Don't Close Your Eyes

This trilogy is groundbreaking in the way that McMann conjures up an intriguing plot line with an equally intriguing cast of characters. Janie, the high school age m.c., takes us inside of a dream world, only it's not her dream world, it's the dream worlds of others.

The pacing of the story is not only quick, it's compelling. I read this 690 page novel in two days.

Janie doesn't just get sucked into other people's dreams, she gets sucked into their tragedies. Whether students or the patients at the nursing home where she works, these are are people who are desperately crying out for help.

And then Janie becomes a part of an investigation. And her whole senior year is on the line. The novel has some language sprinkled throughout, though not for shock value; indeed, the language stems from her entire life consisting of abandonment and emotional abuse, and the cold reality of being forced to take care of herself.

This isn't a book about teen drama. It's about a teen who has never felt loved, who is just starting to learn what love and family mean, and who, in spite of her absent father and alcoholic emotionally withdrawn mother, navigates her ability as a dreamcatcher in the most selfless kind of way. Janie's desire to help others is praiseworthy.