Every once in a while, a book grabs you by the throat and sucks you into the story. It happened to me as a child with Alice in Wonderland and more recently with The Wind-up Bird Chronicle. Dreambound is my latest magical realism obsession.
Journalist Byron’s twelve-year-old daughter, Liza, ran off six months ago. Liza left a note implying she was going to enter a hidden world popularized by a wildly successful fantasy book series. Her decision breaks up Byron’s marriage and sets him on a mission to find her. First stop is Los Angeles, where Lisa’s cellphone last pinged.
The book is written in a modern epistolary format. Instead of letters, the plot is advanced through Byron’s journal, interview transcripts and various written secondary sources. This makes for an extremely fast-paced read.
The format also slowly reveals that Byron is a rather obnoxious husband, father, and person in general. If you need a main character that you like to enjoy a story, don’t pick up this book. However, if you want an entirely immersive tale that will leave you wondering about reality well after the last page, don’t miss Dreambound. It has an unforgettable plot and will remind you how much fun can be found within a book’s covers. 5 stars and a favorite!
Thanks to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.