Review: SOMETIMES DREAMS ARE BETTER THAN THE REALITY YOU MUST FACE
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 30, 2013
Category:  Children’s fiction, TeensReceived from:  the author in exchange for an honest review / blog tourRecommended for:  tweens, early teensGrammar/editing:  C – average writingFeeling as though she is to blame for her mother’s death, Debbie prefers to live in her dream world, safe within the arms of her TV crush.  She and her family face that first year without the backbone of their family with tears and each other.  Meanwhile, back at school, Debbie is moving on with classes, her best friend, mean girls, and the new boy in school.This is a wonderful visit to the world of students in about the 8th and 9th grades.  First crush, first kiss, and first bras, while dealing with the confusions of family, friends, and the opposite sex.  Though this book stands well on its own, there is a definite opening for more books making this a series.This book is also a great look into the emotions of dealing with sudden and horrific loss.  Because her mother was on the way to pick Debbie up from a day of swimming, she feels as though she is to blame for the car crash that killed her mother, a crash that she witnessed happening.  That first year is something for which you cannot prepare yourself.  I know, for myself, I was a non-functioning member of society for several years after the loss of my child.  Grief is hard, but this book approaches it with empathy, sympathy, and respect.My only complaint and I did not hold this against the author was the difference in British and American English.  In my last review, I mentioned that I needed some assistance with reading British English.  In this book, it is my opinion that the author needs some assistance with her American English.  I believe she should have asked an American to help her with her American character, Mark.  In America, we don’t use the words trolley (grocery cart), trainers (sneakers), jumpers (jackets), or crisps (potato chips), among others.  Since this is written in the first person as seen through the eyes of three of the main characters, I think it would have added an extra texture to the book to have written Mark’s thoughts in the mannerisms of an American.