Dreamquake

I'd forgotten the details of how this ended, so I was gripped and delighted and thoroughly satisfied all over again. These books are just beautifully deep - in ideas and in the elegance and details of the prose - in a way that leaves me replete where more quick-march action-slick stories still leave me hungry.

It's a story about the power of dreams, perhaps. Or it's a story about golems. Or it's a story about how, when you pull on a thread, you cannot possibly know how much fabric you might unravel. It's about the destructiveness of desperation, and the casual brutality that causes desperation. It's about the real opiates of the masses. It's about noticing the injustices in the margins.

It's all of that, and it's dressed in lovely show more 19th-century charm, and I love it to bits. show less

Elizabeth Knox returns to the world of Southland (a sort of alternative New Zealand) in this second installment of her Dreamhunter Duet, and the result is a fantasy that is every bit as complex, thought-provoking, and emotionally satisfying as the first. Picking up a little before the conclusion of the previous book, Dreamhunter, and running through the same sequence of events, but from Rose and Grace Tiebold's perspective, rather than Laura's, Dreamquake soon had me as engrossed as the first book - involved with the characters emotionally, eager to know more about The Place, the nature of dream-hunting, and Cas Doran's plot to control the political life of Southland, and curious to see how the relationship between Laura and her show more sandman, Nown, would progress.

I was incredibly impressed with the way that Knox answered these questions, without really answering them. Yes, the reader discovers what the Place is (well, more how it was made, than what it truly is), and what the dreams that the Dreamhunters mine in it, are meant to be and do. And yes, we see a lot more of Cas Doran, and learn about his sinister plot to seize political control, and be a behind-the-scenes puppet-master. We see more of Nown (and more Nowns, as it happens), and gain a deeper appreciation of his character. But although there is an overt explanation offered for these questions, although we learn more, the answers to the deeper questions remain elusive. What is a Nown, exactly? A sandman? A soul, as Laura claims? Where does the divine come into all of this, and how is it that some characters seems more on the divine end of the humanity-divinity spectrum, than others? These sorts of questions - the questions that make this a series really worth reading - are never really answered, and that's as it should be, because they're not the sort of questions that have answers. I imagine that some readers - particularly Americans, who (in my experience) are used to narratives in which the divine and its role is definitely defined, either for the good or the bad - will find that incredibly uncomfortable. For my part, I loved it!

I read Dreamquake and its predecessor Dreamhunter for the International Children's Book Club to which I belong, in which we choose selections from all over the world. These books are meant to represent New Zealand, in our reading schedule, and I have to say, having now finished both of them, that they feel very much like products of that country to me. It's not just the topographical and climatic details (the island nation, Christmas in the summer), but the progressive "feeling" to them. Themes of sexuality (Laura's sexual awakening! sex inside The Place!), and of political and economic injustice, are freely depicted, while religious and theological ideas are explored in an unselfconscious way. I was strongly reminded of another brilliant work of New Zealand children's literature, Margaret Mahy's The Tricksters (admittedly one of my favorite YA novels ever!), in which another young girl is visited by a person/persons from another time/world - persons drawn into the world (like Nown was by Laura) by the girl in question, and intended, in some ways, to give her a warning. These parallels emphasized, for me, that this was a book coming out of a particular tradition, and while I can't say I am fluent with all the themes and subjects of that tradition, that sense of it as part of a larger literary "conversation" gave it great added meaning for me.

In short: Dreamquake, which I feel really must be read together with its predecessor, Dreamhunter, is an immensely engaging, intelligent, thought-provoking work of fantasy, and is one I highly recommend to those readers who enjoy the genre, and are looking for something a little different. show less

This is the second in the Dreamhunter duet and is a worthy successor. It was a Printz honor book. The author manages to maintain the dreamlike quality found in the first in this series, and adds urgency, dastardly villains, and thrills and daring do to the mix. The author continues to build the world she has created and adds layers to that as well, while managing to maintain the ethereal quality to the setting and the circumstances of the characters, and that is no small feat. The author also maintains the ambiguous relationship between Laura and Nown. His he the person she loves or is he something else entirely? The author also introduces questions of human rights and ecological disaster into the equation making the reader very show more cognoscente of these elements without using them in any heavy handed statement kind of way, while maintaining the force of the issues and questions raised by their presence in the story.

I liked this series and would recommend it to readers who are ready for it. The series is not the usual fantasy type series and demands that believe not be suspended. This is a book in which there are no easy answers, and each person is responsible for their fate. This is illustrated by the differences between the way Laura and her cousin Rose handle the situations presented to them in the course of events. Rose faces every crises head-on and uses reason and wit to find solutions. Laura is more emotional but also uses her intelligence to make decisions and either meet her fate or create a new fate. Surrounded by the strength of their family the two girls make fate changing choices.

This is not an American style fantasy. I found it to be very European in its outlook. Knox is from New Zealand the land, as described in the book, is not even disguised as being some place other than New Zealand. Her outlook on fantasy and what makes a YA novel is certainly different than that of most American readers. For that reason this book may have a harder go than some of the American fantasy's. The book comes with a powerful message and a satisfying end that doesn't neatly wrap everything up in a nice package but doesn't leave the reader hanging wondering what the heck? show less

I found this final of the Duet very satisfying. Knox has a mature and graceful style that lulls you into the world without a hitch. The seamless quality of the dreams within the story and the truth of the Place, the Nowns, everything left me feeling fulfilled though my heart was very much with Nown #9 and I wanted . . . more for him. That's just me and my quirky wish fulfillment with unusual guys :)

What can I say? A beautifully written book and strong conclusion to the [bc:Dreamhunter|2274981|Dreamhunter|Elizabeth Knox|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255854848s/2274981.jpg|3017563] series. A new fav author for me! What Knox shall I read next?

Another book that will not at all surprise me if it shows up on the Printz table this January is Knox’s second (and even better) venture into the world of dream shaping. When Laura exposes the government-sanctioned torture of prisoners, dreams turn to nightmares. Dream hunters search for the master dreams to reverse the effects, only to become targets of a more sinister dream manipulation plot. While reading, imagine a presidential campaign or the political world in Washington D.C. How does a society transmit the hopes and dreams of a country to its younger citizens? What happens when dreams become tools to suck the life out of its citizen so that the politicians become the only beneficiaries? There are so many astute political show more observations and social commentaries woven into this narrative—one that is, in its own right, a gripping adventure story. While Dreamhunter, the first book in this series, will add to the enjoyment of this book, readers possess enough back-story to make this book easily understood by those who do not read it. Dreamquake does a masterful job of constructing a society and then adding brick after brick after brick of social commentary, political philosophy, and so much more. I almost feel like Grace, who on page 124 says, "When I'm not myself, that's when I'm most fully alive." Dreamquake is the book for sophisticated high school readers who love carefully crafted worlds that depend on our own ability to think and dream and create along with the author. show less

Superb reading of an intelligent, sensitive, fantasy novel with a carefully constructed central conceit and worl. After the climactic events of the previous book, Laura and Rose are left in turmoil and confusion, their friendship strained, but the machinations of the government run deeper than the exploitaion and terrorising of convicts using dreams, and the mysteries of The Place are more profoundly connected to their family than they could ever have guessed or understood. Some quite amazing writing (thie fire!) and subtle characterisation (poor Laura after her ownn act of terror) in both these books.

Dreamquake: Book Two of the Dreamhunter Duet opens in the chaos that ends the first book. It’s a little hard to understand if you haven’t read the first book, but essentially, Laura Hame’s protest against the government’s exploitation of dreams, in the form of a terrible nightmare, has shocked the patrons of the dream palace. The story follows not just Laura but her cousin Rose and her aunt, renowned dreamhunter Grace Tiebold, in the confusion that follows, as well as the government’s investigation into the protest. I won’t give any more of the plot away, especially if you haven’t read the first one (go read it!!), but there are so many changes ahead for Laura Hame and her family, as they uncover the secrets of the Place show more and work to expose corrupt politicians. So there’s some politicking, some adventures in the Place (where dreams are captured), some romance, and great family relationships.

It’s hard to really tell you about this book. I don’t want to give away anything and yet at the same time, want to encourage you to read it! Can’t I just say, ‘read this! read this!’ and let that be enough? Probably not. So let’s see here….

Dreamquake was a completely engrossing read, with some rather genius plot developments that unveil intriguing ideas. I love that this series was a two-parter, as sometimes a middle book can get bogged down with explanations and details. Instead, with a duet, Knox was able to plunge the reader back into the scene and fall back in with those familiar characters. As I turned the last page, part of me hated that I had to leave this fascinating world of Laura Hame’s behind, but Dreamquake offered such a satisfying conclusion that it quenched my thirst, but also left me eager to read more by the amazing Elizabeth Knox. show less