Dreamstrider by Lindsay Smith

Title: Dreamstrider
Author: Lindsay Smith
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Release Date: October 6th 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

A high-concept, fantastical espionage novel set in a world where dreams are the ultimate form of political intelligence.

Livia is a dreamstrider. She can inhabit a subject's body while they are sleeping and, for a short time, move around in their skin. She uses her talent to work as a spy for the Barstadt Empire. But her partner, Brandt, has lately become distant, and when Marez comes to join their team from a neighborhing kingdom, he offers Livia the option of a life she had never dared to imagine. Livia knows of no other dreamstriders who have survived the pull of Nightmare. So only she understands the stakes when a plot against the Empire emerges that threatens to consume both the dreaming world and the waking one with misery and rage.

A richly conceived world full of political intrigue and fantastical dream sequences, at its heart Dreamstrider is about a girl who is struggling to live up to the potential before her.

Review

Goodness what to say about Dreamstrider.  Dreamstrider was a struggle for me, not because of the actual story but the beginning never captured my attention.  The beginning of the book reminded me immediately of the movie Inception.  I actually read the first 20 pages four different times because I was not feeling it.  I finally pressed on and realized Dreamstrider was not what I was expecting at all, in a good way!

The main character has the ability to go into a dream world and take over a body of another sleeping person.  So even though Livia is a spy and able to penetrate very high level dangerous meetings there is a lot more going on.  The dream world is threatened by a grave danger.  Livia has to continue her missions while dealing with a looming darkness threatening her every mission.  There is a mix of politics, spies, magic, and romance.

Once the world building and plot pace picked up I started getting into the story.  Smith creates an imaginative and high energy world with a strong good versus evil mood.  The romance seemed to be an after though; I never had a strong urge to have the romance come to fruition, I was very indifferent.  Ultimately, I enjoyed the world building and fantasy aspects but lacked any attachments to the characters.  Their development and growth was weak and predictable leaving me with a lackluster feeling in the end.

Bright Lights, Dark Nights by Stephen Emond

Title: Bright Lights, Dark Nights
Author: Stephen Emond
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Release Date: August 11th 2015
Source: ARC from Publisher (thanks Macmillan!!)

Summary from Goodreads:

A story about first love, first fights, and finding yourself in a messed up world, from the acclaimed author of Happyface.

Walter Wilcox has never been in love. That is, until he meets Naomi, and sparks, and clever jokes, fly. But when his cop dad is caught in a racial profiling scandal, Walter and Naomi, who is African American, are called out at school, home, and online. Can their bond (and mutual love of the Foo Fighters) keep them together?

With black-and-white illustrations throughout and a heartfelt, humorous voice, Bright Lights, Dark Nights authentically captures just how tough first love can be...and why it's worth fighting for.

 Review

Well written, provoking and current

Bright Lights, Dark Nights is a strong contemporary book that focuses on the friendships and relationships of a group of high-school students. Walter, a police officer’s son, lives in a rougher part of the city and attends a more diverse school. A major theme of the book is race. Walter wants to date one of his friend’s younger sisters who happens to be black. (Walter is white). Not only does his friend not approve of their relationship but neither do kids from school or even Walter’s family. To complicate things even further, a law enforcement issue evolves as well that also focuses on race.

The book does contain very well done black and white sketches painting the city and various scenes. While the pictures were a nice addition, I felt they did not push the story forward or really impact my reading experience, which was a bit disappointing. Bright Lights, Dark Nights addresses a very controversial and current racial issue. The author does an excellent job of incorporating both the social media and the news’s role in that racial issue. Personally, even though I thought the story was well written, the characters had a lot of depth to them, they felt like true high schoolers, and the romance felt young and real; the overall mood and theme played a larger part than I enjoyed.

The book reminded me so much of current news stories, focusing heavily on race and its role with law enforcement. After finishing the book, I just felt heavy. All that being said, do not let that deter you! If you are in the mood for a deeper looking into a young man’s life as he faces racism, first love, and family struggles, Bright Lights, Dark Nights is well worth the read.

The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

Title: The Truth About Alice
Author: Jennifer Mathieu
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Release Date: June 3rd 2014
Pages: Hardcover, 208 pages
Source: NetGalley

Summary from Goodreads:
Everyone has a lot to say about Alice Franklin, and it’s stopped mattering whether it’s true. The rumors started at a party when Alice supposedly had sex with two guys in one night. When school starts everyone almost forgets about Alice until one of those guys, super-popular Brandon, dies in a car wreck that was allegedly all Alice’s fault. Now the only friend she has is a boy who may be the only other person who knows the truth, but is too afraid to admit it. Told from the perspectives of popular girl Elaine, football star Josh, former outcast Kelsie, and shy genius Kurt, we see how everyone has a motive to bring – and keep – Alice down.

Review

It was so easy to just inhale this book and fly through the pages to get to the truth.  The entire time I could just feel the drama and hate of high school.  The mean girl nature of the "popular" girls and football players who love to brag; it all just felt so real even though their roles were rather cliche.  The cliche-ness of the high school roles made the plot some what predictable but still suited the story.  

The overall message was an interesting and meaningful one.  A small rumor or lie can spread uncontrollably and just destroy a person.  Each chapter is from a different point of view from the previous chapter; almost all the characters involved in the story have a couple chapters from their point of view.  It took a while to get used the various point of views but the format fit perfectly with the rumor fragments. The various vantage points of each character has a role in the giant game of telephone in which Alice is the victim.  

The ending was similar to Side Effects May Vary.  It was not a warm and fuzzy ending.  It left you thinking about some of the mean spirited actions that happen during high school and even after than can really snowball out of control.  My main reservation about the story was that even with a strong message the overall feel and tone of the story were on the younger side young adult.  

Bottom Line

The Truth About Alice is not a book I would recommend to everyone.  I think the book sends an important message about the toxic nature of a rumor mill.  It is easy to become entranced in the drama and hope for a heart warming ending.