Sometimes when you’re pitched a book to review, you realize the importance of the elevator pitch. Your Dream For Me drew me in with their pitch, High School Musical meets To All the Boys. And I hate to say that description didn’t fit the bill.
I always feel bad for writing a review that isn’t glowing, but I will say that part of the issue with this book is that it was pitched at vs. what it is. It set expectations high for a book that really was nothing like High School Musical meets To All the Boys.
The book is about, “seventeen-year-old Scarlett, unlike her theatrically gifted parents, is not one to spend time near a spotlight. Scarlett dreams of becoming a renowned fashion designer, where she can flex her creative talents away from a crowd. So it’s no surprise when she sneaks into her school’s costume shop to explore the racks. Unexpected, however, is coming face-to-face with Nathaniel Wilder, a talented theater student who piques a new interest.”
Your Dream for Me is sweet. It’s a sweet book with a cute story. It made me miss the innocent days of high school (but then again, wasn’t really that innocent so…) and then again because of some of the dialogue, I didn’t. It felt contrived and very naive for a seventeen year old girl.
Scarlett is a strong character, but we get lost in what this book is about. As a contemporary book, it’s okay. But it feels more that it’s a book about Scarlett and friendships vs a romance. The romance fell short. It just wasn’t a believable element for me.
But back to Scarlett, she is such a strong character. She didn’t come across as weak, but she seemed to over power every other character. She was definitely ideal in the sense she didn’t take shit and kicked ass. She was determined to meet her own goals. But then again – she was flat out mean.
But again, the book read a little young to me. It was cute, but it felt more like a book for someone reading their first YA book and has no experience in the genre. However, for me, as a savvy reader, I felt as though the characters voices weren’t consistent. It wasn’t as if the changes were because the character did something to propel the story forward.
What the book did do well is portraying the complexities of friendship in the high school age. It’s complicated and it overtakes ones life. The way that the author had the characters chasing dreams, I admired and thought that was an important lesson for girls. I also appreciated the ending.
While I do feel that this book was an easy read, it wasn’t for me. I will pass it on to my 11 year old niece which it may be better for.
