Reviews

“You should remember, Mei and Yun, that not even the most powerful person in the world can diminish your true value. To some animals, a silkworm is nothing but a tasty morsel, yet its silk creations adorn the palace of China.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

The Dreamweavers follows a story of twin siblings (Mei & Yun) journey to save their Grandpa from wrong accusement. Their Grandpa is the best cook in their village, especially for Mid-Autumn festivals, his mooncakes are worth to die for. In their journey, they also discover about the curse in City of Ashes and somehow the curse is now affected their village too.

This book has endless fascinating elements inside: Chinese mythologies like the Monkey King, Jade Rabbit (reminds me of Over the Moon movie), Chinese philosophies, poets and riddles, and the ability to see dreams in clouds and colors.

“They saw dreams in every color: green like the dewy grass in the morning; purple-tinged dreamclouds, the color a deep shade of lilac; sunshine yellow; hues of blue, from the pale blue of the sky to the deep blue of the Pearl River in summertime.”

I enjoyed the dynamics between the twins. Mei with her impatient and restless personality, and Yun is the exact opposite. He’s careful, calm, and cautious. When doing something, Mei’s actions driven by gut instinct and Yun’s by memorization and strategy. They’re as different as night and day, but together they make a perfect duo.

I had a little issue with the concept of dreamweavers and how it works because I think the author didn’t describe it very well. Like the ability just pop-up out of nowhere. But apart from that, I liked it all. It has dreamy vibes, imaginative, and very fun. Highly recommended if you need a middle-grade stories with Chinese folklore and colorful dreams elements.

chaconne's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

4.25

hweezbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring reflective medium-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? N/A

4.25

There’s so much to like about this Ming Dynasty tale inspired by Chinese mythology.

Mei and Yun are a pair of girl-boy twins whose grandpa makes the most amazing mooncakes — so legendary that the Emperor’s son visits one day to taste them.

This visit brings a strange rancour among the villagers, and a flash blizzard burying all the crops and animals. It also sparks the beginning of a quest, as the twins discover a 70-year curse related to their parents who’ve gone missing.

We also find out that they are dreamweavers, a very original magic thought up by author G.Z. Schmidt, born in China and migrated to the US as a child. The adventure continues at the imperial palace, as Mei and Yun enlists the help of friends to solve this mystery.

“A cricket can be smashed by a single footstep, yet its voice keeps up hundreds of folks at night. Even the smallest, most fragile among us have power.”

Schmidt’s writing lapses sometimes into the didactic but is largely colourful, imaginative and lightly humorous.

Mei runs mostly on instinct, and Yun on careful planning and strategy. Together, they plough on with such heart and courage.

📚: @times.reads

lexiss's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

marcisbookrecs's review

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5.0

Inspired by Chinese folklore, this book lived up to its title and felt very dreamy. Twin children have to save their parents, their grandpa, and maybe an entire city when a curse rolls into town. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that they find out they are dream weavers and can use the dreams (and nightmares) of others to make delicious and powerful food. I loved that each child brought their own skills and discovered that together they could solve some very major problems. I loved the setting in China, the fantastical premise, and the inventive characters.

boricuabookfairy's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing tense medium-paced

4.5

alexanne's review

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4.0

Dreamweavers has a gorgeous cover, and it’s rnepresentative of the story!

Long story short is about the twin sibling meeting the Jade Rabbit and Lotus, about their dreamweaving adventures, about trying to end the curse.

SUMPAHHHH seru bgt sihh menurut aku!! Di awal ini page turner banget, terus pas udah sampe conflict agak slow paces karena bener bener dijelasin gitu loh, kayak how Yun and Mei make a daring journey to the City of Ashes, the city where their parents were lost, the city which is allegedly cursed. Sampai masuk ke Imperial Palace dan ke Imperial Library to take The Phoenix Seal biar curses nya hilang. Aku tuh ikut degdegan takut mereka ketauan from the beginning they enter the City of Ashes

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