Dreamquest: Tales of Slumberia

Eleven-year-old Julie is torn -- torn between her parents, who constantly bicker and try to force her to pick sides, and torn up by her nightmares, which get scarier and more vivid every night. So it's not surprising that one night a tear opens in Julie herself, causing her to slip through her unconscious into the world where her dreams are made: Slumberia. There, she must try to find a way to convince the dream makers to stop giving her nightmares, and return home before the Julie of the dream world takes over her life back in the waking world. DREAMQUEST is an amazingly imaginative novel, with a fully realized world full of fascinating images and creatures. From the moon people, whose faces only show themselves to those who truly care, to the moustached butterflies that act as messengers and the shark-turned-lawyers, these are beings unlike those in any other book. The setting, in the always-night Slumberia, with its desert full of ghosts and towering city of nightmares, is vivid and unforgettable. Julie is a likable protagonist, and readers will enjoy following her journey as she learns to stand up for herself and fight for her own well-being. Her story is reminiscent of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 100th Anniversary Edition (Books of Wonder), as she journeys through this strange world, picking up traveling companions along the way, finally confronting the source of her problems only to realize the solution lies within herself. Her friends and her parents are somewhat underdeveloped, but as this is the first book in a series, there's plenty of room to grow. DREAMQUEST offers readers a vision of a frightening and intriguing world, with lots of adventure along the way and much promise for more to come. Readers will be eager for the next book in the series. Reviewed by: Lynn Crow

DREAMQUEST is a madcap, exciting adventure into the realm of nightmares. Julie's parents fight so much she feels like they're ripping her apart --but the terrifying nightmares she has every night are even worse. Then her dreams rip a seam and she wakes up in nightmarish Slumberia where a cast of freakish beings create her horrible dreams. With the help of some unusual friends, she goes on a dangerous quest to end her nightmares. If she can't escape Slumberia before her time runs out, she'll be trapped in her bad dreams forever. Brent Hartinger is a master of plots with humor, suspense and memorable characters. Readers who enjoy magicical books like HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE and heartwarming quests like WIZARD OF OZ will love DREAMQUEST.

Her parents' constant fights frighten eleven year old Julie Fray. She is so scared that something bad is going to happen that even when she sleeps she suffers nightmares that she is a pawn on a chessboard with her mom as the white queen and her dad as the black king each giving orders for her to move. The dreams are getting worse and the preadolescent child has no one to turn to as her parents are too caught up with their war to see what it is doing to her. Being awake is as bad if not worse. This time when she suffers the nightmare, Julie awakens but not to the hostility between her parents pulling on her to their side. Instead somehow she is still inside her nightmare realm. Specifically she finds herself in a studio where Julie's dreams are a big production. Production assistant Roman befriends the bewildered frightened young girl and tells her to find the producer. However Julie has a bigger problem than getting nightmares less frightening. The child actress who portrays her, Vivian has crossed over to the real world and refuses to switch back. If she fails to return to reality, she will be trapped inside her head where a studio produces the nightmare world of Julie Fray. DREAMQUEST is a powerful character study that hooks the audience once they realize Julie is marooned in her nightmares. The story line is set up so that readers are unsure whether this is a horror tale or a psychological thriller; in either case Julie and the preadolescent audience will agree that she is in deep trouble regardless. This tale of Slumberia is a fantastic novel that will please its pre-teen crowd, but also their parents. Harriet Klausner