Dreamland

Find this review and more at On The Shelf!This was my first Sarah Dessen book, and I got to be honest, I think I chose the wrong one to start with. This story was just not for me, and it wasn’t because of what it was about. I wasn’t crazy about the characters or the way they handled the situation.Caitlin is on of my least favorite main characters. She continuously made horrible decisions and stayed with Rogerson for no real reason. Caitlin said she loved Rogerson, but I’m not realyl sure why other than love at first sight. Rogerson was a jerk and I didn’t like him at all, which is what was supposed to happen since he is not a good person, so of course I wasn’t supposed to like him. Caitlin’s best friend annoyed me the way she flirted with EVERYBODY; she was the high school slut apparently. Even the mother got on my nerves. She sounded so dumb and worried over some very trivial things.The book didn’t keep me enthralled like I hoped and it was slower than I would have liked it to be. There were even several points were I wanted to stop since I was bored with the book. Even the reader for the audiobook read slowly and I just wasn’t very into it. Even though I didn’t enjoy this book very much, I am still going to try another of her stories since I have heard so many good things, I just think I picked the wrong one to start with, though most people have reated this one high. Maybe I am just one of the odd ones on this book. And like I said, it isn’t because of the subject – I gave Split by Swati Avasthi a 5 bookmark rating, but it was done so much better in my opinion.Dreamland just didn’t get to me emotionally, except to make me super mad and I had no sympathy at all for Caitlin. I hate that I didn’t love the first Dessen book I read, but I’ll try another!Disappointing, uninteresting, didn’t like the characters, thought about not finishing.

I have loved Sarah Dessen since I was handed a copy of The Truth About Forever. I have slowly been getting all of her books and Dreamland of course was on that list. Up until Stephanie was so kind as to get me a copy I hadn't really read much about the book. So without knowing what I was getting into I sat down to read.
I was surprised that Sarah wrote about a subject that a lot of other authors only gloss over or don't touch on at all. The issue of abuse is one that no matter how much we may dislike it and wish it never happened, does happen; and a lot more than we would like to believe.
I can relate to the main character Caitlin in a way, I don't have the same home life that she did in the book, runaway sister, overbearing but still slightly withdrawn mother, and a father that just hangs out on the edge. But I too was in an abusive relationship. I loved him just as Caitlin loved Rogerson and would do just as Caitlin did to make sure that I kept him as happy as possible.
My heart broke for Caitlin every time Rogerson got that look in his eyes and I cringed along with her when she knew that something was going to upset him.
As much as I loved this book, and all the characters, yes even Rogerson; I do wish that the ending was a little different. I would have like to have known how Caitlin handled the first meeting with Rogerson after the time spent away from him. Really, would he have even acknowledged Caitlin? Would she have been able to stand tall and prove that no matter what she was strong?
I guess we'll never know. Though I like to think that after some time she would have been able to be around him without breaking down.

Caitlin's life was normal, laid back, and easy, until, the morning of her 16th birthday...Caitlins beloved sister Cass, disapeared on her 16th birthday. She had left with her boyfriend Adam, that the family barely knew. She been trying to follow her sisters footsteps for a long time now. Cass was popular, beutiful, athletic and amazing, but this is Caitilins time to shine! First off, she tries out for cheerleading, the one accademic Cass didin't do. Caitilin HATES it. But she feels the need to be impressive. Then, she meets Rogerson, a bad kid, with dredlocks, who is really smart, and seems to care for Caitlin. Things get really bad between the two of them, and Caitilin dosen't tell anyone! She feels like she loves Rogerson to much to tell anyone and get him in trouble. One terrible thing happend, and the relationship was over forever...Dreamland, was an awesome book! I really enjoyed the mix of genres they have in it! It really made me not want to put the book down. It describes a troubled teens life, and how it can influence one other person. I recommend it to everyone!!

Like Sarah Dessen's other books, Dreamland takes readers straight into the life of a struggling teen. It's so comforting to be able to relate to a character from a book, and Caitlin embodies so many young girls who base their self-worth on relationships with friends or boyfriends. I recommend this to any girl who questions if what a healthy relationship is.

Strange, sleepy Rogerson, with his long brown dreads and brilliant green eyes, had seemed to Caitlin to be an open door. With him she could be anybody, not just the second-rate shadow of her older sister, Cass. But now she is drowning in the vacuum Cass left behind when she turned her back on her family's expectations by running off with a boyfriend. Caitlin wanders in a dream land of drugs and a nightmare of Rogerson's sudden fists, lost in her search for herself.Why do so many girls ...moreStrange, sleepy Rogerson, with his long brown dreads and brilliant green eyes, had seemed to Caitlin to be an open door. With him she could be anybody, not just the second-rate shadow of her older sister, Cass. But now she is drowning in the vacuum Cass left behind when she turned her back on her family's expectations by running off with a boyfriend. Caitlin wanders in a dream land of drugs and a nightmare of Rogerson's sudden fists, lost in her search for herself.Why do so many girls allow themselves to get into abusive relationships--and what keeps them there? In this riveting novel, Sarah Dessen searches for understanding and answers. Caught in a trap that is baited with love and need, Caitlin must frantically manage her every action to avoid being hit by the hands that once seemed so gentle. All around her are women who care--best friends, mother, sister, mentor--but shame keeps her from confiding in any of them, especially Cass, her brilliant older sister, whose own flight from home had seemed to point the way.Dessen has here created a subtle and compelling work of literature that goes far beyond the teen problem novel in a story rich with symbolism, dark scenes of paralyzing dread, quirky and memorable characters, and gleams of humor. With the consummate skill and psychological depth that brought her praise for Keeping the Moon, she explores the search for self-identity, the warmth of feminine friendships, and the destructive ways our society sets up young women for love gone wrong. (Ages 14 and older) --Patty CampbellMy take: Dessen has a talent for disclosing a story and the progression of a situation in a way that the reader reserves judgment. How easy it is to see that a girl is suffering in an abusive relationship and pass judgment regarding how she needs to kick his butt to the curb. Dessen uses her gift for personalizing her protagonists by giving background information on Caitlyn; her relationship with her parents, her sister, her vulnerability, the new love interest, how harmless he is, the way Caitlyn accepts Rogerson's own victimhood - all of this leads up to the first time Rogerson hits Caitlyn. It doesn't just "happen." Caitlyn hangs out with Rogerson and is introduced more and more into his dark world of drugs, finally smoking a little weed here and there, watching Rogerson take his hits by his dad, Rogerson's wandering hands, until we're at the moment that Caitlyn is lying in the grass, bruised from head to toe, taking it.And then the healing.It's a heavy book for being so short. I loved it.

Dreamland was a great novel. Caitlin's sister, Cassandra, runs away on Caitlin's birthday. After she leaves, Caitlin feels like she has this hole of perfection to fill and struggles to find a way to be unique. Soon she meets a strange boy, Rogerson, and they form a relationship that, despite his illegal activities as a pot dealer, starts out innocently enough. But soon Caitlin is stuck in an abusive relationship that consumes her life and she struggles to find a way to make it better.The reason Dreamland gets four stars from me was the slow start. It took me until about halfway through the novel to get to a point where I couldn't put it down. But once I didn't put it down, it was a great story. Caitlin's struggle was very realistic and I actually think every high school girl should read this novel and teach herself a little something about abusive relationships.

A haunting tale of an abusive relationship, Dreamland is one of those books that captures you and never leaves you. It is well-written and emotional, making you eagerly read more while wishing you had never picked it up because it is so hauntingly amazing. Sarah Dessen has truly outdone herself with this one.

It was very good and it was just amazing.

I loved this book. I felt so bad for Caitlyn, which made me keep reading and reading so I could see how she gets better. Some moments seemed to be repeating though.

So captivating and how Caitlin deals with her sister's disappearance and her abusive relationship.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed reading this story. Dessen writes well. Her characters are believable and their situtations draw you into the story. High school girls love Dessen's books.

Dreamland is one of my favorite books. I first read it with my best friend. We stayed up the whole night reading it and by the end we weer both crying. I bought it about a year later and reread it and still loved it. I think it is a great book and a little different from most of Sarah Dessen's other books because it doesn't have the best ending and she doesn't end up with the guy and I like it that way.

Caitlin wakes up on her 16th birthday to find that her sister has run away. So begins the story of Caitlin finding, and losing herself in a series of unexpected events.Great story, Dessen never lets me down.

Mesmerizing tale of a teenage girl's descent into an addictive relationship after her sister (also her role model/idol) ran away.

This is a tough story about a teenage girl who finds herself trapped in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend. She does her best to rationalize and make up excuses for him, but eventually cannot escape the reality of the situation. Don't miss this book. It will grip and hold you till the very end.

I love Sarah Dessen's writing. I recommend her to high school students all the time...especially this book. The issues are very real. I had never understood how a reasonable, intelligent girl could be stuck in an abusive relationship...this makes it very clear.

I loved the book and the story but for some reason I had trouble staying into the book in some parts which unusual for Dessen's work I have read a few of her books and loved most of them but this one I loved the story but I ddin't fall inlove with the characters.

This is the first book I have read by Sarah Dessen, and I loved it. The characters are very real and believable. There was great insight into the topic of abuse in dating relationships. I think this is a great read for teenage girls. It highlights the struggle with finding your own identity, which many teenagers can relate to.

This book is about a girl who's name is Caitlin. Her story starts when her older sister runns away to be with some guy. Caitlin's family is upset and trying to get through the issue. One day Catitlin was at a party with one of her friends when Rogerson shows up. When she meets Rogerson she doesn't know what to expect. Which explains why she didn't think in the beginning that he was a drug dealer. So, Caitlin and Rogerson start dating. Caitlin tries out for cheerleading and makes it on the squad. Her mother is supper excited about that and she works out a whole schedule for Caitlin. What Caitlin didn't see coming was Rogerson becoming abusive and hitting her. As the hitting gets worse Caitlin gets worse and eventually it gets so bad that Rogerson abuses her in front of her house. Her mother notices and stops the whole thing. Caitlin's mother send her to a place that helps her with her problem and eventually her sister comes back. I think this was one of Sarah Dessen's best books that she wrote. It's very intense but if you read it you can understand it. I like how it packed in a bunch af teenage issues like family problems, dating abuse, drugs, and anything else that appears in the book. I also think it is a very good book for any teenager to read.

This book by Sarah Dessen is about Catlin and how she handles how her sister ran away and her new boyfriend. When she meets a boy at a gas station she starts to like him. Then she sees him at a party. They start to get closer and then she starts to like him and they go out. She is then more involved with Rogerson. Rogerson starts to get abusive when he gets angry. Soon Catlin gets covered in bruises. She starts to act different and then he parents discover what has been happening. This book is kind of creepy. But I still enjoyed reading it. I absolutely could not put the book down. I recommend this book to people who like to read about fast pace drama. I gave this book four stars because it was really good but, kind of scared me. It really is scary to be in that position. I recommend this book to anyone.

I have heard great things about Sarah Dessen, but I just wasn't that impressed with the book. The first part dragged forever, and I almost put the book down without finishing it. After things started picking up about 100 pages into the book (which is way too long for things to start happening, in my opinion), it still wasn't that great of a read. Caitlin is difficult to relate to as a character, and I didn't see much of a progression in her as she spiraled into an abusive relationship. She started the book unhappy and nearly invisible, and being with Rogerson (I dislike that name so much) didn't change much of anything in her. No wonder her parents didn't notice what was going on with her.Abusive relationships are a good topic for a teen book, I think, but this book just didn't do a good job of anything except being boring as heck. It'll be a while before I will consider reading something else from this author, if ever.

Whoa. This was different. I've read two Dessen books prior to this one, Just Listen and This Lullaby. I very much enjoyed both of them, and, based on my experiences with them, I cataloged Sarah Dessen's fiction as intermediate contemporaries, balancing dark issues with optimism and sweet romance. Thus, I found the fact that they repackaged all of her books to look like shiny, happy summer reads odd. Well, it's odder still, since Dreamland is dark all the way through, depressing almost in its entirety.

As in The Sky Is Everwhere by Jandy Nelson, we begin with a girl living in the shadow of her perfect older sister. In this case, however, the older sister isn't dead, merely gone, run away to who knows where. Caitlin has always used her sister as a bit of an excuse not to excel or be special, knowing she could not measure up, and, without Cass around, Caitlin doesn't have any clue who to be.

In the absence of Cass, Caitlin's overprotective mother switches her focus to the remaining daughter. When Cass makes the cheerleading team, having been pressed to audition by her steamrolling best friend, Rina, her mother gets involved the same way she always did for Rina. Nothing cheers Caitlin, though. She both misses Cass and relishes the idea that now maybe she will shine for a change, but has no idea how to do that. The reader can feel Caitlin's lack of direction and disconnection from the world.

In her continuing search to be her own person and do things Cass never did, Caitlin begins dating a bad boy. Now, you know all those popular books these days about heroines dating bad boys with hearts of gold, who make their girlfriends into better people? This is NOT one of those. Rogerson Biscoe most definitely is a bad boy. He deals drugs, bosses Caitlin around, and completely monopolizes her life. Dessen shows the attraction such a boy possesses, while also conveying a definite message. The portrayal of their relationship is realistic and utterly horrifying. Rather than helping her become her own person, Rogerson lets her live for him instead; Caitlin remains a shell of a person.

Much as I love Dessen's writing, I do not feel this is one of her best novels. For one thing, I think the messages might have gone down better with a little bit more breadth of emotion. Pretty much the only feelings I got from this were sadness and hopelessness. Dark fiction works best with some other emotions juxtaposed to really set off the tragedy of the situation and to make everything feel more real.

Also, I had a really hard time accepting that her family, her neighbors, and Rina all failed to notice her downward spiral. The girl was stoned all of the time, constantly at the beck and call of her boyfriend, lost weight, and was doing perpetually worse in class, among other things. Her mother may have been busy trying to get Cass back, but I think she would still have noticed something. Rina seemed mostly to forget about Caitlin for much of the novel. These reactions just did not seem true to the characters.

Sarah Dessen's Dreamland is an unrelentingly dark story of a girl struggling to find her own identity. If you are tired of all of the romanticized bad boys, this story will appease.

While I am a huge fan of Sarah Dessen's books, I am not a big fan of this one. I enjoy my fair share of "deep" books, but I love Sarah Dessen for an enjoyable read that makes me want to relive my youth. Even though most of her books have an underlying drama, they usually have a happier tone. But Dreamland did not. It was intense and, as an adult with a daughter, frightening that things could change so quickly. Without giving away spoilers, let me just say that Dreamland is a wonderfully written book, but it just didn't do it for me like Dessen's other works.

When Caitlin O'Koren's sister Cass runs away the morning of Caitlin's sixteenth birthday, leaving Caitlin, her hurt and perplexed parents, and her glowing future at Yale behind, Caitlin is lost and more than a little confused. All at once she is suddenly out from beneath her perfect sister's shadow and able to exist on her own terms. Yet, Caitlin finds that though she can now define herself, none of the people who matter are really watching. Cass is gone, and everyone else is so preoccupied with her sister even in her absence that Caitlin is just as overshadowed as ever.Soon Caitlin finds herself traveling down some unwise and unintended paths as she tries to move forward in her life without her sister blazing the path ahead of her. She gives in to her best friend's pleas for her to join the cheerleading squad, something she starts out disliking and ends up loathing. She turns her back on the boring football star and begins dating the dark and dangerous Rogerson Biscoe. She begins smoking the drugs that Rogerson spends most of his time dealing. By the time things really go south, Caitlin is sure it's too late to get back to good. She's locked up in a nightmarish dreamland that she's powerless to escape from. Dreamland features the excellent writing and important message that I associate with Dessen from books like The Truth About Forever. While The Truth About Forever was one of my favorites from last year, parts of Dreamland didn't quite click for me. (This part might get a little spoiler-y, so do tread carefully if that matters to you.) For the most part, Caitlin is a sympathetic and believable young narrator. It's easy to see how lost she is after Cass abruptly departs. It's easy to believe that she might get pressured into joining cheerleading and even into the party scene. However, she seems to fall for Rogerson a little too easily. She's lost and confused when she meets and lusts after him, but not so lost and confused that it seemed a believable turn of events that she would fall head over heels for him when their first "date" consists mostly of his driving around selling drugs to other teenagers at parties. I failed to see what there was to love about Rogerson from the outset, and it seems that fact made the story less believable overall. When he begins to show the rest of his true colors, the story suddenly becomes believable again, and my issues with it, for most part, cease.Despite my occasional quibble with it, it's obvious that Dreamland is an important book exploring an important topic using a well-written story to warn about the dangers of abusive relationships. Dessen's exploration of Caitlin's growing feeling of isolation, her inability to break her silence about what's happening to her, and her guilt and shame over the situation she's allowed herself to fall into paint a realistic picture of how women of all ages become trapped in abusive relationships. It's a cautionary tale for all of us, a reminder to all women to be cautious about who they allow themselves to trust and to be vigilant when it comes to our own loved ones who might just be silently fighting a losing battle against abuse before our very eyes.

It is Caitlyn O'Koren's 16th birthday when her older sister, Cass, runs away. It is the beginning of her junior year of high school and all people can talk about is Cass. Cass was the "perfect" daughter...involved in everything, accepted at Yale, popular. Caitlyn has always been in her shadow, but she and Cass have always been close. With her parents focused on finding Cass, Caitlyn becomes "invisible". This is her chance to become the person she wants to be, away from the shadow of Cass. She joins the cheerleading squad with her best friend, Rena, something Cass never did. She doesn't really like it, but it's different. Then she meets Rogerson. He is so different from the jocks she and her friends hang out with. He is mesmerizing and maybe a little dangerous. He has a reputation for doing drugs and hasbeen arrested before. Soon Caitlyn and Rogerson are spending all of their time together. Rogerson has easy access to the drugs he sells, and turns Caitlyn on to smoking pot. Then one day, when she turns up late for a date with him, he punches her in the face. It is shocking and painful and Caitlyn isn't sure what to do. She loves him. Afterwards, he is tender and loving toward her and promises it will never happen again. But it does, over and over again. Caitlyn hides it well, but she becomes a different person, hiding her bruises from everyone who cares about her. quitting the cheerleading squad, hanging out with Rogerson's friends, smoking pot. She needs to tell someone; she wants to talk to Cass desperately, but Cass is gone and Caitlyn is sliding away.This book by Dessen is about 6 years old, but as always, right on the mark. The phenomenon of date abuse (not rape) is not openly discussed, but in fact 1 in 11 high school students report being abused on a date. Teens who read this should have their eyes open to the signs of someone being abused and what to do if you are the one abused. The teen characters are well-drawn and believable, and the story is still very timely.

This was my first time reading a Sarah Dessen novel. I really liked this one and have a couple more on my list soon. In the beginning you really feel for Caitlin, her sister taking off and on her birthday nonetheless. Then she meets Rogerson. Things seem to be going so well. Well, except for the fact that he never really takes her anywhere and she's becoming always going on his 'appointments' with him...and now she's smoking tons of pot. She is trying to find her way, a unique path apart from her older sister, whose shadow she's been living in for so long. She thinks she's on the right path. Then Rogerson hits her! Things only get worse from there.It was so draining to watch Caitlin spiral down the rabbit hole. I think the fact that Ms. Dessen makes you feel as though you're being emotionally pulled down with Caitlin is a plus. We get to experience all this right along with her. You pray for someone to see the hideousness that is happening. It's a long time before they actually do and it's only because they are slammed in the face with it all. I think this is a great read for teenage girls. I hope they all have enough self confidence to say no to the Rogersons of this world and to tell someone what's happening to them. I'm giving this one 3 1/2 kisses!

After Caitlin's sister, Cass, runs away to be with her boyfriend, Caitlin is left in her sister's empty footsteps. Caitlin knows that it is impossible to fill Cass's shoes so she decides to do everything that Cass would not do. She does this by dating Rogerson. Once Rogerson begins to abuse Caitlin, she is trapped in their relationship. Caitlin must learn how to free herself from her relationship before things get any worse.

I did not like this book and would not have chosen it to read on my own. However it was written well in that it tied the title into the entire feel of the book with Caitlin always going back to her life as if it were a dream ever since Cass left and it all went downhill with the abuse, drugs etc. The characters were also believable and very realistic. I could picture them as any teen in any family going through the same things. I was disappointed with how in detail the author got with the drug usage. I wouldn't want to put this book in the hands of my students or my children any time soon.

Once I got past the introductions I couldn't put this book down. Sarah Dessen describes the feeling and emotions that Caitlin is going through like she has been there herself. It addresses a lot of problems that today's teen face when in high school.

This is one of my all time favorite books. It is very informative about a darker side of teenage dating that I believe is over looked and not noticed very often. The characters in the book are so real and the story line pulls at your heart and stays with you long after you finish the last page. Sarah Dessen once again shows her novel genius. -susiesview