Kathryn Berla is the author of the young adult novels 12 Hours in Paradise, The House at 758, Dream Me, and Going Places (which received one of VOYA Magazine's Perfect 10 ratings for 2018). The Kitty Committee, a novel of psychological suspense, is her first novel written for adult readers. When she's not writing, she's reading (usually three or four books concurrently). When she's not reading, she's either dreaming about traveling or actually traveling. And when she's doing none of the above, you can probably find her in a movie theater, watching Netflix, or exercising. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can learn more about her at www.KathrynBerlaBooks.com.
"Dream Me by Kathryn Berla is the perfect blend of alluring YA
romance, sci-fi, fantasy, and a most profound message for humanity.
I loved the depth of both the message and the characters in Dream
Me, and how Kathryn Berla crafted both together to produce one of
the most compelling YA stories I have read." - Reviewed By Faridah
Nassozi for Readers' Favorite, 5 Stars--Reader's Favorite
"In this YA novel, a young man from Earth's far future visits a
present-day teen in her dreams, but soon their connection is
threatened. In a future era in which the Earth is dying, Zat plans
a dangerous trip, time traveling to our present by projecting
himself into the mind of a teenage girl while she sleeps. That
girl, Babe, who's 17 (roughly Zat's age), is an adaptable,
resourceful person thanks to her father's job as golf pro, which
has caused them to move from state to state--most recently, from
California to the Florida Panhandle. Over the summer, Babe learns
about another new town, makes some friends, and works in the
country club's tennis shop, and she also begins having recurring
dreams of a boy with thick, wavy brown hair and green eyes, who
eventually introduces himself as Zat. He seems strangely familiar,
and they share a strong bond, making Zat a "dream guy" in every
way--except for the crushing headaches Babe has the following day.
To herself and on her blog, Babe wonders how Zat can feel "more
real and more interesting than anyone...in real life." But can he
achieve corporeality after time travel? And will he have to abandon
the trip--and his life--to save Babe from unbearable pain? Berla
(12 Hours in Paradise, 2016, etc.) delivers a very entertaining
romance with well-thought-out sci-fi elements--one that's
delightfully free of the clichés that so often haunt YA fiction.
Both the story's rich-kid and queen-bee characters defy convention;
Babe's friends have intriguing back stories, and the country-club
setting gives the protagonist a chance to make perceptive comments
about people and society. For example, while touring a palatial
yacht, she remarks, "I knew money didn't buy happiness, but it was
unbelievable what it did buy." Babe's blog opens up the story via
the sometimes-silly, sometimes-mysterious comments of her readers:
one of them wishes she would focus on Florida sightseeing; another,
called "DreamMe," seems strangely knowledgeable about Babe's
situation. The final twist isn't easy to see coming, and it gives
the novel a satisfying, well-earned ending. A thoughtful, engaging
novel that combines genres well." - Kirkus Reviews--Kirkus
Reviews
"Time travel, adolescent angst, and teen romance are skillfully
blended in Berla's intriguing novel. Zat comes from a distant
future when the planet Earth is dying. He longs to see a blue ocean
instead of gray sludge. To do so, he goes back in time and inhabits
a contemporary teen's dreams. Babe falls in love with this handsome
figment of her nocturnal imagination. She lives through her day
waiting for his dreamlike visits each night. But can Zat be real
and one morning appear in the bright sun of Sugar Dunes, Florida?
This romantic science-fiction novel with appealing and believable
characters makes for a well-developed and absorbing read." - Joanna
Kraus, The Mercury News Review--The Mercury News Review
Gr 8 Up-Seventeen-year-old Babe is used to the unexpected. After
all, this is just one of many times that her father has uprooted
the family for a new job--this time in Sugar Dunes, FL. Zat is a
dreamer from the future whose desire to travel to the distant past
causes him to end up living in Babe's dreams. Babe and Zat
immediately fall for each other, but Babe experiences paralyzing
migraines when she wakes up. She longs for nighttime, when she can
sleep and see Zat again. Stuck in Babe's dreams, Zat wonders if
he'll be able to find a way to be with Babe in the real world.
While the basic premise is appealing, the story falls short
compared with other sci-fi romance titles. Though the narrative is
concise, which may appeal to reluctant readers, this futuristic
dystopian novel lacks complex world-building. The science fiction
element feels like an afterthought, and readers won't relate to the
thinly developed characters. Interspersed chapters titled "Babe's
Blog" are inauthentic and out of place. VERDICT A supplemental
purchase for collections in need of more sci-fi romance. - Kimberly
Castle-Alberts, Akron-Summit County Public Library, OH--School
Library Journal
In this underwhelming SF romance from Berla (12 Hours in Paradise),
high school senior Babe Fremont moves to Sugar Dunes, Fla., and
starts having vivid dreams of a boy named Zat. Babe quickly falls
for the handsome stranger, but their nightly visits come at a
price: each morning, Babe wakes with a debilitating headache, and
the pain is worsening. Babe fears she might have a brain tumor, but
then Zat reveals the truth: he is from the far future, where the
Earth is about to be consumed by the sun. When Babe and her family
arrived in Sugar Dunes, scientists sent Zat's consciousness back in
time to live inside Babe's dreams. Zat can't exist independently of
Babe, but as her symptoms increase, the two must consider whether
his continued presence will kill them both. Berla spends too much
time detailing Babe's everyday activities and not enough exploring
the mechanics of Zat's existence or developing the couple's
relationship. Two-dimensional characters and an abrupt conclusion
further undermine the novel's intriguing premise. Ages 13-up.
(July)--Publisher's Weekly
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