Dream a Little Dream

Gr 9 Up—Liv Silver has lived all over the world, but upon her arrival at her new home, the 15-year-old is shocked to learn that not only does her perpetually single mom have a serious boyfriend (a widower with twin 17-year-olds), but that their families plan to "merge." She and her little sister have to move to their stepfather's London home and be students at an exclusive preparatory school that stepsiblings Grayson and Florence attend. Grayson runs in a conspicuous quartet of fellow handsome upper-class boys at "Frognal Academy"—Arthur, Henry and Jasper. When Liv falls asleep in a borrowed sweatshirt, she finds herself in a vivid dream with Grayson, Henry, Arthur, and Jasper. It becomes clear that these are not ordinary dreams. The protagonist learns that the boys, along with Arthur's ex-girlfriend Anabel (who has since moved away), conjured a demon that grants wishes and allows access to shared dreams. For the "magic" to work, at least one of the five members must be a virgin. Anabel was the only virgin of the original group, but when that changed, the girl's beloved dog died, presumably as punishment. Liv can fill the virgin void and does not believe in demons anyway, so she takes the blood oath and makes one (clever) wish. Gier's series opener offers the right ratio of closure to still unanswered questions (a rare feat in today's vast pool of sequels). Plot twists, dream make-out sessions, a touch of humor, and a scary culmination make for a thoroughly enjoyable read. Give to fans of light paranormal romance and to those who enjoyed the author's "Ruby Red Trilogy" (Holt).—Tara Kehoe, New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center, Trenton