My review for Eyes Like Stars, the precursor to Perchance To Dream,
was brief, flighty, and not a true approximation of how I feel
about this series. Yes, I said Eyes Like Stars is the novel all
young adult authors should aspire to. After reading Perchance To
Dream, I feel I should elaborate.
Lisa Mantchev has a beautiful, intricate writing style, infused
with quotes and jargon from her wealth of theatre knowledge, all
without losing her own personal edge. Dialogue is witty and sharp,
and she achieves a wonderful balance: the sense of familiarity with
the characters offsets the mysterious world filled with infinite
possibilities.
There is another balance kept, too: the comedic moments offset the
devastating tragedies. The first chapter alone is a fantastic
example of the humorous side of Perchance To Dream, wherein the
Fourth Wall is broken through and the fairies prattle on about pie.
Meanwhile, you will encounter at least two shocking revelations
throughout the novel, and grow even closer to a character you might
not have had any sympathies for in the past.
As a genre novel, Perchance To Dream rips apart all conventions. I
am not usually a fan of high fantasy - which I suppose the Théâtre
Illuminata series is - but Lisa Mantchev bends the rules of genre,
creating something breathtakingly original and fantastical, yet
still modern. Everything is colourful, brilliant, larger than life,
and just a touch hallucinogenic. A Baz Lurhman/Tim Burton
lovechild, dark and radiant all at once, whirling at such speed
it's hard to keep up.
It is my genuine opinion that the protagonist, Bertie, is one of
the most powerful female characters in young adult fiction. She has
an inner strength that she comes to realize over the course of
Perchance To Dream, continuing her evolution from spunky, dye-hard
theatre misfit. She is no weakling, no coward, and does not require
the aid of a love interest to save her life every five pages - nor
does she require a significant other to make her interesting. She
can carry the novel quite well on her own.
After a year without her, it was spectacularly refreshing to meet
Bertie again. Reading Perchance To Dream returned to me my faith in
young adult novels, and reminded me why I read this genre. Now, if
you pardon me, I need to mourn the loss for another year, until
book three is published …
(Book supplied for review by the publisher.)