When Dreams Come True [Paperback]

Rebecca Emin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 7, 2012

Charlie is happiest when biking with Max and Toby, or watching films with Allie. But when Charlie reaches year nine, everything begins to change. As her friends develop new interests, Charlie's dreams become more frequent and vivid, and a family crisis tears her away from her friends. How will Charlie react when old family secrets are revealed? Will her life change completely as some of her dreams start to come true?

Product Details

• Paperback: 162 pages
• Publisher: lulu.com (April 7, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1471092046
• ISBN-13: 978-1471092046
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.4 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,894,822 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Rebecca Emin lives in Oxfordshire, England, with her husband and three children.

Her debut novel, 'New Beginnings' was published by Grimoire Books on 23 January 2012. Her second novel 'When Dreams Come True' will be published later in 2012. Rebecca is currently working on her third novel for children.

Rebecca enjoys writing flash fiction and short stories and has had several stories included in fundraising anthologies, including '50 Stories for Pakistan' and 'Literary Mix Tapes: Nothing But Flowers.' She was also involved with the selection of stories for '100 Stories for Queensland' as a voluntary reader. 'A Knowing Look and Other Stories' is a collection of short stories for adults, available now.

Rebecca is also an author for Ether Books who publish short stories and essays via their app which is currently available for iPhone and iPod Touch.

You can find out more about Rebecca's writing by following her on Twitter @RebeccaEmin, connecting with her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RebeccaEminPage or by following her blog at: www.rebeccaemin.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ! Inside the mind of a sweet normal young girl as she is growing up! May 26, 2012

By hum-momma

Format:Paperback

What a wonderful book! I devoured it in one evening from beginning to end. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and if I could, I would give it 10 star rating. From the moment, I opened the packaging the cover photo captured me and drew me in. I loved being inside of the head of a young teenage girl as she is making the changes from being a child to a young woman without all the hoopla that most tweens and teens are depicted as experiencing! Hooray for normal young girls whose dreams can come true! Best book I have read in a very long time. I hope that the author becomes well known and read over here in the States. The book is a breath of fresh air, compared to most of what I see written for young girls! I must read the rest of this author's books!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My daughter gives it 5 STARS! June 28, 2012

By Mother Daughter Book Reviews

Format:Paperback

This review consists of two parts: 1. My daughter's review (she's 9) and 2. My review (the Mom). These are excerpts. For the full review visit us at Mother Daughter Book Reviews.

DAUGHTER SAYS:

What I liked and disliked about it:

I was really excited to get this book from the author. And right from the start I really loved reading it. There is a picture of Charlie on the front cover of the book. Charlie looks just like my friend Mae.

I thought the dreams that Charlie had were freaky. Some of the dreams I have are freaky also. I liked that Charlie's dad told her that her aunt had already died once. It made the book mysterious! I liked that some of her dreams sounded like they were real but they were actually dreams.

It was odd to read about kids that are way older than me and doing things older girls and boys do like kissing each other, but it didn't really bother me to read about it.

My bottom line:

This book is my favorite book right now. I would recommend it to girls 9 years and older.

MOM SAYS:

What I liked and disliked about it:

Along with my daughter, I was also very excited to read this book. There is something simply compelling about the cover photo of the girl (not just that I also think she looks like my friend's daughter). I just love that photo!

My daughter read the book first and just loved it. It's all she could talk about the morning after reading it at bedtime. She sincerely enjoyed it and that just made me want to read it even more. I must admit that I was a bit surprised when I finally did get to it. This book describes the inner workings of a teenage girl's mind.... Charlie begins to develop deeper feelings toward a few different boys, and there is some romance, kissing, and some mentions of "tingly feelings".

Perhaps it's just that I'm not remotely ready to have a teenage daughter who experiences attraction to boys, but the fact of the matter is that this does eventually happen (generally speaking!). This book explores teenage attraction and does it in a very gentle and understated manner. If my daughter is ready to begin reading books exploring young love (*ahem* - she's not!), this book is a great introduction. Of note is that she did not seem fazed by reading about the experiences of these teenagers. She was far more interested in the main plot line of the dreams and family secrets.

The author of When Dreams Come True is British and consequently there is some terminology that we don't run across in North America. For example, there is mention of "snogging' (i.e., kissing) in the book. The language differences are not significant and I actually really enjoyed the slightly different vocabulary. I was using my British accent inside my head when reading the book to myself!

I do have one issue that I would like to raise. At times, I felt that the main plot line was lost or that it was not entirely clear. On the one hand, Emin does a great job of describing the relationships amongst the teenagers and the typical adolescent emotions and behaviours. However, the parts of the plot describing Aunty Jenny's illness and the family issues are not as clear. For example, what illness did the aunt have that would have brought her to death's door? It was not that obvious. Is there a special meaning to the fact that Charlie's dreams come true? Were they simply coincidences or is there something special about Charlie? I was, at times, confused.

My bottom line:

Aside from the one issue, this book is appropriate for girls 10 years of age and older. The themes may be a bit too mature for younger children. However, that being said, I can't deny that my daughter really enjoyed it and overall, I enjoyed reading it as well.

** When Dreams Come True by Rebecca Emin was provided to us free-of-charge by the author. ** Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Gem from a consistent author April 21, 2013

By b00k r3vi3ws

Format:Paperback

Charlotte aka Charlie is a complete tomboy. It may have been because she had been best friends with Toby and Max since her childhood. She loves riding her bike with them. Then she meets Allie and realizes that boys mean something else to her newest friend. Life for this thirteen year old, is simple and exactly what it should be for a teenager. Complications rise only when her aunt falls sick and she starts having extremely vivid dreams.

The plot is simple and uncomplicated - well mostly so. It effectively revolves around its protagonist Charlie and her three friends. The teenagers are captured at their truest forms and their life oddly real. The essence of pure friendships formed and adolescent romance has been captured through printed words in a way that actually manages to paint a beautiful picture in the reader's minds. As a result the characters themselves seemed very true to life. I loved Charlie and her innocence. Her interactions with her friends and parents and her way of dealing with things that she doesn't quite understand completely kept me mesmerized throughout the book.

This is my third time experiencing Ms. Emin's work and I have absolutely enjoyed her consistency in producing simple storyline with simple characters and presenting them in a heart touching manner. The purity of the characters is clearly a common thread between New Beginnings and Dreams Come true and certainly the USP of Ms.Emin's work.

It took me about an hour to read this book and I consider it an hour well spent. A light read that reminded me that innocence can still be preserved.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Happy To Recommend May 27, 2012

By Glynis Smy

Format:Paperback

Another delightful read for young readers from Rebecca Emin.

Her character, Charlie, is a young girl of approximately 13 years of age. She has two male best friends. Slowly her life changes and she can no longer play with them as she had in the past. She becomes aware of how the boys are beginning to show an interest in girls, and she wishes time would turn back. However, her life moves forward and with it, so do her feelings.

Her dreams are so vivid, she feels there must be some meaning behind them. Her aunt becomes ill and strange things happen while Charlie stays in her home, (a B&B). Eventually a family secret highlights their meaning, and benefits Charlie via a sacrifice made by her aunt.

Note: I no longer have young to early teen children around me, and am used to those before mobile phones and make-up. Rebecca shares the modern child extremely well within her books. There is an air of innocence that runs through them, and that makes for pleasurable reading.

I enjoyed When Dreams Come True and am happy to award 5* and recommend.