Dreaming Anastasia

October 5, 2009
In this debut novel, Anastasia Romanov, believed to have died in a bloody massacre with the rest of the Russian royal family, is alive, but held captive by Baba Yaga, an evil witch from Russian folklore. In present-day Chicago, 16-year-old Anne Michaelson has recurring dreams of the death of Anastasia’s family and Anastasia’s imprisonment. Handsome and mysterious Ethan Kozninsky has waited nearly a century to find Anne (“Now it’s occurring to me that smashing her to the floor in between classes in order to inform her that she is the girl who alone has the power to save the Grand Duchess Anastasia... is just possibly not the best plan I’ve ever had,” he thinks). This novel of star-crossed love rotates between the perspectives of Anne, Anastasia and Ethan. While Preble’s overall concept is interesting, the prose can be rambling, and the alternating points of view make the story feel choppy and, at times, confusing. The dialogue and romantic element come off as clichéd and fall short of Preble’s ambitious idea. Ages 12–up.

January 1, 2010
Gr 9 Up-This convoluted and contrived story shuttles between contemporary Chicago, Russia during the reign and downfall of the Romanovs, and the enchanted world of Baba Yaga. Ann, 17, who lives in Chicago, and Ethan, a handsome 18-year-old who mysteriously enters her world, share the narration. She is attracted by his beauty, and she soon develops strange magical powers. Ethan has powers as well; he can protect people and places. Readers eventually learn that he is actually a man who died in 1918 during the Russian Revolution. Ann begins to hear Anastasia's voice in her dreams and sees Baba Yaga and her frightening antics. Supposedly Ann is the one who can save Anastasia Romanov from Baba Yaga's clutches, where she has been since her family was brutally murdered by the revolutionaries, and Ethan has come to enlist her help. After a great deal of mystery about Ann's connection to the Romanov legacy, readers learn that she is the great-great granddaughter of Victor, Anastasia's illegitimate brother who has also survived since 1918. He is trying to stop Ann and Ethan from rescuing Anastasia; if she is found, Ethan and Victor will become mortal and die. In spite of the confusing back and forth, persevering readers might forge ahead to see how the story concludes, but it is a difficult read. Also, the contemporary scenes between Ann and her friend Tess contrast sharply with the book's main focus, and Tess's bitterness over the loss of her virginity awkwardly intrudes on the main plot."Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.