Dream On

February 15, 2016
In Book 2 of the Silver Trilogy, contemporary teen Liv Silver continues visiting dreams, juggling her first romance, and adjusting to her new life in London. It's been nearly four months since Liv, her sister, Mia, and their mother moved in with their mother's English boyfriend and his teen twins. In Dream a Little Dream (2015), Liv discovered she can visit her dreams as well as those of others, who, in turn, drop in on hers. Relieved her delusional classmate Anabel's now residing in a psychiatric hospital after trying to kill her, Liv still senses an ominous presence in her dream visits. Despite her preoccupation with her boyfriend, Henry, there are many unanswered questions in Liv's life. Who's writing the school Tittle-Tattle Blog, exposing embarrassing secrets about her? Why has Henry never told her about his family? Who's the gorgeous older woman Henry visits in a dream? Is Anabel really out of the picture, and can Henry be trusted? And most importantly, why has Mia started sleepwalking? To answer these questions, Liv spends still more time visiting dreams, with dangerous consequences. While Liv's first-person account of her roller-coaster romance and escalating fears seems credible, complicated dream-world protocols and scattered focus may leave readers confused and unsatisfied. A somewhat disappointing, lackluster sequel. (Fantasy. 12-18)

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March 1, 2016

Gr 9 Up-Readers learn in Dream a Little Dream (Holt, 2015) that Liv, her sort of stepbrother Grayson, and her friends Arthur, Jasper, and Henry can meet up in their dreams. Now that emotionally unstable Anabel is at a psychiatric hospital, she cannot attempt to hurt Liv again. Jasper was shipped off to do a semester in France. Grayson is still with snobby perfectionist Emily, and Liv is dating Henry. Liv worries that Henry is not being honest with her. She and little sister Mia butt heads with their soon-to-be stepgrandmother. And the blogger known only as Secrecy seems to magically know everything that happens to the students at Frognal Academy and happily publicizes their secrets. But when Mia starts sleepwalking and doing dangerous things like trying to jump out of second-floor windows, Liv wants to keep her safe at any cost. This volume does not disappoint. Liv and Mia are relatable characters, and their unique family dynamics are often funny. Small missteps such as awkward translations (e.g., "not the brightest spark in his field" and "they talked thirteen to the dozen") and some scantly developed characters are forgivable due to the sheer enjoyment of this fantasy tale. Liv is not the "chosen one"-but just a girl who, through hard work and practice, is skilled at kung fu and controlling her dreams. VERDICT There is enough of a wrap-up in this volume and a teaser of the continued mysteries to make the next entry highly anticipated.-Tara Kehoe, New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center, Trenton

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