bunnieslikediamonds's review against another edition
4.0
A refreshingly original, well executed fantasy story which centers around a young dreamcatcher, Laura, and her more worldly cousin Rose. Knox takes her time developing these characters, but eventually the girls appear as very capable and quite likeable (the same cannot be said for their parents).
The concept of dreamcatching is intriguing, and I wish she would have delved a little deeper into the specifics of it. A little long-winded at times, but interesting and entertaining enough to keep me reading.
The concept of dreamcatching is intriguing, and I wish she would have delved a little deeper into the specifics of it. A little long-winded at times, but interesting and entertaining enough to keep me reading.
noshyira's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
missprint_'s review against another edition
5.0
A bit of background before we begin: Dreamhunter first came to my attention when I was talking to "Amy" the YA librarian at my place of employ. As a fellow fantasy fanatic she also thought I would admire the writing. I, however, did not remember to write down the title. A bit later, upon hearing about writing troubles I had been having, Amy once again recommended Dreamhunter. This time I immediately put the book on hold. And looking back now I am ashamed that I waited so very long to read it.
Dreamhunter is Elizabeth Knox's first novel for a young adult audience, although I feel obligated to point out that the genre label here applies more to the fact that her main characters are teens than anything to do with the novel's subject or prose. She is also the author of several novels for adults.
Like so many great fantasy novels, Dreamhunter is set in a world not that different from our own. The one reminder that this novel is not like any other period book set in 1906 has to do with dreams.
For a very few people, perhaps one in every three hundred, dreams really are tangible in the Place: a mysterious other-world far larger than the few acres of woodland that in encompasses in the real world. The Place hold dreams. Of the few that can enter the Place, fewer still are able to sleep there and bring the dreams back to the general public where the dreams can be performed in private residences or in a dream palace like the Rainbow Opera--a sort of theater for dreams--for the public good. Dreamhunters, when they have enough skill and talent, can make their fortunes by catching the right dreams.
No one knows this better than the novel's fifteen-year-old protagonist, Laura Hame, and her cousin, Rose Tiebold. Laura's father, perhaps one of the best dreamhunters ever, discovered the Place and Rose's mother is another very skilled dreamhunter.
But, as Laura and Rose are about to learn, all is not right in their world. When Laura's father disappears under mysterious circumstances she and her cousin set out to find the secret behind not only his disappearance but also, perhaps, the very secret of the Place itself.
Aside from its thrilling plot, Dreamhunter is a wonderful novel because of Knox's background work. As soon as I opened this book, I felt like I was immersed in Laura and Rose's world. It didn't matter that I had never heard of dreamhunters, or Tricksie Bend, or the Grand Patriarch because Knox incorporated all of these new ideas effortlessly into her plot. I was hooked, almost literally, for the entire 365 pages of this novel.
The writing here is rich without being overdone and beautiful without being conspicuous about it.
This story opens in the year 1906. The choice of time period, as well as Knox's writing style bring to mind Garth Nix's powerhouse fantasy novel Sabriel. I loved Sabriel (as I love all of Garth Nix's books), but I might have loved Dreamhunter slightly more if for nothing save its ending--one of the best I have read of late.
Laura and Rose's story continues in Dreamquake the conclusion of Elizabeth Knox's Dreamhunter Duet.
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
Dreamhunter is Elizabeth Knox's first novel for a young adult audience, although I feel obligated to point out that the genre label here applies more to the fact that her main characters are teens than anything to do with the novel's subject or prose. She is also the author of several novels for adults.
Like so many great fantasy novels, Dreamhunter is set in a world not that different from our own. The one reminder that this novel is not like any other period book set in 1906 has to do with dreams.
For a very few people, perhaps one in every three hundred, dreams really are tangible in the Place: a mysterious other-world far larger than the few acres of woodland that in encompasses in the real world. The Place hold dreams. Of the few that can enter the Place, fewer still are able to sleep there and bring the dreams back to the general public where the dreams can be performed in private residences or in a dream palace like the Rainbow Opera--a sort of theater for dreams--for the public good. Dreamhunters, when they have enough skill and talent, can make their fortunes by catching the right dreams.
No one knows this better than the novel's fifteen-year-old protagonist, Laura Hame, and her cousin, Rose Tiebold. Laura's father, perhaps one of the best dreamhunters ever, discovered the Place and Rose's mother is another very skilled dreamhunter.
But, as Laura and Rose are about to learn, all is not right in their world. When Laura's father disappears under mysterious circumstances she and her cousin set out to find the secret behind not only his disappearance but also, perhaps, the very secret of the Place itself.
Aside from its thrilling plot, Dreamhunter is a wonderful novel because of Knox's background work. As soon as I opened this book, I felt like I was immersed in Laura and Rose's world. It didn't matter that I had never heard of dreamhunters, or Tricksie Bend, or the Grand Patriarch because Knox incorporated all of these new ideas effortlessly into her plot. I was hooked, almost literally, for the entire 365 pages of this novel.
The writing here is rich without being overdone and beautiful without being conspicuous about it.
This story opens in the year 1906. The choice of time period, as well as Knox's writing style bring to mind Garth Nix's powerhouse fantasy novel Sabriel. I loved Sabriel (as I love all of Garth Nix's books), but I might have loved Dreamhunter slightly more if for nothing save its ending--one of the best I have read of late.
Laura and Rose's story continues in Dreamquake the conclusion of Elizabeth Knox's Dreamhunter Duet.
You can find this review and more on my blog Miss Print
lautir's review against another edition
3.0
This is another book that I'm not sure how it ended up on my To-Read shelf, but I read it anyway.
I had many complaints during the first 50 pages of this books; the names were terribly selected, calling something a 'Try' sounded bad, the writing was not great, and the teenage characters were annoying.
But like many YA books it picked up but I think the only reasons I liked parts of it were because I write a fair bit about dream manipulation myself so this had some great ideas. They just weren't executed very well.
The fact that it ended by leaving so many of the plot points open for the sequel was annoying. I had no plans to read it but now I'm going to be tempted if I see it somewhere.
I had many complaints during the first 50 pages of this books; the names were terribly selected, calling something a 'Try' sounded bad, the writing was not great, and the teenage characters were annoying.
But like many YA books it picked up but I think the only reasons I liked parts of it were because I write a fair bit about dream manipulation myself so this had some great ideas. They just weren't executed very well.
The fact that it ended by leaving so many of the plot points open for the sequel was annoying. I had no plans to read it but now I'm going to be tempted if I see it somewhere.
jasmyn9's review against another edition
3.0
The Place is where dreamhunters go to find dreams. Dreams that are very different than the ones we have ourselves. These dreams can be shared and shown in a way similar to our movies. Only a select few have the ability to capture dreams from the Place and share them with other nearby sleepers. Laura and her father are two of these people.
When Laura's father, the first dreamhunter known to exist, disappears she has to follow a strange trail of clues to find out what he was working on. A trail that leads to many disturbing discoveries. Will she have to strength to carry on and follow in his footsteps, or will she instead choose to follow the status quo and let his knowledge disappear as he did?
I found the story fascinating. There were so many different levels of relationships and personalities that were explored without making the characters overly complicated. The world was where the author lost me a little. There was so much that I just didn't understand. While it was all made clear as the story continued on, I feel like there were many things that I missed and would have understood or appreciated more had I known more about the world itself. It led to a bit of a disjointed story.
3/5
When Laura's father, the first dreamhunter known to exist, disappears she has to follow a strange trail of clues to find out what he was working on. A trail that leads to many disturbing discoveries. Will she have to strength to carry on and follow in his footsteps, or will she instead choose to follow the status quo and let his knowledge disappear as he did?
I found the story fascinating. There were so many different levels of relationships and personalities that were explored without making the characters overly complicated. The world was where the author lost me a little. There was so much that I just didn't understand. While it was all made clear as the story continued on, I feel like there were many things that I missed and would have understood or appreciated more had I known more about the world itself. It led to a bit of a disjointed story.
3/5
jepha's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent read, I got the audiobook from Audible after finding a paperback of the sequel. The narrator gives each character individual voices and intonation, which really helps bring it to life.
verysillygoose's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Body horror, Antisemitism, and Self harm
Minor: Racism
verysillygoose's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror and Self harm
Minor: Death of parent
futurememory's review against another edition
4.0
Really lovely fantasy novel that had just wonderful concepts. I really liked all of our female leads, and the wonderful friendship between Rose and Laura.
jessrock's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book and its companion, [book: Dreamquake] after reading some enthusiastic praise from a librarian friend, and they didn't disappoint. The stories take place in early 20th century New Zealand but with a slight twist to reality: there is an area called the Place, accessible only to a handful of people, where dreams can be "caught" and carried back out to the rest of the public. These dreams can be broadcast by the sleeping dreamhunter to anyone physically nearby. Some are delightful dreams, some are nightmares, and people can earn fortunes by bringing back the best dreams and performing them at "dream palaces." However, the dreams often seem to share common elements or characters, leading to the question - who or what created these dreams, and what message are they trying to send? I found both books wholly engrossing and very well crafted. I would highly recommend doing what I did and getting both books from the library at the same time, as they pretty much read like one very long novel bound into two volumes.