I thought that this was a solid sci-fi/fantasy novel. I thought that the worldbuilding and the character development was on point. The characters were very noteworthy and moving.

My favorite parts of this book were the beautiful and bursting with colorful atmosphere and the mythology and cultural aspects of its Ancient Mesoamerican roots. Lizz Huerta’s writing makes it very easy to visualize the fantasy elements of the book.

The story is told in two POV’s with two teenage dreamers, but the characters are so strong individually that you can’t get them mixed up.

I’m curious to see how the story wraps up in the sequel!

The Lost Dreamer was a beautifully written story, with excellent world building and character building, allowing us to fall in love with the characters. A beautiful, well thought out and written world in the fantasy realm isn't always an easy feat, but Lizz Huerta has excelled, and provided us with such a beautiful story. Hands down one of my top reads.

Smoothly sailing into 5+ stars. Highly recommended read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I thought this was an okay YA fantasy! I thought the writing could use some work and the way the book ended left me feeling like it was a little unfinished. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I think this was a really well developed fantasy world and the concept of dreaming and the dream world was my favorite part of the story. I felt that the writing was a bit too simple for me and was very tell not show which is one of my biggest pet peeves in books. that paired with the extremely slow pacing of the story made this not the most enjoyable read for me.
Full review on YouTube

On the one hand this is incredibly unique which I appreciate. I also love books that have stories and songs within the story and this has that. On the other hand, this is achingly slow in pacing and I don't feel like it paid off in the end. I think the pacing is going to cause readers to quit.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

I received an ARC of this title during an ALAN workshop and have since purchased a physical copy of the text and added it to my classroom library.

This was a great, atmospheric YA book with an interesting plot line! I liked the main character, but I think the pacing could be tweaked a little.

-Synopsis-

Indir is a Dreamer who holds 2 secrets. Her life, and the future of the Dreamers of Alcanzeh are in danger when the new King Alcan takes control. Now Indir has to find a way to stop him without him finding out her secrets.

Saya is a seer with a mysterious past. Her mother exploits her gifts and hides a lot from Saya. One day, Saya loses her stone necklace (a protection provided by her mother) and a new life unfolds before her. 


-Review-

I had not freshly* read this level of Fantasy novel in decades. At first, I was worried about starting the book because I didn’t think I would be able to keep up with the fantasy world. That fear was for nothing because Lizz Huerta’s writing is so damn good.  

*freshly, as in experienced for the first time. I’m not counting rereads. 


-Characters-

Overall, I really liked how the characters were portrayed (even the characters I despised - I’m looking directly at you, Alcan). Despite there being so many characters, the personalities of each one were strong enough, and consistent enough for me to feel like I knew them. This novel is pretty diverse in peoples and personalities. I think there is a character everyone can resonate with in this book. I found that the character development lied mostly on Saya, and then a little bit on Indir.

The relationships between certain characters can be a post on its own. I do want to highlight how lovely the relationship is between Indir and her sisters. They are honest with, protective of, and caring for each other - traits that can generally be seen among most of the women in the story. 


-Writing-

I’ll get the technical aspect out of the way first - this novel is told in first person from two points of views: Indir and Saya. I’d like to use this space to geek out at how beautiful the names Indir and Saya are. Actually, a lot of the names in this novel are beautiful, although Indir is my favorite, but I digress.

For all intents and purposes, I’m going to consider myself a newbie in the fantasy genre. That said, I could imagine the world as clearly as if it were playing out in front of me, thanks in large part to Huerta’s writing. The world building felt appropriately paced and spread out. It didn’t feel like information overload or complicated (my anxious brain really appreciated that). 

The pace of the book ranged from just slightly slow to medium. I’m not a fan of a slower paced book, but it didn’t bother me here. It felt appropriate and wasn’t drawn out. As I read, I felt like I was being told a story of someone’s family history. I felt seamlessly transported between both narrators and could hear each voice distinctly. 

Lastly, the actual writing, the linguistics used. I cannot get over it. There were times Huerta’s writing swept me off my feet. At one point, I had to look at my boyfriend and read a passage aloud, and he said “wow, that’s really good!”. Furthermore, I hereby will refer to my boyfriend as “my chosen”; if you have questions, please read this book!


-Plot-

This plot - I have a love/hate relationship with it. I hate the idea of some long forgotten entity coming in and swinging his non-existent power all over the place. Every time Alcan’s name appeared, I uttered “asshole”, and my hands clenched into a fist. 

But even with that plot point, I really enjoyed this book. There were other story lines that allowed a short reprieve from the tyranny. 


-Do I recommend-

I ABSOLUTELY recommend this book. 


-Read if you liked -

Read this if you like hidden identity, found family, wholesome love, fierce females, mythology. 



Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this digital title in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great book!! Unfortunately, the things I love most about it are spoilers so you have to pick it up for yourself. I will say that it is not what you think. I was about ⅔ of the way through this book before I fully figured out what was happening. Not in a frustrating or the book is confusing sort of way. In a well told story that you don't have all the pieces to until suddenly you do! And it's glorious. I can't wait to see what happens in the second book. I want to know where the story ends after that cliff hanger of an ending.

Pick this up if you are looking for a well told journey of a story. It's really two stories in one that interacted and intersect throughout.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

Beautifully imagined YA fantasy story about two young women with gifts fighting to survive in a world that doesn't want them to exist.

Indir is a Dreamer who can see beyond reality. When the King dies, his heir sets out to eradicate all the Dreamers. Saya on the other hand is an exceptionally talented Seer whose mother has been passing off her gifts as her own, as they travel the land seemingly on the run from something.

This feminist fantasy steeped in Mesoamerican culture was highly entertaining and great on audio. Perfect for fans of Tahereh Mafi or Judy I. Lin. Also, what a gorgeous cover on this book!! I am totally obsessed and can't wait to read more by this debut author.

“I was in awe at the shape my story was taking.”


The Lost Dreamer by Lizz Huerta is an amazing experience that will ignite your imagination. Inspired and written on Kumeyaay land, which is now San Diego County and Baja Mexico, this immersion in ancient Mesoamerican culture transports the reader to a time where the Dream (the spiritual realm) is honored and protected by a matron line of Dreamers. A world where Indir and Saya’s individual “stories” become intertwined with the greater “story” of their civilization. Where their different gifts link the spiritual realm with the people and creatures of the Waking World. And where their lives and the connection they discover to each other becomes the key to finding the prophesized Lost Dreamer; the one who will save the world from the chaos that is initiated at the sign of the comet.


Lizz Huerta masterfully and artfully weaves a truly compelling tale with The Lost Dreamer.

“I don’t tell stories; I follow them. Stories have lives of their own.”

I have to gush over her ability to put her own unique mark, through her writing style, on a fascinating ancient world, centered on its religious and political capital, Alcanzeh. She has created a cast of intriguing characters which personalize a story saturated in fantasy and magic. Indir and Saya are magnetic individuals in their own way, with their perspective of the world and people around them as well as their point of view of the Dream intimately endearing them to me. Adding these components to a spell-binding allegory meant that I was not only entertained but prompted to think deeper about my own purpose in the bigger picture of life.


However, the most impressive thing about The Lost Dreamer was the ending. It completely took me by surprise, in a really good way. I never saw it coming! But this is far from the end of the story. While there is no information to date on subsequent publications, it clearly will be continued, as it ends with Saya declaring…”I’m following the story, to Alcanzeh,’ I said. ‘Come with me.”

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for sending me a copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

This is such a sweet story of family and healing and the idea that your identity can never be set by the world! I loved the messages behind this book and the way that they are integrated into such a beautiful setting and world. There are such good themes of healing and moving past the expectations of those around you and growing into who you truly are. I also loved the diversity of the book and the way everything about that is just so natural and safe.

It was hard for me to keep up with the story, though. There are a lot of minor characters, and it became very hard to keep up with all of them by the end of the story and to try to connect names to plot lines and ideas. The world building was a bit lacking at first, and I had trouble really figuring things out. By the end, I thought I understood it and felt a lot more comfortable with it.

I did really enjoy the plot twists, and I can't wait to see where this story goes next! If you like diverse fantasy, definitely pick this book up!

A spiritual story in a unique world with dream magic. They follow two young women, one who is a dreamer and one who has lost her abilities.
Following them as they learn more about themselves and are exploited for their gifts or information they hold while the son of the recently gone King is trying to cede power.
The story was slower paced but fit with the setting to me.
I enjoyed the voice actor and this cover is absolutely stunning. The ending picked up and I'm curious for the second book.

Thank you libroalc and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

This book has a special place in my heart. A little context I was approved and sent the book box the day my grandpa was in the hospital- which this seems like a trauma dump but I promise it will make sense. My grandfather was super spiritual and proud of his heritage and even did art in the mission district of San Francisco where he incorporated a lot of the topics that were also found when I read this book. It truly felt like an angel message receiving this. I am not going to say this filled the hole from his passing, but it definitely felt like it was somehow keeping him alive in a way. For that reason alone this book is not ratable for me. I truly cannot thank the author enough for writing something that helped me during one of my darkest times of my life. This book means more to me than I can truly put into words.

Absolutely stunning YA fantasy debut. This novel's world was immersive, its magic system well-defined (notably through subtle reveals rather than a jarring "info-dump"), its characters moving, its description lush. I deeply valued its description of mesoamerican culture & its largely female cast of characters.

A beautiful and magical story with a surprise twist at the end. I loved the characters and the world that Huerta built. Looking forward to book two.

I received this egalley as part of the ALAN conference and it is kept on a kindle in my classroom. My rating is based on the fact that my students have enjoyed this title and I look forward to when I get the chance to read it.