The Circus of Stolen Dreams (utgåvan 2020)

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

The premise for this book was very intriguing and I found the further and further into the book I got, the more invested I was in Andrea's dilemma.
First the good: there is so much good in tackling the often heavy topic of wanting to forget because something is so painful. The way Reverie is set up, the descriptions of the dream tents and nightmares were vivid and engaging. The pivot in the middle when Andrea starts realizing what's going on was chilling and beautiful at the same time.

Sadly, the cons ruined the story for me.
Biggest con: I hated the ending. Basically all that growth, all that grieving and the deep internal work that Andrea went through was thrown out the window literally when "it was all a dream" came into play. I actually kept waiting for things to shift back into "normal". What do you mean it was all a dream? It felt like anything important that could be gleaned from the book and shared with a child in a similar situation was completely ruined as it was the opposite of what children who have experienced loss need to hear. I don't know if I'd go as far as saying it might be harmful to kids experiencing a loss, but I would make sure kids knew the story from start to finish is complete fantasy. ( )

This review refers to the audio book version.

If you're looking for a mild horror story for middle-grade readers, this will fit the bill. A young girl is still grieving the disappearance of her brother when she discovers a strange circus in the forest. Once inside, Andrea joins an eerie cast of circus-goers wandering amidst a bizarre array of living memories. Just the right amount of creepy!

My complete review may be found at:
[https://www.audiofilemagazine.com/reviews/read/185411/the-circus-of-stolen-dreams-by-lorelei-savaryn-read-by-jesse-vilinsky/] My copy of The Circus of Stolen Dreams was provided by AudioFile Magazine.

https://shelf-employed.blogspot.com ( )

Reading this dreamy, magical book is like entering a dream you don't want to wake from. Andrea's life has been awful ever since her parents broke up and her little brother vanished in the night. One day, she stumbles upon Reverie, a magical circus that promises to bring relief from her pain by letting her forget her painful memories and live in a delightful, entertaining, magical circus built out of other children's dreams. Slowly, this blissful promise turns sour and Andrea realizes something is not quite right in Reverie and she must use all her wits and the help of new friends to escape the growing nightmare. The story is emotional and hopeful and speaks to longing, loss, love, and growth. ( )

This book captivated me from the first page to the last. I couldn’t put it down. Not only is it a great magical adventure with twists and turns, it has a wonderful message that life isn’t without hardship, but one can heal and carry on. ( )