Swede Dreams

Even though this book is for young adults, I loved it. The story was fun, it was an easy read. Highly recommended.

Swede Dreams is both a fun and informative read for pre-teens and teenagers. It's easy to be swept into Cal's recognizable world of sibling rivalry and boyfriend problems, and readers gain an understanding of Sweden's history and customs along the way! Very interesting & well-written!

Showcasing your individuality when you're one half of a set of identical twins is never an easy task. Just ask sixteen-year-old, Calista "Cal" Swanson. Up until eighth grade, Cal loved having an identical twin to share secrets with, and participate in giggle fests that lasted into the wee hours of the morning. But the moment she hit high school, Cal wanted nothing more than to shed her more sophisticated counterpart, Suzanne. Luckily, Suzanne seemed only too happy to comply. But as the gap between them widened, Cal began to feel as if Suzanne had it all, and she was left in the dust. Sure, she was the one who attracted all the guys, and had tons of friends to hang out with; but Suzanne was the one with a true talent for piano that could win her a spot at Julliard. As well as the skills to assist in her parents pottery shop, something Cal could only dream of. When Cal meets Jonas, a foreign exchange student from Sweden, however, Cal realizes that her niche is languages, and is determined to not only learn how to speak Swedish fluently, but visit the handsome Jonas in his native Sweden. Signing up for the S.A.S.S. (Students Across the Seven Seas) study abroad program, Cal quickly finds herself on a plane bound for Stockholm, Sweden. Cal couldn't be happier. Finally she'll be able to say goodbye to the preconceived notions about her and her family that have been created back in Moon Lake, Wisconsin, and create a new identity for herself. Not to mention catch up on some long overdue smooching with Jonas. But when Cal arrives in Sweden, she begins to realize that Jonas appears to have forgotten who she is, and hasn't contacted her even once, leaving her to hang out with her host family - Bengt and Britta. Luckily, her host family is totally cool, and are determined to make Cal's Swedish experience amazing from start to finish. Before she knows what's happening, Cal has been swept up into Swedish culture, and is soaking up everything around her - from the language to the history, and everything in-between. Cal has never seen a place so beautiful. And, as she begins to make friends with other students in her classes, she comes to realize that having a boyfriend isn't the most important thing in the world. In fact, sometimes flying solo is the way to go. But that notion goes out the window as she spends more and more time with the handsome, Prince Carl Philip look-alike, Hakan. Hakan has everything Calista has ever looked for in a guy - looks, brains, kindness, and the ability to make her heart flutter at the drop of a hat. But Cal can't figure out if he's the one for her, or if she's just searching for a sense of security in an unfamiliar place. To get her mind off of Hakan, Calista decides to immerse herself in a school project about Vikings, that gives her the opportunity to learn more about an unknown era, while, at the same time, creates the perfect chance for her to do some thinking. And, as the months fly by, and Calista begins to think of Sweden

I found this book very interesting, it has taught me a lot about the country of Sweden. It has every aspect that a good book should have.

Sweden means two things for Calista: getting away from her annoyingly talented twin sister, and being reunited with her boyfriend. But Sweden isn't at all what Cal expects. For one thing, she can't get a hold of her boyfriend. She's also living with a host family, taking all of her courses in Swedish, and needs to learn the language pronto! As the semester unfolds, Cal begins to notice things about herself that she'd like to change when she gets back home, but for now she's content with soaking up both the language and the culture. SWEDE DREAMS is part of the SASS series of high school students traveling around the world learning different cultures and languages. Cal realizes her true self on foreign soil and she's anxious to make a new beginning. Teens will love this series! Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel