Dessen, Sarah - Dreamland
Caitlin O'Koren's sister Cass has suddenly run away, leaving the O'Koren family in emotional chaos. Cait's always felt like she's been the shadow of her popular, smart sister, and in her sister's absence, she starts trying to define herself, doing things that her sister wouldn't do. She ends up dating Rogerson Biscoe and lands in much more trouble than she originally anticipated.
This is going to be a rather short write-up that doesn't do justice to the book at all, but I figure it's better to get it out there than to keep not writing it, like, um, all my other non-written-up books.
Anyway, even though the book sounds very much like a Very Special Episode on domestic abuse, it isn't. Since I knew that the book was about an abusive relationship before reading, I was surprised by how little was actually on the abuse. The book begins with Cass' disappearance, and rightly so, since it's the event that unbalances everything in Caitlin's life. One of the things I loved the most about this book was that even though Caitlin was withdrawing into her own world with Rogerson, Dessen never forgets that Cait has many other relationships. Even though the book is in Cait's POV, Dessen still shows the effects that Cait's behavior has on her mother, her mother's friend Boo, her best friend Rina, and others. And of course, through it all, is the presence and absence of Cass.
I am very possibly a total sucker for any sort of close sibling relationship, so I am biased. But I am so glad that the book rotates around Cass and Cait and their relationship, along with Cait's relationship with Rogerson. And the evolution of Cait's relationship with Rogerson is believable as well.
The book ends with Cait's rehab and recovery; it's believable and quiet, and I particularly sympathize with Cait's eventual boredom with the constant discussion of her issues.
I'm not writing this out well, but this is a very good book and has the same delicate, real feeling that the rest of Dessen's books do.
Links:
- coffeeandink's review
- gwyneira's review
This is going to be a rather short write-up that doesn't do justice to the book at all, but I figure it's better to get it out there than to keep not writing it, like, um, all my other non-written-up books.
Anyway, even though the book sounds very much like a Very Special Episode on domestic abuse, it isn't. Since I knew that the book was about an abusive relationship before reading, I was surprised by how little was actually on the abuse. The book begins with Cass' disappearance, and rightly so, since it's the event that unbalances everything in Caitlin's life. One of the things I loved the most about this book was that even though Caitlin was withdrawing into her own world with Rogerson, Dessen never forgets that Cait has many other relationships. Even though the book is in Cait's POV, Dessen still shows the effects that Cait's behavior has on her mother, her mother's friend Boo, her best friend Rina, and others. And of course, through it all, is the presence and absence of Cass.
I am very possibly a total sucker for any sort of close sibling relationship, so I am biased. But I am so glad that the book rotates around Cass and Cait and their relationship, along with Cait's relationship with Rogerson. And the evolution of Cait's relationship with Rogerson is believable as well.
The book ends with Cait's rehab and recovery; it's believable and quiet, and I particularly sympathize with Cait's eventual boredom with the constant discussion of her issues.
I'm not writing this out well, but this is a very good book and has the same delicate, real feeling that the rest of Dessen's books do.
Links:
- coffeeandink's review
- gwyneira's review