The Girl Who Could Not Dream

September 21, 2015
Twelve-year-old Sophie’s parents own the Dreamcatcher Bookshop, underneath which they maintain a separate, secret business that traffics in actual dreams. After securing “raw” dreams from dreamcatchers they distribute to bookstore customers, Sophie’s parents distill and bottle the dreams to sell. Despite Sophie’s family connection to dreams, she doesn’t dream herself; the one time she stole a liquid dream and drank it, she brought the monster within it into the real world. Monster—a catlike creature with tentacles, lots of teeth, and a sharp sense of humor—became Sophie’s best friend and serves as her sidekick when her parents and two students go missing. Durst (Into the Wild) makes the most of a truly creative premise in a novel filled with wit, empathy, and over-the-top dream moments come to life (including a colony of well-dressed, fierce-fighting, pastel rabbits that help save the day). Sophie’s loyal friendships with Monster and Ethan, a boy plagued by nightmares who comes to her aid, ground the story as Durst threads together a fast-paced adventure. Ages 10–14. Agent: Andrea Somberg, Harvey Klinger.

A fun story and a great narrator make a perfect combination. Durst's madcap adventure showcases Soneela Nankani's formidable talents. Sophie's parents run a bookshop, which has a secret shop in the basement where they collect and sell people's dreams. Nankani creates a gruff voice for Sophie's only friend, a many-tentacled, soft-furred creature called Monster whom she rescued from a nightmare. He protects Sophie with a fierce loyalty. When her parents go missing, along with their dream-distilling machine, Sophie and Monster recruit help from a flying pony, a host of ninja bunnies, and others to find them. This is such a delightful audio experience that listeners won't want it to end. M.F.T. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine