Dessen, Sarah. Dreamland. Penguin, 2000. 256 pages. ISBN-10: 0670891223. ISBN-13: 978-0670891221.Plot:
Caitlin has always been second to her older sister Cass, but that never stopped Caitlin from loving her. When Cass runs away, on Caitlin’s birthday, her family is turned upside down, especially Caitlin. In order to make things seem a little more normal, Caitlin decides to join the cheerleading squad and take a photography class with her mother and neighbor, both of which turn her mother’s attention a little more towards her. Something is still missing, however, and Caitlin thinks she’s found it in Rogerson, a dark and mysterious drug dealer who becomes her first serious boyfriend. At first, everything is great. She and Rogerson have fun together, he introduces her to a new set of friends, and she loves being with him. Then the beatings start. Caitlin stays with him, trying desperately to do anything to avoid being hit and to hide the bruises when she is. She withdraws more and more from her family and friends and school as she becomes more wrapped up with the relationship and her fear. She begins using drugs and sex and her love for Rogerson to escape from the physical and emotional pain his anger and abuse is causing. Everything escalates until the day Rogerson decides that she does something unforgivable and he reaches a level of anger and violence he never has before.
Critical Evaluation:
Those who have never been in an abusive relationship often wonder how a person can stay in one. Dessen does a fantastic job of showing the reader just exactly how a smart, normal girl can end up in a situation she feels she can’t escape. She shows us Caitlin’s emotional state and the progression of their relationship in such a way that we can feel the same shock and disbelief that Caitlin feels when Rogerson turns abusive. Her love for him and her fear of him are both vivid in their presentation. Though the reader may not fully understand why Caitlin doesn’t seek help – and most certainly wishes for her to do so – the escalating situation is such a believable one that it’s easier to understand how so many people end up in relationships such as these. The ending does seem a little too neatly tied and somewhat unrealistic, but perhaps that is exactly the type of ending that can give the reader hope.
Reader's Annotation:
Caitlin has spent her life living in the shadow of her perfect older sister, Cass. When Cass runs away, Caitlin finally has a chance to find herself, but she's looking in all the wrong places.
Author Information:
Sarah Dessen was born June 6, 1970 in Evanston, Illinois, but spent most of her life in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Her parents were both professors and she credits her love of reading as being a result of their influence. She studied creative writing and English at the University of North Carolina, where her parents taught. Three years after graduation, she published her first book. A year after that, she was offered a position as a teacher. She took the job, but continued to write.
She has published 9 books for young adults and has another due to be published in May of 2011. She hadn’t intended on becoming a young adult author, but her agent felt she had a strong teenage voice. Much of her inspiration for writing comes from the close group of friends she had in high school as well as continuing to live in her home town, which she says makes it hard to leave high school behind. Her books have won numerous awards.
Genre:
Realistic Fiction: Abuse
Curriculum Ties:
Psychology: Healthy Relationships, Family Dynamic
Health: Drug Abuse
Booktalking Ideas:
- Discuss Caitlin’s use of photography as a way to hide.
- Speak as if it were a letter from Caitlin to Cass about the effect Cass‘s leaving had on her.
- Discuss the downward spiral of Caitlin and Rogerson’s relationship.
Reading Level/Interest Age:
Age 14 and older
Challenge Issues:
Abusive relationship
Drug use
Sexual content
Challenge Defense Ideas:
- Require the challenger to fill out a written challenge form with clear reasons stated and examples given.
- If not already familiar with the content, become familiar.
- Refer the challenger to the library's collection policy.
- Refer the challenger to reputable reviews of the books, as well as reviews by those in the book's target audience.
Reasons for Selection:
I was drawn to the realistic portrayal of the progression of an abusive relationship.
