Reviews

Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau

thewoollygeek's review against another edition

3.0

I enjoyed this book but felt it needed a little more . It felt like it was missing out on character development, atmosphere, even a bit more chemistry would have been nice. It was a good story and the writing was good. It just seemed to be missing something.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

naeunida's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

longstorieshort's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

tinybiblio's review against another edition

4.0

Tiny Synopsis: It is 1911 - Peggy Batternberg hails from one of the richest American families and with that comes power, prestige, and privilege. However she would rather be working at the Moonrise bookstore and earn her own living and away from her snobby and rigid family. During the summer, she is forced to put her bookstore job on hold to head to Coney Island with her family at the luxurious Oriental hotel. On her adventures, she meets and falls for a mysterious immigrant from humble beginnings- that her family would surely frown upon. When there are multiple murdered women taking place in the area, Peggy takes on the challenge of trying to solve who the killer is to save someone she cares about.


Thank you to @netgalley and Endeavor for the advanced copy for my honest review! The book is out Jan 16, 2020!

My Review:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars

This era in time was very interesting - women’s suffrage and women wanting more for themselves: the New Woman. This novel is very well written and descriptive - you definitely feel like you are in 1911 and going through all of Peggy’s restrictions and rebellious nature. She’s young and she makes frustrating decisions - you want to scream at the book. Her family is extremely interesting - their secrets alone seem like it could be another book. I wasn’t loving the ending - certain relationships felt a bit forced. Some parts dragged but it does help provide context. It is overall a mix of mystery thriller and historical fiction with a touch of the love story.

katejeminhizer's review against another edition

5.0

This book was an absolute joy to read! Bilyeau brilliantly captured the essence of the struggles of both the wealthy and the immigrants in New York and how they paralleled each other. The novel provides readers with historical references to the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, the heat wave that blanketed the north east for 11 days, the social club known as the Four Hundred, the popularity of Brooklyn as a playground for the rich at the turn of the century, and the necessary escape that Coney Island brought to the masses. This suspenseful tale has every element of success: murder, deceit, love, corruption, perseverance, obsession, and redemption. A book that will keep you up at night rushing to the end but that will leave wanting more once you're finished.

leahkc's review against another edition

4.0

Captivating. Brilliantly written and thought through. It transports you to an earlier age to when men held the cards and women, especially wealthy women, were merely objects. It tells a mesmerising story of first love and what it can teach, particularly when the young lovers come from opposite backgrounds. This story gives a new insight to the rich and powerful and what they can do to make sure they get away with whatever they wish, even murder.

faysieh's review against another edition

5.0

A perfect blend of historical fiction and thriller, highlighting the lowly status of immigrants and women. Powerful, poetic and emotive, this is a truly mesmerising book that will enchant and enthrall. The two main characters, sisters Peggy and Lydia are caught up in a 'holiday' at The Oriental Hotel, Coney Island at the behest of Lydia's fiance Henry Taul and his mother. The Battenburg family, which Peggy and Lydia belong to are desperate for the marriage to go ahead for financial reasons. But will the price paid be measured in more than just monetary terms?
The rich and wealthy clearly had very different lifestyles from the poor, servants and immigrants in America, and via the brothels of The Bowery and the heady, exotic and strange delights of Dreamland we are forced into questioning ourselves: would we stand tall and fight for the rights of the vulnerable, no matter how much danger that might put us in, or would we hide in the safety of privilege and comfort?

nrhayes16's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

libraryofstories's review against another edition

3.0

Bilyeau has done a fantastic job at portraying a family that has let its wealth make some naive and others corrupt. It was very easy to sympathise with Stefan (who was my favourite character) and the ordeal he went through in this book. However, I found Peggy's character development lacking, showing consistent naivety and grasping ideas very slowly. At times, following her became rather frustrating, as if the reader is always five steps ahead of her.

The setting of Dreamland crossed a strange line between mythical and fabricated, with a dark undertone (and also general tone) that ran through those scenes. I really liked that you couldn't quite be sure what to expect when the characters entered the theme park.

The villains of the story were very unredeemable; it was difficult to see any kind of humanity in them or reason behind their actions. It would have been good to explore their characters a bit more.

piratequeen's review against another edition

2.0

This would have been much better if the love story angle had been left out. It felt forced, and I didn't buy the passion between the lead and her artist sweetheart for a moment. If this had just focused on the main character and her struggles with her family, her position, and her own self-doubt, it would have been a decent read.