Review: Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

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Sarah Dessen is a name I’ve heard a lot about and thanks to this free E-book I’ve seen what all the buzz is about. This is a difficult yet important read. It was especially difficult for me because though I could understand Caitlin’s actions, a part of me couldn't connect with her choices. Which is why this book is so important.

Caitlin is the younger daughter in a seemingly happy family. When her older sister Cass runs away a few weeks before starting college, it throws their home into a place of unspoken pain and avoidance. When Caitlin meets Rogerson Biscoe she finds a escape and a part of herself she didn't know springs to life.

Their passionate relationship soon turns abusive. Each mark Rogerson leaves on her body chips away who Caitlin is. Her parents and friends notice, but without seeing the evidence( Caitlin starts to wear baggy pants and jackets ) they chalk it up to grief over her sisters absence. Dessen does a fantastic job portraying the inner emotional landscape of an abuse victim. I cringed in many of the scenes, wanted to yell at Caitlin to tell someone, to break up with him. It’s not that easy however and as the story leads to its conclusion I found a lot of my perceptions about abused and abusers expanded.

Not an easy read but a satisfying one.

This is my 14th book for Coyer Summer Vacation