This one starts out a little slow, but turns into a fun read. I think it will appeal to tweens who enjoy stories about magic.

Dreamwalker by Rhys Brown and CM Boyles

4 stars

284 Pages
Publisher: Red Dragon Press, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members’ Titles
Release Date: November 15, 2014

Fiction, Children’s Fiction, Teens, Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Fantasy

Addison’s mother just died after fighting an illness. Her Aunt Jean moves her from her home in California to the Red Dragon Academy, a boarding school in Wales. She does not like the school or the weather. She is also having a hard time making friends. There is something unusual happening at the school. Some students shave special skills. Addison’s skill is having vivid dreams. She is known as a Dreamwalker. What secrets are hidden inside the school? As she explores the castle and grounds, she realizes her life may be in danger. There is another side to the school where everything is reverse.

The book has a steady pace, the characters are somewhat developed, and it is written in the first point of view. If you are a fan of the world of Harry Potter, you may enjoy reading this book.

this story started out slow and I thought about adding it to the DNF list, but it picked up around the 25% mark and I was hooked!

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Kind of stereotypical in character traits and setting but an interesting start to a new series.

Date made up. I feel behind on reviews.

I'm sorry I was not able to read and review this book before it was archived due to serious health issues.

When her Mother dies, Addy’s career driven, British Aunt arrives in California to bring her back to London. Lacking the time to dedicate to raising a seventh grade surfer girl, Aunt Jean promptly begins looking for a private boarding school to ingrain some proper English etiquette into the American girl.

The Red Dragon Academy in Wales is unlike any school Addy has ever seen. Her roommates have been drawn there for very different reasons as well. Celeste is a French girl who is there for vocal lessons. Her other roommate, Pippi is attending as an equestrian.

Addy’s dreams are becoming more vivid and seem so very real when Addy stumbles into a mysterious hallway that takes her to a strange and frightening area of the school that no one else seems to know about. The students on this side of the school all wear grey and have strange names. Is this another dream?

Given that the characters are supposed to be in the seventh grade, I appreciate the intelligence and complexity of each character. The story concept is intriguing and I would have enjoyed the read more if the ending would have felt more complete. There was clearly intent to continue the story but it was written in 2014 so that may not come to fruition. Quite a bit of dialogue was spent in petty argument and I feel the characters could have been better portrayed without it. The three student characters that get the most attention, Addy, Raj and Pippi, are very likeable and funny. The story has a great deal of promise. It’s unfortunate it was never completed.

I did like this book but it did have several moments that affected the overall reading experience. There were a lot of unanswered questions and the plot felt like it wasn't fully developed or finished. I did like the characters and the overall idea of the book though.

A decent and fun read along similar lines of Harry Potter but without the plot/character depth. I'd liken this book more to the adventures of Charlie Bone and is perfect for readers who wants an intriguing story with a bit of strangeness and action.