Rating: 3.5/5 StarsGenre: Contemporary/Mystery
Release Date: 11/10/2009 (paperback release, hardcover was out in 2008)
About the Book: Claire Voyante (it's French) has always been having strange visions that lead her nowhere. But when her grandmother gives her a cameo necklace, Claire starts to have dreams she can't explain. When the dreams start to lead her to a mystery involving her new best friend, Claire becomes a detective, piecing the clues together in order to save her friend's life.
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I love Claire!! This book was so much fun. Claire was a blast to read about.
Dream Girl has some mystery elements, but they come into play later in the story that I hesitate to call this one a true mystery. Instead it strikes me as chick lit with some mystery in it-which makes it a little more fun. Even though I was expecting more mystery, I was so caught up in reading about Claire, her new school, her new friend Becca, and her eccentric grandmother Kiki, that I kept reading and didn't care the mystery was lighter than I expected.
Claire is a great narrator. She's smart, she's shy and she's coming into her own throughout the novel. As a former shy girl in school, I've been really excited about the shy narrators I've been reading about lately. Let the shy girl shine!
I adore Claire's family. Her brother Henry is adorable (although she might not think so), and her parents are so quirky and fun. It seems that so many times there are negative family dynamics in YA, I get excited when I see a family that actually enjoys spending time with each other. Even Claire's best friend Becca's family is one I would love to hang out with for an afternoon. And I would love to adopt her grandmother Kiki, a former Broadway showgirl who now lives in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
The writing was fast paced and the dialouge was snappy. The cast of characters is well rounded and each character added something to the story. I'll be following this one up with the sequel Dream Life, which is good news, since I can't wait to read more about Claire.
Full Disclosure: Review copy provided by author
I think you have completely convinced me to read it. Looks like you really liked the characters very much..:)
ReplyDeleteI love Claire too!
ReplyDeleteClaire sounds great - clever name choice by the author!
ReplyDeleteI've heard some good things about this book. I might have to check it out. Thanks for the review!
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Awesome review. I like the mystery elements of this book.
ReplyDeleteI also love your blog and the purpose behind it! Browsing away now...
This mystery-filled chick-lit sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun book!
ReplyDelete