Dreaming Dangerous

March 1, 2018

Gr 5-7-Plum has been dreaming in sync with her three best friends, Vien, Gwendle, and Artem since they were babies. The nightmares they confront together feature strange creatures and perilous quests-the children often die in these horrific dreams. The friends all live at Brassmere, a secluded academy for progenies with special gifts. When Artem goes missing, the kids begin a search, and disturbing secrets about Brassmere are revealed. Regrettably, the intended purpose for the children's gifts is never explained in the rapid dénouement. The children themselves are also sketched very simply. The short length and juvenile cover seem to suggest the book for younger readers, but given the dark nature of the material may make this a better fit for middle schoolers. VERDICT A gripping adventure with interesting leads that remain mostly unexplored in this succinct and spooky contemporary fantasy. Buy where Mary Downing Hahn's books and other scary titles circulate well.-Erin Reilly-Sanders, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2018
Within an enchanted forest, there is a vast iron fence "adorned with spikes." Within that fence lies the Brassmere Academy for the Extraordinary. Within the school's walls, safe from the dangerous outside world, live four children who dream in unison.Plum, Artem, Vien, and Gwendle are best friends who share everything--even their dreams. They've been at the school since they were babies, but there's a lot they don't know. Why were they chosen to attend the school? What do the men and women in pink suits who take blood samples and ask a lot of questions do with the information they collect? The four have always had control over their dreams, but lately, they've begun experiencing unnerving deviations; they aren't as fully in control as they thought. Then Artem disappears from the waking world and appears to Plum in a dream. "You have to leave Brassmere," he warns. Plum ventures outside the school's protection and soon learns that their lives are a lie and that the truth is the insidious stuff of nightmares. The third-person narration is firmly entrenched in Plum's perspective, but her friends are fully developed and not merely supports. There are a few minor plot holes, but readers will likely overlook them and focus on the action and mystery. The book assumes a white default.A quietly thrilling adventure. (Fantasy. 8-13)

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Starred review from May 1, 2018
Grades 3-6 *Starred Review* DeStefano's newest dark tale takes readers to Brassmere Academy for the Extraordinary, secretly located deep within the woods. Here 200 orphans with peculiar abilities reside and are carefully monitored by headmaster Dr. Abarrane and his team of pink-suited adults. While this scenario will strike readers as ominous, it is quite normal to Plum, Vien, Gwendle, and Artem?four Brassmere students who lucidly dream in tandem. These dreams often house monsters that Plum and her friends must slay, but their nighttime exploits have grown stranger and more dangerous lately, and the Pink Suits' questions about the dreams more unusual. When Artem disappears after an incident at the school, he reaches out to Plum in her dreams, warning that, They're coming for us. Plum is baffled by his message but determined to find her missing friend, and in the process, discovers truths about Brassmere that sting with betrayal. DeStefano adeptly conjures a foreboding atmosphere throughout this slim novel, which will grip readers from prologue to epilogue. The writing is evocative and concise, and the story satisfyingly contained. Many novels showcase the supernatural elements their stories hold, and while these are integral to Plum's narrative, it is the friendship shared by the four dreamers that takes center stage. A natural fit for Stranger Things fans, this eerie novel is a gem.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)