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abby_ace_of_books 's review for:
The Call of The Dreamwalkers
by Rafaële Désiré
The Call of Dreamwalkers is an urban fantasy story about a group of teens fighting off "Mind Worms" in their dreams. I found the concept of the story very intriguing, as it seemed like something a younger version of me would've been really interested in.
Because the world takes place in one very similar to our own, there was minimal worldbuilding necessary. That being said, I found that the reason behind the Mind Worm's existence, Arcadion, and why the school specifically was targeted were not well-explained. There were also parts of the daily "school life" that I found relatable and parts that I thought were completely unbelievable in terms of a modern high school experience.
The plot was relatively simple but also enticing. Ana and her team of Virtues had to protect the school from the Mind Worms influencing everyone with negative thoughts. I did find that the plot was not very nuanced and therefore it definitely wasn't the most original and influential stories I ever read, but for a younger audience I could see it hitting home fairly well. The ending was good, there were plenty of positive themes, and it dealt with many heavy topics well.
The characters are all high schoolers and they were accurately portrayed as such for the most part. I found Ana as a strong and bold protagonist, and the supporting cast was also well-formed. My main complaint about the characters is that they were two-dimensional for the most part. Ana was well-rounded and flawed, but most of the supporting cast showed up all at one time (which also made it hard to differentiate between them and form connections with them) and so they did not really change or grow through the course of the story.
I also found that this story, stylistically, reminded me more of a middle grade book rather than a YA. I know that YA is a hard age gap to pinpoint because it encompasses readers from 12 to 18, and I understand that this book might appeal to younger YA audiences. There were themes that were more mature, but the writing style itself was more similar to middle grade books that I am familiar with.
Overall, this book was a good story for a young audience with its great themes. It reminded me of "Reverie" by Ryan La Sala, but for early teens looking for an introduction into YA.
Because the world takes place in one very similar to our own, there was minimal worldbuilding necessary. That being said, I found that the reason behind the Mind Worm's existence, Arcadion, and why the school specifically was targeted were not well-explained. There were also parts of the daily "school life" that I found relatable and parts that I thought were completely unbelievable in terms of a modern high school experience.
The plot was relatively simple but also enticing. Ana and her team of Virtues had to protect the school from the Mind Worms influencing everyone with negative thoughts. I did find that the plot was not very nuanced and therefore it definitely wasn't the most original and influential stories I ever read, but for a younger audience I could see it hitting home fairly well. The ending was good, there were plenty of positive themes, and it dealt with many heavy topics well.
The characters are all high schoolers and they were accurately portrayed as such for the most part. I found Ana as a strong and bold protagonist, and the supporting cast was also well-formed. My main complaint about the characters is that they were two-dimensional for the most part. Ana was well-rounded and flawed, but most of the supporting cast showed up all at one time (which also made it hard to differentiate between them and form connections with them) and so they did not really change or grow through the course of the story.
I also found that this story, stylistically, reminded me more of a middle grade book rather than a YA. I know that YA is a hard age gap to pinpoint because it encompasses readers from 12 to 18, and I understand that this book might appeal to younger YA audiences. There were themes that were more mature, but the writing style itself was more similar to middle grade books that I am familiar with.
Overall, this book was a good story for a young audience with its great themes. It reminded me of "Reverie" by Ryan La Sala, but for early teens looking for an introduction into YA.