"“The world was going to end. Of that, Maggie Trafford was certain.”
Fourteen-year-old Maggie Trafford leads a normal life. Well, as normal as being crammed in a three-bedroom house with four siblings and a single parent can be, anyway. But despite being somewhat ignored at home, Maggie excels, earning top grades, a best friend who would do anything for her, and stolen looks from a boy in Maths.
It’s not until the dreams start that Maggie realizes “normal” is the least of her problems. Every night, she lives the same nightmare—red lightning, shattered glass, destruction. But nightmares are just that, right? No one believes her when she says it’s an omen. At least, not until the already mysterious pillars of Stonehenge start falling.
No longer alone in her fear, Maggie and the world watch with bated breath as one after another, the historic stones tumble, like a clock counting down. But only Maggie knows what it means: when the last stone falls, destruction will reign. And when the world ends, there’s only one option left—survive.
Horrifying and raw, Dare to Dream is equal parts tragedy and hope, detailing the aftermath of apocalyptic catastrophe, the quest for survival, and the importance of belief."
I receive a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Dare to Dream is a book on the Apocalypse. It goes from before "hell rain down on earth," continues while it "rain on earth," and... Well, there isn't really a post-Apocalypse, because they are still living in the Apocalypse by the ending of the book. And, no, "hell rain down on earth" is not a quote from this book. To be honest, I can't recall where it came from for the life of me. But I admit that it sounds really good in my head.
Fourteen year old Maggie is suffering through nightmares. As expected, everyone dismisses them as nothing but troubling teenage nightmares to full out mental issues. Honestly, teens are either 1) ignored, or 2) dismissed as crazy. It is really sad to see how not seriously everyone was taking Maggie. But not really surprising. If someone (say a fourteen year old girl) come up to me and tell me that the world is going to end, I'm going to pretend I care but I will run as quickly as possible in the other direction. Or perhaps, I will ask her for her parents and leave her in their good hands. It could go either way (flip a coin).
It is really easy to empathize with Maggie. She is a good student until the nightmares started plaguing her. I can't help but feel for her from beginning to ending. It is uplifting when she finds comfort in her best friend, Dawn, and her classmate.
The book starts off slow. Thankfully, it all picks up when Maggie sees her... Oh, crap. Spoiler alert! I guess I won't get into that. But let's say that Maggie meets up with a long lost relative. That is when the book seriously gets interesting. From there and on, Dare to Dream quickly finds it pacing. It remains strong throughout the book.
The ending ends in a crazy cliffhanger. That is just a warning to any of you planning to read this. Just a warning.
But is there any parts I don't like? I do like the dialect. I get the giggles whenever I see "maths" instead of math (we Americans are strange that way). But... Is there any parts I don't like? I guess I don't like the way Dawn is written. Some parts of her character makes sense, but I don't like how her character arc is handled. But I do love the ways Jones describe the mental aftermath of the "first attack" of the Apocalypse on the survivors.
So...
Rating: Four out of Five
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