So, Dawn messaged me on Goodreads about two weeks ago about this book asking me to read it and offer feedback. Naturally I wasn't turning down a free book! I started reading it and very quickly fell into the story...

The characters are all quite likable! I never wanted to reach through and strangle any of them - and that's unusual for me! Eric is the main character and our introduction to him is in his nightmare. He ends up in Dream Camp and the Playground in a dream reality almost immediately, but he's as confused as we are about his new location.

Hmmm... I'm going to interrupt myself with a quick bit of background: You don't dream alone. When you dream, you have the potential to log on (in a manner of speaking) to a community dream where magic, flying, friendship, and the ability to help others battle nightmares is possible.

He's met by Annie who acts a bit like a tour guide before handing him off to some younger and very energetic twins - Kyle and Lyle. She also gives him a book called the "Dreamers Handbook." The start of every chapter is marked with an excerpt from this book. (Dawn, please write this book! This would be an awesome additional read!) Kyle and Lyle introduce Eric to his two new best friends, Lucy and Rose.

Now, in this new reality, lots of things are possible as I mentioned above and to learn these possibilities, there are classes. Classes without tests, grades, or attendance requirements. Except for the nightmare battling classes, of course. You have to pass a final exam for those before you're allowed to visit the Outpost and help fight off other people's nightmares.

The story is enjoyable, by the way; you get sucked in easily and want to read more, but for a while there doesn't seem to be much of a plot. It reads more like a diary or journal than anything else. This (luckily) doesn't detract from the story! There are a few spots where you think "oh, plot point!" when something happens - ie: overhearing a conversation about a mysterious villain - but it doesn't seem to go far in this book. The only main goals that we see would be mastering a few individual courses (like flying and sword magic) and passing the final exam to be allowed to battle nightmares.

Passage of time is very difficult to mark because the characters are never shown awake with one small exception of Eric waking up and remembering something from Dream Camp. It's not a major issue, because the story flows regardless, but it would definitely add some extra depth to the story. (I would love a little drabble with Eric forgetting he can't fly in the real world. That would be hilarious. Or even a short story with the trio managing a real world meet-up to hang out.) And maybe I missed it, but I don't think ages are ever given. Based on behavior and thoughts, I would guess between 14 and 16.

I gave this book a strong 4 out of 5 - if goodreads allowed half stars, it would be 4.5, but it still needs a bit of tweaking before I can give 5 stars.

With all the above being said, I have to say that I will definitely be looking forward to more stories from Dawn and I'm hoping that this story is meant to be the first in a series! Keep us informed!