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Dream Boy
Annabelle Manning feels like she’s doing time at her high school in Chilton, Virginia. She has her friends at her lunchtime table of nobodies. What she doesn’t have are possibilities. Or a date for Homecoming. Things get more interesting at night, when she spends time with the boy of her dreams. But the blue-eyed boy with the fairytale smile is just that—a dream. Until the Friday afternoon he walks into her chemistry class.
One of friends suspects he’s an alien. Another is pretty sure it’s all one big case of deja vu. While Annabelle doesn’t know what to think, she’s willing to believe that the charming Martin Zirkle may just be her dream come true. But as Annabelle discovers the truth behind dreams—where they come from and what they mean—she is forced to face a dark reality she had not expected. More than just Martin has arrived in Chilton. As Annabelle learns, if dreams can come true, so can nightmares.
One of friends suspects he’s an alien. Another is pretty sure it’s all one big case of deja vu. While Annabelle doesn’t know what to think, she’s willing to believe that the charming Martin Zirkle may just be her dream come true. But as Annabelle discovers the truth behind dreams—where they come from and what they mean—she is forced to face a dark reality she had not expected. More than just Martin has arrived in Chilton. As Annabelle learns, if dreams can come true, so can nightmares.
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2014
39 people are currently reading
3433 people want to read
About the author
Mary Crockett
5 books319 followersMary Crockett is an award-winning poet and author of the novel HOW SHE DIED, HOW I LIVED. A native of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Mary grew up as the youngest of six children in a family of misfits. She has worked as everything from a history museum director to a toilet seat hand model. In her other life, she teaches creative writing at Roanoke College in Virginia. If you tweet at her, chances are she will tweet back.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
February 21, 2015
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I received a finished copy of this book from the publisher SourcebooksFire for free in exchange for an honest review and read along with BookBusters. All opinions are my own.
2 of 5 stars (Please read my rating system further below). Click HERE to watch the BookBusters YA club liveshow, where I also share my thoughts about this book! (This is also a spoilery discussion) While the concept of Dream Boy was very creative and intricate, its execution fell flat. I definitely had a hard time believing the actual paranormal aspect of Dream Boy. It wasn't explained very well, and at times it was very confusing. While the world building fell flat, the character development was spot on. The characters were definitely very relatable to. Will especially, was my favorite. I liked how Annabelle and Will's relationship progressed throughout the book, especially with the hardships they dealt with. I loved the jokes they made, the best friend traditions they had. Their relationship was definitely my favorite aspect of Dream Boy, and it really added to the whole charm of the book. Overall, this was book was a great idea that had so much potential and would've been so much better if it had been carried out better.
My rating system: (I do use half stars.)
5 - I do not use the 5 star. Not because a book might not be worthy, but because a book is never perfect.
4 - I loved it! There weren't too many flaws, and I had no trouble getting through it. (A 4 star rating is the highest rating I've ever given a book.)
3 - I enjoyed the book, but there we're flaws that made me enjoy it less.
2 - I finished the book, but there were too many flaws for me to enjoy it.
1 - I could not finish the book, and I probably did not finish it....
I received a finished copy of this book from the publisher SourcebooksFire for free in exchange for an honest review and read along with BookBusters. All opinions are my own.
2 of 5 stars (Please read my rating system further below). Click HERE to watch the BookBusters YA club liveshow, where I also share my thoughts about this book! (This is also a spoilery discussion) While the concept of Dream Boy was very creative and intricate, its execution fell flat. I definitely had a hard time believing the actual paranormal aspect of Dream Boy. It wasn't explained very well, and at times it was very confusing. While the world building fell flat, the character development was spot on. The characters were definitely very relatable to. Will especially, was my favorite. I liked how Annabelle and Will's relationship progressed throughout the book, especially with the hardships they dealt with. I loved the jokes they made, the best friend traditions they had. Their relationship was definitely my favorite aspect of Dream Boy, and it really added to the whole charm of the book. Overall, this was book was a great idea that had so much potential and would've been so much better if it had been carried out better.
My rating system: (I do use half stars.)
5 - I do not use the 5 star. Not because a book might not be worthy, but because a book is never perfect.
4 - I loved it! There weren't too many flaws, and I had no trouble getting through it. (A 4 star rating is the highest rating I've ever given a book.)
3 - I enjoyed the book, but there we're flaws that made me enjoy it less.
2 - I finished the book, but there were too many flaws for me to enjoy it.
1 - I could not finish the book, and I probably did not finish it....
December 22, 2014
Release Date: July
Arc provided by Sourcebooks Fire through Netgalley
In case the five star rating isn't obvious enough, I loved this story! ~inserts huge grin and lots and lots of fangirling~
It must be difficult being an author in our time and age striving for originality.
Let's face it: The publishing market has been flooded by vampires, demons, zombies, werewolves and so on and on. If it has a paranormal trait, chances are it has been read and re-read by the public.
This one... well some authors have used it as well, but in a dramatically lesser scale.
And as far as everything I've read... never like this.
In the small town of Chilton, Virginia, Annabelle is your typical high school student. She feels trapped in her life. She feels like she's not going anywhere, and only her friends keep her grounded in her life and mostly sane.
Her best friend is Will Connor and... getting into the southern spirit, he's the cool wind to her bigger than life existence. Will is the friend every girl wants to have. He has an incredible mind and just the right dose of wittiness in him.
As you can read, this sounds like a very YA type of story but, the good kind of YA! Where the characters aren't cardboard stereotypes, having instead a life of their own: a chaotic, messy, real teenager's lives.
It was great!
The authors were able to create a vast number of characters, each of them perfectly defined and, most importantly of all, interesting to read about!
There's girl power. There's healthy, normal girls' friendship, which _in case you've been reading the latest YA books_ you know how hard it is to find!!
Annabelle falls in love, but that doesn't mean that that will be the story's single plot, with a whole lot of drama and teen angst.
Definitely not!!
This is one of the sanest YA books I've ever read! And it has a paranormal twist! So yes, this was masterfully crafted!!
The first page is perfect. It sets the tone for what is coming, but it also snares us completely. Please bear in mind that this is an ARC and, as such, susceptible to changes:
"I’ve always been a dreamer. Daydreams. Night dreams. Dreams of grandeur and dreams of escape. If I were an onion and you pulled back the papery outside, you’d find layer after layer of eye-watering dreams. And in the center, where there’s that little curlicue of onion heart? There’d be a puff of smoke from the dreams that burned away."
I dare you to begin this book, and being able to DNF it.
The writing is pretty much perfect.
They may be teenagers, but they do know how to properly speak, and I couldn't help but appreciate the small tidbits that would be "carelessly" thrown once in awhile (lol)... so we could see that these kids have a solid cultural background. Perfect balance between: I'm funny... and smart. Try to keep up with me!
Ever read a story where you feel like the characters of the book you're reading would be BFF with another book's characters?
O_O
Well, I have. The first time was with author Jenn Bennett's character "Jupe (Jupiter)". The kid is so amazing that I couldn't help but think that he would be right at home with Sarah Rees Brennan's The Lynburn Legacy world. And now, for the second time, I find characters so interesting that I couldn't help thinking: Hey, Talon has the potential to be Angela's best friend! They're both secondary characters, but they definitely know how to steal the main character's spotlight.
In case you're not "computing", this means that I really, really like them!!
So, perfect writing, perfect characters, a love interest... with a small dash of love triangle in it (I know!! But it's really small, and it works!), perfect plot!
The plot!
It was so good! And you know why?
Because the characters question what is happening to them, they don't fall into easy plotholes.
Imagine what would happen if your dreams started coming true... if people from your dreams started appearing in real life. After a while would you be able to differentiate reality from dreams?
And what would happen if the same thing happened with nightmares?
Imagine a creepy nightmare stalking you and your friends in our average day routine.
Imagine lots and lots of creepy, slithering reptiles...
Ugh.
The last part is amazing. I honestly couldn't read it fast enough. I wanted to know what was going to happen, while at the same time dreading the outcome!
Perfect.
Oh, and the cover?
Completely enticing, and knowing that the tree with the bottles hanging on its branches plays such a big part on the story, just makes it even more perfect.
Definitely recommended!
The only thing that left me a little... unsatisfied (a tiny little bit) was the ending... I wanted a few more pages!
Something from Annabelle or even Will's point of view, would have been nice.
In the end, everything is pretty much resolved, as much as one can resolve things in a plot with a paranormal setting, but I can't help wondering if there's going to be another book... or books?
Either way I'm happy. Of course having loved this, I wouldn't mind getting back into this world.
Mary Crockett Oficial Site (where you can check the author's happy dance ;) )
Madelyn Rosenberg Official Site
Pre-order "The Dream Boy"
@Bookdepository.com
Arc provided by Sourcebooks Fire through Netgalley
In case the five star rating isn't obvious enough, I loved this story! ~inserts huge grin and lots and lots of fangirling~
It must be difficult being an author in our time and age striving for originality.
Let's face it: The publishing market has been flooded by vampires, demons, zombies, werewolves and so on and on. If it has a paranormal trait, chances are it has been read and re-read by the public.
This one... well some authors have used it as well, but in a dramatically lesser scale.
And as far as everything I've read... never like this.
In the small town of Chilton, Virginia, Annabelle is your typical high school student. She feels trapped in her life. She feels like she's not going anywhere, and only her friends keep her grounded in her life and mostly sane.
Her best friend is Will Connor and... getting into the southern spirit, he's the cool wind to her bigger than life existence. Will is the friend every girl wants to have. He has an incredible mind and just the right dose of wittiness in him.
As you can read, this sounds like a very YA type of story but, the good kind of YA! Where the characters aren't cardboard stereotypes, having instead a life of their own: a chaotic, messy, real teenager's lives.
It was great!
The authors were able to create a vast number of characters, each of them perfectly defined and, most importantly of all, interesting to read about!
There's girl power. There's healthy, normal girls' friendship, which _in case you've been reading the latest YA books_ you know how hard it is to find!!
Annabelle falls in love, but that doesn't mean that that will be the story's single plot, with a whole lot of drama and teen angst.
Definitely not!!
This is one of the sanest YA books I've ever read! And it has a paranormal twist! So yes, this was masterfully crafted!!
The first page is perfect. It sets the tone for what is coming, but it also snares us completely. Please bear in mind that this is an ARC and, as such, susceptible to changes:
"I’ve always been a dreamer. Daydreams. Night dreams. Dreams of grandeur and dreams of escape. If I were an onion and you pulled back the papery outside, you’d find layer after layer of eye-watering dreams. And in the center, where there’s that little curlicue of onion heart? There’d be a puff of smoke from the dreams that burned away."
I dare you to begin this book, and being able to DNF it.
The writing is pretty much perfect.
They may be teenagers, but they do know how to properly speak, and I couldn't help but appreciate the small tidbits that would be "carelessly" thrown once in awhile (lol)... so we could see that these kids have a solid cultural background. Perfect balance between: I'm funny... and smart. Try to keep up with me!
Ever read a story where you feel like the characters of the book you're reading would be BFF with another book's characters?
O_O
Well, I have. The first time was with author Jenn Bennett's character "Jupe (Jupiter)". The kid is so amazing that I couldn't help but think that he would be right at home with Sarah Rees Brennan's The Lynburn Legacy world. And now, for the second time, I find characters so interesting that I couldn't help thinking: Hey, Talon has the potential to be Angela's best friend! They're both secondary characters, but they definitely know how to steal the main character's spotlight.
In case you're not "computing", this means that I really, really like them!!
So, perfect writing, perfect characters, a love interest... with a small dash of love triangle in it (I know!! But it's really small, and it works!), perfect plot!
The plot!
It was so good! And you know why?
Because the characters question what is happening to them, they don't fall into easy plotholes.
Imagine what would happen if your dreams started coming true... if people from your dreams started appearing in real life. After a while would you be able to differentiate reality from dreams?
And what would happen if the same thing happened with nightmares?
Imagine a creepy nightmare stalking you and your friends in our average day routine.
Imagine lots and lots of creepy, slithering reptiles...
Ugh.
The last part is amazing. I honestly couldn't read it fast enough. I wanted to know what was going to happen, while at the same time dreading the outcome!
Perfect.
Oh, and the cover?
Completely enticing, and knowing that the tree with the bottles hanging on its branches plays such a big part on the story, just makes it even more perfect.
Definitely recommended!
The only thing that left me a little... unsatisfied (a tiny little bit) was the ending... I wanted a few more pages!
Something from Annabelle or even Will's point of view, would have been nice.
In the end, everything is pretty much resolved, as much as one can resolve things in a plot with a paranormal setting, but I can't help wondering if there's going to be another book... or books?
Either way I'm happy. Of course having loved this, I wouldn't mind getting back into this world.
Mary Crockett Oficial Site (where you can check the author's happy dance ;) )
Madelyn Rosenberg Official Site
Pre-order "The Dream Boy"
@Bookdepository.com
May 7, 2014
Great story with great writing! So many of these pages shined--these two authors are talented ladies, not to mention funny! They often left me chuckling out loud. Anna, Martin and Will were fully realized characters that kept surprising me in awesome ways. And the ending was perfect: unexpected, but somehow exactly what it needed to be. Definitely recommended.
June 21, 2014
I have really been on a historical/magical genre kick lately so I am not sure that I have really given this book a fair shake. I was really intrigued by the premise because like Freud I am intensely curious about dreams and their meanings. I liked that there was no "bad boy" from Annabelle's dreams. I am not a big fan of the whole "bad boy" craze that is currently very popular in YA nowadays so I appreciated that Martin was a nice, likable guy.
I kinda felt that this was interchangeable with many other paranormal books out there. You have the ordinary girl who has something special about her that she must figure out. The best friend who is in love with her. And the hot new guy. Oh, and throw in a creepy and mysterious bad guy (only in this case it's a little girl). I liked how it ended with an epilogue as a well done one is my kryptonite. And I am very glad to see that this is a stand alone (or can be) so I don't feel compelled to read the next one to see what happened to the characters. It has a nice, logical and satisfying ending.
The writing was well done and kept the momentum building. I did feel that some of the characters at the end were confusing since they hadn't been truly cultivated throughout the novel. I did, however, love Spice. I wish he had been introduced in the beginning of the novel and had more scenes.
Since I live in Virginia I appreciated the small town setting of Chilton, VA. The authors nailed small town life in this neck of the woods. Some of the place names were familiar and relatively close to me so I had no trouble envisioning the woods or the town.
I think those who enjoy paranormal books will really enjoy this one. And had I been in a better frame of mind, I think I would have enjoyed this more. It is a good read with an interesting premise that will delight die hard fans of the paranormal genre.
I kinda felt that this was interchangeable with many other paranormal books out there. You have the ordinary girl who has something special about her that she must figure out. The best friend who is in love with her. And the hot new guy. Oh, and throw in a creepy and mysterious bad guy (only in this case it's a little girl). I liked how it ended with an epilogue as a well done one is my kryptonite. And I am very glad to see that this is a stand alone (or can be) so I don't feel compelled to read the next one to see what happened to the characters. It has a nice, logical and satisfying ending.
The writing was well done and kept the momentum building. I did feel that some of the characters at the end were confusing since they hadn't been truly cultivated throughout the novel. I did, however, love Spice. I wish he had been introduced in the beginning of the novel and had more scenes.
Since I live in Virginia I appreciated the small town setting of Chilton, VA. The authors nailed small town life in this neck of the woods. Some of the place names were familiar and relatively close to me so I had no trouble envisioning the woods or the town.
I think those who enjoy paranormal books will really enjoy this one. And had I been in a better frame of mind, I think I would have enjoyed this more. It is a good read with an interesting premise that will delight die hard fans of the paranormal genre.
December 9, 2014
Oh if I could conjure up my dream boy in real life I would be sooo happy. Just imagine if you could have your ultimate dream guy as your real life boyfriend. Gah!!! That would be so awesome!
My dream boys...
Either one will do :D I probably wouldn't let them out of the house for fear of losing them.
Anyway, I liked the story at first but when it hit the middle mark my interest waned. Annabelle Manning's personality just didn't appeal to me. She had her dream guy but ran to her bff Will whenever she was in a rut. Now don't get me wrong, I loved Will's character it was obvious from the start that he was the perfect guy for her. So when Martin Zirkle appeared I was like "Meh, she will probably dump him."
Sure, Martin could be sweet and charming but he was boring and confusing at times. Then the plot turned into this web of confusion when Annabelle was trying to figure out who dreamed up whom and what the nightmares meant. I just... couldn't find it in me to act enthusiastic anymore. Fortunately, the ending was very satisfying and so I give it a 3 star rating.
My dream boys...
Either one will do :D I probably wouldn't let them out of the house for fear of losing them.
Anyway, I liked the story at first but when it hit the middle mark my interest waned. Annabelle Manning's personality just didn't appeal to me. She had her dream guy but ran to her bff Will whenever she was in a rut. Now don't get me wrong, I loved Will's character it was obvious from the start that he was the perfect guy for her. So when Martin Zirkle appeared I was like "Meh, she will probably dump him."
Sure, Martin could be sweet and charming but he was boring and confusing at times. Then the plot turned into this web of confusion when Annabelle was trying to figure out who dreamed up whom and what the nightmares meant. I just... couldn't find it in me to act enthusiastic anymore. Fortunately, the ending was very satisfying and so I give it a 3 star rating.
April 18, 2014
OK, first of all, I was totally not expecting this story to be as funny as it was. Annabelle makes some clever and hilarious observations about the small Virginia town where she lives and many of its inhabitants. Add an extremely clever, never-seen-it-before concept to the mix and let me tell you, you're in for a compelling story that manages to scare your pantaloons* off at times and make you go, "awwww" at others. This is a sweet romance blended with otherworldly influence and action. What's not to love?
*I know it's gonna be hard to replace those pantaloons. They're not easy to find at Old Navy.
*I know it's gonna be hard to replace those pantaloons. They're not easy to find at Old Navy.
June 15, 2014
I was very excited to receive a pre-release copy of DREAM BOY from Mary Crockett, for the purpose of doing an interview with her on the Fearless Fifteener blog on July 2, 2014.
This novel is not "just" a chick-lit story, which some people equate with a light, shallow read. This novel has depth, with lots to think about regarding our dreams (nighttime as well as daytime types), the subconscious, and the often blurry line between our desires and our realities. The dialogue and characters were intriguing as well as amusing; I cackled and laughed out loud OFTEN while reading this book! Delightful!
This novel is not "just" a chick-lit story, which some people equate with a light, shallow read. This novel has depth, with lots to think about regarding our dreams (nighttime as well as daytime types), the subconscious, and the often blurry line between our desires and our realities. The dialogue and characters were intriguing as well as amusing; I cackled and laughed out loud OFTEN while reading this book! Delightful!
December 6, 2014
3.5
I'm surprised by how much I really enjoyed this book. I didn't know much about it when going into it besides the fact that it has to do with dreams but I got sucked into the story. I didn't really dislike anything about it but it just wasn't something that I loved.
I'm surprised by how much I really enjoyed this book. I didn't know much about it when going into it besides the fact that it has to do with dreams but I got sucked into the story. I didn't really dislike anything about it but it just wasn't something that I loved.
June 25, 2015
Koko tuo unennäkökonsepti menettää tässä kirjassa merkityksensä kun huomioi sen tosiseikan, että ihminen uneksii vain ihmisistä, jotka on elämässään nähnyt. Vaikka unessa et tunnistaisi kasvoja ja pitäisit niitä vieraina, olet kuitenkin nähnyt kyseisen henkilön joskus valveilla ollessasi. Näemme elämässämme tuhansia ja taas tuhansia kasvoja ja vaikka emme kaikkia muistaisikaan, ne jäävät mieleemme ja heijastuvat sitten uniimme. Tiedän, että tämä on fantasiakirja eikä minun pitäisi ajatella faktoja, mutta silti tämä seikka vaivasi minua.
E-kirjojen lukeminen auttaa minua pääsemään taas lukemisen makuun silloin kun fyysisten kirjan nostaminen ja alottaminen tuntuu ylivoimaiselta. Kännykältä lukeminen on vain niin helppoa ja joutusaa enkä mieti etenemistäni samalla tavalla kuin fyysistä kappaletta lukiessa. Dream Boyn aloitin viime yönä kun halusin lukea jotain vaivatta. Sininen kansi vetosi minuun, vaikka itse tarina ei ihan innostanutkaan. Noh, ainakin loputon to-be-read-e-kirjalistani lyheni taas yhdellä teoksella.
Eipä ollut hääppöinen enkä aio tarinan perään jäädä haikailemaan. Pidin tietyistä piirteistä, mutta yleisesti ottaen tarina tuntui todella voimattomalta ja tyhjänpäiväiseltä.
2 tähteä.
E-kirjojen lukeminen auttaa minua pääsemään taas lukemisen makuun silloin kun fyysisten kirjan nostaminen ja alottaminen tuntuu ylivoimaiselta. Kännykältä lukeminen on vain niin helppoa ja joutusaa enkä mieti etenemistäni samalla tavalla kuin fyysistä kappaletta lukiessa. Dream Boyn aloitin viime yönä kun halusin lukea jotain vaivatta. Sininen kansi vetosi minuun, vaikka itse tarina ei ihan innostanutkaan. Noh, ainakin loputon to-be-read-e-kirjalistani lyheni taas yhdellä teoksella.
Eipä ollut hääppöinen enkä aio tarinan perään jäädä haikailemaan. Pidin tietyistä piirteistä, mutta yleisesti ottaen tarina tuntui todella voimattomalta ja tyhjänpäiväiseltä.
2 tähteä.
June 19, 2014
I LOVED THIS BOOK! From the moment I opened it, I could not put it down. The characters were amazingly well written and the story was so unique and special. Great writing here. I love when a writer can combine scary, funny, and thrilling all in one amazing story. One of the best reads this summer!
arc-declined-but-will-read
February 3, 2016Sadly wasn't able to get this as a galley, but I think I might buy it when it comes out. The premise really interests me.
Read
July 9, 2017Holy wow, this book. I couldn't put it down. I LOVE Annabelle and Will and basically the whole cast. This book is wonderful!
May 16, 2014
I got the chance to read Dream Boy as an uncorrected proof though NetGalley.com. The Scheduled release date is July of this year (2014)
The Quick Review:
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was not at all what I expected. Dream Boy started out with some mystery and anticipation and ended like a thriller. The books combination of love, action, and other components would be comparable to the composition of the Twilight series. The book was especially exciting in the ending third when everything finally came together for the main character Annabelle.
The Longer Review:
This is a book that I could easily recommend for female fiction/fantasy readers. It is not on a level where I would put it in the romance genre, which is where I thought it would be. It breaks the mold of the current YA fiction genre by not including a vampire or werewolf as a character. Instead, the authors take a refreshing twist on the concept of dreams instead. The authors did a better job incorporating dreams and dreaming into Dream Boy than I have seen in a while. They refreshed a fictional device that has been getting stale and rehashed for too long.
Mary and Madelyn create a parallel world to earth that is intriguing and original. I could see this realm working well for a number of story lines across mystery, adventure, and other fiction genres. I would like to see Dream Boy branch out into more stories.
The cast of characters was good, but I wouldn’t go as far to say great. Annabelle, Will, and Martin were well enough developed for the story and I liked the side relationship between Will and Annabelle’s younger brother. Annabelle was overly stubborn toward the end. She seems to be naturally stubborn, but at some point you have to call an apple an apple and stop forcing yourself to believe it is an orange.
The villain character was creative. She was an ominous character; not overly scary, but more of a creepy and powerful kind of vibe.
The remaining cast had varying degrees of background and depth. Amongst my thoughts on the characters who played significant enough roles: I thought Stephanie Gonzales was too much of a cookie cutter “mean girl” and needed more depth, and Paolo was vague. I think the authors intended these characters to be this way, but it detracts a small amount of reality from the book.
Bottom Line:
Dream boy is a good example of a book not to be judged by its cover or title. It is a good mix of fiction and romance. I would highly recommend it for fans of the Twilight and Beautiful Creatures series.
The Quick Review:
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was not at all what I expected. Dream Boy started out with some mystery and anticipation and ended like a thriller. The books combination of love, action, and other components would be comparable to the composition of the Twilight series. The book was especially exciting in the ending third when everything finally came together for the main character Annabelle.
The Longer Review:
This is a book that I could easily recommend for female fiction/fantasy readers. It is not on a level where I would put it in the romance genre, which is where I thought it would be. It breaks the mold of the current YA fiction genre by not including a vampire or werewolf as a character. Instead, the authors take a refreshing twist on the concept of dreams instead. The authors did a better job incorporating dreams and dreaming into Dream Boy than I have seen in a while. They refreshed a fictional device that has been getting stale and rehashed for too long.
Mary and Madelyn create a parallel world to earth that is intriguing and original. I could see this realm working well for a number of story lines across mystery, adventure, and other fiction genres. I would like to see Dream Boy branch out into more stories.
The cast of characters was good, but I wouldn’t go as far to say great. Annabelle, Will, and Martin were well enough developed for the story and I liked the side relationship between Will and Annabelle’s younger brother. Annabelle was overly stubborn toward the end. She seems to be naturally stubborn, but at some point you have to call an apple an apple and stop forcing yourself to believe it is an orange.
The villain character was creative. She was an ominous character; not overly scary, but more of a creepy and powerful kind of vibe.
The remaining cast had varying degrees of background and depth. Amongst my thoughts on the characters who played significant enough roles: I thought Stephanie Gonzales was too much of a cookie cutter “mean girl” and needed more depth, and Paolo was vague. I think the authors intended these characters to be this way, but it detracts a small amount of reality from the book.
Bottom Line:
Dream boy is a good example of a book not to be judged by its cover or title. It is a good mix of fiction and romance. I would highly recommend it for fans of the Twilight and Beautiful Creatures series.
June 25, 2014
We all have dreams, some we remember, some we don’t, some are more like wishful thinking. But what happens when you start to see your dreams coming to life, becoming reality? Can you dream your perfect boyfriend into reality? Annabelle has dreams about the perfect boyfriend, he is handsome, adores her, he is everything wonderful, dreamy and has eyes only for her. Too bad she has to wake up and go back to her normal real life. Enter her dream boy, Josh, right in the middle of chemistry. But his name wasn’t Josh, it was Martin, but he was definitely her dream boy come to life. Will Annabelle find that reality may not be as good as her dreams? Will her dreams start to become more like nightmares?
Dream Boy by Mary Crockett takes an often humorous look at one girl’s dreams and their significance with her deepest desires. Annabelle is an Eco-conscious teen with attitude, a sharp tongue when necessary and a laugh out loud inner dialogue that is sassy, snarky and edgy! Martin/Josh is, of course, a star athlete, charming, and very good looking, but there is more to him than the boy Annabelle dreamed of. Ms. Crockett makes dreaming and reality run almost parallel in her story-telling. Fast paced, tumultuous and just short of spooky, she takes a fascinating subject and gives it life through her well-developed characters, all while staying true to life in high school! Perfect for YA readers, the imagination and creativity of this author is magnetic!
I received this ARC edition from Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: July 1, 2014
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
ISBN: 9781402295836
Genre: Children's Fiction | YA
Print Length: 336 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Dream Boy by Mary Crockett takes an often humorous look at one girl’s dreams and their significance with her deepest desires. Annabelle is an Eco-conscious teen with attitude, a sharp tongue when necessary and a laugh out loud inner dialogue that is sassy, snarky and edgy! Martin/Josh is, of course, a star athlete, charming, and very good looking, but there is more to him than the boy Annabelle dreamed of. Ms. Crockett makes dreaming and reality run almost parallel in her story-telling. Fast paced, tumultuous and just short of spooky, she takes a fascinating subject and gives it life through her well-developed characters, all while staying true to life in high school! Perfect for YA readers, the imagination and creativity of this author is magnetic!
I received this ARC edition from Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: July 1, 2014
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
ISBN: 9781402295836
Genre: Children's Fiction | YA
Print Length: 336 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
July 4, 2014
Reviewed on Moonlight Gleam Reviews:
http://moonlightgleam.com/2014/07/dre...
Imagine a world where not only dreams become reality, but so do nightmares…
It all begins with Josh, a blue-eyed hunk who appears in Annabelle’s dreams. Never believing for a moment that he could ever be real, Annabelle’s shocked when a boy who shares his exact physical appearance shows up at her school, introducing himself as Martin Zirkle, the new guy in town. Annabelle can’t help but stalk him every chance she gets, trying to get a closer look, and through her efforts, she discovers that Martin is her blue-eyed Dream Boy.
When she discovers that Martin did appear from of her dreams, the next question becomes, was he the only one?
I really appreciated the concept of the novel; Madelyn Rosenberg and Mary Crockett created a world where both dreams and nightmares could become reality. Now, I have to ask, how scary would it be if that could truly happen? That’s what went through my mind when I read the synopsis of Dream Boy, and I immediately knew I had to request a copy. I was actually lucky enough to receive an ARC thanks to the wonderful people at Sourcebooks.
In addition to the overall premise of Dream Boy, I appreciated the character development between the main characters as well as the secondary. Among all the characters, my favorite would have to be Annabelle’s best friend, Will. He was down to earth, genuine, likeable, and regardless of Martin, he always had Annabelle’s back like a best friend would.
Dream Boy was addictive! I began reading it at 10:00pm before bed, and ended up staying up all night to finish reading it at 3:00am the next morning! The suspense kept building throughout the novel, and I was not expecting the twists unravelled at its conclusion. There were also many occasions where, despite the time I was reading, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. I would definitely recommend Dream Boy to those who enjoy Young Adult Fiction with a Paranormal twist.
Madelyn Rosenberg and Mary Crockett, thank you for sharing this fun story! Now, please write a sequel?
05
5/5 – MUST READ, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
http://moonlightgleam.com/2014/07/dre...
Imagine a world where not only dreams become reality, but so do nightmares…
It all begins with Josh, a blue-eyed hunk who appears in Annabelle’s dreams. Never believing for a moment that he could ever be real, Annabelle’s shocked when a boy who shares his exact physical appearance shows up at her school, introducing himself as Martin Zirkle, the new guy in town. Annabelle can’t help but stalk him every chance she gets, trying to get a closer look, and through her efforts, she discovers that Martin is her blue-eyed Dream Boy.
When she discovers that Martin did appear from of her dreams, the next question becomes, was he the only one?
I really appreciated the concept of the novel; Madelyn Rosenberg and Mary Crockett created a world where both dreams and nightmares could become reality. Now, I have to ask, how scary would it be if that could truly happen? That’s what went through my mind when I read the synopsis of Dream Boy, and I immediately knew I had to request a copy. I was actually lucky enough to receive an ARC thanks to the wonderful people at Sourcebooks.
In addition to the overall premise of Dream Boy, I appreciated the character development between the main characters as well as the secondary. Among all the characters, my favorite would have to be Annabelle’s best friend, Will. He was down to earth, genuine, likeable, and regardless of Martin, he always had Annabelle’s back like a best friend would.
Dream Boy was addictive! I began reading it at 10:00pm before bed, and ended up staying up all night to finish reading it at 3:00am the next morning! The suspense kept building throughout the novel, and I was not expecting the twists unravelled at its conclusion. There were also many occasions where, despite the time I was reading, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. I would definitely recommend Dream Boy to those who enjoy Young Adult Fiction with a Paranormal twist.
Madelyn Rosenberg and Mary Crockett, thank you for sharing this fun story! Now, please write a sequel?
05
5/5 – MUST READ, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
May 29, 2014
I must say, rarely does a cover influence my decision on whether or not to read a book, but in this case, I just couldn't pass this one up. What a beautiful design!
If I had to give a one word description of this book, I would say "unique," would be the perfect word. As reading is my favourite pastime and I do so much of it, I can clearly say that I have never read a book with the same plot or concept as this novel.
I liked the way the authors of this book told a story within a story. The main character rules the novel, but the secondary characters each play an important role and have struggles of their own to overcome. At no point in this story did I ever get bored or wish it would hurry along faster.
The character development was good, particularly between the main character and Will. There was tension between them that kept me hoping things would go a specific way, but it wasn't predictable.
The writing is strong and the sense of place and environment was ever-present. If you enjoy reading atmospheric novels, this is one you might consider choosing.
I'm not sure there is an exact age group I would recommend this book for. The setting is partially in school, but even as an adult I enjoyed this. There isn't really any reason why a young adult shouldn't read this book, nor any reason why an adult should pass it up.
Overall, I thought this was pretty fantastic. I recommend it.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, Sourcebooks, and Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
If I had to give a one word description of this book, I would say "unique," would be the perfect word. As reading is my favourite pastime and I do so much of it, I can clearly say that I have never read a book with the same plot or concept as this novel.
I liked the way the authors of this book told a story within a story. The main character rules the novel, but the secondary characters each play an important role and have struggles of their own to overcome. At no point in this story did I ever get bored or wish it would hurry along faster.
The character development was good, particularly between the main character and Will. There was tension between them that kept me hoping things would go a specific way, but it wasn't predictable.
The writing is strong and the sense of place and environment was ever-present. If you enjoy reading atmospheric novels, this is one you might consider choosing.
I'm not sure there is an exact age group I would recommend this book for. The setting is partially in school, but even as an adult I enjoyed this. There isn't really any reason why a young adult shouldn't read this book, nor any reason why an adult should pass it up.
Overall, I thought this was pretty fantastic. I recommend it.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, Sourcebooks, and Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
June 24, 2014
Dreams and their interpretations have always interested me, so this book quickly caught my interest. Although I've read something similar to the concept of this novel, it wasn't exactly the same and I found it very imaginative.
I loved Annabelle's voice - she was humorous, sarcastic, and completely believable as an insecure high school girl and I laughed out loud more than once. Having come from a small town myself, her comments about Chilton brought back some memories. As much as I enjoyed Annabelle, my favorite character was Will. He wasn't afraid to be himself and give honest opinions and knew some of the most random facts I've ever heard. He also wore some pretty cool T-shirts!
I would classify this book as YA paranormal, but it gradually evolved into very mild horror, a direction I didn't mind at all and felt that it set this book apart from the typical YA paranormal.
Although I really enjoyed reading this book, I felt as if the ending was rather abrupt and left maybe too much to the reader's imagination. I would have liked more closure with some aspects of the plot.
This reviewed is based on a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.
I loved Annabelle's voice - she was humorous, sarcastic, and completely believable as an insecure high school girl and I laughed out loud more than once. Having come from a small town myself, her comments about Chilton brought back some memories. As much as I enjoyed Annabelle, my favorite character was Will. He wasn't afraid to be himself and give honest opinions and knew some of the most random facts I've ever heard. He also wore some pretty cool T-shirts!
I would classify this book as YA paranormal, but it gradually evolved into very mild horror, a direction I didn't mind at all and felt that it set this book apart from the typical YA paranormal.
Although I really enjoyed reading this book, I felt as if the ending was rather abrupt and left maybe too much to the reader's imagination. I would have liked more closure with some aspects of the plot.
This reviewed is based on a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.
June 21, 2014
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Fire and NetGalley.)
This was an interesting story, but I did have some issues with it in the middle.
I liked Annabelle, Martin, and Will, although Annabelle was so clueless when it came to Will! He was so obviously in love with her, and she had no idea!
The storyline in this was okay, although I felt that things weren’t really explained enough for me. While I could follow most of what happened, I did have issues with the whole ‘how the dream-people came to be’, and I did get confused because of this.
There was some romance, and I have to say that Annabelle and Martin made a cute couple, even though at times I really wanted Annabelle to be with Will instead. The romance was the best part of the book for me though.
The ending to this was okay, although things were a bit touch-and-go at times. I did find that I lost interest after the half-way mark, but I was happy with the way things ended.
Overall; an interesting YA paranormal romance story,
6.5 out of 10.
This was an interesting story, but I did have some issues with it in the middle.
I liked Annabelle, Martin, and Will, although Annabelle was so clueless when it came to Will! He was so obviously in love with her, and she had no idea!
The storyline in this was okay, although I felt that things weren’t really explained enough for me. While I could follow most of what happened, I did have issues with the whole ‘how the dream-people came to be’, and I did get confused because of this.
There was some romance, and I have to say that Annabelle and Martin made a cute couple, even though at times I really wanted Annabelle to be with Will instead. The romance was the best part of the book for me though.
The ending to this was okay, although things were a bit touch-and-go at times. I did find that I lost interest after the half-way mark, but I was happy with the way things ended.
Overall; an interesting YA paranormal romance story,
6.5 out of 10.
July 29, 2016
Review: DREAM BOY
Reality frequently is mundane, boring, sometimes even depressing or sad; but for many, dreams can be an escape. Annabelle and lifelong best friend Will have two years of high school to complete; she just wants time to pass, so she can go to university, escaping the depressing single parent household, making a life for herself through her artistic nature.
It's clear to the reader that Will longs for a deeper relationship than friendship, but Annabelle won't see. Literally, she lives for her dreams, dreams of a golden treasure named Josh; and when he appears in her reality, suddenly dreams may just come true--or will they?
Reality frequently is mundane, boring, sometimes even depressing or sad; but for many, dreams can be an escape. Annabelle and lifelong best friend Will have two years of high school to complete; she just wants time to pass, so she can go to university, escaping the depressing single parent household, making a life for herself through her artistic nature.
It's clear to the reader that Will longs for a deeper relationship than friendship, but Annabelle won't see. Literally, she lives for her dreams, dreams of a golden treasure named Josh; and when he appears in her reality, suddenly dreams may just come true--or will they?
May 25, 2014
Amazing! This is a gorgious story. I am speechless!
I could read it again and again! The characters are so easy to identify with! I LOVE Will! This definitely one of the best, and most suprising books I've read in along time.
I really hope there will be another, because I need to see more of these characters!
I could read it again and again! The characters are so easy to identify with! I LOVE Will! This definitely one of the best, and most suprising books I've read in along time.
I really hope there will be another, because I need to see more of these characters!
May 25, 2014
I am blown away! This book is soooooooo good!
I am flabbergasted at the quality of this book!
I looooooooooooooved it, and anyone who tells you otherwise is insane! Seriously though, you muuuuuuuuuuust read this book! Muuuuuuuuuuust!
I am flabbergasted at the quality of this book!
I looooooooooooooved it, and anyone who tells you otherwise is insane! Seriously though, you muuuuuuuuuuust read this book! Muuuuuuuuuuust!
June 19, 2014
This review and many others can be found on my blog: literatureobsessed.blogspot.com.
March 26, 2019
This is the first ARC I've read in quite a while. While I've come to rely on reviews when I'm trying to decide whether or not to read something, the synopsis of this book made me want to take a chance and give this one a try. While I wasn't blown away by the book, I do think it has merit and will appeal to other readers.
First, the good. There is actually a pretty imaginative premise to the story. What if the people you dreamed about at night suddenly existed in your waking life? I can't say that I've encountered this idea in any of the YA paranormal fiction that I've read. So I will give the authors points for originality.
I also thought the character development was pretty good. Annabelle is a particularly appealing heroine because she has a personality. Yes, she can be mopey and self-deprecating at times, but she is a teenager; at least this sort of behaviour didn't define her completely. I found her especially endearing in the first half of the book, when more attention was being paid to character development. Take, for example, this passage, when she's explaining what she did when she had a crush on a guy who worked at the library:
If you've tried to read that book, you'll get it. I almost laughed out loud.
The authors also appeared to make up lots of stuff (rather than use real brand names, place names, band names, etc.). I wasn't sure if I liked this at first, but some of it ended up being pretty amusing:
I also liked the fact that this was a stand-alone novel. There are no cliffhangers and very little unfinished business. I've read a few books lately with ambiguous endings, so this was pleasantly refreshing.
Now for the negatives. Unfortunately, there are quite a few. One of the first things I noticed was that the tenses are a mess. Annabelle narrates in the first person, and usually in the past tense... unless she's telling us something, at which point she often lapses into the present tense. But it's not always consistent. So you end up getting narration like this passage that somehow manages to switch tenses multiple times:
As a reader, I find this jarring. When I settle in to read a book, one of the first things I take note of is the tense it's written in. I get into a rhythm when I know what verb tenses to expect. If those tenses change, there had better be a good reason: a flashback, a character relating a story, a framing device of some sort, etc. Annabelle's dreams are related in the present tense, which makes sense. But even then, there are weird lapses into the past tense that don't seem to belong:
When the tenses change for no reason, it comes across as sloppy. This part of the book could definitely use some more editing to keep things consistent.
There are also many, many typos (which I'm going to chalk up to this being an ARC; hopefully they'll get weeded out before the final publication) and a number of said-bookisms, including my biggest pet peeve: the physically impossible ones:
By the time I reached the halfway point, the typos (mostly of the punctuation variety) were really starting to get bad and the comma splices (like the one above... because that's basically what that is; it's certainly not a dialogue tag!) were growing in frequency. While I understand that more editing may be done before this book is finally published, I don't think I've ever read an ARC that was quite this rough (at least as far as proofreading goes).
The plot -- while imaginative and original -- also requires the reader to suspend their disbelief... and not just about dream characters becoming reality. We're also made to believe that ordinary people, once they learn about what's going on, will just accept it with very little questioning. There were times in the book where long explanations would have been cumbersome, but the nearly blind acceptance of things was just a little too convenient to be believed.
I think, though, that my biggest disappointment turned out to be Annabelle herself. Yes, I know I said I liked her. But when it comes right down to it, she was really, really oblivious to two things that I thought were painfully obvious. It makes me wonder whether the foreshadowing was just too strong, or whether I've just read too many of these types of books and I'm getting wise to the plot twists. In any case, it did somewhat diminish my enjoyment of the story because I knew what was coming for so long.
If the editing issues are fixed, this could be a fairly strong addition to the YA paranormal genre... though perhaps for readers on the younger end of that age group. Older readers and/or people who have read a lot in this vein are probably more likely to see the twists coming. But it's a great premise and, overall, it was done passably well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing a digital ARC.
http://theladybugreads.blogspot.ca/20...
First, the good. There is actually a pretty imaginative premise to the story. What if the people you dreamed about at night suddenly existed in your waking life? I can't say that I've encountered this idea in any of the YA paranormal fiction that I've read. So I will give the authors points for originality.
I also thought the character development was pretty good. Annabelle is a particularly appealing heroine because she has a personality. Yes, she can be mopey and self-deprecating at times, but she is a teenager; at least this sort of behaviour didn't define her completely. I found her especially endearing in the first half of the book, when more attention was being paid to character development. Take, for example, this passage, when she's explaining what she did when she had a crush on a guy who worked at the library:
I kept checking out As I Lay Dying in hopes he would talk to me, which of course he never did. At least he worked at the library instead of a bookstore, so there was no financial investment, just time and brain cells and, since it was Faulkner, suffering.
If you've tried to read that book, you'll get it. I almost laughed out loud.
The authors also appeared to make up lots of stuff (rather than use real brand names, place names, band names, etc.). I wasn't sure if I liked this at first, but some of it ended up being pretty amusing:
Will steered us down toward River Road and I scanned through the lists on his iPod. Nefarious Rodents, Meltdown, Lamb of the Apocalypse.
"Geez," I said. "Do you get this for the music or the band names? Burning Fur? Really?"
I also liked the fact that this was a stand-alone novel. There are no cliffhangers and very little unfinished business. I've read a few books lately with ambiguous endings, so this was pleasantly refreshing.
Now for the negatives. Unfortunately, there are quite a few. One of the first things I noticed was that the tenses are a mess. Annabelle narrates in the first person, and usually in the past tense... unless she's telling us something, at which point she often lapses into the present tense. But it's not always consistent. So you end up getting narration like this passage that somehow manages to switch tenses multiple times:
I knew it had been four years since my dad had left and these things happen and blah blah blah. But it still didn't seem right that he was marrying someone else. My mom hasn't even gone out on a date.
As a reader, I find this jarring. When I settle in to read a book, one of the first things I take note of is the tense it's written in. I get into a rhythm when I know what verb tenses to expect. If those tenses change, there had better be a good reason: a flashback, a character relating a story, a framing device of some sort, etc. Annabelle's dreams are related in the present tense, which makes sense. But even then, there are weird lapses into the past tense that don't seem to belong:
I look down at my T-shirt, and find that it had been replaced by my homecoming dress.
When the tenses change for no reason, it comes across as sloppy. This part of the book could definitely use some more editing to keep things consistent.
There are also many, many typos (which I'm going to chalk up to this being an ARC; hopefully they'll get weeded out before the final publication) and a number of said-bookisms, including my biggest pet peeve: the physically impossible ones:
"I needed some new ones before our trip to Black Beak," Serena clicked her toes together.
By the time I reached the halfway point, the typos (mostly of the punctuation variety) were really starting to get bad and the comma splices (like the one above... because that's basically what that is; it's certainly not a dialogue tag!) were growing in frequency. While I understand that more editing may be done before this book is finally published, I don't think I've ever read an ARC that was quite this rough (at least as far as proofreading goes).
The plot -- while imaginative and original -- also requires the reader to suspend their disbelief... and not just about dream characters becoming reality. We're also made to believe that ordinary people, once they learn about what's going on, will just accept it with very little questioning. There were times in the book where long explanations would have been cumbersome, but the nearly blind acceptance of things was just a little too convenient to be believed.
I think, though, that my biggest disappointment turned out to be Annabelle herself. Yes, I know I said I liked her. But when it comes right down to it, she was really, really oblivious to two things that I thought were painfully obvious. It makes me wonder whether the foreshadowing was just too strong, or whether I've just read too many of these types of books and I'm getting wise to the plot twists. In any case, it did somewhat diminish my enjoyment of the story because I knew what was coming for so long.
If the editing issues are fixed, this could be a fairly strong addition to the YA paranormal genre... though perhaps for readers on the younger end of that age group. Older readers and/or people who have read a lot in this vein are probably more likely to see the twists coming. But it's a great premise and, overall, it was done passably well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing a digital ARC.
http://theladybugreads.blogspot.ca/20...
June 26, 2014
If dreams can come true…then so can nightmares
I’ve always been a dreamer. Daydreams. Night dreams. Dreams of grandeur and dreams of escape. If I were an onion and you pulled back the papery outside, you’d find layer after layer of eye-watering dreams. And in the center, where there’s that little curlicue of onion heart? There’d be a puff of smoke from the dreams that burned away.
Close your eyes. (No, not really because you have to read this. ) Pretend. Now imagine young, teen Annabelle, your typical sweet if a bit sarcastic teen dreaming up the most swoon-worthy, handsome, poetic-waxing boy she can imagine. Her very own dream boy' that is everything she hopes for and desires.
Now, imagine that same dream boy' suddenly walking into her science class the very next day, very much alive. And with those impossible blue eyes, whispers her name "Annabelle" as he brushes by her. Yes, my heart was pounding too. Now add to this delightful story, a darker edge. You see when Annabelle dreams of her idea boyfriend and suddenly like a fairy tale he comes true for her, the nightmares start to begin. Annabelle realizes that she may have crossed a line between dreams and reality, and she may have brought something dark and dangerous across with her dream boy. And, Annabelle has something it wants badly.
With Dream Boy, authors Mary Crockett and Madelyn Rosenberg have created a dreamlike landscape, and given us a twisty, paranormal mystery and romance. What makes this story so enjoyable is how well the reader is immersed into Annabelle's world. A mix of modern day High School, and a touch of a dreamlike landscape that Annabelle enters into in her dreams. I enjoyed the mix of both throughout the story, and their sort of parallel worlds kept me guessing as to how much was real and how much was possible a dream ore something else entirely.
The characters were well developed with distinct personalities making it easy to fall into this story. Annabelle is sweet, artistic, and has this sense of humor that I liked. I felt her excitement over her dream boy, as well as her confusion at her ability to pull things from her dreams. Martin, aka Dream Boy, is pretty swoon-worthy. He's all that Annabelle would dream of in a boyfriend and seems to know her as well. Sweet, romantic, good looking and totally into Annabelle. I kept wondering myself, is he too perfect? Aw, but I really liked him. Then, there's Will. Yay, for Will. Her best friend since forever. He's the boy who lives next door and has seen Annabelle at her finest and at her worst. The type a friend you can share your dreams and secrets with. Wow, he's super sweet and adores Annabelle. I could feel the torn emotions between Annabelle and these two boys. I was surprised how well they both were woven into the story without tons of drama or the feeling of a doomed love triangle styled romance.
That tree on the cover. Yes, it plays a special part in the story that I won't soon forget. A battle is on, and the mystery behind Annabelle's dreams come to a head where she will need the help from both Martin and Will. Filled with action and suspense the ending just crept up on me and the end was a nice twist that took me by surprise.
Dream Boy was a nice break from the usual young adult paranormal and the mystery and romance were equally fascinating. I was captivated until the very end. A great choice for readers looking for something different and a ending with a satisfactory, yet surprise twist. Oh yeah. You can pretend to open your eyes now.
My Rating: 4 stars. I really liked it.
PLEASE NOTE: A courtesy review copy of this book was provided by Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for my fair review. Thank you Sourcebooks Fire for the review opportunity!
May 26, 2016
Personal Response:
This book lacked an initial hook but as the story played out my attention was completely grasped. My opinions completely enriched in what was going to become of Annabelle and Martin, even better annabelle and Will. I wasn't expecting such weird perspectives throughout Annabelle’s life. Even her friends do not portray much of what actual relations with people are like much but it was still so fun to see what Mary Crockett portrays these relationships as.
Plot:
Annabelle dreamed of a boy who was absolutely perfect in everyway. His name was Josh; their connection was unbelieveable. Even without him actually existing. Not a soul knew about how she dreamed about Josh until he showed up at her school. Josh was no longer running around with that name; instead, Martin came into play. Martin Zirkle, the dream boy. Soon, she was forced into telling her friends, Talon and Serena. Although, Annabelle never told her dearest friend, Will. Will had feelings for Anna but never actually told her what he felt.This complicated everything a lot more with their friendship. Annabelle was falling for Martin yet her feelings and friendship resided in Will.
Characterization:
Annabelle was a small, nerdy girl who didn’t enjoy talking to many people other than her three best friends. Throughout this whole novel Annabelle was fighting with herself on weather Martin was really everything that she wants. He was plastered into her dreams and can look into her head, which frankly was creepy as heck. Anna was really fighting with herself if she really wants this relationship with Martin. She knows he’s not going to always be around. It was a test of her strength throughout this whole story.
Setting:
Dream Boy took place at a high school in Virginia. This book also was based in a modern time era. There was a small twist though, this setting was quite like a movie it even had the mainstream cliques! The secondary setting takes place in various regions in Annabelle’s mind.
Recommendation
I, personally, think this wasn’t the most fantastic book. My rating on this book would be a three. It didn’t have much of a hook or a very good ending. It was just a constant cute boy which wasn’t interesting enough in the whole perspective of a person. The audience I suggest this to would be the female of the teenage years. Women would prefer to read this because it challenge them to think a lot harder about what they really want.
This book lacked an initial hook but as the story played out my attention was completely grasped. My opinions completely enriched in what was going to become of Annabelle and Martin, even better annabelle and Will. I wasn't expecting such weird perspectives throughout Annabelle’s life. Even her friends do not portray much of what actual relations with people are like much but it was still so fun to see what Mary Crockett portrays these relationships as.
Plot:
Annabelle dreamed of a boy who was absolutely perfect in everyway. His name was Josh; their connection was unbelieveable. Even without him actually existing. Not a soul knew about how she dreamed about Josh until he showed up at her school. Josh was no longer running around with that name; instead, Martin came into play. Martin Zirkle, the dream boy. Soon, she was forced into telling her friends, Talon and Serena. Although, Annabelle never told her dearest friend, Will. Will had feelings for Anna but never actually told her what he felt.This complicated everything a lot more with their friendship. Annabelle was falling for Martin yet her feelings and friendship resided in Will.
Characterization:
Annabelle was a small, nerdy girl who didn’t enjoy talking to many people other than her three best friends. Throughout this whole novel Annabelle was fighting with herself on weather Martin was really everything that she wants. He was plastered into her dreams and can look into her head, which frankly was creepy as heck. Anna was really fighting with herself if she really wants this relationship with Martin. She knows he’s not going to always be around. It was a test of her strength throughout this whole story.
Setting:
Dream Boy took place at a high school in Virginia. This book also was based in a modern time era. There was a small twist though, this setting was quite like a movie it even had the mainstream cliques! The secondary setting takes place in various regions in Annabelle’s mind.
Recommendation
I, personally, think this wasn’t the most fantastic book. My rating on this book would be a three. It didn’t have much of a hook or a very good ending. It was just a constant cute boy which wasn’t interesting enough in the whole perspective of a person. The audience I suggest this to would be the female of the teenage years. Women would prefer to read this because it challenge them to think a lot harder about what they really want.
July 13, 2014
OUT's Review
How cool would it be if one of your best dreams came true? How scary would it be if one of your nightmares came true? Dream Boy takes us into a world where just that is possible.
Annabelle could not possibly live in a more ordinary, uninteresting town. Chilton, Virginia- where nothing exciting ever happens. At least she's got her dreams and dream boy to keep her interested at night. Then one day *poof* he shows up at her school. She's sure it's just her mind playing tricks until he confirms it. Martin, Annabelle's hot dream boy, is real. His blue eyes are real. His kiss is real. His way of telling Annabelle she's "perfect" is real. But, if dreams can come true what's to stop a nightmare from coming true also?
The entire idea behind dreams coming to life in this book is so genius! I just, personally, wish it would have be executed a little better. I thing the characters and their problems should have been developed more deeply. Especially the villain. I understand that it was in Annabelle's point of view and we can't entirely see the villain's thoughts and WHY exactly certain things played out the way they did, but I would have liked more story behind it.
As far as characters go, let's focus on the star of the show- Martin. Martin never sat well with me. The entire book I was just waiting for him to turn rogue. I'm still not sure if that had to do with the writing or the fact that he literally was too perfect. But, then again he is the Dream Boy and I suppose dreams are perfect.
I will say that during and after reading the book I definitely viewed my own dreams and nightmares differently. I actually might start a dream journal! I really do hope there will be a sequel. I will definitely pick it up only to dive more deeply into this fantasy about dreams coming to life.
How cool would it be if one of your best dreams came true? How scary would it be if one of your nightmares came true? Dream Boy takes us into a world where just that is possible.
Annabelle could not possibly live in a more ordinary, uninteresting town. Chilton, Virginia- where nothing exciting ever happens. At least she's got her dreams and dream boy to keep her interested at night. Then one day *poof* he shows up at her school. She's sure it's just her mind playing tricks until he confirms it. Martin, Annabelle's hot dream boy, is real. His blue eyes are real. His kiss is real. His way of telling Annabelle she's "perfect" is real. But, if dreams can come true what's to stop a nightmare from coming true also?
The entire idea behind dreams coming to life in this book is so genius! I just, personally, wish it would have be executed a little better. I thing the characters and their problems should have been developed more deeply. Especially the villain. I understand that it was in Annabelle's point of view and we can't entirely see the villain's thoughts and WHY exactly certain things played out the way they did, but I would have liked more story behind it.
As far as characters go, let's focus on the star of the show- Martin. Martin never sat well with me. The entire book I was just waiting for him to turn rogue. I'm still not sure if that had to do with the writing or the fact that he literally was too perfect. But, then again he is the Dream Boy and I suppose dreams are perfect.
I will say that during and after reading the book I definitely viewed my own dreams and nightmares differently. I actually might start a dream journal! I really do hope there will be a sequel. I will definitely pick it up only to dive more deeply into this fantasy about dreams coming to life.
July 8, 2014
This story wasn't a disappointment but it wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. I'm a little upset about that but at least it wasn't a total waste!
Summary: Like everyone else Annabelle Manning dreams. And she dreams of the perfect guy her dream boy. But unlike everyone else one day a guy that looks just like her dream guy shows up at her school. Now she has to figure out if it's a coincidence or is it her dream boy for real. And if it is him how did he get there and does she have to worry about other dreams coming true?
Character(s): The characters were a bit blah ... they weren't that exciting to me. Maybe it's because I had really high expectations for this book but I can't pick a favorite character. Annabelle was a good main character but I just didn't find anything that special about her that made her stand out from everyone else. You know besides being the Dreamer with a capital D (I didn't make it up that's what it says in the story)!
Writing: The writing was good. It really pulled me in at the beginning and the chapters were perfect. They weren't so long to the point that I thought the book would last forever. I did find a couple of errors but other than that the writing was good.
Overall: Like I said I had high expectations for this story and I think that's what ruined it for me. But I'm glad I read it because the story is very original. I don't know if this will be a series or not but if it is I might continue with it.
Summary: Like everyone else Annabelle Manning dreams. And she dreams of the perfect guy her dream boy. But unlike everyone else one day a guy that looks just like her dream guy shows up at her school. Now she has to figure out if it's a coincidence or is it her dream boy for real. And if it is him how did he get there and does she have to worry about other dreams coming true?
Character(s): The characters were a bit blah ... they weren't that exciting to me. Maybe it's because I had really high expectations for this book but I can't pick a favorite character. Annabelle was a good main character but I just didn't find anything that special about her that made her stand out from everyone else. You know besides being the Dreamer with a capital D (I didn't make it up that's what it says in the story)!
Writing: The writing was good. It really pulled me in at the beginning and the chapters were perfect. They weren't so long to the point that I thought the book would last forever. I did find a couple of errors but other than that the writing was good.
Overall: Like I said I had high expectations for this story and I think that's what ruined it for me. But I'm glad I read it because the story is very original. I don't know if this will be a series or not but if it is I might continue with it.
May 2, 2014
ARC Review of Dream Boy SYNOPSIS
Annabelle Manning feels like she’s doing time at her high school in Chilton, Virginia. She has her friends at her lunchtime table of nobodies. What she doesn’t have are possibilities. Or a date for Homecoming. Things get more interesting at night, when she spends time with the boy of her dreams. But the blue-eyed boy with the fairytale smile is just that—a dream. Until the Friday afternoon he walks into her chemistry class. One of friends suspects he’s an alien. Another is pretty sure it’s all one big case of deja vu. While Annabelle doesn’t know what to think, she’s willing to believe that the charming Martin Zirkle may just be her dream come true. But as Annabelle discovers the truth behind dreams—where they come from and what they mean—she is forced to face a dark reality she had not expected. More than just Martin has arrived in Chilton. As Annabelle learns, if dreams can come true, so can nightmares.
Dream Boy is a book I received from Netgalley in Exchange for an honest review. To see my Review go to http://kindreddreamheart.blogspot.com...
Annabelle Manning feels like she’s doing time at her high school in Chilton, Virginia. She has her friends at her lunchtime table of nobodies. What she doesn’t have are possibilities. Or a date for Homecoming. Things get more interesting at night, when she spends time with the boy of her dreams. But the blue-eyed boy with the fairytale smile is just that—a dream. Until the Friday afternoon he walks into her chemistry class. One of friends suspects he’s an alien. Another is pretty sure it’s all one big case of deja vu. While Annabelle doesn’t know what to think, she’s willing to believe that the charming Martin Zirkle may just be her dream come true. But as Annabelle discovers the truth behind dreams—where they come from and what they mean—she is forced to face a dark reality she had not expected. More than just Martin has arrived in Chilton. As Annabelle learns, if dreams can come true, so can nightmares.
Dream Boy is a book I received from Netgalley in Exchange for an honest review. To see my Review go to http://kindreddreamheart.blogspot.com...
May 15, 2014
I received an ARC of this book, courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
This book was everything that a YA novel should be! There was a perfect balance between action, witty banter and fantasy. I thought the concept of dreams coming to life was unique and interesting. The characters were strong and well rounded, and felt realistic. The only drawback was that plot was easy to follow, and while it wasn't incredibly obvious, it was predictable. Overall, I thought this was a great, fun read.
This book was everything that a YA novel should be! There was a perfect balance between action, witty banter and fantasy. I thought the concept of dreams coming to life was unique and interesting. The characters were strong and well rounded, and felt realistic. The only drawback was that plot was easy to follow, and while it wasn't incredibly obvious, it was predictable. Overall, I thought this was a great, fun read.
August 7, 2014
Dream Boy explores the world of teenage dating through the delightful voice of Annabelle who describes her friends, family, and high school in deliciously witty detail. At the same time, this novel probes deeper questions of loyalty and love amid an intriguing sci-fi fantasy. It is a rare book that provides a suspenseful plot with an emotional core. Teen and adult readers will enjoy watching Annabelle untangle her feelings as she discovers what's real and not real in her life. The dynamics between the high school friends are fresh and authentic. A highly recommended read.
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