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Dreaming of Antigone

Robin Bridges (Goodreads Author)

3.70 · Rating details · 354 ratings · 117 reviews

Every star has its own path…

“I can’t ever be the blazing star that Iris was. I’m still just a cold, dark satellite orbiting a star that went super nova.”

Andria’s twin sister, Iris, had adoring friends, a cool boyfriend, a wicked car, and a shelf full of soccer trophies. She had everything, in fact—including a drug problem. Six months after Iris’s death, Andria is tr ...more

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Paperback, 244 pages

Published March 29th 2016 by Kensington

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Community Reviews

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Average rating 3.70 ·

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· 354 ratings · 117 reviews

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Feb 23, 2016 Sarah Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult, death, netgalley-edelweiss, r2r-read, read-2016, read-with-abbie, romance, abuse

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley.)

“The last time I saw Alex Hammond, he was strung out of heroin, just as high as my sister. That was the night Iris died.”

This was a YA contemporary story about a girl whose twin sister had died following a heroin overdose.

I thought that Andria was actually doing pretty well considering that her twin sister had died only 6 months previously. She seemed to be co ...more

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Feb 13, 2016 Karina rated it really liked it

Shelves: mental-health

*Thank you very much Miss Robin Bridges for providing me a copy in exchange of an honest book review.

Actual Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

“And the heavens will shine down and we’ll kiss like a happy couple at the end of a Shakespearean comedy.

But I know it won’t happen. This is Greek tragedy. And I’m just as broken as he is.”

Dreaming of Antigone talks about the sensitive issue of illness, sexual abuse, drugs, and depression.

Andria’s twin sister Iris, died because of drugs overdoes. Now ...more

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Jul 07, 2015 Tez rated it liked it

Shelves: to-swap, arc

CONTENT WARNING: Drug overdose, suicide, paedophilia/child abuse.

Can an Ancient Greek tragedy be translated into contemporary YA romance? Unfamiliar with the story of Antigone, I can't confirm how much Robin Bridges' Dreaming of Antigone sticks to the template, but Andria Webb's English class studies Sophocles' play. This inclusion affected my enjoyment, because I dislike when characters read/study texts that inspired their story. (Seems too obvious; banging readers over the head.)

The poetry als ...more

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Feb 24, 2016 Inge rated it really liked it

Shelves: mental-health, contemporary, young-adult

I requested Nowhere Girl and Dreaming of Antigone around the same time on NetGalley, noticing they had something in common. Both stories revolve around a pair of twin sisters, one dead and one alive, and the story is told through the eyes of the remaining twin as we see how they cope with this devastating and crippling loss. However, whereas Nowhere Girl made me feel a whopping total of nothing, it is Dreaming of Antigone that shines in comparison.

Andria is a brilliant main character. She’s not I requested Nowhere Girl and Dreaming of Antigone around the same time on NetGalley, noticing they had something in common. Both stories revolve around a pair of twin sisters, one dead and one alive, and the story is told through the eyes of the remaining twin as we see how they cope with this devastating and crippling loss. However, whereas Nowhere Girl made me feel a whopping total of nothing, it is Dreaming of Antigone that shines in comparison.

Andria is a brilliant main character. She’s not done mourning her sister Iris yet, even after all these months, and therefore she tends to lash out at people. She finds comfort in stargazing and poetry and dresses like a goth. Not because she’s a total stereotype or anything, it’s not to make a statement – rather, she finds comfort in the darker colours; they make her feel comfortable. She’s quite self-deprecating about it as well, which really made me laugh.

“I decide to share my favourite poem with the other poor souls that sit in this desk in other blocks. The teacher has her back turned, scrawling more nonsense on the chalkboard. I scribble on the desk:

Out of the night that covers me
Black as the Pit from pole to pole
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

There. Have a little goth with your binomial equations.”

Imagine her surprise when, next time she sits at this particular bench, someone has erased her lines and replaced them with their own poetic quote. This becomes somewhat of a game to Andria, this exchange of poems, which is something I really enjoyed.

Then Alex Hammond returns from rehab and Andria finds herself in a tug-of-war with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, this is the guy who used to date her sister Iris; the guy who was there, stoned out of his mind, when Iris overdosed on heroin. On the other hand, despite wanting to hate this guy, Adria discovers that he’s actually really likeable and that they have quite a lot in common. It would be so easy to fall in love with him. And yet.

I was really hesitant about this pair-up at first, because I honestly didn’t expect to like the idea of them going out. I mean, he dated her twin sister. It’s weird. Still, Andria’s feelings for Alex develop in what I felt was a very natural and realistic way, and so the notion of their budding romance grew on me. (Although 2 weeks is definitely not long enough to start talking about love.)

Natalie leaves the remaining cupcakes. "Take one a day as needed. With Diet Coke. Repeat in six hours if no results."

I roll my eyes. "What results?"

"Mom says cupcakes are the cure for unhappiness."

The book isn’t exactly the most eventful one, but rather it’s character-driven by Andria, who’s this close to getting her driver’s license and so terrified she’ll have a seizure (and even worse: a seizure in front of her friends) and will have to start over again. Who’s initially isolated herself from the world, but is now slowly opening up to her friends and family again. Who somehow needs to find a place in this world, one where horrible secrets lie hidden and where the line between right and wrong is often blurry, but worst of all, one without her twin sister.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy ...more

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Mar 07, 2016 Monique rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I received a copy of this book for free through NetGalley

Look at that cover - I mean, come on!

All my feels here

I didn't have any expectations when I went into this book and I think it might be why I enjoyed it so much.

Dreaming of Antigone is full of all the things that make a YA contemporary great: love, loss, family drama and friendships. What I really enjoyed about this book is that every character served a purpose. I usually find that the supporting characters in some YA novels are actually j ...more

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Feb 23, 2016 Miranda rated it liked it

I am the type of reader who doesn't typically reach for contemporary books with hard hitting issues. When I read a contemporary, I usually want it to be cute with sunshine and rainbows. I decided to step out of my comfort zone and read this book. I am glad I decided to do that, because I think it is important to try new things. However, I do have some mixed feelings towards this book.

I will say this book had some really sad moments. Some of my friends have gone through issues that were addresse ...more

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Apr 29, 2016 Beneath The Covers Blog rated it really liked it

Shelves: sonal, 2016-reads

Andria blames Alex Hammond for everything that went wrong six months ago. All those months ago, her twin sister Iris died of a drug overdose and she believes Alex was the one who introduced her to drugs. Now, Andria is trying very hard to keep everything around her from falling apart. She is struggling with her grades all the while trying to keep her friends and family from tearing apart.

She feels guilty that she - a freak with a frightening illness - is alive whereas her Iris is not. She keeps ...more

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Feb 24, 2016 Jana rated it it was ok · review of another edition

2.5*

I received a free copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was okay, really, but nothing more, to be perfectly honest. It didn't stand out to me in any way, it didn't have any emotional impact on me, the romance weirded me out more than I thought it was good. I actually am not sure if it is a healthy romance at all. I wasn't a big fan of this book. ...more

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Mar 17, 2016 Bee rated it it was ok

Shelves: standalones, review-books

Not as amazing as that beautiful cover! Full review: http://heartfullofbooks.com/2016/03/1... ...more

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Feb 26, 2016 Katie rated it it was ok

Shelves: all-the-feels, 2016, issue-book, arc, contemporary, let-down

Dreaming of Antigone is the story of Andria, the girl who dresses all in black; the girl who has a scary illness; the girl whose outgoing, beautiful, popular twin sister, Iris, overdosed on heroin. Struggling to deal with her loss and confusion, Andria distracts herself by spending time with her friends, counting down the days until she can get her driving license, gazing through her telescope at the constellations above, and writing poetry on her desk in algebra - a class she’s barely passing.
Dreaming of Antigone is the story of Andria, the girl who dresses all in black; the girl who has a scary illness; the girl whose outgoing, beautiful, popular twin sister, Iris, overdosed on heroin. Struggling to deal with her loss and confusion, Andria distracts herself by spending time with her friends, counting down the days until she can get her driving license, gazing through her telescope at the constellations above, and writing poetry on her desk in algebra - a class she’s barely passing.

One day, Andria’s poem is gone, and in its place is another poem. Intrigued, she writes another poem, only to find a different one in its place the next day. When Andria volunteers for an extra credit project at her school library, cataloging poetry books, she realizes that her mysterious poet is none other than Alex, the boy who Andria blames for Iris’s death. As she waffles between hate towards and curiosity about Alex, Andria’s world tilts once again, when she discovers something that makes her question her family, her sister’s death, and even herself. Can broken dreams – and people – ever be made whole again?

I struggled to come up with an appropriate rating for Dreaming of Antigone. On the one hand, I read it within 2 days and was certainly curious to know “what happens next,” but on the other, I felt ill-at-ease when I reached the end of the story. I was initially intrigued by the synopsis, and was hoping there would be something meaningful that I could draw from the story, which deals, on the surface, with teenage drug use and suicide. While I enjoyed the poetry and Greek mythology aspect, I became increasingly disturbed by the almost arbitrary nature in which serious, and at times, horrific subjects are introduced, and then addressed in a manner that do not do them justice.

Ultimately, what Dreaming of Antigone suffers from, is Do-It-All syndrome. Teen drug use, substance abuse, teen sex, sexual predators, illness, and teen suicide all make an appearance in the story. These are very real issues that teens and adults alike deal with on a daily basis. This should have been a compelling, raw, heartwrenching read, yet, I was left feeling a bit like a butterfly, flitting from flower to flower, not sure which one to care about or focus on.

Part of the difficulty I had in caring about the subject matter was my inability to fully connect with Andria, our main character. I enjoyed her interest in poetry and astronomy, and even Googled some of the constellations she mentions. I was also interested in her illness, and know that many readers who also suffer with it will be able to connect emotionally to this aspect. However, Andria's responses to various situations that she was put in were, at times, not realistic. I understand that we each deal with shock, guilt, shame, and pain in different ways, but because she generally didn’t respond with strength or conviction to the more severe situations, I did not feel compelled to take her, or them, very seriously. Which is unfortunate, both for the story and for its readers.

Of all the characters, I liked Alex the most, though I wish we had learned more about him. He had his own demons with which to struggle, and I felt his struggle was more real than Andria’s, despite Andria having gone through “more.” While I’m not sure I agree with the whole love-triangle-with-my-dead-sister’s-ex-boyfriend angle, I think some readers will enjoy the swoony bits. (Speaking of swoony bits, I thought describing a girl as riding her boyfriend like she’s a jockey in the Kentucky Derby was rather… gross… and not swoony.)

Andria’s two best friends, Natalie and Trista, were alternatingly disappointing and encouraging as characters. Encouraging in that they encouraged Andria to get out and start living again, and disappointing in that they both put a lot of unconscious pressure on her to be like her sister, and conscious pressure on her to be with Alex. What I disliked the most about this latter part was the idea that Andria and Alex could “fix” each other. To a certain point, our significant other should make us want to be a better person, but to be together to try to fix each other is a disaster waiting to happen.

It wasn’t until the end of the book that I felt more conviction, on Andria’s part, about everything that had happened up until that point, but by then, it was over, and rather hurriedly, too. I don’t expect my stories to be tied up with a nice, little bow, but I did want some more closure on certain subjects, and felt restless after I finished reading.

I wish I could be more explicit in my review, but I tend to shy away from discussing spoilery bits until the book has been available to the general public for more than six months. Dreaming of Antigone by Robin Bridges debuts on March 29, 2016. While it didn’t quite work for me, I can see why a lot of readers might enjoy it. My advice on this one, dear reader? Try it before you buy it.

Please visit my book review blog, ShelfishlyAddicted.com, for more reviews on YA, Adult, and Children fiction -- as well as bookish discussions, giveaways, author interviews, and more! ...more

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Jul 15, 2015 Kelli Spear rated it really liked it

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

Dreaming of Antigone focuses on so many issues - drug addiction, illness, sexual assault and abuse - that it honestly shouldn't have worked.

But it did.

It should have been a cluttered mess of stereotypical problems and causes.

But it wasn't.

Robin Bridges created a realistic look at troubled teens, the whys, and how to cope. I was blown away by how much it made me feel. This isn't an easy story to read. At times, I'm positive people will feel uncomfortable with aspects of Andr I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

Dreaming of Antigone focuses on so many issues - drug addiction, illness, sexual assault and abuse - that it honestly shouldn't have worked.

But it did.

It should have been a cluttered mess of stereotypical problems and causes.

But it wasn't.

Robin Bridges created a realistic look at troubled teens, the whys, and how to cope. I was blown away by how much it made me feel. This isn't an easy story to read. At times, I'm positive people will feel uncomfortable with aspects of Andria's life --- but life isn't always unicorns and rainbows. Sometimes people get the short end of the stick. I'd say this is one of those cases.

There is definitely angst in Dreaming of Antigone. Angst as you wonder when she will seize (because you just KNOW it's coming). Angst as you await Alex's relapse (again, you are positive it's coming). Angst at every interaction they have, because you want them to find happiness and light together.

I was on the fence about her 'friends.' Natalie seemed okay most times, but Trista left much to be desired. While I understand making jokes and teasing friends, often I felt they went too far or were slightly cruel and thoughtless. But then I suppose one can't dwell too long in the past. I guess I just thought Andria deserved better considering what she was dealing with. And it was A LOT.

There are a few pieces of the book that reminded me of others I've read in the past - the poetry exchanges on the desk, the abuse leading to suicide, etc. The first was one of my favorite things, and the latter made complete sense.

I felt so many emotions while reading this book. The only reason I took away one star from the rating was how things ended so abruptly. I think I'd have liked a little more for Alex and Andria. With all they had gone through, I felt they deserved more. As did we. I know that it feels as though they're together, but I was shocked at all the unknowns. Would Andria and her mother really move? Was Craig going to jail? Would Andria keep her friends? Would she ever get her license? WOULD ANDRIA AND ALEX STAY TOGETHER?

Dreaming of Antigone is a brilliant and emotional look at the imperfections of teenage life. Not everyone lives a charmed life, and this is just a small sampling of that truth. ...more

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Feb 23, 2016 Kris Mauna rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, tough-issues, arc-reading

Dreaming of Antigone was a beautiful story that was able to be a fun, light read while digging deeper to bring out those strong emotions from within.

Andria, our main character, is dealing with the aftermath of her twin sister's death that happened six months ago. Andria immediately pulled me in through her kind and even a bit sarcastic personality. Although she is easy to love she still has her flaws, and isn't dealing with her sister, Iris's death as well as her family and friends seem to be.

Al ...more

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Mar 12, 2016 diana rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, netgalley

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This book was different than I expected. The poetry aspect I think was done pretty well. I'm not a huge fan of poetry but after reading this book I've found a new fondness for it.
What bothered me most about this book though and the reason I gave it an average rating was I found a lot of things quite bothersome. First was the romance. Yes people die everyday. People move on eventually. But Andria being in a relationship with Alex just didn't quite sit well with me. I would ...more

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Mar 02, 2016 Kris rated it it was amazing

(Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley, I received an ebook copy of this book for free to review.)

I need to start by saying the writing style of this book is truly stunning. The way the words flowed had me begging for more. It has been a while since I was absolutely in love with an author’s writing style, but now I found one.
This book deals with a lot of tough subjects, addiction, epilepsy, sexual abuse, death, grief, suicide and many more. Looking at all these topics written out makes me person ...more

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Feb 23, 2016 Abbie rated it liked it

Shelves: read-to-review

(I received a copy from Netgalley, In exchange for an honest review.)

Andria was an okay character, but I couldn't warm to her enough to really like her.

This was an okay read, but it struggled to keep my interest at points, so there were times where it dragged slightly.

Overall, An okay read. ...more

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Feb 24, 2016 irene rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, I can't resist to this kind of blurb and cover. Buut, what's new about Dreaming of Antigone? I'm gonna be honest: Absolutely nothing. It's more of the same story: broken girl meets problematic/broken boy and fall in love, but there's something stopping them to loving each other... More of using poetry and Greek Myth as a try to give some depth to the story.

But that's not bad. It's entretening and I didn't see coming THAT r ...more

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Feb 28, 2016 Terri rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher Kensington via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date is March 29th, 2016.

This is a story about grief and what happens to those left behind after someone is taken away suddenly. It deals with the inability to let go and move on, the void that is left and survivors guilt.

While I will say that this story is not entirely original in its concep ...more

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Mar 08, 2016 Debbie Gascoyne rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley, ya, kindle, 2016

At its heart, this is a very sweet and believable teen love story. A few things kept me from giving it a higher rating, however. First of all, for me, was the "framing" device of Antigone, which, I'm sorry, didn't work at all. Honestly, the only parallel is that there are two sisters, one of whom commits suicide. There's no particular thematic connection - the ethical concerns that drive Antigone the play are absent here, the conflict between religious beliefs and the laws of the state is not re ...more

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Mar 07, 2016 Flowergirl rated it it was ok

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the free copy of this book I received!

I really wanted to like this book. And the thing is, I think what the author was trying to do could have worked if she had spent more time developing the characters, but this felt heavy-handed and not nuanced enough. However, I find star-gazing, poetry-reciting teenagers to be pretentious, so I may not be the best one to consult for an opinion.

I felt like the characters and the situations they were in were real ...more

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Feb 29, 2016 J-9 rated it it was amazing

What a tragic but beautifully written story.
I couldn't put it down.
I finished it in one evening.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this lovely book.
I absolutely loved it.
The ending was very moving. ...more

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Apr 22, 2020 Tammy Robinson rated it really liked it

This book deals with some pretty heavy topics, namely drug use, sexual abuse, and mental health issues. It seems almost every teen book these days deals with these subjects, to the point you grow tired of it. However, Dreaming of Antigone is one of the best I’ve read, that actually does realistic justice to the problems sadly faced by too many teenagers today. I was drawn in first by the cover, then the description. I’m a twin myself, so I thought it would be an interesting read with regards to ...more

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Mar 14, 2019 Cabiria Aquarius rated it it was amazing

Andria’s story is the story of Iris. Her twin sister. Andria’s story is one or mystery and sadness. With a touch of happy. With confusion and fright. Anger and madness.
Iris’ story isn’t to be taken lightly. Andria the poor girl, goes through so much, all she wants is to be able to take her damn drivers license test. But her seizures are stopping her. She had to be seizure free for six months. The last two weeks before she can see the doctor and hopefully take the test, everything slowly unfolds ...more

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Feb 23, 2016 Faith rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, suicide, arc, netgalley

Disclaimer: received an ARC copy from Netgalley.

Some mild spoilers.
Rating: 1.5 stars.

I just wasn't super impressed with this book. I was looking for a thought-provoking contemporary with interesting characters, but all I got was a standard contemporary with the awful, cringe worthy cliches. The book's worst offenses were: a trying-too-hard-to-be-unique MC and a romance that kinda grossed me out. The only thing that I liked about this book was the poetry element and the mythology of Antigone. ...more

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Jun 22, 2017 Natalie Martinez rated it really liked it

I can not get over her wanting to even touch someone who helped in what occurred to her sister.

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Jan 09, 2016 Kelly Gunderman rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc

Check out this and other reviews on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!

I was first drawn in by Dreaming of Antigone's beautiful, star-filled cover that seemed to promise a swoon-worthy romance that would be unforgettable and would make me weak in the knees.

While it was a good, contemporary read (that had some romance to it), it was much more than that. It was a dark read - painful in some places, filled with drugs and sexual abuse - things that can be really difficult to write abo ...more

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Feb 24, 2016 Amanda rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: fans of contemporary young adult, fans of Deb Caletti

Shelves: netgalley, contemporary, ya-and-na-literature-i-love, read-in-2016, favorites-of-2016

First reviewed on [a cup of tea and an armful of books]. Check it out for more young adult literature reviews and book photos!

I want to tell everyone I meet about this book. It’s taken me several days to work up to writing a review purely because I was afraid that if I wrote it immediately it would only end up being solely composed of “ILOVETHISBOOKSOMUCH” and “YouHAVEtoreaditNOW”s. There will still be a fair amount of that, so this is your warning.

This is the first book in the contemporary you First reviewed on [a cup of tea and an armful of books]. Check it out for more young adult literature reviews and book photos!

I want to tell everyone I meet about this book. It’s taken me several days to work up to writing a review purely because I was afraid that if I wrote it immediately it would only end up being solely composed of “ILOVETHISBOOKSOMUCH” and “YouHAVEtoreaditNOW”s. There will still be a fair amount of that, so this is your warning.

This is the first book in the contemporary young adult genre that I’ve loved unconditionally in a long time. Robin Bridges’ writing really reminds me of Deb Caletti’s style. Any time she comes out with a new book I read it because I know I’ll like it. But this. This. I’ve never read a Robin Bridges novel before, and in the middle of reading this I knew I had to read everything that she’s ever written and will write.

Dreaming of Antigone is about Andria, a girl who has recently lost her twin and who finds a kindred spirit in Antigone when they begin to read the tragedy in class. For a girl who lost her father when she was a baby and blames herself for the death of her sister, Antigone’s family tragedy is relatable. Andria has always been the weird twin, the one who looked more likely to have a drug problem with her all-black wardrobe. It wasn’t meant to be Iris, the one who had everything. She had her life put together. Like many things, what you initially see on the surface is not what lies beneath. As Andria rediscovers how to live in the wake of her sister’s death, not everything that appears perfect is as it seems.

Reading this book was so lovely. It’s young adult, it’s romance, it has a heavy amount of astronomy and stargazing, and there’s poems and Greek literature. As a writer and reader who was an English major, this made me so happy. Writing poems back and forth to a mysterious person was so romantic. I loved that there was such a focus on it. I was able to connect with Andria through that and her habit of sneaking out late to look at the stars.

The romance in this novel was gentle. Both were looking for forgiveness and understanding as they tried to move on while also maintaining a balance of remembering the person whose death still haunts them. It was just the right amount of “aww”s without becoming corny. I honestly could continue reading about them even beyond what happens to them in the novel. The romantic relationship was written well, but it went beyond that. I felt that all the relationships in this book were realistic: Andria and her mom, Andria and her two friends who are also coping with Iris’ death in their own, different ways…this author really had a handle on how to write characters, relationships, and the different ways people handle grief.

The writing style was beautiful. I was able to get lost in the words. I really wish I could forget everything about this book in order to read it again. As soon as it comes out, I want to order a physical copy so I can read it all over again. And when I have to lug it around when I move in about a year and a half, that’s saying something.

Read this book if you’re a fan of other young adult contemporary romance novels and their authors. I feel that you won’t be disappointed.

5 stars.

I received a copy of Dreaming of Antigone from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It will be available March 29th, 2016! ...more

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Feb 23, 2016 Olivia Chanel's Stories in Space rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed-on-blog

Thank you so much Netgalley and Kensington Books for my e-arc!

Be aware that this story deals with topics such as suicide, abuse and addiction.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Dreaming of Antigone is a tragic story about a family surrounded by loss, heartbreak and secrets with Andria and her twin sister Iris at the center of it all. Iris died of a drug overdose six months ago, something Andria, her family and their friends are still struggling with. Andria is now trying to continue her life through her grief, in Thank you so much Netgalley and Kensington Books for my e-arc!

Be aware that this story deals with topics such as suicide, abuse and addiction.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Dreaming of Antigone is a tragic story about a family surrounded by loss, heartbreak and secrets with Andria and her twin sister Iris at the center of it all. Iris died of a drug overdose six months ago, something Andria, her family and their friends are still struggling with. Andria is now trying to continue her life through her grief, in a world where she’ll discover that not everything is as it once seemed.

Iris’s death was officially deemed an accident. Not a suicide. But don’t you have to have some sort of death wish to smoke heroin?

I loved this book so much more than I ever thought I would, it is a story that sticks with you and shows you how life can be filled with sadness, love and unexpected truths. I love how this story is so family and friendship oriented, and how all of these characters try to deal with the loss of Iris and what happened the night of her death. However, Dreaming of Antigone is a story that will break your heart but at the same time give you hope for the people who are left standing in the wake of tragedy and loss.

I'm trapped, and I push up on my hands, trying desperately to stay above him. His grasp tightens as he squeezes my waist. Nerve endings all over my body explode like fireworks, and suddenly I feel out of control. It feels wild. Intoxicating.

We also have Alex, the boy who is in the eyes of many to be blamed for Iris’ death. There are so many unexpected things about this story of Andria, Iris and Alex, which makes the story so much more complex than it first seems. There is so much about the seemingly perfect life we don’t see until everything is turned upside down. Nonetheless, it is a story that is magical all in its own way. Dreaming of Antigone is filled with beautiful poetry, due to a mutual interest between two characters, and it really adds something special to the story. It makes it such a wonderful and enchanting read. The important topics this book deals with makes it a perfect read for anyone who wants read a story that will give them a little more from their reading experience.

Blazing stars streak across the sky above us. I shake my head. Love keeps me warm.

...more

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Feb 29, 2016 Dani St-Onge (Literary Lion) rated it it was ok

Shelves: review-copies, owned-ebook

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"I am a terrible person. He was my twin sister's boyfriend."

Andria is still reeling from the loss of her twin sister, Iris, to a heroin overdose. She’s failing classes, her friends are distancing and she has to avoid having a seizure in the next few days if she wants a driver’s licence. Now, on top of everything, she’s starting to fall for the wrong guy.

Dreaming of Antigone had every opportunity to be exciting, but the best word for this book is bland. It’s a stor ...more

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Mar 02, 2016 Ema rated it liked it

This dealt with much deeper issues than the description implied but seemed to center around a romance.

Despite dealing with some pretty serious topics, this book maintained a light feel throughout. I felt it could have delved deeper into some of the topics presented, and I felt that the ultimate cause of Iris's death was very heavily glossed over.

Nonetheless, seeing the relationship between Andria and her mother as they both dealt with challenges was interesting to watch. I felt they could have ...more

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Feb 24, 2016 Romance Readers Retreat rated it it was amazing

I am not usually a big fan of Young Adult but I am so glad I got the chance to read this! This isn't your typical YA book. This was different than anything else I've read in this genre. Robin Bridges writes about real life dark problems, such as, suicide, drug use, and overdose, as well as, epilepsy. I think she does a darn good job conveying these problems and making you fall in love with the characters and their struggles. This was a heart-wrenchingly emotional read that will suck you in from ...more

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YA Buddy Readers'...: Dreaming of Antigone by Robin Bridges - Starting March 7th 2016	11	9	Mar 07, 2016 11:37AM

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About Robin Bridges

Robin Bridges

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By day, Robin Bridges is a mild mannered writer of young adult fiction. By night, she is a pediatric nurse, poking small children with needles for a living. She lives on the Gulf Coast with her family and an ever-growing menagerie of cats, dogs, tropical fish, and parrots. But alas, she still does not have a unicorn.