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I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my review
Dream Me had an interesting premise - humans in the distant future have developed the ability to travel back in time and live in the past through the dreams of people living at that time.
Zat is one of those people from the future, abandoned by his entire family and unable to live with his uncle anymore, he decides to travel back in time to live in the dreams of the main character, Babe. The story it told partly in writing, and partly though Babe's blog posts.
I pretty much had an issue with every aspect of this book that wasn't the premise First off, the worldbuilding around the sci-fi elements was so underdeveloped. The character literally says "I could explain this but it's complicated so I won't" what a cop out !! Worldbuilding is so important, especially when you're having a plot thats so completely outlandish and needs to be backed up by some kind of explanation.
The characters were really underdeveloped, Zat literally had no personality and didn't even feel like a real person and Babe had no complexity or depth so I just found them boring. Mai, Babe's best friend was also underdeveloped. I liked that she was Vietnamese but like with Zat and Babe - there was no complexity and depth.
I did like two things about the characters - I liked Mai and Babe's friendship, and I liked that Babe played tennis because diversity in hobbies is also I think I need to see more of in YA.
I was a little irritated by the judgement the characters cast upon other women - especially once instance in particular. Babe works at a tennis court where famous tennis players come to practice. She notices a female tennis champ entering, immediately she judges her outfit and makes an assumption on the woman
"Don’t all the beautiful girls in the movies turn out to be evil? Yeah, that must be it. She was probably despicable.
I found this pretty awful - one because actual women in tennis have been pretty outspoken about how much it annoys them people overlook their skill and prowess and focus on their outfits. And two, because it's such a poor women hating statement absolutely based on nothing and I'm sick of books vilifying women for NO REASON.
THE ROMANCE
So this is insta-love ... my least favourite. Zat is already in love with Babe when he chooses to enter her dreams, which is honestly kind of creepy anyway. Then upon meeting Zat one time (in a dream), Babe decides he's the one for her and breaks up with her boyfriend
"And yet the boy, Zat. His mystique is so seductive. I’m pretty sure I’ll follow him wherever he wants to go."
GIRL. YOU JUST MET HIM. AND IN A DREAM !! CALM DOWN !!
So I just found them ridiculously annoying and urgh. Plus, Zat is there all the time just lurking and I find it so weird. I find it so weird that he literally staked out where she'd be and tried to make her fall in love with him and I JUST DIDN'T LIKE THE ROMANCE IT WAS WEIRD
Other nonsense
There is a bit where the MC literally makes fun of Mai's last name because of it being Vietnamese and A PUBLISHER APPROVED OF THAT SCENE ?!
There is a creepy and unnecessary subplot of an old guy hitting on Babe at work but then don't worry because her dream boyfriend saves her from him and STOP THE DAMSEL IN DISTRESS and stop teaching people that a man will only back off if he's threatened by another man and not the GIRL HERSELF.
I just found it really boring and literally nothing happened except the characters whining over how mysterious Zat was and how she wanted to sleep and live in dream bliss with him.
I just flat out didn't like it okay luckily it was short but honestly even 185 pages seemed like too much.