Wednesday, April 20, 2016

10 Things I Loved About The Girl Who Could Not Dream by Sarah Beth Durst

Sophie has a pretty great life. She loves her parents and their bookstore. She loves her pet Monster. But most of all she loves helping distill dreams which are sold to the clients who come secretly looking for the chance to live out a fantasy. Sophie is particularly fascinated because she never dreams and is under strict instructions to never drink any of the dream potions herself. But when a stranger learns of their secret and Sophie's parents disappear, Sophie finds herself on a quest to discover the truth, making surprising allies and a few new enemies as she tries to save her parents and herself.

Here are my 10 Things I Loved about The Girl Who Could Not Dream by Sarah Beth Durst.

  1. Sophie - She makes such a great protagonist. She is a very nuanced and complex character. She's shy and a little unsure of herself, yet also spunky and willing to do what needs to be done to save her parents. She has realistic reactions to the events that take place but doesn't let herself get pushed around, willing to stand up for herself and the people she cares about.
  2. Monster - MONSTER. Oh man, he is a monster worthy of Monsters, Inc. I love him so much. I mean, come on, he's smart, he's funny, he's loyal, he "helps" Sophie do her homework, he loves cupcakes. I want one.
  3. Ethan - I loved the development of his character. I found that his reactions to everything were so believable as well and I loved the development of his friendship with Sophie and his joyful embracing of the craziness they encounter.
  4. Mr. Nightmare - *shudders* A truly creepy antagonist. Perfect for the story.
  5. Glitterhoof - I won't say more because spoilers but hahahahahaha man I loved that character.
  6. The Concept - I loved the idea that dreams could be collected in, what else, dreamcatchers, and distilled down to be used by people who wanted to live in a fantasy world. And the idea that dreams could come out into the real world - both exciting and terrifying and Durst explores both perspectives.
  7. The Writing - I enjoyed Durst's writing style. She conveys all of the action and humor really well, the language is perfectly suited to the main audience and she has respect for middle graders abilities.
  8. The Humor - I laughed so much through this book. It's not a comedy per se, but it's just filled with situations and dialogue that are hilarious.
  9. The Crying - Oh man, no specific spoilers, but something happened toward the end of the book that had me actually sobbing, something I was not expecting when I started. It wasn't out of left field, though. It fit perfectly in the narrative.
  10. The Ending - I loved the way everything was wrapped up. The ending made me so super happy. It was very satisfying.

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