The Rundown
When the Sandman shows up in 11-year-old Jenna Campbell’s bedroom, she and her twin brother Josh discover they’re the key to fulfilling an ancient prophecy: recover The Lost Dreamstone. If it’s not returned to its rightful owner, the Dream King, “everyone, everywhere, will suffer horrendous nightmares every sleeping moment of their lives for as long as they live.”
The Sandman transports Josh and Jenna to the world of dreams, “Where that which is, Perhaps is not, And what is not, Might be.” Although the Sandman described that place as something like Disneyland, the kids find out in short order that it isn’t at all the happiest place on Earth. Populated with strange creatures and vines that attack (Weedles), the dream world is more death trap than amusement park. Unable to leave until they fulfill the prophecy, they penetrate deeper into this dangerous place in search of the Dreamstone. With Bog Grunbog, a Dreamon who wants to become a Drangel, as a guide, and occasional help from the sorceress, Shamara, Josh and Jenna fend off attacks by the evil leader of the Dreamons, Bag Scallion, Weedles, and a pterodactyl-like Skrid.
The story moves along at a brisk pace to keep the reader turning the pages. What sometimes slows that down is the uneven development of Josh and Jenna’s relationship. We’re told more than shown that they have opposite personalities (Josh is the adventurous one while Jenna is cautious), and the author makes sporadic attempts to use that conflict to hinder their efforts. Rather than coming across as part of the characters’ personalities, it seems more like Tenuta felt obligated to follow some formulaic trope that fantasy adventure heroes must have discord in their ranks before coming together to resolve the situation. This underdeveloped sibling animosity isn’t consistent enough to be believable or contribute to the story, but interrupts the flow enough to call attention to itself.
The writing has a nostalgic feel of old time children’s stories like The Bobbsey Twins and The Hardy Boys. One quirk that could pull adult readers from the story is that everything happens “suddenly”–sometimes two or three times per page–and the repetition dulls any urgency or immediacy in the action. Still, the imaginative rendering of the alternate worlds and creatures that live there will make this an entertaining read for children.
The Recommendation
A fun read for children in the lower age ranges of middle-grade. The scary-silly creatures and imaginative parallel dream and nightmare worlds in The Lost Dreamstone make this an entertaining read for young middle grade readers. Adults who enjoy losing themselves in well-told, complex middle grade and young adult fantasy worlds might find it wanting. It’s most solidly a children’s book.
The Rating
4 Stars (out of 5): Recommended. For the right audience, this book is a great read. It can hold its own against any traditionally published novel in its genre.
The Pros & Cons
Pros: Plot, Strong World-BuildingCons: Character Developement, Plot Sometimes Jumpy, Simple Writing
