Luke's hot girlfriend Cassie (which makes you wonder, why did they make her a chipmunk if she's so hot?) and Ella's best friend. Ella doesn't believe in dreams coming true much, and how could you blame her with the tragedy she's carrying arou...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 11, 2009 Courtney rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 6th grade and above

Recommended to Courtney by: Karin Perry

Shelves: young-adult-literature

"I mean, both of us are trapped inside something, like mirror images of ourselves and each other. She's trapped inside her loss...And me?...I'm trapped inside everything that's given to me, handed to me, placed on top of me..." - Luke

When Disney characters decide to go on strike, Ella and Luke decide to get jobs at the "happiest place on earth." As they perpetuate Disneyland's happily-ever-after, they see more and more families dienchanted with its magic. Each of them is trying to run from their...more

like · see review

Mar 18, 2009 Mandy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I like this book. Well...I seem to say that to all the books I've read because i do love them all. However, I don't get why the book is called "Dream Factory." The protagonists of this story are Luke and Ella. This book continues with Luke and Ella's perpective interchanging. They meet when both of them are working in Disney World. They became best friends rightaway and they talk about everything. Until Mark shows up. Ella starts to talk to Mark more. Even though Luke has a girlfriend, he doesn'...more

like · see review

Aug 29, 2010 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dream Factory was a good book (I finished it recently). It's about how the characters at Disneyland (or Disney World) go on strike and the people there decided to hire "teens" (people about to go into college) to take their places for the summer, or as long as the strike lasted. it was like a camp. I thought that the way Dream Factory was written was interesting. I liked how the chapters switched off being from Luke's perspective and from Ella's perspective. My understanding of it is that Brad B...more

like · see review

Nov 29, 2009 Beck rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-favorites

I adored this book. It was sweet and cute, and I recommend this to any Sarah Dessen or Elizabeth Scott lovers. The two main characters, Luke and Ella, were impossible to hate while at the same time interesting. My only problem was at times the characters gave descriptions that were too long of things that weren't very interesting, and I just wanted to skip to the interesting romance.
A part of this book that I loved, other than Ella and Luke's romance, was the background characters who were just...more

like · see review

Mar 21, 2009 KRISTI ♫ ♪ rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to KRISTI ♫ ♪ by: Simone and Jasmine

Shelves: my-favorie-books

SEVEN CHAPTERS IN: My friends recommended this book to me. They said it was really good and really funny. So I got a copy of the book. They're right. Dream Factory is a very well-written book. It's HILARIOUS and it pulls you in so it feels like you're the main character.
Also, it switches points of view every chapter. So the first chapter would be Ella's point of view and the second chapter would be Luke's point of view, and so on and on. I like that because it helps you understand both characte...more

like · see review

Nov 03, 2010 Nicole Dreibelbeis rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: friendship, library-book, read-in-2010, romance, summer, young-adult

This was another cute love story told in alternating voices of the guy and girl. I did not like this as well as Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by the same authors, but that book set the bar pretty high since I totally adored it! I enjoyed reading this because of the disney world setting and loved the Disney know it all character Mark. The only part I didn't really like was I never felt like I really got to know the female narrator. I definitely got a feel for the male narrator's personality but that...more

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 88 89 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (6)

More editions...

Genres

Young Adult

69 users

Romance

35 users

Realistic Fiction

13 users

Young Adult > Teen

11 users

Contemporary

10 users

Womens Fiction > Chick Lit

8 users

Humor > Comedy

5 users

Humor

5 users

Fantasy

3 users

Romantic

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Brad Barkley

BRAD BARKLEY, a native of North Carolina, is the author of the novel, Money, Love, a Barnes and Noble "Discover Great New Writers" selection and a "BookSense 76" choice. Money, Love was named one of the best books of 2000 by the Washington Post and the Library Journal. His novel Alison's Automotive Repair Manual was also a "BookSense 76" selection. His short fiction has appeared in over two dozen...more

More about Brad Barkley...

Books by Brad Barkley

Alison's Automotive Repair Manual: A Novel

Another Perfect Catastrophe: and Other Stories

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Dream Factory

1 quiz

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Dream Factory

“You asked me if I believed in magic, and I said yes, and that's how. You just step out, start pulling your life out of the air. You make friends, you find work you really like doing, you find places. You find diners and Laundromats. You find beaches. You find a junk car and drive it for a month, then lave it beside the road. You find someone to fall in love with you. You make it all up as you go. Or, you know, maybe it makes you up.” — 9 people liked it

“Okay, Ella. Is it possible for you to be any more vague?"
"Maybe," I say, smiling at her.” — 2 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: Dream Factory
avg rating	preview: Dream Factory Goodreads rating: 3.69 (1451 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/556452.Dream_Factory?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1175781560l/556452.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/556452.Dream_Factory?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Dream Factory by Brad Barkley[/url]

Dream Factory

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website