Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

April 30th, 2008 at 10:11am |

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Audience: High School (mature content)

Rating: B

Synopsis:

On Caitlin’s birthday she wakes up to discover that her older sister, Cass, has run away. Her mother, who had always poured her energy and attention into orchestrating Cass’s life, suddenly is without an outlet. Caitlin, who never had to worry about being the center of attention, is uncomfortable with the family that’s left. Seeking to escape the too-perfect role that Cass abandoned, Caitlin starts dating Rogerson, a handsome, but dangerous boy.

Chatter:

(Spoiler Alerts! ) The most successful part of this book was rapid unraveling of Caitlin and Rogerson’s relationship. Her acceptance of his abuse and attempts to explain and excuse it were well captured. The scene where Caitlin is out with Rina and spend the whole afternoon frantically dialing Rogerson was intensely written: you could sense Caitlin’s growing anxiety, Rina’s frustration, and also the impending catastrophe of Rogerson’s reaction.

Less successful was the part of the story dealing with Cass. Caitlin says repeatedly that Cass knows her so well that she would know instantly what was going on with Rogerson. Caitlin also says how she and Cass are so much alike. But then the book also repeats that Cass would never get involved with someone like Rogerson or understand Caitlin’s attraction. And Caitlin is constantly saying she doesn’t measure up to her sister. So which is it? Are they so alike or so different? The sisters’ relationship (and really Cass’s whole disappearance) seemed underdeveloped to me. Especially since it was supposed to be the reason that Caitlin found Rogerson intriguing in the first place.

There were a few other parts of this book that had a resonant quality:

The mom’s insistence on buying dolls – as if she could purchase the perfect life she so badly wanted. She treats Caitlin (and presumably did treat Cass) like a doll – trying to dress her up in primary colors and dresses.
Rogerson’s potential – he was so smart and so charming, yet he chose a life of selling drugs and abusing Caitlin over his other options.
Caitlin’s photography – her ability to so clearly capture others, but at the same time, her inability to have any sort of perspective about what was happening to her.