Dream Me

Gr 8 Up—Seventeen-year-old Babe is used to the unexpected. After all, this is just one of many times that her father has uprooted the family for a new job—this time in Sugar Dunes, FL. Zat is a dreamer from the future whose desire to travel to the distant past causes him to end up living in Babe's dreams. Babe and Zat immediately fall for each other, but Babe experiences paralyzing migraines when she wakes up. She longs for nighttime, when she can sleep and see Zat again. Stuck in Babe's dreams, Zat wonders if he'll be able to find a way to be with Babe in the real world. While the basic premise is appealing, the story falls short compared with other sci-fi romance titles. Though the narrative is concise, which may appeal to reluctant readers, this futuristic dystopian novel lacks complex world-building. The science fiction element feels like an afterthought, and readers won't relate to the thinly developed characters. Interspersed chapters titled "Babe's Blog" are inauthentic and out of place.