reviews_musings's review
5.0
The Dream Catchers is a fast paced fantasy book, through Indian folklore . Set in the land of dreams, the heroine Radhika Varma is picked to compete in a challenge in Prestoria, the realm of nightmares. She has to rely on her overactive imagination to save herself. She has to create her own defenses and fight against the demons, and travel to a mystical gateway before dawn to win the challenge. Similar to Jumanji, if she fails to do so, she is locked in her dreams.
But then there are more challenges than what meets the eye. She is accused of assaulting one of the other dream catchers. Will she clear her name and emerge victorious from the challenge forms the crux of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, it reminded me of Jumanji time and again. A very good fantasy around Indian myths, I loved every bit of it.
But then there are more challenges than what meets the eye. She is accused of assaulting one of the other dream catchers. Will she clear her name and emerge victorious from the challenge forms the crux of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, it reminded me of Jumanji time and again. A very good fantasy around Indian myths, I loved every bit of it.
pagesofglory22's review
3.0
Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Dream Catchers follows Radhika, who learns about the world of Prestoria, which is a magical dreamland. Here, she has to participate in a challenge. Along the way, she faces various obstacles and makes new friends, all while dealing with troubles in her personal life.
The plot's pacing felt a bit off to me, but overall it was enjoyable. I found the beginning and end to be engaging and interesting, while the middle lagged and became slightly repetitive.
I liked the characters, especially because there was a diverse cast with a lot of representation. They were not very well-developed, but this is a middle-grade, so I could look past it. In my opinion, the characters are a handy tool that the author uses to get certain moral messages across to readers.
The world of Prestoria was fascinating. Rich in Indian mythology and folklore, it was easily my favourite part of the book.
My main problem was the writing. The book is not badly written, but certain sentences felt out of place, the dialogue felt stilted, and I caught a few grammatical errors. However, these were not too severe, and I am not the target audience - I doubt that younger readers would be bothered by these issues. That being said, I feel that the story could easily be a four-star read for me if it goes through another round of editing.
Overall, this was mostly a fun read, and I think it will be perfect for children looking for a fun adventure story.
The Dream Catchers follows Radhika, who learns about the world of Prestoria, which is a magical dreamland. Here, she has to participate in a challenge. Along the way, she faces various obstacles and makes new friends, all while dealing with troubles in her personal life.
The plot's pacing felt a bit off to me, but overall it was enjoyable. I found the beginning and end to be engaging and interesting, while the middle lagged and became slightly repetitive.
I liked the characters, especially because there was a diverse cast with a lot of representation. They were not very well-developed, but this is a middle-grade, so I could look past it. In my opinion, the characters are a handy tool that the author uses to get certain moral messages across to readers.
The world of Prestoria was fascinating. Rich in Indian mythology and folklore, it was easily my favourite part of the book.
My main problem was the writing. The book is not badly written, but certain sentences felt out of place, the dialogue felt stilted, and I caught a few grammatical errors. However, these were not too severe, and I am not the target audience - I doubt that younger readers would be bothered by these issues. That being said, I feel that the story could easily be a four-star read for me if it goes through another round of editing.
Overall, this was mostly a fun read, and I think it will be perfect for children looking for a fun adventure story.
summertime17's review
5.0
The veil between real world and dream world has you on the edge of the bed! This story has adventures and the value of friendship packed between the pages. It was such a good read for young adults that need a little encouragement to be brave. Use your imagination! And thrive!
piperkitty's review
4.0
Prestoria is alot different to what I though it would be like. This is definitely aimed at older children it a book filled with adventure, mystery and some nightmare. This is a lovely quick read.
sjayanti's review
5.0
Having lost both their parents, Radhika and her brother Aarnav now live with their young, overwhelmed aunt. Each sibling has their own way of coping - with the loss of their parents, their move to the town of Plaid, and with the fact that their Nani (grandmother) no longer seems to recognize them - Aarav is a trouble-maker, constantly playing pranks on their neighbors and skipping school to convince his aunt to move him back home. Radhika on the other hand is the one with the overactive imagination. But neither method seems to be working and Radhika can feel her family drift further apart right around her. But when Radhika is chosen to be one of 11 young Dream Catchers, destined to compete in the dream land of Prestoria and fight for their lives against a myriad of dream monsters, can this challenge and its price help bring her family back together?
This first book in the PRESTORIA series by J.U. Menon leads the reader through a brilliant dreamscape with unique magic, loyal friendships and a touching tale of familial love. Menon's magical world building is well-paced and easily graspable as she plays off our existing knowledge of dreams while adding on fun twists. The plot is satisfying with both its pace and its twists and I was particularly impressed to witness a upper middle-grade book that did not rely of romance to keep the reader hooked.
Overall the book's well-explained magical scheme, relatable characters and use of mythological creatures will play well with any middle school child. This book should be a hit with fans of Percy Jackson, Aru Shah and other Rick Riordan presents series.
Thanks to the publisher for presenting me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
This first book in the PRESTORIA series by J.U. Menon leads the reader through a brilliant dreamscape with unique magic, loyal friendships and a touching tale of familial love. Menon's magical world building is well-paced and easily graspable as she plays off our existing knowledge of dreams while adding on fun twists. The plot is satisfying with both its pace and its twists and I was particularly impressed to witness a upper middle-grade book that did not rely of romance to keep the reader hooked.
Overall the book's well-explained magical scheme, relatable characters and use of mythological creatures will play well with any middle school child. This book should be a hit with fans of Percy Jackson, Aru Shah and other Rick Riordan presents series.
Thanks to the publisher for presenting me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
desdeeo's review
5.0
This is an excellent read for boys and girls in middle school! An imaginative world built around challenges that the characters have to overcome in their dreams. The characters are all well developed and relatable. There are twists galore that keep you reading to see what will happen next and moments when you're on the edge of your seat reading!
I am so glad this is a series because that means there are more of these books! My children will be reading these this school year!
I am so glad this is a series because that means there are more of these books! My children will be reading these this school year!
shellyk51's review
5.0
Prestoria, a land of nightmares. Will you be chosen to play in this secret game of revenge? Radhika Varma and 11 others were chosen to play in this game. Not all is as it seems. Treachery, jealousy, revenge with also friendship make for a book full of adventure that will have any young adult on the edge of their seat reading. Radhika will learn that she has the courage within her to overcome any challenges thrown at her. The characters such as Derek, Vivienne and Leonara are written to feel so much like your typical teen that you can feel what they are feeling. The whole plot of the challenge in the land of nightmares is intense and action packed. Highly recommend.
roxsannel's review
5.0
Radhika Varma is a young girl who lives with her brother and aunt, she has a normal life, she goes to school, has a best friend, she spends a lot of time at the library, or reading in her room and she has a vivid imagination, but in her dreams she sees lost family and the other usual things, but one day she sees someone in her dreams whom she has never seen before, the first time, she thinks nothing of it, however, as he appears more often and even when she is awake, she starts to get worried. One night, she is dreaming as usual when she suddenly becomes surrounded by darkness, apart from a spotlight in which the man in her dreams is sat in an armchair, when she asks what is going on, he just pours some tea and asks her to wait for others to join them and eventually ten others appear and this is when he starts to explain everything.
As Radhika listens to the old man, she is finding what he is telling the group highly unbelievable, apparently, he has been observing them and because of their imaginations, he has picked them and brought them to the land of dreams and nightmares, also known as Prestoria to take part in a Challenge which takes place every fifty years, this challenge involves them using their imagination to travel to a portal while overcoming the obstacles set before them. He says that they are now the Dream Catchers and that they will have until dawn each day to complete the Challenge, if they don’t get to the portal in time, they will be forever trapped in Prestoria and will lose their lives in the real world, but this night, they will be taught the basic skills needed to compete and to have a practice before the real tasks begin.
As she starts talking to some of the others in the group and tries to practice the skills, she is realising that she may not be as good as she is hoping to be, but she is determined to persevere throughout the Challenge, however, as it progresses and she tries to help others in the group to win in the duels against mythical creatures and scenarios which test every aspect of their person, one Catcher in particular is determined to believe that she is not as wholesome as she appears and starts to set things up to prove this to the other Catchers, Radhika is suspicious, but only talks to a select couple of the other Catchers about it, they are the ones who don’t believe the accusations and know the truth. Will Radhika be able to complete the Challenge and prove to everyone that she isn’t the kind of person she is being made out to be, or will the accusations and ill wishes against her come to fruition and leave her in Prestoria forever? This is a thrilling race against time in a fantasy world, which will keep you on the edge of your seat and although it is a YA book, adults will enjoy it as well as you read along and share the experiences of the Dream Catchers.
As Radhika listens to the old man, she is finding what he is telling the group highly unbelievable, apparently, he has been observing them and because of their imaginations, he has picked them and brought them to the land of dreams and nightmares, also known as Prestoria to take part in a Challenge which takes place every fifty years, this challenge involves them using their imagination to travel to a portal while overcoming the obstacles set before them. He says that they are now the Dream Catchers and that they will have until dawn each day to complete the Challenge, if they don’t get to the portal in time, they will be forever trapped in Prestoria and will lose their lives in the real world, but this night, they will be taught the basic skills needed to compete and to have a practice before the real tasks begin.
As she starts talking to some of the others in the group and tries to practice the skills, she is realising that she may not be as good as she is hoping to be, but she is determined to persevere throughout the Challenge, however, as it progresses and she tries to help others in the group to win in the duels against mythical creatures and scenarios which test every aspect of their person, one Catcher in particular is determined to believe that she is not as wholesome as she appears and starts to set things up to prove this to the other Catchers, Radhika is suspicious, but only talks to a select couple of the other Catchers about it, they are the ones who don’t believe the accusations and know the truth. Will Radhika be able to complete the Challenge and prove to everyone that she isn’t the kind of person she is being made out to be, or will the accusations and ill wishes against her come to fruition and leave her in Prestoria forever? This is a thrilling race against time in a fantasy world, which will keep you on the edge of your seat and although it is a YA book, adults will enjoy it as well as you read along and share the experiences of the Dream Catchers.
rayne's review
4.0
A wonderful adventure
This brilliantly written paranormal adventure conveys the important messages of loyalty, friendship and forgiveness. The storyline was strong and kept me entertained from start to finish. The author has created some unique characters and a fantastical world of Prestoria. Aimed at older children this book can easily be enjoyed by all ages. I’m excited to see where the author takes this series.
This brilliantly written paranormal adventure conveys the important messages of loyalty, friendship and forgiveness. The storyline was strong and kept me entertained from start to finish. The author has created some unique characters and a fantastical world of Prestoria. Aimed at older children this book can easily be enjoyed by all ages. I’m excited to see where the author takes this series.
maelead21's review
3.0
The book was definitely an adventure for the characters and myself! The author does great in creating tangible and authentic relationships between the characters in this story! I enjoyed seeing some of the Indian Mythology, but I was hoping for more as there was a large variety of Catchers. The concept of the challenges within the dream world of Prestoria was intriguing, however I really struggled to see the tasks the characters were to beat clearly. It did get a little more defined in the latter half of the book, but I struggled to keep up with what exactly was going on. Even so, I would recommend this book for reading as the characters are very relatable, the plot line is consistent, and imagination runs wild.