Review: Dream Boy by Madelyn Rosenberg and Mary Crockett

Read July 1 - 2, 2014

Book: Dream Boy by Madelyn Rosenberg and Mary Crockett
Publication Date: July 1, 2014
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Number of Pages: 336
Genre/s: Young Adult, Paranormal
Source: ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley

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 her 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. - (source)

“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.” - taken from an uncorrected ARC 

What if what you dream about becomes a reality? Annabelle found out she has this unique power in the form of one, gorgeous boy. Clearly having a dream so powerful, it can bring a being into life, only happens in a SciFi show and easily makes for an interesting read. But alas, in Dream Boy, this is where the interest starts and ends. Because after the novelty of having your dream boy become a reality faded, the only thing this novel inspired me to do, is to take a nap myself. Twice. I can't even begin to tell you how a total snoozefest this book was.

I have no qualms in being this harsh because I tried so hard to like this book. However, Dream Boy made this too difficult, and it wasn't long until I gave up. The characters are abysmally dull, and the pacing is just dreadful. As I turn page after page, all I could think about was: I'm one page closer to the end of the book. I wanted to be done with it, so I can finally move on with my life. I've yet to not finish a book, but this one came so close.

Annabelle, our main protagonist, is so boring. I definitely get it why she has to dream people up so her life could become interesting. I believe there were so many opportunities for her to become likeable and engaging. For instance, if we had explored more about her Dad, or her drawings, or her friendship with Talon and Selena, then I might've grown to like her. Martin Zirkle, the dream boy, does not have any redeeming qualities, either. He's as flat as a cardboard. He's cluelessness is not endearing in anyway, much more his stalkerish, possessive behavior. This could be explained by his lack of social understanding, since Annabelle literally just dreamed him to life, but I won't make that excuse for him.

"I mean," Martin said, "how do you know Annabelle?"
"If you were close you wouldn't have to ask that question."
Martin grabbed my hand and pulled me onto his lap. "Close enough?"
Okay, forget the western. It was more like that thing where dogs pee on their property as a message to other dogs.

— Um, just no. *facepalm*

I'm trying to think of something positive to say about Dream Boy, but all I can come up with circles back to its captivating concept: Dreams and Nightmares—the reason I picked up this book in the first place. Annabelle did choose the right guy for her in the end, so I have to give credit where credit is due. Will can also be included in this very short list because he's the only character I cared about. He almost made me feel something at the end of the book. Almost.

I had high hopes about Dream Boy. I'm deeply disappointed because if you have this intriguing premise in your arsenal, you basically have a sure tool  in crafting a fantastic novel. A slight focus on the world-building in the dream world and having more fleshed-out, dynamic characters might have made this book better. The meaning behind Annabelle's dreaming powers was never adequately explained, too. The explanation was sloppy and prohibitive, and the readers are just left to swallow it up and pretend it all made sense. Also, let's be honest, if you write a story about a special girl, a chosen one, who has to battle an evil entity to save all those she holds dear, it needs to be a girl we can sympathize and root for. Unfortunately, Annabelle doesn't fit the bill.

Dream Boy failed to live up to its potential. Drab and lackluster, even Will is not enough to change how I feel about this novel. Now excuse me, while I dream away the bitter taste this book left in my mouth.

Cupid's Verdict:

2 Cupids

A copy was provided by the publisher at no cost via Netgalley
in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting on Wednesday (14): Isla and the Happily Ever After

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating. 

Book: Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss #3) by Stephanie Perkins

Publication Date: August 14, 2014

Publisher: Dutton

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new. - From Goodreads

There are no words to express how excited I am with Ms. Perkins' latest book. I am lucky to have read an excerpt and it only fueled my obsession with having my grubby hands on this sure to be wonderful conclusion to the series we have loved since Anna and Étienne. Thank the lucky stars that the waiting is soon to be over. 

In related news, I will get a chance to meet Stephanie Perkins this coming Sunday. EEEEEEEP!

So what books are you waiting on?

Review: Pantomime by Laura Lam

Read from July 28 - 31, 2013 

Book: Pantomime (Micah Grey #1) by Laura Lam
Publication Date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Number of Pages: 392
Genre/s: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass—remnants of a mysterious civilization long gone—are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada. - (source)

I went into Pantomime not knowing what to expect. I rarely read synopses and blurbs because as a reader I always want this element of surprise. I know synopses are definitely not spoilers but I still want to be as blind and as unbiased as I can. Now that I have finished Pantomime, I could honestly say that throughout my reading progress, I seriously had no idea it was the kind of story I would be getting. Until now, I'm still not certain what Pantomime really is.

As I read on, it's easy to envisioned what would come next but Pantomime manages not to stick to a straight path. It relishes on using the most unconventional route, and it makes for quite a slow, bumpy ride. Although I could clearly categorize Pantomime as a slow book, never once did I get bored or uninterested. I might have taken a pause once in a while, but there was always this urge to open the book again and find out what would happen next.

The story goes back and forth into the past and the present of one, woefully named, Iphegenia. A girl who doesn't seem quite able to fit in a society wherein balls and marriages determine a girl's success. Gene doesn't want any of it. She longs to climb trees and play with boys. She was different. But it's her physicality that really sets her apart from everybody else. So she ran away from the life she knew she would never be a part of, and she stumbled upon a place where her new destiny awaits.

Sometimes Pantomime reads like a mythology, sometimes fantasy, but even though I was not certain where this book was leading me, there's one thing I'm sure of, it's a story of a girl's journey towards self-discovery—finding herself, making her own decisions, and meeting people who would accept who she truly is.

Pantomime is a well-written debut. Lam has a vivid imagination, and I know she has plenty of tricks up her sleeves waiting to bedazzle her readers. If you want to be enraptured by a world of circus and magic, Pantomime might just be the book for you.

Cupid's Verdict:

4 Cupids

A copy was provided by the publisher at no cost via Netgalley
in exchange for an honest review. 

I am back!

Sorry for being weird.

HELLOOO!! I am back from my almost 1 year blogging hiatus. It's so unbelievable how much time has passed since my last blog post.

I've been planning on coming back since August, and it was not without serious thought that I decided to blog again. Keeping a blog is one thing, but running it is a different matter altogether. One of the most important realizations I had, while I was away, was I regarded blogging like a demanding, stressful job. As a result, blogging became a dragging commitment. That's why I decided to change my blogging perspective to keep the dreaded blogging burn-out at bay. I could still be overwhelmed, yes, but it will be totally up to me how I would handle it. So from now on, there will be no more pressure.

Now that I have my blogging mantra out of the way, let's talk about the modifications in the blog. Have you noticed the drastic change in my blog's design? From a dark, mysterious, edgy look, I opted for a lighter and cleaner color palette. This was how my old blog looked like:

In hindsight, it might've been quite difficult to read posts with bright font colors in a dark background. Yikes. I also changed my blog button to match my blog design, and I updated my Review Policy, Contact and About sections.

So what do you think of the blog's overall new look? Is it too girly or is the font too small? In my opinion, I think it's quite dainty and pretty, but then again I was the one who made all the customizations so you could say I'm a little biased. Ha!

I am so happy to be blogging again. I'm definitely excited to continue sharing the reading bug. Here's to keeping it fresh and fun!

Trying On My Blogging Wings Again

I've been trying to write something for 2 hours now. Frankly, it's not helping that I'm in an internet cafe right now and my creative juices just can't compete with all the smokes and craziness in here. Thank goodness it's quite peaceful right now because I'm one tick away from killing every self-righteous brat in this place. And although the girl beside me still keeps on reading what I'm writing, at least I can finally hear myself think. Hallelujah.

I’ve been planning to come back since forever. But something just keeps on happening it’s becoming next to impossible to really do it. So here I am now, just winging it. I don't know what to do from here but I just miss blogging so much I fear that if I don't take this chance, I might just not be able to return altogether.

One of the biggest obstacles that made it hard for me to start blogging again was my laptop's unfortunate demise. Since my laptop's death, I felt lost and debilitated. I feel like crying every time I remember all the review drafts that will never see the light of day anymore. It was more than my writing tool; it was my safe space.

It’s a testament to how much I really love reading and blogging that I’m trying to write in a noisy, public black hole right now. This is going to be challenging and I will have to remind myself every time I'm feeling annoyed or murderous or think that I'd die from lung cancer due to all the secondhand smoke I've inhaled, that this is not a permanent fix and that it won’t be long until I can finally buy a new laptop. All I ask of you guys is to just bear with me until I can regularize my posts. 

I miss blogging and I hope you guys miss me too. I simply cannot wait to fully resurrect this place one again. I hope you are all still there to support me and make it all worth it. So until then.