What if dreams were more real than waking life? Life is already complicated enough for Awa Bryant; after her parents divorce she had to move from her big family home to a small apartment, and now she hardly ever gets to see Dad. She has to start a new school with mean kids which is the last thing an anxious twelve-year-old needs! On top of all this, Awa starts having weird dreams - waking dreams - and strange coincidences start appearing between her dreams and her real life. The Dreamrealm is full of amazing fantastical creatures; at first it's a glorious escape from Awa's daily struggles but something is not right... Soon Awa discovers she has a bigger quest, and everything she cares about is at stake. Will she be brave enough to face her fears and save her friends?
Plot
This book has an intriguing story from the summary and I was very interested to learn more about the “dreamrealm”. A large portion of the first half of the book takes place in the real world, where Awa deals with bullies, anxiety, divorce and the stresses of moving to a new city. The author did a great job making the everyday struggles compelling and complex, as the time spent in the dreamrealm was mostly calm and without obstacles until the second half. During the second half, the action really picked up and had me hooked.
Characters
Awa has a great cast of characters around her, both in the real world and in the dreamrealm. Her friends and enemies from school are well developed and engaging, while the dreamrealm residents are slightly absurd but very enjoyable. Awa and her parents felt the least fleshed out to me, and I would have liked to feel more connected to them throughout the story, but it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book.
Setting
The author’s imagination in her dreamrealm made it very enjoyable to explore the setting. She also did a good job making the real world intriguing, by having Awa be new to the city and her school, so the reader could discover both settings with her. I definitely enjoyed learning about the dreamrealm, more than the real world, however.
My Recommendation
Awa and the Dreamrealm is a great book for young readers and for older readers looking for something light to enjoy. It’s a quick and fun read, but the action doesn’t really pick up until the second half. The author did a great job developing both the cast of characters and her dreamrealm setting.
