cover image Dreamslinger (Slinger #1)

Dreamslinger (Slinger #1)

Graci Kim. Disney Hyperion, $17.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-368-10477-7

Dreamslingers—carriers of a genetic mutation that allows them to manifest magical abilities from dreams—have become increasingly oppressed following the Great Outburst, an event 10 years ago that resulted in thousands of fatalities. In fictional Almiro, Tex., 14-year-old dreamslinger Aria Loveridge attends Resthaven, a dreamslinger school where her activist father teaches students to “restrain, contain, maintain” their emotions to safely exist in society as slingers. After a PR disaster jeopardizes Resthaven, Aria enters the Royal Slinger Trials to spy on the secluded kingdom of Royal Hanguk, the only country where dreamslingers develop and train their abilities rather than hide them. There, Aria is drawn to the hitherto hidden joys of dreamslinging and befriends fellow Trial competitors Tui and Lion. But as she uncovers Royal Hanguk secrets, Aria must decide where her allegiances lie. Exploration of heavy themes surrounding political indoctrination and radicalization occasionally clash with the novel’s lighthearted tone. Nevertheless, Kim (The Last Fallen Moon) capably deploys Aria’s sassy third-person narration to present an imaginative series opener that infuses Korean culture and folklore with whimsical dream technology. Aria is half Korean and half white. Ages 10–14. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Apr.)
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