Dreamland: A Novel by Olivie Blake | Book Review

I read some of the other reviews and I have to say that I don’t understand how anyone could hate this book! It was so well done! This book was dark, artful and grittier than I had anticipated. I don’t know what I was expecting but I remember needing to adjust my mind entirely within the first few pages because I didn’t anticipate this book tickling my brain the way it did!

You will like this book if:

1. You like the “glamour rotting underneath energy” of The Picture of Dorian Gray mixed with the surreal disorientation of Mulholland Drive, you will like this book.
2. You enjoy upper-level lit. While not ‘technically’ high lit, this book reads like high lit with a surreal, gothic twist. She is writing on level 1000 compared to a lot of literary fiction I’ve been coming across these days.
3. You love characters you can hate. Okay, hate might be a strong word. I disliked so many people in this book but that’s what made me like it. It’s refreshing to see a writer who isn’t shy about making main characters unlikable with a purpose.
4. You love stories with layers. This book is MESSY in a good way. You have to really pay attention while you read and peel back some layers because she doesn’t do all the work for you. For me, that is satisfying but if you are looking for an easy read, it might frustrate you.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the depth and writing quality in Dreamland. I think I expected something a bit fluffier but was treated to trip down the rabbit hole. I would read again. In fact I might because I’m 100% sure I missed something somewhere! 😀