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A review by theresidentbookworm
Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
5.0
Say what you will about Sarah Dessen, but I think she has the greatest range of any YA writer. Actually, don't say anything bad about Sarah Dessen. I love Sarah Dessen. I love all of her books, but more importantly I love that she has the capability to write swoony-worthy romances like This Lullaby and Along for the Ride and still tackle serious issues like rape (Just Listen) and domestic abuse in Dreamland. Throughout all of her books, Dessen manages to keep her signature writing style, offering up great insights and maintaining her thrown as Queen of YA.
Dreamland is definitely one of the best Dessen books, but I would also say that it is the best book I've ever read about domestic abuse. Dessen is not afraid to delve into this topic. We get to know Caitlin before Rogerson Biscoe. She feels inferior and eternally in the shadow of her dazzling older sister Cass. Cass, however, has ditched college to be with an older boyfriend and thrown their family into chaos. Caitlin copes by trying to fill the hole Cass left behind. She becomes a cheerleader, and more importantly she meets Rogerson Biscoe.
“It's so easy to get caught up in what people expect of you. Sometimes, you can just lose yourself.”
What is important (and wonderful) about Dreamland is that it shows Caitlin and Rogerson's relationship at every stage: their first meeting, their first conversation, the first time Rogerson hits Caitlin, and how she reacts to it. Rogerson isn't painted as a simple villain because it isn't that simple. When love is involved, it is never that simple. Caitlin does love him, and that's what makes the story feel so real. You can understand why she stays silent, why she hides her bruises and makes excuses for Rogerson, even as you are waiting for the shoe to drop. I actually cried the first time I read the novel when Caitlin's family finds out. It just was so sad, and I felt my heart break. This could happen to any girl. It could happen to me. It's a terrifying thought, but Dessen manages to turn it into one of compassion for her main character. Caitlin didn't do anything wrong. She didn't cause Rogerson to hit her. She is a victim and eventually a survivor.
“If you didn't love him, this never would have happened. But you did. And accepting that love and everything that followed it is part of letting it go.”
I recommend all of Sarah Dessen's books, but I especially recommend this one.
Dreamland is definitely one of the best Dessen books, but I would also say that it is the best book I've ever read about domestic abuse. Dessen is not afraid to delve into this topic. We get to know Caitlin before Rogerson Biscoe. She feels inferior and eternally in the shadow of her dazzling older sister Cass. Cass, however, has ditched college to be with an older boyfriend and thrown their family into chaos. Caitlin copes by trying to fill the hole Cass left behind. She becomes a cheerleader, and more importantly she meets Rogerson Biscoe.
“It's so easy to get caught up in what people expect of you. Sometimes, you can just lose yourself.”
What is important (and wonderful) about Dreamland is that it shows Caitlin and Rogerson's relationship at every stage: their first meeting, their first conversation, the first time Rogerson hits Caitlin, and how she reacts to it. Rogerson isn't painted as a simple villain because it isn't that simple. When love is involved, it is never that simple. Caitlin does love him, and that's what makes the story feel so real. You can understand why she stays silent, why she hides her bruises and makes excuses for Rogerson, even as you are waiting for the shoe to drop. I actually cried the first time I read the novel when Caitlin's family finds out. It just was so sad, and I felt my heart break. This could happen to any girl. It could happen to me. It's a terrifying thought, but Dessen manages to turn it into one of compassion for her main character. Caitlin didn't do anything wrong. She didn't cause Rogerson to hit her. She is a victim and eventually a survivor.
“If you didn't love him, this never would have happened. But you did. And accepting that love and everything that followed it is part of letting it go.”
I recommend all of Sarah Dessen's books, but I especially recommend this one.