Dreaming Dangerous

Twelve-year-old Plum and her friends Artem, Vien, and Gwendle have a special bond: they’re able to dream in tandem, a strange skill that is right at home among those of their fellow orphans at Brassmere Academy for the Extraordinary. They’ve never gone beyond the high fence surrounding Brassmere, or past the gargoyles guarding it, but their dreams offer a different sort of escape. Keeping dream journals and having their blood drawn every third Wednesday is a small price to pay for the security of Brassmere and the care given by Dr. Abarrane, who rescued them as babies. During a particularly terrifying dream, though, Artem tells Plum, “They’re coming for us. One by one, until they find the one they need.” After Artem goes missing, the friends vow to find him and discover that Brassmere’s true purpose may be a terrible secret. DeStefano explores the bonds of friendship through the lens of dreams and the freedom that imagination can offer, and her gothic-flavored story is by turns lovely and harrowing. Ages 8–12. (July)