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A review by fallingletters
The Circus of Stolen Dreams by Lorelei Savaryn
1.0
Review originally published 7 July 2023 at Falling Letters.
There seems to be a niche of middle grade books that really isn’t for me. These books involve a speculative fiction journey by the protagonist, the journey being an allegory or avenue for resolving some challenge in their ‘real’ life. The speculative elements often feel to me extremely contrived and limited in imagination, there only to serve a particular plot. The worlds don’t come to life for me. A few titles I can think of that fit this niche are [b: The Clackity|59365597|The Clackity (Blight Harbor)|Lora Senf|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1654100019l/59365597._SX50_.jpg|93536958], [b: The Prince of Nowhere|58733672|The Prince of Nowhere|Rochelle Hassan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1635101334l/58733672._SY75_.jpg|84719835], and The Circus of Stolen Dreams. I have yet to meet a child to whom I would recommend books in this niche, but I suppose they’re out there somewhere! I didn’t dislike The Circus of Stolen Dreams as much as The Clackity, but I did skim the later half of the book. There just wasn’t anything to keep my attention. The intrigue of Reverie never lives up to its promise, with the dreams explored especially feeling like simple plot points. I was also a uncomfortable with how Andrea’s brother apparently being kidnapped in the middle of the night without a trace is addressed throughout the story. This is definitely not one of those books that you give to a child who has experienced the trauma within.
There seems to be a niche of middle grade books that really isn’t for me. These books involve a speculative fiction journey by the protagonist, the journey being an allegory or avenue for resolving some challenge in their ‘real’ life. The speculative elements often feel to me extremely contrived and limited in imagination, there only to serve a particular plot. The worlds don’t come to life for me. A few titles I can think of that fit this niche are [b: The Clackity|59365597|The Clackity (Blight Harbor)|Lora Senf|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1654100019l/59365597._SX50_.jpg|93536958], [b: The Prince of Nowhere|58733672|The Prince of Nowhere|Rochelle Hassan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1635101334l/58733672._SY75_.jpg|84719835], and The Circus of Stolen Dreams. I have yet to meet a child to whom I would recommend books in this niche, but I suppose they’re out there somewhere! I didn’t dislike The Circus of Stolen Dreams as much as The Clackity, but I did skim the later half of the book. There just wasn’t anything to keep my attention. The intrigue of Reverie never lives up to its promise, with the dreams explored especially feeling like simple plot points. I was also a uncomfortable with how Andrea’s brother apparently being kidnapped in the middle of the night without a trace is addressed throughout the story. This is definitely not one of those books that you give to a child who has experienced the trauma within.