Mysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yes, Liv's dreams have been pretty weird lately. Especially the one where she's in a graveyard at night, watching four boys conduct dark magic rituals.
The strangest part is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream. They're classmates from her new school in London, the school where she's starting over because her mom has moved them to a new country (again). But what's really scaring Liv is that the dream boys seem to know things about her in real life, things they couldn't possibly know--unless they actually are in her dreams? Luckily, Liv never could resist a good mystery, and all four of those boys are pretty cute....
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Lackluster
By Kris
The intriguing premise is what drew me to Dream a Little Dream. The mystery of what supernatural forces are at work is what kept me reading. Though the plot has potential to really delve into the mysterious and fantastical elements working in the dream world and the supernatural rituals that the four boys appear to be doing, it focuses more on the day-to-day happenings than the dreams. While this is different from my typical UF read, I found it refreshing how the novel kept me questioning what was caused by supernatural forces and what was caused by coincidence.That said, I felt like Gier was more interested in exploring the relationships among the different characters than the supernatural elements. Not only is more time spent in the everyday world, the heroine Liv spends quite a bit of her time thinking about romantic / high school clichés and how she is above all that (until she isn't anymore)—so much that it got old fast. Real nerd girls may think that from time to time, but most of the human thoughts tend to drift to what we do like. The romance also came out of nowhere. Liv has barley met the guy, they only hang out in dreams from time to time, and he hasn't given out much information about himself. Up until the end, I was pretty sure that the romance would head in another direction.It doesn't help that the characters are all pretty much one-dimensional and without much substance. The character that I found to have the most depth, even more so than Liv, was Grayson. He is the only character that seems to have any sense (as a couple characters point out), he shows a variety of emotions (especially when he's worrying over Liv, though the reason behind his concern isn't fully explained), and there are multiple dimensions to his character (most notably revealed when he tells Liv what he wished for). That said, even Grayson didn't have much character development. No one person beyond Liv is given much page time. When they do appear, most of the focus is on clichéd scenarios that appear in too many YA novels instead of fleshing out their characters. In the end, I can tell you about who the characters out, but I can't say what drives them. What makes them who they are.The plot was also lackluster. One reason is that the novel tends to gloss over the details. While the dialogue wasn't terrible, there isn't a good balance between dialogue and details. The scenery and the characters' behavior isn't really given during scenes. In fact, much of the characters' behavior doesn't make sense. It doesn't seem like Gier gave much thought into the meaning and motivation behind their actions. For example, I can't see Grayson being so focused on texting that his father's announcement at dinner didn't register much response from him. A normal high school student wouldn't definitely react or at least show some emotion. I also couldn't feel Liv's presence in the narration. While she does have thoughts, they are distinct from the backdrop, from the characters actions and the going ons at the time.There is one more thing I want to note. Liv repeats (much too often) her line on how she knows kung fu. Girls, there is a difference between knowing kung fu and being foolishly courageous. Merely knowing some form of martial arts is not the solution to everything. For example, it's plain stupid to follow two guys you barely know (with at least one more on the way) into someone's basement on the basis that you can defend yourself with kung fu. Isn't the point of self defense also to know how to avoid dangerous situations in the first place?Despite the seriously clichéd turn of events, Dream a Little Dream is still interesting enough that I'll be checking out the second novel in the series. My questions going forth into the series are: (1) will the romantic interest change, (2) what is the supernatural power at work, and (3) why are these peoples' dreams connected?
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.Not enough of the dream world.
By Donna C
This was an on-the-fence book request for me. It sounded neat but I really waffled in wanting to read it. In the end I decided to give it a chance. I probably should have passed on it.To note this is a translation. As I’ve said before not all translations are created equal so when reading my review take it with a grain of salt. Nuance can be lost with these so it could have a bearing in how I read the book.The first third or so of the book Liv came across as if she were about 12, not 15. While I understand the nomadic life she’s had to live with a mother who, for the most part, is more concerned about herself than anyone else, can be difficult, Liv and her little sister could as well have been twins for how they acted. Considering the mother didn’t ever assert herself in an authoritative way the sisters often got away with lipping off to adults, acting out, and the like. It gave the tone of the book an awkward start. It got even more inconsistent when the voice matured out of nowhere (or when a boy came into the picture, however you want to look at it) and it made for a really rocky read. The flow from that perspective was just off.Then comes this whole dream aspect, which is actually kind of neat but it’s not approached in the best way. It read like the book was at odds with itself. It really wanted to be a book about this teenage girl adjusting to a new life in an uppity school and finding a guy she liked and going to a ball and then this whole devil thing was sprinkled in without much of a care as to how to appeared. It only lent itself to the inconsistency of the overall tone of the book. Here’s this supposedly scary thing that this group of kids is doing but it’s approached in such a lighthearted, almost whimsical manner that I can’t get on board with it at all. At what point am I supposed to be afraid of what’s going on? Because Liv doesn’t even start taking it seriously until the last couple of chapters and then the tone shifts again for TENSION. But with so much more emphasis being put on this Autumn Ball, finding out who the secret gossip writer was, family drama, and how dreamy Henry was, there was very little room left to address this dream world and that’s exactly how it read. It’s unfortunate.The book is just really all over the place and is basically trying to talk about of both sides of its mouth at the same time and it’s just not working for me. I don’t really care about any of the characters and for the blurb focusing on the dream world and then only having it make up maybe 20% of the story in favor of more typical teen fare I felt led astray. I went in expecting one thing and got something completely different. That’s annoying and I felt misled by it.The ending leaves some room to play and I would like to imagine the dream world would play a bigger part in its own story in the next book but it’s a gamble at this point. I lost when I read DREAM A LITTLE DREAM and I’m not a gambling person. I don’t see myself reading on in this series. It’s just too inconsistent and when I go in expecting one thing because that’s what the blurb said and I get something completely different my trust is blown. Not a fan.1.5I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Review for Dream A Little Dream by Kerstin Gier
By Alyssa
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***Dream A Little Dream by Kerstin GierBook One of the Silver TrilogyPublisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)Publication Date: April 14, 2015Rating: 4 starsSource: ARC sent by the publisherSummary (from Goodreads):Mysterious doors with lizard-head knobs. Talking stone statues. A crazy girl with a hatchet. Yep, Liv’s dreams have been pretty weird lately. Especially this one where she’s in a graveyard at night, watching four boys perform dark magic rituals.The really weird thing is that Liv recognizes the boys in her dream. They’re classmates from her new school in London, the school where’s she’s starting over because her mom has moved them to a new country (again). But they seem to know things about her in real life that they couldn't possibly know, which is mystifying. Then again, Liv could never resist a good mystery. . . .What I Liked:Kerstin Gier does it again! I wish all of her books could be picked up by USA publishers, because I've been quite in love with her books since Ruby Red was published in the United States, in 2011. The Ruby Red trilogy is one of my favorite series of all time!In this new series, Liv is leaving one place for another, but her new home has some... interesting people to it. Her and her younger sister, Mia, are constantly traveling and moving, as their mother is a professor (their father is as well, but the parents are divorced). The girls show up in London, and the first person their mother introduces them to? Surprise - her boyfriend! Whom she will be marrying, and Liv and Mia will being moving in to his house. Liv's soon-to-be stepbrother, is a strange, quite one, and her soon-to-be-stepsister is pushy and a bit rude, and her soon-to-be-stepfather is old and just a bother in general. Attending school means meeting new people, and Liv immediately meets Grayson's friends - Arthur, Jasper, and Henry. Things get weird when Liv starts dreaming, and the four boys are in her dreams. Or she's in theirs. When they want her to join their strange dream group, Liv is skeptical, but she joins. But perhaps things aren't so plausible - perhaps things are much more sinister than they appear...One thing that strikes me in all of Gier's books is the humor. I love how funny Liv's voice is, how Gier makes Liv a tiny bit awkward, a lot sweet, and a bit sarcastic, in a funny way. This book is hilarious, even if there are parts that are very serious, and borderline scary.I liked Liv. She has a distinct voice, and it's so great to watch the story unfold from her perspective. She likes logic and science, and likes to figure things out. She joins the boys and their bizarre rituals, but mostly she wants to help them, and wants to prove to herself that demons aren't real. See, the boys tried to summon a demon who will grant their hearts' desire. On Halloween. Wild.I like the boys. There are four of them, one of them being the stepbrother (Grayson), the other three being his friends. They're all described as super good-looking, like shampoo commercial guys. Each has their own personality. Jasper is very rambunctious, and doesn't really take things seriously. Grayson is a bit protective. Arthur... he's an odd one (and you'll see why, at the end of this book). Henry is the mysterious and brooding one, but he's also very sweet.Another thing that I really liked about this book is the sister-sister relationship! Usually, the younger sister is SO ANNOYING, and I dislike her a lot (like, genuinely dislike her, not dislike her as the kid sister). Mia is about five years younger, but she's mature for her age, yet fun like a child should be. I liked her a lot, which surprised me.The story is quite interesting and goes by very quickly. I was really strapped for time this week (soooo many exams and papers and research), but I finished this one faster than I expected. I love how Gier writes - her writing is beautiful, but also very easy to read and pay attention to. Seriously, anyone could read her books, translated or not, and know her writing style and voice.There IS romance in this book! Check out my Swoon Thursday post from yesterday (March 12th) if you want a little insight on the romance. The love interest is pretty swoony, and he's more than a love interest - he plays quite pivotal roles in the book. No love triangle, and while Liv becomes infatuated with the love interest pretty quickly, I wouldn't call it insta-love. More like insta-interest. There are no declarations of love or serious feelings, so no insta-love. The romance is really sweet, but also very subtle and a bit in the background compared to the story.The story was intriguing and almost scary at some points! Dreams are beautiful and scary places. I didn't see the climax coming - and it occurs pretty late, around 90% of the book. But I couldn't stop reading. This book wraps up pretty nicely, but in a way that you KNOW there will be more books (hence, the Silver Trilogy). No cliffhanger though, yay!What I Did Not Like:Nothing in particular - I might have wanted a little more from the romance, but I know how Gier writes in the romance into the story of her books, and it's always very slow and subtle. Which is cool, I'm fine with that.Would I Recommend It:Yes! Great paranormal/fantasy read, set in the contemporary world. This one was fun and easy and quick, and not to mention lush in details and gorgeous in writing. And the cover is pretty great! I liked the original USA cover, but this new cover is spectacular. In any case, I'd recommend any Gier book I've read (now four), this one included!Rating:4 stars. I'll definitely be reading book two as soon as I can get my hands on it! Noooow, please! I wonder if there are editions in Spanish (bilingual for the win!)... I'll buy one of those, if I have to!
