What a fantastic, beautiful roller coaster of a boy’s story between his fantasy and his city reality. I wish I’d known to prep the tissues but I’ll be re reading this and recommending it, for sure! Loved the representation and how everything is portrayed and dealt with in the book.

This story is at times heartbreaking and adventurous at others. At times it was hard to separate out Charles' fantasy world vs. the real world of the story, but I think that was Cameron's point.

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Children's for the copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed at 20% of the way through.

I honestly had no idea what was going on in this book. It's very disjointed, confusing, and bizarre--a combination that makes it hard to follow. I thought for a moment I was going to be able to follow along but it just got even more confusing. I think it's the writing style that's my main issue--the world itself is compelling enough and it has vibrant characters, but I can barely follow the thread with the disjointed writing style. Not for me.

5 plus
Daydreamer is a slow-burn urban fantasy (middle grade) with creativity on the spectrum that surprised me and enthralled me. I started reading a few pages and set aside every other task to let myself be part of this journey. My favorite chapter was with Arturo. Fantastic mix of diversity, fantasy elements, and lore from different cultures in an amazing metaphor. How he deals with the roughness of life in a city like New York (or another big metropolis) where children are rarely children. They are taught by the violence and cruelty of the world to grow up fast.

The very emotional ending is beautiful. The book is perhaps too long and complex for a reluctant reader or fantasy beginner. Still, this is the kind of book that will make them bookworms.
This middle grade took it further than the usual bullying/school novels, giving us the violence of the streets, at home, the hardships of a single mother raising a son, gangs, cynical adults, violent ones too, bullying, crime, magic realism, community, the school system being blind to students' realities and problems, social problems, the very few who care and do something about it, corruption within the police, immigration, gun violence, inheritance, creativity as a safe space...

There's just so much to explore. It's very rich, and we can see the work that went into creating this novel.

Daydreamer is about a young boy, Charles, with an out of control imagination that intertwines with his real life in an almost intrusive way. What caught me was Charles's voice. Utterly unique and vivid. The kid is a world unto himself and I think that's the point. His imagination and the things he (and Cameron) has created in response to the real world are the star of the show.
Cameron has a way of writing a turn of phrase, of creating a lingo that makes Charles's internal life feel very lived in. The book is gorgeous and also harrowing at times, but those two elements reinforce each other to build up into a magical tale that grips you by the collar and doesn't let go.

Daydreamer brought me back to my own childhood, the pure joy of escape through the power of imagination, and the adventures, monsters, and secrets I craved in stories at that age. The book starts off light-hearted but we glimpse around the edges of our character's point of view the fuller real world struggles going on. Rich and lyrical lore gives the fantastical world a sense of great depth that feels rare in middle grade. And as the story goes on, everything hurtles toward the conclusion that had me staying up reading late into the night.

Wow. Rob Cameron is a poetic genius. He grabbed me right up front with his lyrical Author's Message and offered a view sunk deep in a neurodiverse child's world--a child who lives through daydreams and who battles real life affronts and violence. Cameron paints scenes that come alive through all our senses, both exciting and chilling. Librarians and teachers: this is an important and insightful book that doesn't pull punches to add to your offerings. I also recommend Daydreamer for children of all ages--we adults will do well to immerse ourselves in such a view.

--BrightFlame, author of The Working

Cameron, Rob, Daydreamer. Pgs. 400. Penguin Random House, 2024

Stuck between reality and fantasy, Charles is often seen as lazy and unable to learn. To cope, he retreats into the fantasy world he’s drawn. Mr. Wilson, a secret dragon, gives him a pen and helps him to start coping with his reality. He even tells Charles two of his neighbors are really trolls. When Charles discovers Will, the son of the trolls, is being abused, Charles’ hero side takes over. Can he help save Will? Will he be able to cope with reality?

The plot is well written, but confusing to follow. The characters are likable, authentic, and engaging. The themes of compassion, stepping up to the plate, and learning to cope with reality are mixed throughout the book. Readers who are interested in magical realism, books dealing with abuse, or not fitting in will enjoy reading this book. Recommended as a general purchase for libraries where such books are popular. 3 stars, Gr 3 through 6

Please note: This was a review copy given to us by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No financial compensation was received.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, which follows.

Daydreamer feels a lot like the title. As in, you're walking with someone through a daydream and watching everything that they do - which may be a bonus for young readers who enjoy very, very close POV. At times, the story was disorienting because I was so close to Charles character that others that interrupted threw me completely off. I had a hard time navigating when he was in school, at home, in a dream.

I would have liked the story a lot more if I had more chances to walk around with the plethora of magical creatures. Many of them seem to make a cameo and not return, or when they are I wasn't sure what the purpose was. There is a lot of amazing dreamy nuggets of wisdom, which are sometimes well done and sometimes come off a little strong.
Overall not bad for a debut, and I look forward to Rob Cameron's imagination and more books by the author.