Customer Reviews

Dreamland

5 star:		(76)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I never really picked up this book because I thought it, like another book I'd read with a similar plot, took place in a dream. I borrowed this book from the library prepared to completely hate it. Fortunately I was pleasantly surprised. It does start out a bit on the boring side but it catches you up in its whirlwind of emotions and its just impossible not to love it. Maybe not love it but you will not be able to keep from reading from front to back with this one. Its amazing. Caitlin's emotions are so real and , as a girl with an older sister who im always second to, I definitely understand where she's coming from. Not to ruin the story or anything but when the character of Rogerson is first introduced I fell for him so hard. It was like I was caught in that relationship too. I have never been,nor do I ever hope to be, in an abusive relationship but I have always wondered why a woman would stick around through that but this book definitely made me understand. Sure it doesn't have the perfect, everything-works-out-in-the-end ending but I wouldn't consider it depressing. A definite must read.

The thing that struck me while reading Dreamland is the same element that causes many people to label the book 'disturbing'... the focus on how Caitlin let herself be abused and hurt. The language is beautiful and honest, and the characters are remarkably sympathetic- not in the sense that the reader feels sorry for them, but that the reader understands the reasons behind their behavior. Dreamland may be dark and gloomy, but it is also painfully honest, realistic, and compelling. A must read for anyone that isn't under the delusion that all teen literature has to be coated with happy pills!

I can't make myself like this book. At first, I thought it sounded good. From the back, I thought it might possibly be a fantasy novel. Not even close. The characters arent incredibly interesting, and the plot is so depressing it left me feeling mildly sick afterwards. I really liked This Lullaby by the same author, but Dreamland just makes me feel like the whole world is being sucked into a pit of despair and struggle. If you like depressing books about drugs and abusive boyfriends, I suppose you might like this story. If you don't fall into those categories, stay clear of this book.

This book reveals situations that teenage girls go through everyday but aren't talked about.

Caitlin celebrates her birthday among a frantic household because of her sisters sudden runaway from home, leaving behind plans to go to Yale, a sad mother, dissapointed father and a sister trying to fill in her gap.

Caitlin meets Rogerson, the green-eyed bad boy that would change her life forever. With a mixture of drugs and control he would have Caitlin in his control, a control that took a loving family and friends to pull her out of.

During the story you watch as Caitlin trys to put together the torn pieces of her life as she did the torn picture of her "old self" with tape. It is a powerful and intense book. It is truly my favorite book.

This was a very good book, but I'm not sure if I'd recommend it to anyone under 14. Although it was a wonderful book, it left me feeling very depressed. Before you read this, I'd advise you to consider whether or not you can handle reading a very descriptive, very realistic account of teen abuse.

This novel is absolutely great. It has a lot of realness to it. The fact that Rogerson abuses her and how she uses the drugs and all is pretty intense but very interesting none the less. Dessen clearly put a lot of thought into it. And it's amazing to see the contrast from her other books. I liked a lot of the different pointers in the book, but what stuck out to me the most was how Caitlin put together the picture of herself by tape. I think that that's the way we find ourselves. Kind of like a jigsaw puzzle, slowly being put together.

Dreamland takes a look into the world of abuse in teen relationships. Incredibly realistic and powerful. Something every teenager should read.

Caitlin O'Koren already must deal with the fact that her sister, Cass, who is supposed to be at Yale soon, has run away. And, for all she and her parents know, Cass may never return. To Caitlin's shock, she is a staff member on the Lamont Whipper show, a fictional Jerry Springer type talk show.

Enter Rogerson Biscoe, a dreadlocked hunk who takes Caitlin's mind off of her family's ordeal. He is able to perfectly fill the void Cass left behind. His lifestyle of smoking and partying is wild, something new and exciting to Caitlin. That's why when he pulls her into his world, she doesn't hesitate to come along for the ride. As she gets deeper and deeper into the relationship, she comes to understand Rogerson is bruised and badly broken, both in the literal and figurative sense. He has a father who hits him and to heal his own pain, he begins taking his anger out on Caitlin.

Soon, Caitlin changes, switching gears altogether. She used to be a B student, a cheerleader, and a loyal best friend to Rina, who is fiercely loyal in return. Now, she incessantly blows Rina off when she tries to make plans, she's quit cheerleading, she's become withdrawn, she's smoking weed, taking Rogerson's beatings, and plummeting further and further into the abyss. Those who try to reach out, friends, family, and worried peers, have no success. It's as if there is a wall between Caitlin and the rest of the world. Really, there is. That wall is her dreamland.

Dessen's best novel to date is realistic and totally believable. When people question why victims choose not to escape their relationship abuse, they don't always understand things can't be so easy. Dessen also demonstrates the driving forces in one's life that can cause a person to lose their grip on reality, as well as their sense of security. DREAMLAND is more than a mere YA novel. It's about a horrid thing that actually happens to thousands of teenage girls today.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was hard to put it down! It was really descriptive about what was going on in Caitlyn's life, and how she felt. It is a really good story of love, loss and friendship.

I felt the novel, Dreamland, was a book to learn by. Although Caitlin had to face very traumatic incidents in her life, the people who read the book learn by her mistakes. We see what the actual consequences are, although she didn't see them at the time.It is awful for one human being to go through what she did, but look at how many millions of other girls it touched. Although this was a fiction book, it could very easily be true in someone's life. It takes a very brave soul to live in torment like she did, and the book also shows courage through that. It teaches young adults, that no matter what you may go through, you have the strength to come through it.