Sarah Dessen - Dreamland

HELLO!! Sorry I didn't post yesterday. :/ I meant to, but I'm here now, so that's what counts, right? :) Anyways. I've been reading much more recently, and this last book really hit me hard. So I thought I'd pop on here and do a quick review of it.

*Warning - may contain spoilers* (I tried not to though).

Sarah Dessen is one of my favourite authors to begin with. I love (and own) quite a few of her books. I was recently at the library, and borrowed like 4 or 5 more, and this last one - Dreamland - I finished the other night. Oh, man.

First, I need to say, that at the start, I wasn't so sure about this particular book. A few chapters in, I wasn't all that into it. Probably had something to do with the fact that I couldn't really relate to the character. If I didn't want to become a cheerleader, chances are I probably wouldn't. But this character - Caitlin - let herself be pressured into it by her best friend. Yes, I get it. You're constantly in your sister's shadow, and you want to break out of it. But I just didn't really understand (at least at first) why she would go to something she didn't even like, to do that.

But as I got further into the book, I connected more with Caitlin. Sarah Dessen's writing creates a story that you can delve into. Characters you can connect with, who are human, who have flaws. Scenes you can really picture. I understood Caitlin's thought process more, her struggle, and her want to be in the spotlight for once, at least in the eyes of her parents. But then, she meets Rogerson. And everything is good at first...until, well, it isn't.

Good is a relative term, though. "Good" as in she's happy, short term at least. But at what cost? she's also skipping class, being torn away from her friends, family, and well, her life. And she's making choices that she would never make otherwise, if she hadn't met him.

And yes, I will fully admit that I was sitting in my bed, 11:30ish at night, whisper yelling at her to stop. Or to speak up, and tell someone what was going on.

And yes. This book had me reduced to tears multiple times. Man oh man it was heartwrenching.

But it really hit home an important lesson for me: kindness is seriously important. You never know what someone else is going through. Nobody else knew what was happening until it was waved in their faces. They went on being themselves, with no thought as to how it might affect Caitlin, or that she might be going through something. That was another thing I learned. Pay attention. Listen to people. And really talk to them. Not just "oh how's your day" but "how are you, really?"

You never know just how much of an impact your actions can make.

******If you like this review, please leave a comment below and let me know! (THAT RHYMED, HOW DIVINE :D) If you guys do like it I may start doing reviews such as this on my books blog more often (as well as maybe restaurant/food reviews, if you guys would be interested in that too?). So please let me know!!!

And with that, I shall leave you. Goodbye, good folk!

Till next time!

~Iris xoxo