Dreamland: A Novel
From AwardAnnals
 | |
| Author(s) | Sarah Dessen |
|---|---|
| Subtitle | A Novel |
| Publisher | Viking Books |
| Honors | |
| What they don’t understand is that Caitlin can’t afford to leave this dreamland, this half-sleeping state where everything and everyone can be kept at arm’s length. Because then she’d have to face the ugly truth about her relationship with Rogerson: magnetic, fascinating—and very dangerous—Rogerson. What is it about Rogerson Biscoe…and why can’t she leave him? In her most challenging novel yet, acclaimed author Sarah Dessen guides readers through the harrowing netherworld of a young woman’s shattered dreams to her profound awakening. | |
What they don’t understand is that Caitlin can’t afford to leave this dreamland, this half-sleeping state where everything and everyone can be kept at arm’s length. Because then she’d have to face the ugly truth about her relationship with Rogerson: magnetic, fascinating—and very dangerous—Rogerson. What is it about Rogerson Biscoe…and why can’t she leave him?
In her most challenging novel yet, acclaimed author Sarah Dessen guides readers through the harrowing netherworld of a young woman’s shattered dreams to her profound awakening.
Honors
Reviews
Amazon.com
Strange, sleepy Rogerson, with his long brown dreads and brilliant green eyes, had seemed to Caitlin to be an open door. With him she could be anybody, not just the second-rate shadow of her older sister, Cass. But now she is drowning in the vacuum Cass left behind when she turned her back on her family’s expectations by running off with a boyfriend. Caitlin wanders in a dream land of drugs and a nightmare of Rogerson’s sudden fists, lost in her search for herself.
Why do so many girls allow themselves to get into abusive relationships—and what keeps them there? In this riveting novel, Sarah Dessen searches for understanding and answers. Caught in a trap that is baited with love and need, Caitlin must frantically manage her every action to avoid being hit by the hands that once seemed so gentle. All around her are women who care—best friends, mother, sister, mentor—but shame keeps her from confiding in any of them, especially Cass, her brilliant older sister, whose own flight from home had seemed to point the way.
Dessen has here created a subtle and compelling work of literature that goes far beyond the teen problem novel in a story rich with symbolism, dark scenes of paralyzing dread, quirky and memorable characters, and gleams of humor. With the consummate skill and psychological depth that brought her praise for Keeping the Moon, she explores the search for self-identity, the warmth of feminine friendships, and the destructive ways our society sets up young women for love gone wrong. (Ages 14 and older) —Patty Campbell
Barnes and Noble
Living a Nightmare
Sarah Dessen’s novels are known for being unerringly polished, for possessing the quintessential young adult voice, and for tackling tough but important subjects. In her latest, Dreamland, Dessen deals with the specter of physical abuse and the cycle of intimidation that can catch female victims of all ages. The victim in this case is young Caitlin O’Koren, whose new boyfriend, Rogerson, seems like a dream come true. However, it doesn’t take long for the dream to become a nightmare that threatens to rob Caitlin of everything she holds dear.
Used to living in the shadow of her overachieving older sister, Caitlin has always been something of a loner. When the older sister runs away to be with a boyfriend, Caitlin is left behind to deal with her mother’s anguish and her father’s seeming indifference. While searching for her own identity and some sense of self-worth, Caitlin hooks up with Rogerson Biscoe. Rogerson is a mixed package: He comes from a wealthy, upper-class family, but he also comes with a reputation for being a troublemaker and a rebel. His rebellious lifestyle strikes Caitlin as refreshingly different. Rogerson is different in other ways, too, with his intense demeanor and dreadlock hair.
Though Rogerson doesn’t fit in with any of Caitlin’s friends, Caitlin is happy to tag along and meet his friends. While she may not always like them, she likes what Rogerson brings out in her, a side of herself that she’s never explored. When she learns a terrible secret about Rogerson’s life, it brings them closer, and Caitlin finds Rogerson to be an intelligent, sensitive, and caring boyfriend. But that same secret comes back to haunt Caitlin when she sees a side of Rogerson he’s never revealed before. Deeply in love and caught in a cycle of abuse she doesn’t know how to escape, Caitlin is desperate for someone to notice and help her. Because she can’t seem to help herself.
Dessen’s dead-on handling of the psychological maelstrom that accompanies an abusive relationship is vivid, heartbreaking, and honest. This is intelligent fiction that takes a hard but realistic look at many of the pressures teens must face as they enter adulthood, including that first brush with true love. Dessen gets her message across loud and clear without any spoon-feeding or preaching, and the sweetly naive but wry voice of Caitlin is captivating, funny, and entertaining. —Beth Amos
