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lotiel's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
The word "gypsy" is used throughout the book
nicktomjoe's review against another edition
4.0
A powerful story drawing on real Romany traditions, and set in a beech forest, this is a book full of dangerous exploits, half- understood relationships and family history. It's complex, but Abi Elphinstone works hard to bring it all to a satisfyingly Gothic final battle, with creatures formed from swarming bats, and horrendous, maggot-eaten faces.
Moll, the protagonist, finds something of who she is, discovers something of her place in her adoptive family. The relationship between Moll and Gryff the wildcat owes a lot to the bond between Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon in Philip Pullman's masterpiece trilogy, and maybe wild Moll herself is drawn from Pullman's rebellious heroine, remade in a different context and for (perhaps) a younger audience with similar Pullmanesque tastes.
Moll, the protagonist, finds something of who she is, discovers something of her place in her adoptive family. The relationship between Moll and Gryff the wildcat owes a lot to the bond between Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon in Philip Pullman's masterpiece trilogy, and maybe wild Moll herself is drawn from Pullman's rebellious heroine, remade in a different context and for (perhaps) a younger audience with similar Pullmanesque tastes.
mat_tobin's review against another edition
5.0
The Dream Snatcher is a vibrant story of youth, discovery, love and loyalty in a world where, across the river, dark revelations awake.
The story follows the adventures of Moll Pecksniff, an orphaned Romani traveller whose dreams are plagued by dark visions of a masked man shrouded in fire and night. But she is not alone. A ferociously loyal wildcat is her companion and Moll soon meets up with Alfie whose own past is as mysterious as hers. Together they must face the flames and the darkness for the sake of their people and for the sake of her home.
Elphinstone’s first novel is one full of energy, honesty, love and adventure. There are so many aspects of the story that I enjoyed: the descriptive language, evocation of setting (I loved how Moll knows the land and can name the trees and the flowers around her), clarity of character and mastery of a complex plot all help find a fine balance between immersion and pace.
An aspect of The Dream Snatcher that helps it shine a little brighter than other children’s stories these days is the inclusion of the Romani people. I loved spending time with them in the forest, leaping over broom handles, listening to fortunes being told telling and seeing their good luck omens swaying gently above the front of their wagons. This is a colourful and exotic world; wholly unusual to most of the readers and that makes it exciting.
The pace of the story is as fast as Moll’s own beating heart. Even when Elphinstone feels the need to explain something (such as how the soul-splinter works or subtle allusions to both her and Alfie’s parts to play in this story) Moll is restless and working, climbing trees or foraging amongst the undergrowth: she is a hero who is happiest embracing and exploring the wild. This passion and pace comes through so strongly in the narrative that the story, with its short chapters and cliffhanger endings sweeps you along, halting only when Skull appears and commands the pages.
True to his name and the face of Moll’s nightmares, Skull and his fellow Shadowmasks make great archetypal villains. Never do we see what lies beneath their masked faces. We cannot look into their eyes or identify with them in any way. These are villains who stay true to their purpose: monstrous creatures that we should be scared of. When I first stepped into that camp with Moll I could feel a powerful sense of captivation that reminded me of Darth Vader – except Skull is a lot meaner! And in case having a great bad-guy alongside a gang of savages isn’t enough to send shivers down your spine, there are savage hounds and vapours too that warp and bend the land for their own devices.
Elphinstone has packed so much into her story: riddles and songs, talismans and superstitions, cuckoo calls and magical amulets; secrets and spells - almost too much for the 278 pages to hold. Thank goodness then, that there are more to come because I get the feeling that Elphinstone is just warming up. She’s probably writing down a dank cave or up a tree poking in woodpecker holes looking for her next idea or riding bareback through a forgotten wood. Wherever she is, I promise you, she has tapped into the spirit of adventure and a love of the natural world that many children crave yet are missing.
Put a copy of The Dream Catcher in their hands and they’ll happily go with her.
The story follows the adventures of Moll Pecksniff, an orphaned Romani traveller whose dreams are plagued by dark visions of a masked man shrouded in fire and night. But she is not alone. A ferociously loyal wildcat is her companion and Moll soon meets up with Alfie whose own past is as mysterious as hers. Together they must face the flames and the darkness for the sake of their people and for the sake of her home.
Elphinstone’s first novel is one full of energy, honesty, love and adventure. There are so many aspects of the story that I enjoyed: the descriptive language, evocation of setting (I loved how Moll knows the land and can name the trees and the flowers around her), clarity of character and mastery of a complex plot all help find a fine balance between immersion and pace.
An aspect of The Dream Snatcher that helps it shine a little brighter than other children’s stories these days is the inclusion of the Romani people. I loved spending time with them in the forest, leaping over broom handles, listening to fortunes being told telling and seeing their good luck omens swaying gently above the front of their wagons. This is a colourful and exotic world; wholly unusual to most of the readers and that makes it exciting.
The pace of the story is as fast as Moll’s own beating heart. Even when Elphinstone feels the need to explain something (such as how the soul-splinter works or subtle allusions to both her and Alfie’s parts to play in this story) Moll is restless and working, climbing trees or foraging amongst the undergrowth: she is a hero who is happiest embracing and exploring the wild. This passion and pace comes through so strongly in the narrative that the story, with its short chapters and cliffhanger endings sweeps you along, halting only when Skull appears and commands the pages.
True to his name and the face of Moll’s nightmares, Skull and his fellow Shadowmasks make great archetypal villains. Never do we see what lies beneath their masked faces. We cannot look into their eyes or identify with them in any way. These are villains who stay true to their purpose: monstrous creatures that we should be scared of. When I first stepped into that camp with Moll I could feel a powerful sense of captivation that reminded me of Darth Vader – except Skull is a lot meaner! And in case having a great bad-guy alongside a gang of savages isn’t enough to send shivers down your spine, there are savage hounds and vapours too that warp and bend the land for their own devices.
Elphinstone has packed so much into her story: riddles and songs, talismans and superstitions, cuckoo calls and magical amulets; secrets and spells - almost too much for the 278 pages to hold. Thank goodness then, that there are more to come because I get the feeling that Elphinstone is just warming up. She’s probably writing down a dank cave or up a tree poking in woodpecker holes looking for her next idea or riding bareback through a forgotten wood. Wherever she is, I promise you, she has tapped into the spirit of adventure and a love of the natural world that many children crave yet are missing.
Put a copy of The Dream Catcher in their hands and they’ll happily go with her.
mystikai's review against another edition
5.0
The Dreamsnatcher is all about a young girl called Moll, she is a gypsy but has never felt like she belonged as she did not know her parents. Every night she gets the same dream and it takes her further and further out of the clearing. One night she wakes near the river and as her horse Jinxed had been stolen by Skulls camp she went to rescue her. What happens once she enters the camp for the first time changes her life in a big way.
An adventure begins, she needs to stop Skull and the other Witch Doctors from killing her and breaking the Bone Murmur, Protect her own camp and find the amulets.
This book is full of fantasy, adventure, magic, secrets and can be a little scary at times. My daughter loved the adventure. She fell in love with Gryff and now wants a Gryff of her own. She clung on to every word while reading it.
Moll needs to find two more amulets before she is completely safe so we are expecting at least another two books in the series.
A great read for both mum and child. Very well written and fast pacing.
An adventure begins, she needs to stop Skull and the other Witch Doctors from killing her and breaking the Bone Murmur, Protect her own camp and find the amulets.
This book is full of fantasy, adventure, magic, secrets and can be a little scary at times. My daughter loved the adventure. She fell in love with Gryff and now wants a Gryff of her own. She clung on to every word while reading it.
Moll needs to find two more amulets before she is completely safe so we are expecting at least another two books in the series.
A great read for both mum and child. Very well written and fast pacing.
m0ogly's review against another edition
5.0
Really did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did! Very quick read and I enjoyed every minute of it. Will look out for more Abi Elphinstone books in future
macfiar's review against another edition
5.0
unlike too many middle grade books this was not a surface level tale. It was dark and frightening and had a lot of interesting elements. I am really excited to read more.
krwriter8's review against another edition
5.0
I love, Love, LOVE this book! Molly Pecksniff is such a fun character and her adventures with Gryff the wildcat are full of magic and enchantment. Being a Romani enthusiast, I was pleased to see that Elphinstone's depictions of the Romani people are accurate. I enjoyed reading about the spirited Gypsy girl and her quest to find the Dreamsnatcher!
bibliobethreads's review against another edition
4.0
Life has been so crazy recently that this post which should have gone up the end of July is finally being published in (almost) mid-August - oops! The Dreamsnatcher is our seventh book in the Beth And Chrissi Do Kid-Lit Challenge for 2019 and I was particularly excited to dive into this one after hearing great things about both the author and the series in general. I adore the front cover, it's quirky, cute and magical and the fantastical premise gave me high hopes that I was going to thoroughly enjoy the story.
Generally, this is a lovely opening novel to what looks to be an intriguing, imaginative and dangerous world. I can certainly see why the series has legions of fans and so many positive reviews on Goodreads with an impressive average rating of 4.15 stars. As an adult reading The Dreamsnatcher, I can clearly understand why it appeals to children, boasting strong character development, beautiful magical elements, an incredible animal companion, mystery and adventure and the trepidation and terror of never knowing what's going to happen next. Our female lead, Molly Pecksniff in particular is fantastically memorable and her bravery and attitude leads to her becoming someone that younger readers will be able to both look up to and relate to. I had a particular fondness for her wildcat sidekick, Gryff who captured my heart from the very first opening pages and becomes even more endearing as the story continues.
Without giving anything away, the pace of this story is ridiculously fast whilst still retaining that air of mystery and confusion that the first book in a series should always possess. The action doesn't let up for a minute and Moll and her friends/family always seem to be finding themselves in precarious situations with little time for rest or relaxation. As a result, it makes for a brilliantly exciting narrative where it becomes impossible to predict the author's next move. As a work of children's fiction, this is absolutely perfect and as a younger reader, I can imagine tearing through the pages unable to put the book down. As an adult reader, I seem to live for the quieter moments in my fiction and as a personal preference, I would have loved to see deeper moments where we get to know the other characters a bit better. However, this IS just the first book in the series and I'm sure there is plenty of time for all that in the books that follow!
With an intricate, well thought out plot, frightening villains and our determined, adventurous protagonist, I'm sure that this series will continue to capture the imaginations of children for years to come. It had echoes of Philip Pullman's Dark Materials series but stands completely on its own as a unique and interesting work. Although I may not be the target audience for the story, I can appreciate why readers fall in love with the characters, the world and the writing.
For my full review and many more please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
Generally, this is a lovely opening novel to what looks to be an intriguing, imaginative and dangerous world. I can certainly see why the series has legions of fans and so many positive reviews on Goodreads with an impressive average rating of 4.15 stars. As an adult reading The Dreamsnatcher, I can clearly understand why it appeals to children, boasting strong character development, beautiful magical elements, an incredible animal companion, mystery and adventure and the trepidation and terror of never knowing what's going to happen next. Our female lead, Molly Pecksniff in particular is fantastically memorable and her bravery and attitude leads to her becoming someone that younger readers will be able to both look up to and relate to. I had a particular fondness for her wildcat sidekick, Gryff who captured my heart from the very first opening pages and becomes even more endearing as the story continues.
Without giving anything away, the pace of this story is ridiculously fast whilst still retaining that air of mystery and confusion that the first book in a series should always possess. The action doesn't let up for a minute and Moll and her friends/family always seem to be finding themselves in precarious situations with little time for rest or relaxation. As a result, it makes for a brilliantly exciting narrative where it becomes impossible to predict the author's next move. As a work of children's fiction, this is absolutely perfect and as a younger reader, I can imagine tearing through the pages unable to put the book down. As an adult reader, I seem to live for the quieter moments in my fiction and as a personal preference, I would have loved to see deeper moments where we get to know the other characters a bit better. However, this IS just the first book in the series and I'm sure there is plenty of time for all that in the books that follow!
With an intricate, well thought out plot, frightening villains and our determined, adventurous protagonist, I'm sure that this series will continue to capture the imaginations of children for years to come. It had echoes of Philip Pullman's Dark Materials series but stands completely on its own as a unique and interesting work. Although I may not be the target audience for the story, I can appreciate why readers fall in love with the characters, the world and the writing.
For my full review and many more please visit my blog at http://www.bibliobeth.com
kimmi's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. This is like my dream layout if a book: barely any happy beginning and a chapter of happy ending!