This YA Urban Fantasy was compelling and moving. I was touched by the themes and topics weaved throughout, and the trials the characters went through. Technically, there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed--from punctuation, grammar, and just some oddly structured sentences. But there is so much potential for this to connect with a lot of young people today.

Ich weiß ehrlich gesagt nicht, wie ich dieses Buch bewerten soll, da ich es aufgrund relativ kurzer Ausleihdauer (ohne Verlängerung) nicht lesen konnte.

The plot of this novel was relatively simple, but enjoyable at the same time. It was an urban fantasy and is definitely for a younger audience. Overall, I wanted to see more character development, but overall a pretty good read. 2.5/5

Firstly, I would like to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial publishing for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this childrens/young adults book.

4 out of 5 stars,

Would have been 5 out of 5 if the book had been properly edited. There are problems with grammar, punctuation and repetitive words. There were also lots of cases where the author was obviously going to say one thing but changed their mind and ended up leaving un-needed and extra words through-out.

Now let's look at the story rather than all the technical guff.

Good Ole Mike! He has to be one of my favourite characters and his GROWTH! I like it.

This isn't an idea that I've seen before so it was really enjoyable to read.

This book holds great messages for teens and children alike. The story touches on bullying, sexual abuse, bad home lives, honesty, kindness, and many more things that need to be talked about in life.

I pretty much read this book in a single sitting, the first 20 pages was last night and once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down again and ended up reading until 6am in the morning. Whoops.

The colourful beams and rainbow kind of remind me of the television show 'Captain Planet'.

Thanks for a really enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

What an incredible and moving book - it will definitely stay with me for a long time. Full of emotions that have you on your rollercoaster throughout filled with love, heartbreak, tears and adventure and really opens up your mind to another dimension. I cannot wait to read more by this author.

The Call of Dreamwalkers is an urban fantasy story about a group of teens fighting off "Mind Worms" in their dreams. I found the concept of the story very intriguing, as it seemed like something a younger version of me would've been really interested in.
Because the world takes place in one very similar to our own, there was minimal worldbuilding necessary. That being said, I found that the reason behind the Mind Worm's existence, Arcadion, and why the school specifically was targeted were not well-explained. There were also parts of the daily "school life" that I found relatable and parts that I thought were completely unbelievable in terms of a modern high school experience.
The plot was relatively simple but also enticing. Ana and her team of Virtues had to protect the school from the Mind Worms influencing everyone with negative thoughts. I did find that the plot was not very nuanced and therefore it definitely wasn't the most original and influential stories I ever read, but for a younger audience I could see it hitting home fairly well. The ending was good, there were plenty of positive themes, and it dealt with many heavy topics well.
The characters are all high schoolers and they were accurately portrayed as such for the most part. I found Ana as a strong and bold protagonist, and the supporting cast was also well-formed. My main complaint about the characters is that they were two-dimensional for the most part. Ana was well-rounded and flawed, but most of the supporting cast showed up all at one time (which also made it hard to differentiate between them and form connections with them) and so they did not really change or grow through the course of the story.
I also found that this story, stylistically, reminded me more of a middle grade book rather than a YA. I know that YA is a hard age gap to pinpoint because it encompasses readers from 12 to 18, and I understand that this book might appeal to younger YA audiences. There were themes that were more mature, but the writing style itself was more similar to middle grade books that I am familiar with.
Overall, this book was a good story for a young audience with its great themes. It reminded me of "Reverie" by Ryan La Sala, but for early teens looking for an introduction into YA.

3.5/5

"Om Bhuh, Om Bhuvaha, Om Swaha, Om Maha"

I was very excited to start this book since the premise sounded so interesting and while I enjoyed the book, I think the fantasy aspects could've been better explored.

We follow Anael, a 9th grader, navigating her daily life while dealing with the consequences of an accident her best friend was involved until a being of light comes to her in a dream giving her the mission to save her school from Mind Worms, malevolent creatures that prey on negative emotions, with the help of others like her, the Virtues.

The first 3 chapters felt slow and it wasn't until the 4th chapter that the book truly became interesting to me. I actually didn't really like the main character until then, I thought she was uninteresting and boring. And while I did grow to like Ana, her character development was beautifully made, I still like the other Virtues better, they simply felt more complex than Ana and much more likable.

I overall liked the plot and characters, the pacing was a bit fast at times but it was not a problem, it is well developed even if I think the fantasy could've been explored more and the scenery descriptions were just stunning. However The Call of The Dreamwalkers definitely felt for me like it was written for a middle schooler audience, even so, the themes are valuable for older audiences and I definitely recommend for anyone interest in a well written urban fantasy.

"The Call of Dreamwalkers" by Rafaele Desire promises an intriguing and imaginative young adult fantasy adventure that delves into the realm of dreams, nightmares, and the battle between good and evil. This description sets the stage for a captivating story that explores the inner struggles of teenagers while intertwining them with a supernatural and suspenseful plot.

The protagonist, Ana, faces the common struggles of fitting in and navigating the complexities of high school, but her world takes a dark turn when her friend, Heloise, falls into a mysterious coma. The introduction of Arcadion, a mysterious light being, and the revelation of malevolent forces known as "Mind Worms" add a layer of intrigue and danger to the narrative.

The concept of young minds being targeted by these sinister entities, pushing them toward destruction, is both eerie and compelling. Ana's destiny as a "Virtue," an envoy of good, adds a hero's journey element to the story, as she must save her friend and confront her own fears.

The idea of Ana enlisting her classmates to join her in this battle against evil is reminiscent of classic coming-of-age tales where a group of unlikely heroes must band together to face a common enemy. This promises not only action and adventure but also themes of friendship, bravery, and self-discovery.

Overall, "The Call of Dreamwalkers" appears to be a promising young adult fantasy novel that combines relatable teenage experiences with a unique and supernatural twist. It offers readers an opportunity to explore the power of dreams and the resilience of youth in the face of darkness, making it a potentially engaging and thought-provoking read for fans of the genre.