Customer Reviews

Witch Dreams

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4 star:		(4)
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Sixteen year old Nyssa is a witch; she has the power to share other people's dreams. In the medieval town of Lindenwolde, that's not a good thing. If anyone finds out she is a witch, she will be killed. However, Nyssa is compelled to use her witchcraft to answer the question which has been haunting her for the last six years: who broke into her father's woodworking shop and murdered her parents? Nyssa is sure that it was Elsdon, the son of the most powerful man in town. Witnesses saw him in the area near her father's shop several days before the murder, and one of Nyssa's neighbors even saw him fleeing the shop right after the murder took place. Of course, the magistrate is much more likely to believe Elsdon's parents than a hysterical orphan. How do you prove someone guilty when the only evidence you can get will condemn you to death?

The solution to the murder mystery in Witch Dreams is fairly obvious if you spend a while thinking about it. This doesn't stop the story from being engrossing and exciting. Although certainly not Vivian Vande Velde's best book (Never Trust a Dead Man and Heir Apparent share that distinction), it's still original and unusual. As in all of Vande Velde's books, there are several plot twists and red herrings thrown in to keep the story interesting and the reader guessing. Nyssa is an unusual, sympathetic protagonist, though very obviously driven to the point of obsession by her parents' deaths. The dream sequences are also done in a very unusual style: each dream sequence takes place in present tense, and from the point of view of the person having the dream.

All in all it's a good book. The mystery is a bit obvious, but the rest of the book is innovative and surprising.

Omigosh! I never wanted to stop readingthis book. Chapter after chapter I read. There is a surprising ending that kept me guessing throughout the book. All I can say is "Spine Tingling!"

While this book is no Companions of the Night or Dragon's Bait, it is worth a read.

It is a simple tale of a girl whose parents were murdered and she is determined that the boy she suspects did the deed - pay for it. The story starts there and then skips forward where both are grown up and she finally discovers what happened and who was responsible.

There was only one point in the book where I was slightly confused (you'll know it when you get to it), but the story was well written, is constantly moving and very clever.

An easy read for an evening.

Nyssa's parents were murdered when she was a young girl and her older brother was the only witness. Nyssa is convinced nobleman Elsdon is the murderer. but Elsdon's parents create a false alibi for their son and use their noble weight to avoid an inquiry. Soon after, Elsdon is sent away and Nyssa spends the next six years brooding as a local serving girl. Nyssa is not an ordinary girl, however; she is a witch. With a person's token hidden under her pillow, Nyssa is able to enter the token owner's dreams and see dreams of things they wish, things they fear, or things that have actually happened. When Elsdon returns six years later, Nyssa decides to use a token of Elsdon's to spy on his dreams and discover once and for all the truth of her parents' deaths.

Like all of Vivian Vande Velde's books, Witch Dreams is deceptively deep. Clocking in at only 158 pages, this slim novel packs in sympathetic and well-drawn characters, an engaging plot, and an emotional punch. The questions of who murdered Nyssa's parents and how are expertly spun and keeps the reader guessing until the end. Unlike many of her fantasy stories, this one is much more serious and has almost none of VVV's notable wry humor. Sad, but very recommended.

Arguably, this book was written for someone much younger than myself, yet I found I still enjoyed reading it. The sentence structure is a bit choppy, but considering the lead character and the age group this book was intended for, it works.

The lead character, Nyssa, discovers that there is something about her that makes her different... she's a witch. So not only does she have to learn to deal with that fact, the fact she can enter other people's dreams, and then having to deal with the death of her parents, all at a very young age, there is plenty in this book to keep the action and suspense going.

The subject matter of the book, sorcery and witchcraft, may not appeal to everyone, but it is written from that fantasy perspective, and shows the human side of a very tough time for a young girl, written during a time period when things such as witchcraft and sorcery were a part of history. Remember, this was during a time period when witches were burned for practicing sorcery of any kind, thus adding to the drama of this young girl's life.

All in all, not a bad little book. Great for teens, and for adults who want an easy read that is enjoyable too.

Only VVV can pack so much in just 120 pages. Nyssa is a witch. When she goes to sleep with a token under her pillow (a lock of hair, a stone, a knife, a piece of clothe) she falls into the dreams of that person. Nyssa thought herself a selfish child until her parents were killed, now, six years later their killer has returned and she plans to expose him or else. But this strange young man seems to know more than Nyssa expects.

I can't say more, otherwise I'll ruin it. This book is advertized as young adult, but believe me, it doesn't matter if your an adult or young adult you'll love VVV's books. They're vivid, interesting, action packed, definitely worth your time. I've loved everyone I've read thus far.

Sixteen-year-old Nyssa has been able to enter other people's dreams since she was very young. All she needs is a token from them - be it a lock of hair, something the person touched or owned at some point in time, or a piece of their clothing. When she informed her parents, she was beaten by her father. After all, in the town of Lindenwolde, witchcraft is a crime punishable by death. But the consequences of her actions don't faze Nyssa, and she continues to use her powers in the hopes that she can find the answers to the most painful question of all. Who broke into her father's workshop all those years ago, murdering both of her parents? Now, six-years after their deaths, Nyssa is finally given the chance to enter the dreams of the man she suspects of the crime. But by doing so, Nyssa is thrown into a whirlwind of adventures that take place both in the real world and that of the unconscious.

I have read a few books by Vivian Vande Velde in the past. However, none have grabbed me as much as WITCH DREAMS. The fact that the main character can actually enter people's dreams as they sleep is an original, creative idea, and will excite readers. Nyssa is a spunky, independent, brave young girl who uses her powers for good, trying to solve the mystery that has haunted her for years. While Elsdon, the man she suspects of the crime, is a wonderful addition to the story, and brings along his own haunting secrets. All in all, WITCH DREAMS is an enchanting novel that will please those who enjoy all things supernatural.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

Where do we really go when we dream? Do we revisit, re-examine and/or reinvent the past? Do we try to sneak a peek at the future? Do we engage in fanciful adventures or pursue relationships that would seemingly never be possible in the waking world? Scientists, philosophers, theologians, astrologers and regular workaday people have long pondered the meanings behind Slumberland journeys. Many, however, might be hard-pressed to come up with the sort of creative spin that Vivian Vande Velde takes in her YA fantasy, "Witch Dreams". Specifically, her teen protagonist Nyssa has the ability to enter the thoughts of others as they sleep and, thus, discern their fears, their wishes...and the truths they struggle to keep secret.

In the Medieval village where Nyssa and her family live, however, such unique talents share a kinship with witchcraft and could bring a sentence of death if not suppressed. Nevertheless, Nyssa is determined to obtain a confession from Elsdon, the young man whom she is certain was responsible for the brutal deaths of her parents. The only witness to the heinous crime is her brother Worrell, a lad so shaken by the tragedy that his mind has purposely blocked out the ugliness as a defense mechanism to survive the day-to-day bleakness of life's hardships.

Velde has crafted a fast-paced, edgy story that artfully balances mysticism with the timeless coming-of-age themes about feeling like an outsider. Nyssa's lack of companionship only reinforces her feelings of isolation and vulnerability, especially when the enemy she is stalking becomes desperate enough to turn the tables. Although the ending of the tale felt a little rushed and allowed things to fall too easily into place, the foundation has definitely been laid for a sequel or even a film adaptation.

Christina Hamlett
Author of Movie Girl

You won't know all the title entails until you read the whole book. I'll admit it doesn't take much to take me by surprise but this books ending fits it very well.

It takes slight madness to be genius. Vivian Vande Velde's an entertaining author. Short, short read, but it's worth it.

I was really surprised by his book. I've read some of VVV's stuff and mostly found her books not too impressive. I know her to be funny and sometimes kind of sweet, but mostly funny. Never very serious. I grabbed this off the shelf and ten pages in I thought I knew exactly where it was going, based on the theme she knocked us over the head with in "now you see it" and "a well-timed enchantment." I wasn't wrong, but she kind of skipped over that for more important things and went a lot deeper than I expected her too. The body of the book was passable though not incredibly engrossing, but the ending more than made up for it. I had not thought her capable of this subtly. Truth to tell, I would probably not be so very impressed if I had not started the book with such low expectations. But it really is a good story.