The Inventor's Secret by Andrea Cremer

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The Inventor's Secret

by Andrea Cremer

In this steampunk version of history, we did not win the Revolutionary War, we are still dependent upon Great Britain, and they are not happy that we tried to fight back.  Set in the early 1800's, there is a place where the rebels send their children until they can join the resistance at 18, it is called the Catacombs.  Built underground in a secret location, it is where Charlotte calls home.

The older children who live in the Catacombs scavenge for scrap metal and subside on a simple existence.  Everything changes when Charlotte, who has been out scavenging, brings home a young boy instead of machine parts.  Not being able to recall why he was running through the woods, everyone but Charlotte is suspicious of the boy they call Grave; but she has seen the fear in his eyes, whatever he is, he is afraid.

Ashley is Charlotte's older brother and he is the leader in the Catacombs.  He and his handsome friend Jack are hiding a secret, but when Charlotte discovers what they're up to, she wants to be involved.  Killing two birds with one stone, the young freedom fighters decide to travel to the "Floating City" to see if they can meet with others in the resistance and find out more about Grave.

Society proves to be more daunting than outrunning the Empire's Rotpots through the forest.  Revealing dresses, servants and feminine niceties don't come naturally to Charlotte.  Will she unintentionally give them away?  Can she navigate through the social strata of the "Floating City"?  Can she find out the secret of the boy they call Grave?  The Inventor's Secret has been selected as the Best Children's Book of the Year and was on YALSA's Top Books for Teens in 2015.  The next book in the series comes out in early November, and I can hardly wait!  I expect that The Inventor's Secret series will be the next must-read for teens everywhere!

The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow

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The Scorpion Rules

by Erin Bow

An Artificial Intellegence, Talis, is in charge of keeping the peace in this post apocalyptic story, and "Talis's first rule of stopping wars:  'Make it personal.'"  Towards that effort, every leader in this new world must send one of their children to live in 'Preceptures' as 'Children of Peace'.  If your territory goes to war, you sacrifice that child.  Makes for some peaceful times.

Until the day Greta's precepture receives a new Child of Peace, a boy, and one who is not willing to follow the rules.  Greta befriends this new Child, Elian, even after it is clear that it might get her in a load of trouble.  When it becomes imminent that Greta's land is going to go to war with Elian's, she isn't sure that she can surrender herself the way that her upbringing has taught her.

Falling for Elian, and realizing that her roommate is more special that she could have imagined, Greta searches for a way to save her life.  Whether it is Elian or Xie, Greta finally has something to live for, but is she strong enough to go through with it?  You'll have to read The Scorpion Rules to find out!

The Scorpion Rules is a fresh look at a "what if"? scenario.  There is some violence and sexual innuendo that I imagine would be geared more toward a high school audience.  SPOILER ALERT:  What I really liked about this story is that there is an LGBTQ awakening, yet that is not at the crux of the story.  I think that many of my LGBTQ students would be able to relate to the questions that Greta and Xie have, and would appreciate the fact that it's complicated.  And....the story would be just as engaging without the love triangle!

The Scorpion Rules is the first in what promises to be a page-turning series.  I for one, can't wait to read the next one!

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

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Passenger 

by Alexandra Bracken

Henrietta, Etta, is a normal teen-aged girl.  She has trouble bonding with her mother, she is still reeling from a breakup with her boyfriend and she is determined that she is going to be the next best violin player in the world.  And then one day, that world is ripped apart and she finds herself a pawn in a timeless battle for power and wealth.  

Traveling through time, Etta has to decide what is most important in her life; her mother who has lied to her, time as she has always known it, or true love.  Exotic locales and historic time periods are the backdrop for romance and faced-paced adventures.  I don't think that I could decide which parts I like best, the descriptions of Damascus in 1599 or the romantic tension that slowly builds between Nicholas and Etta.

Students from middle to high school will be drawn to this novel whether they like fantasy, historical fiction or even romance.  Although told from Etta's point of view, I don't think that it is too girly for boys to enjoy as well.  I have put it on my next book order!  

Rook by Sharon Cameron

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Rook

by Sharon Cameron

A rook is a crow, a black bird known for its cleverness.  A rook is also a term for a swindler or a cheat.  It is also a pawn in the strategic game of chess.  In Cameron's latest novel, it is all of the above.

It is hundreds of years after the demise of the world as we know it.  Technology killed the people of the 'Time Before' and now the world is forced to live without.  No electricity, no machines, no internet.  Paris has fallen in on itself and now people live in the bottom and up the sides of the City of Light.  Governed by a sadistic ruler, those who do not comply are sent to the guillotine.  The prison is stained with the blood of innocents, but lately, there have been secret missions to free these prisoners.  Known as the Rook, someone has been sneaking prisoners out, right under the noses of the guards leaving only a red streaked feather behind.

Sophie has seen plenty of heartache in her young life, but none so much as the prospect of marrying Rene Hasard, a dashing "daughter stealer", arranged by her father to save their family estate and their family honor.  Sophie is willing to make the sacrifice to save her family, but her fiance is not all that he seems.  How much is Sophie willing to sacrifice not just for her family, but for the lives of all the innocent people being sent to their deaths in the Sunken City?

Cameron has written a complex and faced-paced novel that will leave you breathless.  Once you think you have it all figured out, she will lead you onto a different path.  I could not put this book down, every chapter ended with a cliffhanger, and I found myself saying, "one more chapter" until I was finished!  I enjoyed the characters, the story and found it refreshing that it didn't end as a set up for a series, it was just over, although I would love to read about Sophie and Rene's further adventures!  

I would recommend this book for middle school and high school libraries and for anyone who loves a good story.  And now I'm off to bury a Diet Coke bottle in the backyard!  Enjoy!

Dangerous Jobs: Special Forces Operator by Chris Bowman

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Dangerous Jobs:  Special Forces Operator 

by Chris Bowman

Special Forces Operator is one in the series of Dangerous Jobs.  This book is perfect for a reluctant reader or an ELL student.  The book is loaded with pictures of the Special Forces Operators in all aspects of their job.  There is also a glossary, an index and a list for further reading.

Some interesting facts that I learned about this division of the Armed Forces is that all individuals who enter the Special Forces must learn another language, and that they typically don't wear a uniform, even while performing their duties.

Although this book screams "boys", I think that girls would learn something from it as well.  With women in the Marines competing for jobs that have typically been held by men, this is a timely book that will appeal to a broad range of middle school students.

Get the Scoop on Animal Puke by Dawn Cusick

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Get the Scoop on Animal Puke

by Dawn Cusick

This book is sure to get the attention of all reluctant readers in your library!  From bees to jackals to caterpillars, Cusick explains why animals puke, why some don't and everything in between.

With engaging pictures, a glossary and two indexes, lovers of nonfiction will not be able to put this book down.  Anyone who is interested in gross things will love this book!  I loved this book!

Did you know that hyenas vomit the indigestible portions of the animals that they eat?  And then they roll around in it to disguise their smell from prey!  The things you learn when you read! 

Infected by Sophie Littlefield

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Infected

by Sophie Littlefield

Carina has lost the only family that she's known, her mother and her uncle. Both were working on a secret project for the government when they died.  Finding a secret code in a ring that her mother left for her, she begins to suspect that her family's deaths might not have been accidents.  When she and her boyfriend Tanner become infected with a virus that makes them stronger, faster and smarter, she's sure their deaths were not accidents.  The only problem - the virus will kill them if they don't take the antidote within 24 hours of infection.

Trusting no one but her boyfriend Tanner, the pair must race to find how they were infected and get to the antidote before it's too late.

Hunter by Mercedes Lackey

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Hunter

by Mercedes Lackey

For those of you who can't get enough dystopian in your lives, you will love Hunter.  In Hunter, the world has been invaded by Othersiders.  The only place that you are truly safe is in Apex (think the Capital in Hunger Games).  The reason that Apex is safe is because it is being patrolled by Hunters - those who hunt the Othersiders - and because they have built a border around their city.  As you can imagine, the Othersiders aren't the only ones trying to get in, Apex also has an immigration issue.

Joyeaux Charmond has grown up as an orphan and trained at a secret Monastery in the mountains far from Apex.  She just happens to be the niece of the Prefect of Police in Apex.  When she is chosen to come to Apex to train there, she knows that it has something to do with being the niece of the Prefect.

It doesn't take long for Joy to figure out that not everyone can be trusted and that everything she does is being recorded for the public to watch.  This "vid" watching makes Hunters heroes and reassures that Apex is safe from Othersiders; or is it?

There is so much going on in this story that I could write a novel just reviewing it!  Despite all the themes and action in Hunter, the book flows nicely.  I had a hard time putting it down as every chapter ends with a cliffhanger.  I think Lackey put a lot of information into the first book of what proves to be a series; I'm assuming forthcoming books will be less dense.  Lackey does a great job of setting up a post apocalyptic political system, tension between Hunters, religious undertones and immigration issues.  As in Undertow by Michael Buckley with integration, Hunter could be used to talk about immigration; who do we let in and who do we keep out; and who decides?

Joyeaux is a very likeable character who is completely altruistic without seeming naive.  Despite the violence describing fights with Othersiders, I think this book will appeal to upper elementary school students up to adults who really like a good story!  I for one, can't wait to read the next installment in the Hunter saga!

Breakaway by Kat Spears

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Breakaway

by Kat Spears

Kat Spears has done it again, written another story about love, friendship and family in the authentic voice of the American teenager.  

In this story, soccer is the center of these friends' life.  Chick, Mario, Jordan, and our narrator Jason all play on the school soccer team.  Jason, Mario and Jordan have earned their positions, their friend Chick got his spot because his friends won't play without him.

The story opens at the funeral of Jason's sister, Sylvia.  Jason is having a hard time coming to grips with his sister's death.  His sister's death has left him feeling like it should have been him, he doesn't have any real family now and yearning for a real family like Mario's.

Mario is dealing with his own issues, making some bad decisions.  As Mario drifts further away from his family and friends, his parents come to rely more heavily on Jason.

Jordan is different from his friends in that he comes from money.  He drives a nice car and belongs to a country club.  When he gets a new girlfriend, he starts to drift away from his friends.

Chick got his nickname from when he had chicken pox as a child.  He is not rich, does not have a girlfriend, and if it wasn't for Jason, he wouldn't have any friends at all.  He struggles with wanting to belong, to be included.  When his friends become so wrapped up in their own issues, it leaves Chick utterly helpless.

Spears has done an excellent job in creating characters that stay with you long after you've read the last words.  What teenager hasn't wrangled with finding their place in the world?  To connect to someone in a way that makes you feel loved?  People of all ages will be taken with Breakaway, and left with new friends in these boys.  Go ahead and pre-order today, you won't be sorry!

Se7en Second Delay by Tom Easton

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Se7en Second Delay

by Tom Easton

In this post-apocalyptic story, the country lives in sections of the haves and the have-nots.  Everyone wants to go to the First, to have a job, to live in comfort, but the First doesn't take just anyone.

Mila and Julian were headed to the first when an accident leaves her on her own.  She becomes an "Applicant" and is interrogated about what she knows, where she was going and what her motives are.  Trusting only what Julian has told her, she escapes from her captors.  On the run, the only advantage she has from high-tech monitoring is a seven second delay on her feed.

As the world watches, Mila must convince the world that she is not a terrorist, figure out what Julian was trying to tell her and manage to stay alive.  Se7en Second Delay is a faced paced read that will have you racing to the last page.  This story is a nice balance between a frightening future and the capacity to fight for what is right in the world.  

This book is suitable for middle school students to adults and would be a great asset to the school library collection.

Found Things by Marilyn Hilton

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Found Things 

by Marilyn Hilton

River is missing one of the most important things in her life, her brother.  No matter how many other things she finds, they can't replace Theron, her big brother.  

Hilton doesn't come out and tell us what happened to Theron; we know that there was a car accident, that he was suspected of drinking and driving, and that their father told him to never come back.  But River knows that her brother isn't a bad person and even if he did do the things people are saying, she wants him to come home.

Meadow Lark is the new kid in town.  Most kids tease her for being odd, but River likes Meadow Lark and they quickly become friends.  When Meadow Lark's father has to go out of town for work, she asks if she can stay with River's family.  Hesitant at first, eventually River's parents embrace Meadow Lark in a way that makes River feel as if she's not only lost her brother, but her parents as well.

The denouement of the story is an epic storm that has Meadow Lark, River and her parents in danger.  There are some things that are more dangerous than the threat of drowning; the threat of memory and heartbreak.

Found Things is a quick read about friendship and redemption.  It should appeal to middle grade readers.

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

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The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender 

by Leslye Walton

Sorrow: noun: a cause or occasion of grief or regret, as an affliction, a misfortune, or trouble.  Ava Lavender is a girl who was born with wings.  She leads a life haunted by her family's past and wondering why; why is there so much sorrow in her life?  Why was she born with wings?  What would it feel like to be a normal teenager?

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender will take you back to France, to the start of it all, the story of her great-grandparents.  Born in France, the young family decides to pursue the American dream and head to New York with their four children.  The only one to survive New York was Ava's grandmother, Emilienne.

Emilienne marries and moves West to start her family, but the sorrows continue and she is left with heartbreak, and, a young daughter, Viviane.  It seems as if Viviane is going to survive the Sorrowful curse, but alas, it comes for her as well.  After giving birth to Ava, will Ava be the one to find and keep love?  Will Ava have the power to break the cycle of Foolish Love?  Will Ava's wings help her to fly above her family's sorrowful past?

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender might be a young adult novel, but it will appeal to readers of all ages.  Tragic, lyric, sensual and overall optimistic, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender should be at the top of your summer reading list.

The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler

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The Book of Speculation

by Erika Swyler

This is the story of a family that is haunted by loss.  Siblings Simon and Enola have both tried to find their way after the death of their parents.  Their mother died in a drowning and their father died of a broken heart.

Simon, a librarian, lives in the family home that is crumbling into the sea.  He has lost his job, is in love with a woman he has know all his life, but can't quite connect to, and feels a terrible guilt for not being able to save the house, his sister or his job.

Enola, taking after their mother, has joined a traveling show, reading Tarot cards.  She is often depressed and only occasionally contacts her brother.  When she arrives back home, she brings with her a boyfriend covered in an octopus tattoo.

When Simon receives an ancient book from an antiques dealer, he becomes obsessed with solving the puzzles of the book.  Why was this book sent to him?  What does it have to do with his family?  Is his family cursed?

The story is told from a fresh perspective, and what lingers long after I have finished, is how the house and the book are just as important characters as Simon, Enola, Alice and Frank.

The Book of Speculation reminds the reader that secrets are dark shadows that creep into your life when you aren't expecting them or ready for them.  This dark book makes you yearn for a bright spring day, a cool ocean breeze and a frank discussion with your siblings!

Noble Warrior by Alan Lawrence Sitomer

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Noble Warrior

by Alan Lawrence Sitomer

When we last left McCutcheon Daniels in Caged Warrior, he was being whisked off to a new life under the witness protection plan.  Leaving Kaitlin and his new school behind, he was hoping to save his sister from his hoodlum father and the gang he runs with, the Priests.

Life has been safer for Gemma and their mother, but McCutcheon is haunted by the memory of Kaitlin and all that he left behind.  Having been recruited by the FBI as a teen agent, McCutcheon once again has to choose between his new life and the possibility of going back to Kaitlin and his old life.

This time McCutcheon agrees to infiltrate the prison where his father is incarcerated.  His mission?  Assassinate the leader of the Priests.  His motivation?  If he doesn't, Kaitlin will pay the price.

Torn by wanting to be a better man than his father or the Priests and needing to save Kaitlin at any cost serves as the tension in the novel.  How far will he go to save the girl he loves?  If he takes another man's life, does that make him as heinous as the Priests?  Does anyone have his back?  Who can he trust?  Can he trust himself?

The fast pace of Sitomer's new novel will keep you turning the pages.  The ending will have you waiting anxiously for the next saga in the life of McCutcheon Daniels.

Notes:

The novel does contain graphic violence that might not be suitable for younger children.  Keep that in mind if you are purchasing for middle grades.

The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

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The Witch Hunter 

by Virginia Boecker

The year is 1558 and young Elizabeth is a witch hunter, a damn good one at that.  Orphaned at an early age, she and her friend Caleb found a home working for the king and bringing in witches; to be burned at the stake.

When Elizabeth herself is arrested for being a witch and thrown into prison, she's sure Caleb will come and rescue her.  What she never could have imagined, the world's most notorious wizard, Nicholas Perevil, has come to her rescue instead. 

At first she hopes that by turning in Perevil, she'll reclaim her spot as esteemed witch hunter, working for Lord Blackwell.  But what she comes to discover is that Lord Blackwell is not all that he seems to be.  

After her rescue, she meets other witches and wizards who live together with Perevil, including a handsome and charming healer named John.  Add to that, Nicholas Perevil is dying, and Elizabeth seems to be the one thing that can cure him.  

Will she find a home with this infamous group of witches and wizards?  Will Caleb come and find her and bring her home?  Which world will she pick.

***I thoroughly enjoyed this story of bravery and witchcraft!  My only complaint is that Elizabeth is accused of witchcraft because she is found with herbs that help end pregnancy.  She needs these herbs because she is a courtesan to the King.  This is a serious issue that is not addressed in the book; it is glossed over and only referred to.  The seriousness of this issue belies the levity of the story.  I'm not sure how Boecker could have married the two, but I wish that her crime was something more along the lines of herbs to make you stronger or trying to make a love potion.

Sway by Kat Spears

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Sway 

by Kat Spears

Sway is the story of Jesse.  Jesse is a fixer, you want it?  He can get it.  Drugs, girls, term papers; nothing is too big or too small for Jesse.  But these things come with a price.

Jesse is hired by the BMOC (do kids still use this term?) to get intel on Bridget, the school good-girl, so that she'll go out with him.  For a mere $200, Jesse tells Ken all that he needs to know to ensure that Bridget will fall for him.  What he wasn't expecting was that he'd fall for her as well.

Through this recon on Bridget, Jesse gets to know her brother Pete.  Pete has cerebral palsy, and despite Pete's best efforts to the contrary, Jesse likes Pete and they become friends.  However, Jesse doesn't have many friends and has to learn how to navigate this new relationship.  His feelings for Bridget also get in the way and Jesse manages to screw up just about every relationship he has.

Throw in Mr. Dunkleman, the man Jesse hired to pretend to be his grandfather, giving Jesse life advice, and you've got one dysfunctional scenario after another.   

Bridget is perfect, Pete has a disability, Ken is a "douche", Mr. Dunkleman is insightful and Jesse is just damaged.  The well crafted story of these characters will keep you up past your bed time, but the people that Spears has created will stick with you well after you've finished the last page!

The President's Shadow by Brad Meltzer

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The President's Shadow

by Brad Meltzer

The President's Shadow is the latest book in the Culper Ring series by Brad Meltzer.  Initially I was concerned about reading this particular book since I had no previously read any of the books in the Culper Ring series.  Turns out I had nothing to worry about!  Any information that I might have missed was easily explained by Meltzer and the story definitely stands on its own.

Beecher White works for the National Archives and also is a new recruit for the Culper Ring, a secret society started by George Washington to protect the presidency.  Nico Hadrian has just escaped St. Elizabeth's mental hospital in Washington D.C. when he attempted to assassinate the president of the United States.  Their fathers served in the same military unit when they were younger.  When the First Lady finds a severed body part in the Rose Garden, Beecher is the first person they call.  The only problem, Beecher can't stand the president, Orson Wallace.

Meltzer has written a face-paced thriller that I was unable to put down.  Told from each character's point of view, each chapter ends with a question mark.  Don't even try to tell yourself "one more chapter", you won't be able to do it!  Find a cozy chair, rainy day and cup of hot tea and get comfortable, The President's Shadow should be consumed in one prolonged serving!  (this would make a great beach read!)  Enjoy!

Undertow by Michael Buckley

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Undertow

by Michael Buckley

In this new Dystopian thriller, Coney Island has been transformed into a immigrant settlement for a new breed of creatures; the Alpha.  The Alpha arrived via the ocean and come in all shapes and sizes; scaly, sharp and slimy shapes and sizes.  Predictably, there are humans who have welcomed them, and some who have not.  It is this animosity that serves as the conflict in the book.

Basically, this is a civil rights story.  The Alpha have been living in the settlement for some time, and it's time for their children to go to school.  The Federal government is supportive of this integration, however the Governor of New York is decidedly not.

There is a rebel group of citizens calling themselves the Coney Island Nine who vocally, and physically protest any interaction between humans and the Alpha, and they are in full force the Monday that integration is to begin.

Enter Lyric Walker, typical high school student from the outside.  Lyric is asked to help the prince of the Alpha assimilate into high school life.  However, Lyric has a secret that threatens to tear apart her family.  Befriending the prince just might cost her more than her popularity.

But what Lyric and other government officials don't realize is that it is not the Alpha that they should be concerned about; there is something far more sinister in the ocean, and they are on their way.

Undertow is the first book in what promises to be a fast-paced series.  Fans of Dystopian fiction, science fiction and fantasy will enjoy this new series.  However, the parallels to our own civil rights movement and school integration history would make this an interesting book to pair with a non-fiction book or article on these subjects.

Ask the Dark by Henry Turner

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Ask the Dark

by Henry Turner

There is a dark house, windows covered in plastic.  In that house are boxes with old clothes and jewelry.  There are boys, boys who have gone missing.  Boys that are found, dead after having been tortured.  What do these things have in common?

Billy hasn't always been a good kid, in fact he used to get in trouble a lot.  But when his mother died, he made a promise to her that he would stop getting in trouble.  The problem was, the town had already made up their mind about Billy, and they had designated him the local bad boy.

So when Billy has evidence that might help figure out who is taking boys, he has to make sure that he has proof.  Told from Billy's point of view, this is his story of the events that lead to the rescue of the town Golden Boy and discovery of just what was going on in the dark house.  Spoiler alert:  it's not good!!!

Reading in Billy's small town vernacular can be frustrating at times, but his voice comes through.  This is a quick read that might appeal to reluctant readers, but more likely to those students who enjoy a good mystery.  Either way, I think it would be a good addition to a middle school library.

The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi

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The Water Knife

by Paolo Bacigalupi

Don't believe in climate change?  Read this book.  An utterly frightening tale of what happens when we don't use our resources wisely.  There isn't enough water to go around, and if you don't have money, you are thirsty and dirty.  Ecosystems have been created all up and down the west coast for those who are wealthy; water, air conditioning, plants, they have it all.

Everyone else lives in a camp, buying water from a pump by the dime.  Desperate, these folks will do anything to get out.  Gangs are formed.  Alliances built.  Politics played.  All in the name of water.

This book was so depressing that I had to stop reading it at night.  Maybe it hit a little too close to home, maybe I just didn't want to see just how deplorable humans can be.  Either way, Bacigalupi has written a novel that was just as hard to put down as it was to read on.  

Start conserving water now, before it's too late.............

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

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The Miniaturist

by Jessie Burton

This is a tale of Nella a young, Dutch, country girl who moves to the big city to be the wife of a prestigious importer.  She is nervous, but determined to make her way in this new life.  However, she is confronted by many obstacles.

There's her sister-in-law, a stern woman who, atypical for the times, has a hand in all of her brother's business transactions.  This pious woman does not suffer fools gladly and believes that God comes before comfort.  There are the servants, Cornelia, whom she has to decide is a friend or foe; and Otto, the first black person Nella has ever seen.  Not to mention her new husband, who is not even home to greet her when she arrives.

The center of this dark story is a miniature of the home where the newly married Brandts reside.  The artisan that Nella hires to furnish the diminutive house has an uncanny glimpse into what is happening inside the actual home.  At first frightened by these strange gifts, Nella eventually is drawn to find out more about this person.  How do they know these things?!

If you are looking for a happy beach read, keep going, you won't find that here.  However, if you are looking for a dark and compelling, well written story about human nature, go no further.  The imagery is vivid (and that includes good, bad and ugly!) and the prose is poetry.  An example:  in talking about the newly embroidered bridal linens, "the Bs have gobbled up her maiden name, their bellies fat and swollen."  During a tense dinner conversation, "Nella offers a laugh, a shy burst that falls between them and lands on the tablecloth."

Book group felt that Burton wrote this book as a screenplay, I wouldn't go that far.  I enjoyed getting to know these characters, although at times it was gritty.  I would argue that Nella is the only true hero here, but I'm okay with that.  She's strong enough for everyone.

The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg

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The Dream Lover 

by Elizabeth Berg

The Dream Lover fictionalizes the life and exploits of the author George Sands.  We follow her as a young child, the product of a scandalous marriage.  She loses her beloved father early and is left to be raised by her strict, if not loving, grandmother whom has never accepted her mother.  Longing to be part of her mother's life, she spends most of her formative years trying to get her attention - good and bad.

The other side of this story is Aurore's (George Sands given name) doomed marriage and subsequent affairs.  

The story is mostly sensual, most especially Aurore's affair with a famous actress and leaves the reader hoping that she'll eventually find a relationship that sustains her physically, emotionally and intelligently.  But alas, neither the reader nor George Sands finds the total package.  The one relationship that might have been her most sustaining is just briefly mentioned toward the end of the book, making me think that the happy, solid relationships don't sell books.

I was left wanting more.  More of a bond with her children, more emotion about the dissolution of her marriage, more of something that I could sink my teeth into.  George Sands was definitely ahead of her time and a woman to be admired, but Berg seems to fall just short of making me like her.

That being said, I think The Dream Lover would make an excellent Lifetime movie!