Review: Dream Boy

Dream Boy

by Madelyn Rosenberg & Mary Crockett

Pages: 336 - paperback

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: July 1st 2014

ISBN: 1402295839
Received From:  NetGalley & Sourcebooks Fire

Summary 

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 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

Review

Okay, so I wasn't sure on this book going into it. I had originally liked the idea but as I sat down to read it I changed my mind. I'd just read one awful paranormal disaster I really didn't need another one. However, I'm so glad I read Dream Boy because it's a unique and captivating story that's well written and easy to read. Yes, it has some issues but it's one I'd recommend and one I'd be happy to read again. 

The story itself is about Annabelle Manning, a teenager with a rather ordinary teenage life with a kid brother, a bathrobe loving mum and an arse of a dad. All in all though life is pretty damn normal for Annabelle. That is until Martin walks into her classroom. For you see, Martin isn't what he seems. He's one of her dreams and now that he's wandering around in the real world things are about to get all kinds of complicated. Because it's not just her dream boy that's escaped...

Firstly, I adored the idea behind this book. It's really interesting and I loved the way in which the authors grab you from the very first chapter. Annabelle - even though a little clueless at times - is a loveable and relatable character that overcomes the winy teenage girl stereotype. I would have maybe liked her to have questioned what was going on around her a little more but she was stubborn and intriguing and I fell in love with her. Actually, if I'm honest I fell in love with a lot of the character's as they were all completely different, with their own voices and were very easy to picture.

There's a humour in the writing that will put a smile on your face and a book boyfriend that will break your heart. It was touch and go for a little while but Will is defiantly worth swooning over. 

Okay, so I mentioned before there were a couple of little hiccups and they all happened in the middle. Dream Boy has a gripping start and an ending that will make your heart ache. It was funny and creepy and completely mesmerising - that is if you don't read the middle of it. The middle of this book was a big old confused paranormal blob that had me re-reading more than I would have liked. It almost felt like the authors were trying to connect every single character to the paranormal aspect of the book. Which even though it did work (once I figure out what was happening) it may have been a little much of the story. Not everything needed to be linked the way it was. I think by the end Billy was the only one not connected in some way to this dream world!  

And then there was the love triangle... it wasn't over powering or even really problem. I'm just a little unsure how I feel about these thee pointed relationships at the moment. But for the recored I'm totally #TeamWill! 

Overall Dream Boy is a book that has something a lot of books don't - an original and unique concept that will draw you into it's story lines and rich, imaginative characters. It's like no book I've ever read before and I really enjoyed it. Well, the majority of it. The authors are expert scene setters and they create quite a pretty picture with this book. Worth a read for all YA paranormal lovers out there.

**I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley to read & review. This is a 100% honest review.**