Seventeen year old Scarlett wants to become a fashion designer. After running into a theater student named Nathaniel Wilder, she develops an new interest. She starts shadowing the drama teacher in the hopes of practicing and developing her skills. She hopes to mix her passion for fashion with theater and to get closer to Nathaniel. There is angst, rivalry, and newfound relationships. Overall this book was okay but a little too childish age for me. I feel like it's meant more for middle school age versus an adult. It was also a shorter book so not much to it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

2.8

Thanks to Netgalley and Level Best Books for an ARC of this title. Your Dream For Me is about two characters that honestly felt like ships passing in the night. Scarlett herself was a particular brand of bland and didn’t stick out much as far as protagonists go (how in the world can you want to go into fashion design and have never touched a sowing machine in her life?!) and stuck out as much as a brunette white woman in a Broadway audition. Not much to say about Nathaniel. Additionally, the book had an extremely contrite and childish writing style that bored me a great amount. It just felt like there should have been more side plots added to take away from the basic plot. Which is why I decided to give this book a 2.8 out of 5 stars. With just a bit more added detail and character information, I believe that this title could have been a better read.

A quick read which was cute in places, but just not for me. Probably more suited to a younger reader (28 over here!). Thanks to Netgalley and Level Best Books for this ARC.

okay hear me out. i really wanted to like this book. truly, i did. but alas, it did not work for me. i'm so sorry! but i'm so thankful to netgalley for allowing me to read it early!!!

Thank you, NetGalley, Alison Schaffir, and publishers for gifting me Your Dream For Me in return for my honest opinion.

3/5 stars

Seventeen-year-old Scarlett is not like her theatrically gifted parents, she has dreams of becoming a fashion designer. One day while she is sneaking into the school's costume rack to explore the racks. She happens to bump into the school's most talented actor, Nathaniel, who piques her interest in different areas. Will Scarlett get into her dream school, the Fashion Institute of Technology, or will she lose it all?

This is a very young adult, young adult book. I really enjoy most YA books but this one didn't work for me. When I read the blurb it sounded interesting, will she be able to achieve her dreams and what happens with her friends? But really I just didn't really care that much.

Scarlett wants to become a fashion designer and she is dreaming about getting into fashion school, so she must know how to sew and use a sewing machine correctly. Nope, she has a sewing machine but instead of teaching herself how to use it or look on youtube, she decides to let it sit until someone will teach her how to use it... Like really, this is your dream, do something about it! I would like to say that I enjoyed Nathaniel but you don't really see him all that much, we hear about him. From what we do see he is a caring young man who is very supportive to Scarlett.

This is a very quick read that is cute at points but it wasn't for me. I can see why some might like it but it is not for me.

a quick, cute and easy read. I didn't love Scarlett, and felt she was childish at times, but I'm not the prime YA audience, so a younger audience would love this even more!

A quick and easy read that I couldn't put down. Well written with a compelling and slow burning storyline and well developed characters

I loved the length of the book and the short chapters. It helped keep my attention a lot better than some books do. The characters were so well developed, I felt that I knew the characters personally. It was a great slow burn romance but there could've been a tad bit more romance to it. Other than that, great book, great character development, and great plot!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book.

This was a cute, YA story that was easy to read with short chapters, which I always enjoy.

I didn’t really care for the FMC in this as she felt a bit childish to me at certain points, despite being 17. I did however enjoy the growth and maturity in the ending of the book, which was a different ending than what I would’ve expected from a YA book.

In general, this book was unfortunately not for me, but I still think that a younger audience might enjoy it.

I thought this was a really cute YA novel! This was the authors debut novel and I thought it was super well done! The characters were so sweet and cute, centered around fashion and theatre. I wish I had this cute book when I was in high school!

I do wish it was a tiny bit longer and more flushed out, as I wasn't ready for it to end but maybe we'll get a sequel!?

Thank you to NetGalley and Level Best Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Your Dream for Me is such a sweet book, delivering on the promise of a lighthearted read that I had going into it. The characters grew on me with each passing chapter. I appreciated the healthy relationship Scarlett has with her parents. They are so supportive of her and her dreams, while also setting important boundaries. Of course, Scarlett occasionally tries to bend their rules but she also has to bear the consequences. That is a refreshing aspect given that Your Dream for Me is a YA contemporary book.

Speaking of YA, Scarlett’s voice comes across as a little younger than I expected. The setting is high school junior year. Scarlett is 17. Yet, the writing style seems a little more suited for 15-year-olds. That’s not too far off the mark but confused me. Arguably, Your Dream for Me could be an entertaining means to prepare sophomores for junior and maybe senior year. Still, I found it a bit jarring that as the narrator, Scarlett spends a lot of time spelling out her thoughts and interpretations of situations. On the proverbial scale of “show, don’t tell” Your Dream for Me leans heavily towards “tell.” Perhaps presenting the story as a collection of diary entries would have worked better.

In any case, the thematic explorations are strong. Schaffir built on the themes of friendship, family, ambition and romance. These brought me back to my high school years. Reflecting on where I was at 17, I had no idea what I wanted to become. I wondered what it was like for those who knew what they wanted to do when they grew up. Scarlett gave me an insight I wish I’d had back then.

At the same time, Your Dream for Me brought me back to my theatre days. I think it’s great that acting isn’t Scarlett’s goal. Instead, she wants to design clothes, in line with her ambitions to break into the fashion industry when she is older. I loved that because the non-acting parts of theatre haven’t factored in other theatre-focussed novels I’ve read, even though they are important. Be it ushering, set design, sound or tech, they all contribute to the experience. Your Dream for Me captures that.

Even though Your Dream for Me is on the shorter side, the stakes of conflict pack a punch. They drew me in, and I wanted to know how things would be resolved, if at all. I found myself smiling, getting angry, feeling relieved, which for me means I was invested, especially because I enjoyed getting to know Macie, Scarlett’s best friend, and their relationship is a huge driver of the plot. I do wish there was more character development for the swim team but with the length of the book, I am satisfied with what Your Dream for Me entails.

This book is too young for me! I tried to get into it, but I found myself bored and annoyed with the characters. I think someone who reads middle grade or ya would enjoy it. But I primarily read upper YA/NA. I’m just the wrong audience! I tried though!

YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK! This was book was fantastic start to finish! Schaffir is such a promising writer — can’t wait to see what she does next. Her characters are well developed, dialogue is meaningful, plot moves at a great pace, and her writing style is so enjoyable. Definitely see Schaffir being a HUGE name in the YA romance space. Write another one please!!!!!!!

Your Dream For Me is a YA/ Coming of Age story revolving around 3 main characters, Scarlett, Macie and Nathaniel. I love reading YA books as it always bring fresh and raw feelings whenever I read them.

The story happens in between major high school events like prom and school plays. The main character Scarlett is into fashion while her best friend Macie is into theatre. Whilst Scarlet is not into acting, she finds herself involved in the production of a school play and met another friend Nathaniel.

I feel like the storytelling is flat, not much of character development as well. Though the author inserts very important issues in the story that I think most of the young readers are experiencing, I can’t seem to emphatize with the characters. The romance is lacking, I understand that this is YA but the intimate moments between Scarlet and Nathaniel is bland.

Nothing much to highlight in the story. It seems trying to convey an idea of transformation from a teenager with dreams and aspirations to a young adult facing a new world with hope that all their dreams will come true. Looks good on paper but lacking execution.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Your Dream For Me is the perfect combination of fashion/theater and a heartwarming romance.
We follow badass Scarlett with a passion for fashion and the theater kid Nathaniel. The book contains your typical meet-cute and high school drama. The FMC is fierce and compassionate about her friends. Sometimes she makes choices without thinking about it first, which makes me a bit annoyed sometimes. However she quickly comes to realize her mistakes and her growth in the book is truly inspiring. It was emotional, funny and cute all at once. Sometimes a bit predictable, but totally worth the read if you love fashion and the arts. It discusses themes like friendship, love and self-discovery in a fast-pace.

thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review.
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this book is perfect for the younger YA audience the chapters were short and sweet and the story was easy to follow. I enjoyed Scarlett as a main character and how she began her career in the fashion design(by starting from the very bottom). I enjoyed all of the side characters and how they were involved throughout the novel. I do wish we got to see more of Scarlett and Nathaniel together. This book was cute enough it was a simple story perfect if you just want a quick read.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the book in exchange for a review.
I loved how this started, how it pulled the reader in, and how the author told the story. about high school theatre. I loved that it was super easy to read and I really liked reading it after a bunch of romance (mainly adult) that I was reading. Overall this was an interesting read and I would recommend it to theatre kids and YA readers,

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

This was a DNF for me. I just couldn't get into it at all, so I stopped at around 20%. Just a miss for me.

I really enjoyed this book, give me romance and a FMC having a passion in fashion design and I'm so in! Can't wait to read more from Alison!

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.

With fashion still as her main priority, Scarlett vows to learn how to make a 50s-inspired dress for her best friend, Macie. After all, she needs a strong portfolio of work to help her get into her dream school, the Fashion Institute of Technology. The one problem? She has no idea how to operate a sewing machine. Thanks to Nathaniel's encouragement, Scarlett decides to shadow the school's drama teacher to practice her skills, hoping to fuse her passion for fashion with theater...and be closer to him for the spring play.

Scarlett's designs are unfolding, but a distressing event involving Macie shakes everyone in Scarlett's world—causing their friendship to falter and Nathaniel to unexpectedly pull away. With building stressors threatening the rest of the year, including a rival who wants to tarnish Scarlett's reputation, Scarlett must rely on her determined spirit and newfound sewing skills to keep her fashion dreams—and her most important relationships—from unraveling.

Loved it, loved it. I thought this story was amazing.