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Dreamland (Riley Bloom #3)

by Alyson Noel (Goodreads Author)

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 1,354 ratings · 137 reviews

Riley’s finding that the afterlife can be a lonely place when all you do is focus on work. So she goes to the place where dreams happen, hoping to find a way to contact her sister, Ever. She meets the director, who tells her about the two ways to send dreams. As a Dream Jumper, a person can jump into a dreamer’s dream, share a message, and participate. As a Dreamweaver,

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Paperback, 210 pages

Published September 13th 2011 by Square Fish

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Jan 01, 2013 Samantha Arnold rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dreamland was a really cool book. In my view it wasn't as good as the previous books. I felt like it was copying the previous books. No matter what they trap you in some form of nightmare. Each book it's a bit different though. The first book, she was trapped in someone's mind and she couldn't do anything. Bodhi had to save her that time. The second book, all three of them were trapped in some girl's bubble. And they didn't know how to get out. They had to figure it out. This book, she was liter...more Dreamland was a really cool book. In my view it wasn't as good as the previous books. I felt like it was copying the previous books. No matter what they trap you in some form of nightmare. Each book it's a bit different though. The first book, she was trapped in someone's mind and she couldn't do anything. Bodhi had to save her that time. The second book, all three of them were trapped in some girl's bubble. And they didn't know how to get out. They had to figure it out. This book, she was literally in a bunch of nightmares. She was stuck. And couldn't do a darn thing about it. All she could do was convince him. So, yeah. I found this book pretty boring. But that's because she was just repeating her earlier books. What can I say?
However there was a small twist in the end. You'll all have to read it to figure it out though. It had a little thing to do with her glow. I feel awful for Riley. She was so sad. At least she figures out a way to get closer to her dream of being 13. Even though, I don't think that it was pretty helpful. I'm glad she got time with Ever.
Ever is such a sweet sister. If I were a sister, I hope I'd be like her. Or if I had an older sister, I'd want her to be like her. She amazing and I love her.
Dreamweaving sounds really cool. I still don't get how to dreamweave, not that I think it's physically possible. I'm just saying. It sounds so cool! Wouldn't you like to send someone a dream that you yourself made?! I know that I would. :)
Dreamjumping seems so lame compared to dreamweaving. But dreamjumping is still a great way to get to go hang out with someone or send a message or whatever it is you want. I think the scene that Ever and Riley had together were so sweet.
So all together I'm giving it a 3 for the rating.
Does this book reach my high expectations? No. It could have done better.
Would I recommend this book? And to who? Yeah I'd recommend this book. To any Alyson Noel fans and anyone who've read the previous books in the Riley Bloom series.(less)

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Sep 21, 2012 Tessa rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Un troisième volet assez différent des deux précédents. Cette fois-ci on retrouve une Riley toujours aussi déterminée mais qui finalement supporte de moins en moins sa “seconde” vie. Elle cherche à changer à tout prix, à grandir, à être celle qu’elle n’a pas eu le temps d’être avant de mourir.

Au fur et à mesure du livre on se rend compte qu’en aidant une autre âme en peine c’est surtout la sienne qu’elle essaye de sauver. Elle ne se sent à sa place nul part et son adolescence la rattrape.

Même si...more Un troisième volet assez différent des deux précédents. Cette fois-ci on retrouve une Riley toujours aussi déterminée mais qui finalement supporte de moins en moins sa “seconde” vie. Elle cherche à changer à tout prix, à grandir, à être celle qu’elle n’a pas eu le temps d’être avant de mourir.

Au fur et à mesure du livre on se rend compte qu’en aidant une autre âme en peine c’est surtout la sienne qu’elle essaye de sauver. Elle ne se sent à sa place nul part et son adolescence la rattrape.

Même si elle a toujours son caractère, qu’elle fonce toujours à pieds joints là où elle ne devrait pas, je l’ai trouvé plus fragile. Finalement, l’idée qu’elle donne d’elle, cette image de gamine butée n’est en fait qu’une façade pour cacher son mal-être.

Dans ce tome, on ne se retrouve donc pas plongé au coeur d’une mission mais plutôt au milieu de ses craintes à elle. L’histoire se découpe d’ailleurs en 3 parties principales évoquant sa crainte de mal mener ses missions, ses tentatives de sauver les autres et ses espoirs de devenir enfin une grande.

Au détour de ses escapades dans l’Ici et Maintenant, elle fait la connaissance de Satchel qui je pense sera de retour dans un prochain tome. C’est un jeune garçon blessé par la vie qui n’a pas réellement connu le bonheur et son histoire est des plus touchantes. Au travers de lui, Riley va connaître ses plus grandes peurs mais va aussi comprendre qu’elle n’a pas une si mauvaise vie que ce qu’elle croit.

Pour cette fois, Bodhi est très peu présent mais on en découvre plus sur sa relation avec Riley. C’est d’ailleurs une des choses qui font qu’à la fin du tome, elle ressort un peu plus mûre de cette nouvelle expérience.
L’auteure fait d’ailleurs passer quelques leçons de vie au travers de Riley mais cela dessert bien l’histoire et peut permettre au lecteur de mieux s’identifier au personnage.

Un tome toujours dans le même esprit et une histoire courte mais qui fonctionne bien, cela confirme que c’est une saga que je prends plaisir à suivre et dont j’ai déjà envie de connaître la suite!(less)

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Jul 20, 2012 Nina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Inhalt
Die Geisterjägerin Riley Bloom steht nun vor der größten Herausforderung ihrer gesamten "Karriere": Der römische Gladiator Theocoles soll über die Brücke ins Hier und Jetzt geführt werden, statt weiterhin sein Unwesen auf dem schönen Planeten Erde zu treiben, doch dieser macht es ihr ganz und gar nicht einfach. Die schöne Messalina, Tochter des Besitzers des Kolloseums und heimliche Geliebte des Gladiatoren, versucht ihr zu helfen und gibt ihr folgenden Rat: Wenn Du etwas erreichen willst,...more Inhalt
Die Geisterjägerin Riley Bloom steht nun vor der größten Herausforderung ihrer gesamten "Karriere": Der römische Gladiator Theocoles soll über die Brücke ins Hier und Jetzt geführt werden, statt weiterhin sein Unwesen auf dem schönen Planeten Erde zu treiben, doch dieser macht es ihr ganz und gar nicht einfach. Die schöne Messalina, Tochter des Besitzers des Kolloseums und heimliche Geliebte des Gladiatoren, versucht ihr zu helfen und gibt ihr folgenden Rat: Wenn Du etwas erreichen willst, so musst Du Dich Deiner Umgebung anpassen. Gesagt - getan. Doch schon bald beginnt Riley ihre eigentliche Aufgabe zu vergessen und ganz in ihrer Rolle aufzugehen...
Zitate
"Manchmal muss man Vertrauen haben, alles beiseite schieben, was man vor sich sieht, nicht auf das achten, was andere Menschen einem sagen, und sich auf das konzentrieren, was man tief in seinem Inneren spürt. Und auf das hören, was einem das eigene Herz sagt."
"Mir wurde auf jeden Fall bewusst, dass jede Veränderung aus dem Verlust einer vorherigen Sache hervorging."
"Manchmal lassen wir uns so sehr von dem Lärm und dem Befürfnis, anderen gefallen zu wollen, ablenken, dass wir den Kern der Wahrheit vergessen, der in unserem Herzen ruht. Aber nur, weil wir vergessen haben, daran zu denken, heißt das nicht, dass diese Wahrheit nicht mehr da ist."
"Dein Herz weiß immer, was wichtig ist. Es weiß, wohin es Dich führen muss. Es ist rein und vertrauenswürdig, aber es wird nie laut schreien um gehört zu werden. Es wird immer nur flüstern. Und wenn Du lernst, darauf zu achten und es anzuhören, wirst Du Dich auf dieser Welt niemals verloren fühlen."
Fazit
"Der erste Kuss" ist der vierte und letzte Band der Reihe um Riley Bloom, geschrieben von der Autorin Alyson Noel. Wie vielleicht schon der ein oder andere in meinen vorangegangenen Rezensionen erkennen konnte, war ich von Band 1+3 weniger begeistert, Band 2 hingegen gefiel mir recht gut. Dementsprechend ging ich an diesen Roman eher mit gemischten Gefühlen heran, versuchte aber objektiv zu bleiben und siehe da: Ich wurde mehr als positiv überrascht!
Dieser vierte und abschließende Roman überzeugte auf ganzer Linie mit einer durchweg interessanten und spannenden Geschichte, die mich von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite fesseln konnte. Hätte ich nicht noch andere Verpflichtungen gehabt, hätte ich das Buch gestern in einem Rutsch durchgelesen, so musste ich zwischendurch eben ein paar Stunden pausieren. Die Story ist wesentlich interessanter und tiefgründiger als in den 3 vorherigen Romanen, die Spannung wird kontinuierlich aufgebaut bzw. gehalten und durch andere Charaktere und das seltenere Auftreten bekannter Charaktere wie z.B. Riley's Führer Bodhi, bekam dieser Roman ein neuen Schwung. Ebenso überzeugend war das Eintauchen in's Italien zur Zeit der Gladiatorenkämpfe, auch wenn der Großteil der Geschichte immer in einem Festsaal, dem Kerker oder der Arena stattfand und man vom eigentlichen Italien eigentlich nicht viel mitbekam.
Ebenso spannend war die Tatsache, dass sich Riley immer mehr in ihrer Rolle als "Aurelia" verlor, die Person die sie "spielen musste" um sich der Umgebung anzupassen um sich so eher einen Zugang zum Gladiator Theocoles zu verschaffen. Als Aurelia konnte Riley endlich all das sein, was sie immer sein wollte: Wunderschön, ein Teenager mit Rundungen und: endlich 13! Doch nicht nur durch ihr äußeres verliert sie letztendlich immer mehr die Kontrolle über sich selbst, auch durch die Tatsache, dass sie in Messaline endlich eine gleichaltrige Freunden gefunden hat, und der Tatsache dass sich mit dem schönen Dacian endlich ein Junge für sie interessiert, machen ihr das "Rückkehren" ins Leben der "alten Riley" fast unmöglich. Als Leser verliert man sich immer mehr in der Geschichte und ich persönlich fand Aurelia fast ein wenig sympathischer als Riley selbst - auch wenn diese nur eine Art "gespielter Charakter" darstellen sollte und auch so den ein oder anderen "groben Fehler" aufzuweisen hatte. Riley wirkt in diesem Roman wesentlich erwachsener und gereifter als in den vorangegangen, und damit meine ich seltsamerweise nichtmal ihre Rolle als Aurelia, sondern wirklich Riley selbst. Sie scheint durch ihre Erfahrungen, die sie in den vorherigen Geschichten schmerzlichst machen musste, endlich etwas gelernt zu haben und hat nun die Entwicklung durchgemacht, auf die man als Leser schon seit Band 1 sehnlichst gewartet hat. Zwar hat sie ihre alte Naivität noch nicht komplett verloren, allerdings kann man das von einer Zwölfjährigen auch eigentlich nicht erwarten - mir jedenfalls gefiel Riley wesentlich besser als bisher.
Die Nebencharaktere in Form von Theocoles, Messalina und Dacian sind tiefgreifend und interessant und wenn ich ehrlich bin, würde ich gerne noch viel mehr über ihre Geschichte erfahren, als im Buch preisgegeben wird. Die komplette Vorgeschichte zu diesem ganzen zu lesen wäre wirklich einer meiner Wünsche (- vielleicht wäre das ja mal eine Anregung für die gute Miss Noel!), allerdings kommt man in diesem Buch sehr gut mit der gestellten Information/Vorgeschichte der einzelnen Charaktere zurecht. Während man über Theocoles nur passiv etwas erfährt und er selbst nur bedingt auftritt, spielen Dacian und Messalina eine größere Rolle. Gerade bei Messalina war ich mir allerdings eine zeitlang nicht sicher, welche Rolle sie spielt und ihre Art erschien mir etwas seltsam, wenn auch nicht unbedingt unsympathisch. Ihre Rolle entwickelt sich den ganzen Roman über und am Ende kann man sich dann doch sein Urteil über sie bilden - mein's muss ich euch aus Spoilergründen jedoch leider vorenthalten. ;-) Dacian wirkt stellenweise etwas unecht, trotzdem gönnt man Riley/Aurelia ihre Schwärmerei und ihr "Glück" und sieht über so manche "Schwäche" des guten Dacian doch gerne hinweg.
Insgesamt konnte mich dieser Roman auf ganzer Linie überzeugen, "Der erste Kuss" sprüht vor guten Weisheiten (siehe Zitate), einer interessanten Geschichte und tollen Charakteren und entführt uns ins Italien zu Zeiten grausamer Gladiatorenkämpfe, wo wir uns nicht mehr so schnell herauswinden können, zumindest nicht, bis die letzte Seite gelesen und das Buch zugeklappt wurde. Die Geschichte wurde in der Vergangenheitsform und aus Riley/Aurelia's Sicht geschrieben, die Sprache ist einfach und gut verständlich geschrieben und die Kapitel ausreichend lang.
Wertung: 5 von 5 Sternen!
Ein herzliches Dankeschön an den Page & Turner Verlag, für die Bereitstellung dieses Rezensionsexemplares!(less)

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Jul 02, 2012 Elodie Diebolt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Après avoir été séduite par les tome 1 et 2, c’est avec beaucoup de plaisir que je me suis plongé dans ce troisième opus pour connaître la suite des aventures de Riley. La couverture est, comme toujours chez Michel Lafon, absolument magnifique et fait vraiment rêver. La quatrième de couverture laisse présager une histoire des plus intéressante et j’avais vraiment très hâte de découvrir cette Fabrique à rêve.

Nous retrouvons donc Riley qui, après les évènements du second tome, obtient des vacances...more Après avoir été séduite par les tome 1 et 2, c’est avec beaucoup de plaisir que je me suis plongé dans ce troisième opus pour connaître la suite des aventures de Riley. La couverture est, comme toujours chez Michel Lafon, absolument magnifique et fait vraiment rêver. La quatrième de couverture laisse présager une histoire des plus intéressante et j’avais vraiment très hâte de découvrir cette Fabrique à rêve.

Nous retrouvons donc Riley qui, après les évènements du second tome, obtient des vacances dont elle espère bien profiter avec Bodhi. Malheureusement, les choses ne vont pas se passer comme elle l’entend et elle va se retrouver seule à explorer l’Au-delà. Grâce à Mort, un personnage rencontré dans le tome précédent, elle va se mettre en tête de découvrir la Fabrique à rêve qui lui permettra peut-être d’entrer en contact avec sa soeur. Une fois de plus, elle n’en fera qu’à sa tête jusqu’à se trouver dans un pétrin dont elle devra sortir seule. En effet, Satchel, un fantôme, hante cette fabrique pour créer et envoyer des cauchemars aux vivants et elle va tenter de lui faire trouver la paix. Encore une fois, Riley a le don de se mêler de ce qui ne la regarde pas et de transgresser les règles.

J’ai été ravie de retrouver Riley mais contrairement aux 2 premiers tomes, je l’ai trouvé agaçante et immature en plus d’être capricieuse. C’est une jeune fille complètement perdue qui ne pense qu’à elle et à avoir 13 ans sans se préoccuper des personnes qui l’entoure. Elle a tout de même réussi à me toucher puisqu’elle est en fait en perpétuelle recherche de reconnaissance et d’affection, sa famille lui manque et elle se retrouve toute seule sans personne à qui se confier.J4ai été ravie de la voir évoluer et en apprendre plus sur elle-même tout au long du récit et à la fin du livre mais j’ai hâte de voir si elle arrivera à s’en tenir à ses bonne résolutions! Nous rentrons également de nouveau personnages tels que Balthazar qui m’a beaucoup plu par son excentricité et sa vitalité mais aussi par sa sagesse et sa gentillesse. Il prend vraiment le temps de s’occuper, de conseiller et d’aider les autres en se donnant à 100%! Autre personnage qui m’a marqué, Satchel le fantôme malveillant. C’est en réalité un jeune garçon blessé qui a vécu un passé et une enfance très douloureuse. Sa tristesse et sa vie passé m’ont beaucoup touché et émue, j’avais vraiment de la peine pour lui. Bodhi quand à lui s’est fait rare dans le récit et Mort a fait une brève apparition pour aider Riley mais je l’aime beaucoup, il a un côté que j’aime beaucoup!

La narratrice est Riley et j’ai beaucoup aimé lire ce roman tout en ayant le point de vue et le ressenti de Riley. Le vocabulaire est frais et accessible. La plume de l’auteure est très fluide et pleine de fraîcheur, c’est un vrai régal pour la lecture! Elle nous offre une histoire poignante et touchante avec des thèmes abordés actuels et qui toucheront les jeunes adolescents et les plus grand également puisque moi aussi elle m’a touché. Malgré l’immaturité dont a fait preuve Riley, malgré l’agacement qu’elle suscitait en moi au cours de ma lecture, j’ai réellement aimé l’histoire en elle-même et j’ai vraiment été sensible autant aux personnages qu’à leur histoire. On trouvera également un petit clin d’oeil à notre époque bien réelle avec des références tels que Russel Crowe ou encore Daniel Radcliffe. Alyson Noël me surprend toujours et ce, à chaque tome de cette saga puisqu’elle nous entraîne dans son histoire, nous fait ressentir une foule de sentiments et, sans même que l’on s’en rende compte, le livre est terminé! Un vrai bonheur que cette lecture!

Pour conclure, j’ai beaucoup aimé ce troisième tome même si Riley y était immature et agaçante, j’espère que l’histoire l’aura fait évoluer et mûrir dans le prochain tome puisqu’elle dit bien avoir enfin compris. Je vous conseille cette lecture détente et fraîche qui vous fera passer de bons moments.(less)

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Jun 30, 2012 Ashlee rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was an oddly fast read for me. I just finished up a book by Jodi Picoult, and I was looking around on my shelf for what to read next. I have three books way overdue from the library, and this happened to be one of them. It being a small read, is what made me decide to pick it up. Figured it wouldn't take too long to get through, and man was I right! This author is the same one that created the Immortal Series. The Riley Bloom series is a spin off, starring the sister of the Immortal's main...more

This was an oddly fast read for me. I just finished up a book by Jodi Picoult, and I was looking around on my shelf for what to read next. I have three books way overdue from the library, and this happened to be one of them. It being a small read, is what made me decide to pick it up. Figured it wouldn't take too long to get through, and man was I right! This author is the same one that created the Immortal Series. The Riley Bloom series is a spin off, starring the sister of the Immortal's main character, Ever. This is the 3rd book in the series and I read the other two when they came out. I didn't have the money to buy this one when it came out and I actually forgot about it. There is already for a 4th book in the series out and probably one coming up very soon. I was at the library and saw this book and remembered I had the read the first two, so I grabbed it. It is a middle school read with a 12 year old main character, and I usually like to read books a bit more mature (I like reading about relationships/love stories progressing, etc.) However this series is fun and light and I've always enjoyed them. This one is my favorite so far. Riley Bloom is a 12 year old dead girl. Killed in a car crash that took out her whole family except for her sister. She is stuck in a place called "Here & Now" where she can manifest whatever she wishes. When she first arrived there she was put to work as a Soul Catcher, which is where she goes back to the Earth plane to help other souls who are lingering, pass the bridge and into Summerland/Here & Now. What Riley wants more than anything though is to be 13. Since she was killed in the crash at age 12, she is forever doomed to never become a teenager, an age just out of her reach. In all of the books she made it very clear she hates her flat chest and immaturity level that seems to keep her so young. After her last Soul Catch (in book 2) the "Council" decides to give her and her older brother-type guard, Bhodi, a break. So he goes off to do his "cooler older kid" thing and she finds her way to Dreamland, with an attempt at getting to visit her sister Ever in her dreams to ask her how to -be- 13. She is then thrown into this coaching by some "awesome-in another life" director who teachers her how to dream jump. But when Dreamland closes she doesn't want to leave yet, having not jumped yet. So she stays there and meets a eerie boy a little older than her who does dream-weaving which has been outlawed. It is where he shoots nightmares at people to show them how careless they are on Earth. Turns out in his previous life he had parents who didn't let him do anything and the one time he sneaks away from them he is in a horrible carnival accident and dies and has never let himself live it down (ha, pun.) I expected Riley to be able to help Satchel cross over and stop torturing the living but that didn't happen in this book, maybe the next. Time wise it seemed like it was only a day before they got put on a new assignment. What kind of break is that? Although they say that "Here & Now" has no time, me being alive and mortal and what not, it seems to me that the whole book took place in one night, during after hours of Dreamland. I am a bit curious at to what happened to "Mort" who is the older guy who helped her find her way to Dreamland. When everyone was leaving when it closed, she ditched her dog Buttercup and Mort to get back in...but at the end of the book Buttercup reappears but not Mort. Hmm. All in all it was a cute read. (less)

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Oct 23, 2011 Liza Wiemer added it

This is the third book in the Riley Bloom series and once again Riley finds trouble, this time in Dreamland. There is a wonderful cast of characters in this novel, including director of dream jumping, Balthazar, a former Hollywood director of numerous box office hits. He puts on fabulous productions to enhance the dreams of those of us still alive, giving hope and comfort and also allowing departed loved ones the opportunity to communicate a special message to their loved ones left behind on ear...more

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Oct 20, 2011 Nina rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: young adult readers

Shelves: a-book-in-a-series, fiction-angels, fiction-ghosts, middle-school-readers, young-adult

So this series is interesting enough for a young adult series and the books are super quick reads. I have read all three of them and it only took me a day to read each. I liked this book as well as the first two, but thought the second one was the best one so far. While this one held a different point of view and Riley certainly grows as a character it just didn't hold my interest as much as the last one. That said, it was still a really good book to read though. I think this is a good series fo...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Meleofa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I feel bad for Riley Bloom. She died when she was twelve, and all she ever wanted was to be a teenager like her big sister, Ever. She feels awkward and uncomfortable in her skin. She finally crossed over to Here & Now, but she fears she will be twelve forever. She's been training as a Soul Catcher, and other than having a difficult time following the rules, she's been doing quite well. She, and her trainer, Bohdi, have been told they can have a vacation. Feeling lost, because she has no frie...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, reviews

The last time we left Riley she got involved in a case that wasn't hers to deal with. Bohdi and Riley have faced the council and are shocked by the verdict they received. With Bodhi off doing his own thing Riley feels really lonely with no friends of her own, she's feeling pretty lost. Soon she learns about dreamweaving and is off on her next adventure... in hope to make contact with her sister, Ever.

Good story! I love that each book brings a new element to Riley's world. I did enjoy this story...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Ally Bolin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dreamland is the third book in the Riley Bloom series. Riley figures out there is a way to talk to her sister Ever through her dreams.
The major theme of this book is overcoming fear. "It's no excuse to terrorize people" (Noel, 163) Satchel makes dreams for people to make them fear everything they do, but Riley tries to help him overcome all of his fears, so Satchel won't make nightmares anymore. An idea in this book is practice makes perfect. "You had to practice until you got it right." (Noel,...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Wai rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just like the previous two in the Riley Bloom series, Dreamland is a bit of a hard book for me to review given that I'm probably about three times the age of its target audience. This would mean that any issues that I had with it would most likely not be seen by the intended readership.

However, I will say that this didn't seem to be on a par with Radiance or Shimmer possibly due to the non-threatening circumstances as the entire story takes place in Here and Now. Riley didn't seem herself, eithe...more

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Jan 02, 2012 Kathy Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Alyson Noel really hits the right notes in this story. She has the voice of a twelve-year-old, albeit one with a pretty impressive vocabulary, locked in. Riley really shows all the characteristics of the kids I work with - enthusiastic, volatile, dramatic, and more than slightly obsessive. Riley's obsession is with being a teenager. She really wants to be thirteen. Having been there, I don't really get her desire. I wouldn't be thirteen again for all the money in the world. But for Riley that ag...more Alyson Noel really hits the right notes in this story. She has the voice of a twelve-year-old, albeit one with a pretty impressive vocabulary, locked in. Riley really shows all the characteristics of the kids I work with - enthusiastic, volatile, dramatic, and more than slightly obsessive. Riley's obsession is with being a teenager. She really wants to be thirteen. Having been there, I don't really get her desire. I wouldn't be thirteen again for all the money in the world. But for Riley that age is a magical one. She really admired her older sister Ever and saw how she changed at thirteen. Riley wants that for herself.

When the story starts, she is meeting with the Council because, while she was very successful at her last mission, it wasn't the success the council sent her for. When she is congratulated, she thinks she will soon be thirteen. But when the Council decides to give her a break, she realizes that she doesn't have anything but her soul catching work. She hasn't any other interests or hobbies. She also feels that the break will stop her progress to being a teenage.

Riley decides to visit Dreamland. She wants to visit with her sister Ever and get some advice about being a teenager. Naturally, being twelve, Riley wants instant success. When her practice doesn't lead to that by the time Dreamland closes, she decides to sneak back in and finish up her dream. She meets Satchel who is stuck in Dreamland and who is creating nightmares. He subjects Riley to a number of her fears until she decides to see if she can get him to progress. She learns his sad story and tries to make a connection with him. She thinks she is making progress when the director returns and stops her.

Riley is disappointed not to have succeeded with Satchel. But she is even more disappointed when she realizes that she herself has regressed. Her motives to help him were not the correct ones. She wanted him to progress so that she would gain points. She didn't want him to progress for his own good. Her motivations were selfish.

Noel sneaks a lot of life lessons into Riley's story - lessons about what maturity means, about what community and friendship means. But the lessons don't overpower the story. Young readers will be fans of Riley Bloom on her journey. I look forward to sharing this story with them and sharing the next Riley book - Whisper - with them too.(less)

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Oct 28, 2011 Naj (Unputdownable Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011

Dreamland picked up where the last book left out. Riley's being stubborn as usual tries to break the rules all over again. This 3rd installment is as good as the other 2. Eventful, clean, and page-turning. The writing is written simply in 1st person and is perfect for younger readers and its extremely easy and quick to read.

This is my favorite out of the 3 books in the series. Riley continues to throw tantrums and acts like your usual 12 year old girl and is determined to figure out how to turn...more

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Nov 06, 2011 Gillian Cohen rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have to congratulate Alyson on another amazing book in the RILEY BLOOM SERIES.

Riley is always in some sort of trouble and in DREAMLAND we see how she grows and what lessons she needs to learn. Bodhi is always telling her not to stray from what she's been told but most of the time she doesn't listen, but I think in this book it taught her a great deal and in some aspects even to face her own fears-maybe I'm wrong on that point but it did seem like she was able to face them in a better light.

We...more

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Oct 08, 2011 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Alyson Noel Fans

Recommended to Katie by: Joanne

This was another delightful read by Alyson Noel. A great follow on from Shimmer and I found I enjoyed this one more so than the first 2.

Riley is coming off a high from rescuing so many souls and has to front the Council. As she didn't follow orders, she is worried she may be getting in trouble and not receiving praise.

Being ordered to take time off again, Riley doesn't know what to do or where to go. She heard of a place where she can visit her sister, Ever, in her dreams and wanted to give it a...more

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Jul 13, 2012 LuAnn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Riley isn’t your typical teenager. For one thing, she’s dead. She exists in the afterlife, but she’s finding it very lonely. She misses her sister most of all and is determined to find a way to contact her. The answer seems to lie in either dreamweaving or dream jumping and she’s willing to try both. However, dreamweaving is outlawed because it is believed to be too dangerous and risky a venture. That doesn’t matter to Riley, though, as she takes the chance just for one last time with her sister...more

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Apr 09, 2012 Tawni (The Book Worms) rated it 3 of 5 stars

There is no doubt about how well written the Riley Bloom series is! That is the main thing I loved since the first book. Unfortunately this series has a track record (in my opinion) of being a little boring. In terms of creativity, Dreamland exceeded the previous books and I was really happy about that!

Riley Bloom is stuck at 12-years-old and she wants nothing more than to accomplish something great in hopes of "growing up" and finally turning 13. With her continued rule-defying attitude, she se...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another wonderful Riley book. Alyson really gives us a nice story with Riley.
This one picks up where Shimmer left off. Bohdi and Riley are back in the HERE and facing the council. Riley's glow is on and she is so happy. But the council tell s the two of them to take some time off. So Riley just stews about never being 13. Finally she decides to go with the flow but sees Bohdi with Jasmine and it hurts. Remembering that Mort mentioned going to Dreamland to see his wife she heads off to find him...more

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May 03, 2012 melissa1lbr rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, collection, middle-grade

My thoughts:
This series covers a lot of interesting ideas and things that tween girls struggle with and worry about, but in a unique setting. The fact that Riley spends so much time trying to grow up will really resonate with those girls right on the cusp of becoming teens. I remember wanting to be older, grown up, and look like it, so I think it will definitely appeal to those experiencing that. I thought the narrator, Kathleen McInenery, really nailed the voice too - almost to the point of ann...more

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Nov 25, 2011 Rapunzel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Like the last book and the title of this book we are introduced to a new part of the Here & Now. Dreamland is the place where dreams are made and it is here that Riley comes when she finally takes that vacation that she was supposed to take back in book two. In this book Riley finally decides to try to find another short cut to what she has wanted since before she died but now sees as impossible: to become a real teenagers, boobs and all. The only way that she can see this happening is if sh...more Like the last book and the title of this book we are introduced to a new part of the Here & Now. Dreamland is the place where dreams are made and it is here that Riley comes when she finally takes that vacation that she was supposed to take back in book two. In this book Riley finally decides to try to find another short cut to what she has wanted since before she died but now sees as impossible: to become a real teenagers, boobs and all. The only way that she can see this happening is if she visits her older sister, Ever, in her dreams and ask her how she did it. Yet as we all know if everything went how they were supposed to than there would be no story.

I really like the dress that Riley wears on the cover. It is so flow-y and feminine that I can not help but want one of my own. Too bad that I am much too self-conscious to pull it off though because I would never be comfortable in such a clingy dress. Sigh. I am totally going to have to work on that.

Unlike the other two books Riley has much more self-ish reasons behind the person that she helps out in this installment. And it shows but I really like how by the end of the book she still knows what she wants and is not going to let something like failure get in her way of her goal. Especially since no one tells her everything she knows in plain English. They all love their riddles and despite the fact that I do understand what they are saying light-years before Riley at times it is always interesting to see what conclusions she comes up with when the meaning hits her.

It is actually interesting how Riley is slowly becoming more central in the books. In the first one she and Bodhi and Buttercup had a very co-star kind of relationship. Not only did Bodhi also Dream Catch a soul but we just meet him in the first book. In the second book Bodhi is mostly only in the beginning and a bit in the end where we finally learn a bit more about his past. In the third book we don't really see him except for in the first few and last few chapters and he is only slightly there. What I have read in the excerpt of the fourth book Bodhi and Buttercup are taking a more spectator approach to the awesome gladiator assignment. They are not even allowed to help her unless it is to get her out. I find the slow isolation while interesting is also a little sad because Bodhi and Riley arguments are always funny.(less)

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Jun 18, 2012 Mickey (I'm A Book Shark) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: author-review, 2012, audio, macmillan-audio

I received this from Macmillan Audio for review. Here are my honest thoughts:

This is definitely a cute series. This narrator gets Riley 100%. I love the voice she uses for her. It's sweet and cute, but she picks up Riley's know-it-all, overconfident attitude well. Those are reasons why I don't exactly like Riley, but this book sort of redeems her in my eyes. She doesn't get everything she wants all the time, and that's how it should be.

Definitely check this series out if you liked the Ever serie...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

These books are definitely targeted to a younger audience. Normally that doesn't matter much to me, but these are starting to wear thin. It's a quick read. Well written. And the author certainly has the voice of her character down. But Riley is really starting to annoy. She's obviously a pre-teen because she never progresses and never shows that she's learned from the lessons she's been taught (over and over again). She's whiney, disobedient, and self-absorbed. Typical pre-teen/teen, but it driv...more

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Oct 22, 2011 Bookaholiclover rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dreamland

To tell you the truth, I liked this among the other books of the Riley Bloom series, since well it teaches more lessons to Riley than the others, I'm kind if sad because Bodhi never got to say what he is supposed to say.

Is it about him and Riley? I wanna know already!!! Is it in the next book! What a long wait again. :(

Summary:

Riley and Bodhi finally gets the break of their lives from Soul Catching. For Bodhi a good thing, but for Riley it isn't, it's the worst thing she could ever poss...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Ariadne Baltazar rated it 4 of 5 stars

Following through from Riley Bloom's last 'mission', she return back to Here & Now, where she is told to take a break. Relax and spend some time with her family. Unsatisfied and eager to bump to the next level, Riley ventures out to Dreamland to se- dream jump into her sister's dream; seeking advice. But what she discovers there is more than she bargained for...Is Riley prepared to pay the consequences of her actions?

Every time I read one Alyson Noel's books, I always discover and learn some...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Zeinab Al-hasani rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: got-it-but-havent-read-it, have-it-but-still-haven-t-read

ALL I EVER WANTED , ALL I'D EVER
DREAMED OF, WAS TO BE THIRTEEN.
BUT THEN I DIED.

Riley Bloom's afterlife is about as good as it gets, except she'll never be a teenager. Riley desperately wants to speak to her older sister, Ever, to ask her advice. Ever is still alive and the only way Riley can reach her is to search for Dreamland - a place where ghosts can jump into dreams and talk to their loved ones. but when she finally gets there, Riley discovers that Dreamland isn't as heavenly as it soun...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Allison W. rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of the Immortals Series & Riley Bloom Series

Recommended to Allison W. by: Mats Graham recommended the Immortals Series to me

Again, with the Riley Bloom Series, Alyson Noel doesn't disappoint. I really enjoy the way that she creates modern day parables for young adults in an almost sneaky fashion designed as a tale of a ghost's quest for adventures in the afterlife. I look forward to the next in the series. I can't quite believe I'm going to go this far but I really wouldn't be surprised if one day in the future, if these books aren't looked back on as being classics of their time much in the way Louisa May Alcott's a...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Nina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Inhalt
Riley, immernoch im Hier & Jetzt als Geisterjägerin tätig, vermisst ihre Schwester Ever nach wie vor wahnsinnig. Als ihr im "Aussichtsraum", der Raum der dazu dient einen Blick auf die "zurückgebliebenen" Verwandten und Freunde auf der Erde zu werfen, ein alter Mann von einem Ort erzählt, an dem man über Träume Nachrichten auf die Erde versenden kann, ist sie natürlich sofort Feuer und Flamme und versucht diesen Ort zu finden. Am Ort der Träume angekommen muss sie jedoch feststellen, d...more Inhalt
Riley, immernoch im Hier & Jetzt als Geisterjägerin tätig, vermisst ihre Schwester Ever nach wie vor wahnsinnig. Als ihr im "Aussichtsraum", der Raum der dazu dient einen Blick auf die "zurückgebliebenen" Verwandten und Freunde auf der Erde zu werfen, ein alter Mann von einem Ort erzählt, an dem man über Träume Nachrichten auf die Erde versenden kann, ist sie natürlich sofort Feuer und Flamme und versucht diesen Ort zu finden. Am Ort der Träume angekommen muss sie jedoch feststellen, dass sich dort bereits ein bösartiger Junge niedergelassen hat, dessen einziges Ziel es ist den Träumenden Alpträume zu bescheren...
Zitate
"Jede Seele, jede Person muss ihren eigenen Weg finden - ihre eigene Lektion lernen. Und, seien wir doch ehrlich, die meisten Menschen lernen alles nur auf die harte Tour. Niemand akzeptiert freiwillig Veränderungen. Selbst wenn sie sich in einer Situation befinden, in der sie nicht glücklich sind, finden sich viele Menschen lieber damit ab, als dass sie etwas riskieren und in unbekannte Gefilde aufbrechen. Und ich kann Dir aus eigener Erfahrung sagen, dass es nicht schön ist, wenn man das beobachten muss. Aber letzten Endes hat alles sein Gutes. Schwere Zeiten machen uns stärker. Durch harte Prüfungen wachsen wir und werden reifer. Und deshalb können wir nicht alle Menschen vor der Welt beschützen, in der sie leben. Wir müssen zulassen, dass sie lernen, sich selbst durch die Schwierigkeiten zu navigieren. Wenn man sich einmischt, verhindert man, dass sie ihren eigenen Weg finden. Man hemmt sie und hindert sie daran, zu lernen und sich weiterzuentwickeln. Und das führt zu nichts Gutem."
Fazit
"Die Geisterjägerin" ist der dritte Band der "Riley" Tetralogie von Alyson Noel. Es fällt mir, zugegebenermaßen, etwas schwer eine Rezension über dieses Buch zu schreiben, was vorallem daran liegt das mir die Worte fehlen - was zuweilen recht selten vorkommt. Band 1 fand ich schon nicht über die Maßen berauschend, Band 2 war wieder deutlich besser, bekam in der Wertung sogar 5 Sterne. Und Band 3? Tja, der hat mich dann wieder vollends enttäuscht, was wie bei Band 1 auch schon vorallem daran lag, dass keine wirkliche Story vorhanden war.
Riley befindet sich immernoch im Hier & Jetzt und versucht ihrem Job als Geisterjägerin, Seelenfängerin, oder wie auch immer man ihren "Beruf" bezeichnen möchte, auszuüben. Hin und wieder baut sie etwas Mist, wofür sie sich dann vor dem "großen Rat" rechtfertigen muss und immernoch versucht sie mit allen Mitteln endlich 13 zu werden. Sie scheint aus keiner Erfahrung großartig zu lernen und jegliche "Moral", die in den vorhergegangenen 2 Büchern durchzusickern scheinte kam irgendwie nicht bei ihr an. Glaubte man in Band 2 noch an Besserung, so enttäuschte sie in Band 3 wieder mit egoistischem und kindischem Verhalten und dachte bei ihrem Handeln nie wirklich daran anderen etwas gutes zu tun (z.B. den Seelen zu helfen), sondern war nur auf ihren eigenen Vorteil bedacht: Durch ihr angeblich "selbstloses" Handeln endlich zu altern. Das ganze Buch über scheint sie an nichts anderes zu denken als endlich ins Teenageralter zu kommen, was dem Leser dann irgendwann gehörig auf die Nerven geht.
Der rote Faden, der die Geschichte markiert, fehlt hier völlig. Zwar will Riley ihrer Schwester Ever eine Nachricht auf die Erde senden und sucht dafür den Ort der Träume auf, doch wirklich passieren will hier auch nichts so recht. Die Geschichte wird hier zwar zeitweilig ganz interessant, da sich die Autorin scheinbar viele Gedanken über die Entstehung und das Eindringen von und in Träume gemacht hat, leider spinnt sie diesen Faden jedoch nicht zur Zufriedenheit des Lesers weiter und der Einblick in die Traum- und später Alptraumwelt bleibt kurz und flüchtig. Sehr schade, wie ich finde, hier wurde einiges an Potenzial verschenkt!
Die "berühmte Moral", wie ich sie in bisher jedem Riley Buch irgendwie finden konnte durfte hier natürlich wieder nicht fehlen (einen Ausschnitt findet ihr bei den Zitaten), dies konnte die Wertung des Buches immerhin etwas heben, denn die Moral kam - zumindest beim Leser - durchaus an, lässt nachdenken und verfolgt einen vielleicht sogar noch bis zum Schließen des Buches und darüber hinaus.
Eher enttäuscht schloss ich letztendlich das Buch ab und gehe mit gemischten Gefühlen an den Gedanken heran, dass in den kommenden Tagen der Abschlussroman der Reihe erscheinen soll. Lesen werde ich ihn auf alle Fälle, vorallem auch weil ich ihn als Rezensionsexemplar angefragt habe, etwas skeptisch bin ich aber trotzdem. Natürlich hoffe ich, dass die Autorin die Reihe zu einem würdigen Abschluss bringen konnte und eventuell überrascht mich dieser kommende Roman ja sogar positiv. Wir dürfen gespannt bleiben. "Die Geisterjägerin" bewerte ich nun folgendendermaßen:
Wertung: 3 von 5 Sternen!(less)

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Nov 13, 2011 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook

Everyone seems to be getting on with their afterlives except Riley Bloom. She’s lonely. And now that the Council has asked her to take some time off from Soul Catching, she doesn’t quite know what to do with herself.

So when she learns that there’s a way she can visit her sister, Ever, in dreams, she jumps at the chance, literally. But when dream jumping doesn’t prove immediately successful, she is frustrated.

Not being one who is too easily discouraged, when she meets a boy who hints that dream j...more

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May 04, 2013 Issie Cassidy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

The reason I read Dreamland was because it was the next book in the Riley Bloom series and I had read the previous book in the series. I enjoyed the first book and wanted to read more about riley. The books a quite small so I had to read more than one book.

I've decided that this book comes under the category of fantasy. I thought this because it is about something that doesn't exist or hasn't been experienced by a human. It could potentially be real but no one living could know because only the...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Vixen rated it 1 of 5 stars

garbage. i couldnt even finish it. it was so lame. i just dont understand this series.
the evermore series was for teens. so only teens would know about riley.
but the riley bloom series was like, aimed towards 10 year olds. just because your character is younger, does not mean that your audience is. and that fact bothered me so much, im selling the series. seriously. just garbage.
also, noel learned a new phrase! and she was super eager to use it time and time again, even if t was in the same sent...more

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About Alyson Noel

*Note to readers: I'm slowly trying to add to the long list of books I have read, books I am reading, books I want to read, and books I loved reading. I only add books I loved, hence all my ratings are 5 stars!

Alyson Noël is the #1 New York Times best selling, award-winning, author of FAKING 19, ART GEEKS AND PROM QUEENS, LAGUNA COVE, FLY ME TO THE MOON, KISS & BLOG, SAVING ZOË, CRUEL SUMMER,...more

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“Each soul, each person, has to find their own way - learn their own lessons ... It's all those rough bits that make us stronger.” — 9 people liked it

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Dreamland (Riley Bloom #3)

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