Gr 5–7—Plum has been dreaming in sync with her three best friends, Vien, Gwendle, and Artem since they were babies. The nightmares they confront together feature strange creatures and perilous quests—the children often die in these horrific dreams. The friends all live at Brassmere, a secluded academy for progenies with special gifts. When Artem goes missing, the kids begin a search, and disturbing secrets about Brassmere are revealed. Regrettably, the intended purpose for the children's gifts is never explained in the rapid dénouement. The children themselves are also sketched very simply. The short length and juvenile cover seem to suggest the book for younger readers, but given the dark nature of the material may make this a better fit for middle schoolers.
VERDICT A gripping adventure with interesting leads that remain mostly unexplored in this succinct and spooky contemporary fantasy. Buy where Mary Downing Hahn's books and other scary titles circulate well.
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