I do not remember how I found out about The Dreamway by Lisa Papademetriou but find it I did, and an interlibrary loan is how it came to be in my possession.
I would have loved this as a 10-to 13-year-old. The story is cute, but not overly cutesy. There is enough fantasy to grab the fantasy reader, but enough reality to grab them, too. The sibling story is interesting. The narrator’s disability does not come into play a lot (and in fact could be considered ableism due to her being “fine” when entering the dream world) but the visibility is an interesting twist to the character. As is the girl in the wheelchair who also plays a part in the Dream World that everyone finds themselves in. Since I have read much in the middle age reading and thriller/fantasy stories some plot points are obvious, but I was internally smiling as those same points were the ones that make this a book my inner kid read. There were a few points, however, that maybe could have not been included, or expanded on, but overall there is a satisfying ending.
However, can could a sequel (or a prequel) with another one of the characters (or this story told from the viewpoint of the brother). The authors afterward includes such subjects as OCD, (the authors own experiences plus how they think it related to a character). But I saw less OCD (though one character does clean when her father is away) and more of depression and anxiety. Or at least the results of those things. I am assuming that all three can go hand in hand, but it might have been interesting to explore that.
My rating is a 3.5 for the kid likability, but there were bumps for me. However, I will be looking into other books by the author, just not running out right away.
