Scan barcode
magiccereal's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. The majority of this book was excellent and I was anticipating giving it 5 stars, but the ending was a bit confusing and left little resolved. Had the ending been the midpoint of the story, it would have made a lot more sense. I am guessing this is to set up a sequel, but I think it would have been better to move the pacing of this book along a bit quicker instead of stretching it out to make content for two books. Once the plot twist was announced, certain scenes that carried little importance to the overall trajectory of the narrative were described in lengthy, somewhat agonizing detail while questions and problems that were introduced in the first 3/4 of the book were never touched on or communicated between the characters. Instead of meaningfully connecting the two narratives, it just made the story feel rushed and forced. Still, the world building was great and I enjoyed most of it.
charadreemurrs's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
emiodo's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
vianeyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
taphrina's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 rounded up. The Lost Dreamer felt more like spec fic/fantasy than YA, but it was interesting enough to keep me reading beyond a slow beginning. There’s a dual POV which I went back and forth for preferences (which I prefer 100% to the alternative) which helped with the plot which wasn’t always clear. I liked the Dreaming and elemental aspects, and especially some side characters when there were lulls, and I really liked how it avoided certain YA tropes even when the chance was right there.
Regarding the spec fic vibe, the main characters are teens (I think) but the adults play strong supporting roles in some cases. There’s a subplot of a girl finding acceptance with a newlywed couple (as parental figures) who are dealing with infertility—which made up a surprising amount of that plot line. There’s even a birth scene towards the end.
Format: I liked the audiobook (especially since I’ve heard one of the narrators before) and I found it easy to speed up to 1.30x and higher and still understand the narration.
Regarding the spec fic vibe, the main characters are teens (I think) but the adults play strong supporting roles in some cases. There’s a subplot of a girl finding acceptance with a newlywed couple (as parental figures) who are dealing with infertility—which made up a surprising amount of that plot line. There’s even a birth scene towards the end.
Format: I liked the audiobook (especially since I’ve heard one of the narrators before) and I found it easy to speed up to 1.30x and higher and still understand the narration.
str_wberry's review against another edition
3.0
Slow start, but overall a fun and entertaining book to read.
rusereviews's review against another edition
4.0
(3.5 rounded up to a 4)
The Lost Dreamer is a debut YA fantasy based on ancient Mesoamerican folklore by Lizz Huerta. The eBook version is 384 pages and is told in the first person by alternating dual narrators, Indir and Saya.
Indir is a Dreamer who has grown up in the seclusion of a temple. Dreamers are seers who are able to see beyond reality while asleep. Indir has the rare gift of Dreaming truth, as most other Dreamers dream possibilities. She is called to Dream for the king just before he passes. When the king's son Alcan arrives to ascend to the throne, he does not respect the tradition of the Dreamers and wants to end their line.
Saya speaks to spirits while she dreams, but does not believe herself to be a Dreamer since she was never formally trained. She travels with her mother Celay, who keeps her safe but also exploits her gift while passing it off as her own. They are running from something, but Saya does not know what. But then Saya loses the protection necklace she's worn since birth and learns that she has other gifts and Celay has not been fully truthful with her.
The worldbuilding in this book is pretty cool! It took me until the 25% mark to really get into this, but it's still a pleasant read from start to finish. I guessed some of the twists, but that didn't dull the reveal for me. I'm definitely interested in reading more in this world, though this book can be read as a standalone.
Tropes in this book include: mythology/folklore, chosen family
CW: gaslighting, emotional abuse, animal abuse, death
Special thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book for me to review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
The Lost Dreamer is a debut YA fantasy based on ancient Mesoamerican folklore by Lizz Huerta. The eBook version is 384 pages and is told in the first person by alternating dual narrators, Indir and Saya.
Indir is a Dreamer who has grown up in the seclusion of a temple. Dreamers are seers who are able to see beyond reality while asleep. Indir has the rare gift of Dreaming truth, as most other Dreamers dream possibilities. She is called to Dream for the king just before he passes. When the king's son Alcan arrives to ascend to the throne, he does not respect the tradition of the Dreamers and wants to end their line.
Saya speaks to spirits while she dreams, but does not believe herself to be a Dreamer since she was never formally trained. She travels with her mother Celay, who keeps her safe but also exploits her gift while passing it off as her own. They are running from something, but Saya does not know what. But then Saya loses the protection necklace she's worn since birth and learns that she has other gifts and Celay has not been fully truthful with her.
The worldbuilding in this book is pretty cool! It took me until the 25% mark to really get into this, but it's still a pleasant read from start to finish. I guessed some of the twists, but that didn't dull the reveal for me. I'm definitely interested in reading more in this world, though this book can be read as a standalone.
Tropes in this book include: mythology/folklore, chosen family
CW: gaslighting, emotional abuse, animal abuse, death
Special thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book for me to review. All opinions contained herein are my own.
katieeigenfeld's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5