Dreaming Anastasia: A Novel of Love, Magic, and the Power of Dreams

In this debut novel, Anastasia Romanov, believed to have died in a bloody massacre with the rest of the Russian royal family, is alive, but held captive by Baba Yaga, an evil witch from Russian folklore. In present-day Chicago, 16-year-old Anne Michaelson has recurring dreams of the death of Anastasia’s family and Anastasia’s imprisonment. Handsome and mysterious Ethan Kozninsky has waited nearly a century to find Anne (“Now it’s occurring to me that smashing her to the floor in between classes in order to inform her that she is the girl who alone has the power to save the Grand Duchess Anastasia... is just possibly not the best plan I’ve ever had,” he thinks). This novel of star-crossed love rotates between the perspectives of Anne, Anastasia and Ethan. While Preble’s overall concept is interesting, the prose can be rambling, and the alternating points of view make the story feel choppy and, at times, confusing. The dialogue and romantic element come off as clichéd and fall short of Preble’s ambitious idea. Ages 12–up. (Sept.)