The Dreamatics by Michelle Cuevas

What worked:

Luna’s best friend is her dog Murph but she becomes distraught when he’s killed by a passing car. Strangely, her real life is presented as a subplot even though it’s the basis for everything inside the Lunarian Grand. Luna obviously feels sadness but she’s also dealing with guilt for things she could have done while he was alive. Young people can be confused by the myriad of emotions surrounding death in their lives and Luna’s character takes it to extremes. Troubling nightmares performed by the Lunarian Grand terrify her and she fears falling asleep. Her fathers try to help but the book doesn’t mention any other friends or family that offer support. The Dreamatics are left to deal with the emotional turmoil of Luna’s life and the resulting plot follows a rocky, passionate road to recovery

The author includes wordplay, similar to The Phantom Tollbooth, to symbolize combining elements of real life with concepts related to dreaming and the world inside Luna’s mind. There are secluded areas in the Lunarian Grand Theater that hold lost items or forgotten memories. Scripts for the dreams performed every night are written by an unseen playwright. The performers receive details of each performance through Pipe Dreams that always follow Brain Storms. Tragedy in Luna’s life results in little fuzzy creatures called Worryworts invading the Lunarian Grand and wreaking havoc. All of these descriptions result in an imaginative world inside Luna’s head as she struggles to handle her grief.

The story is told in first-person by the main character Dormir. Dormir’s the assistant to the director which means hurrying around the theater and helping to make sure things run smoothly. Dormir’s greatest fear is of not fulfilling hopes of becoming something more, like a performer or a playwright. Dormir leads efforts to save the theater, and Luna’s mind, from being permanently overtaken by the Worryworts which includes making a huge personal sacrifice. The author artfully describes the conflicting emotions and disheartening thoughts that emerge as the situation becomes more desperate. Dormir is a selfless, kind, compassionate character who can be admired by all young readers.

What didn’t work as well:

The Newsreels throughout the plot show Luna becoming more and more despondent about Murph’s death. However, the Dreamatics can’t find memories of Murph anywhere inside her head. Why would she be so sad about losing Murph when she doesn’t have a single memory of him?

The final verdict:

The phrasing of the narrative is unusual and may require readers to develop a tolerance for the zaniness. However, the author is actually developing a creative setting and plot to share the tender story of the grief a young girl feels toward her dog. The overall book is quite enjoyable and fresh and I recommend you give it a shot.