I just couldn't get into this. I gave it a few chapters and really wasn't connecting to the characters at all, and the story just didn't suck me in, so unfortunately I didn't finish it.

Just wasn't for me.

DNF. This book was not for me. The writing style was not appealing to me and could not hold my attention long enough to get through the story.

While I enjoyed this book, I feel the synopsis is a bit misleading. I expected more suspense and behind the scenes in the political world and while there was plenty of talk about the fact that Chelsea's father was running for Prime Minister, there was very little sinister or plot twisting about it.

Dreams Beyond the Shore is a short novel about two teens in Trinidad, one who's father is running for Prime Minister and the other with an absentee father. Both dad's may dabble on the wrong side of the law, but really this story is about being a teenager on this island and gaining independence. Written by a Trinidad native, I liked the glimpse into life there that she gave.

I was not able to finish this book, I found the dialect too hard to understand.

Dreams Beyond the Shore had a lot of potential, but unfortunately it left a lot of plot points unexplored. The second part of the above summary promises political intrigue and a horrible discovery to be a big part of the plot. Yet when this reveal finally comes into play, it's more like an afterthought.

The problem with Dreams Beyond the Shore is that it focused a lot on the romance between Chelsea and Kyron, instead of everything both of them are going through and the political intrigue that is promised. While a bit insta-lovey to me, it wasn't rushed and it was handled realistically. When Kyron makes a pretty big mistake, it isn't glossed over and he realises himself how wrong it was. So it's not that it was a bad romance, I just wish all the other topics like politics, having demanding parents, parents using you for your own gain, standing up for yourself and finding your own path - had been explored more.

Once I got to the ending, the story didn't feel over because of this. I was left with a lot of questions. It felt like the plot points were introduced only to be forgotten.

That said, it was really interesting to see a YA book set in Trinidad and Tobago, read about their culture and a bit about their politics. It's not badly written at all either. There is a lot of slang, which was a bit hard to get through in the beginning, but soon I got used to it and I flew through the book.

In the end, it was an interesting read but just a bit underdeveloped. A lot of plot points felt barely touched upon to me, the characters themselves needed more development and we needed to see them more (like Chelsea's grandmother who was an absolute gem) - I didn't feel attached to these characters at all and didn't really care what happened to them.

DNF

Dreams Beyond the Shore tells about two teenagers who has to take a different path than their peers, it's the story that leads to inspiring youth who chooses to go for their dreams and stand against their parents and the path they want their child to take. What's more, this plot takes it more complex - told by two main character's perspectives, Chelsea Marchand and Kyron, two teenagers of complete lifestyle opposites. But you have heard - opposites attracts? Chelsea belongs to Politicians high society class family and Kyron - not even near that...but what does unites them? Being too much influenced by their fathers criminal life activities overshadowing themselves...

This is a story set in rather small island, giving readers a new setting, because how many stories have you read that are set in Caribbean? They both sparkle a fast romance and flirting but as much as everything else is going around them, it also comes between them. It was interesting read, but I didn't connect with both characters. The writer has interestingly written a plot to build up, for both of teenagers finding more about those who they love, they both go through a lot and they learn...

(I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

In Dreams Beyond the Shore, Chelsea must reckon her father's plans for her future on Trinidad and Tobago with her own hopes for an education at Georgetown. She meets Kyron and finds a true friend in the midst of a flirty, fun romance. The two learn more about their families, their connection, and themselves as the story unfolds.

I thought this book was "fine, just fine", but I really loved the depth of the backdrop of T&T. Gibson didn't offer any "explanatory commas", so I found myself searching local terms and idioms. I LOVED doing this, and stepping outside of my own experience and learning about another culture. With all of Chelsea and Kyron's travels, I looked at maps and read Wikipedia articles about this nation I know little about and even found recipes for the food mentioned in the novel.

I would have loved more depth in the story itself - I don't think we learn nearly enough about Chelsea's father's dealings, even though he's said to be very unscrupulous. I thought there would be more political intrigue based on the description, so I'm not really sure what this book intended to be. I would have liked it better if it had been just a straight contemporary coming-of-age without the backroom dealings backdrop.

A definite addition to a high school classroom library.

Honestly, I didn't finish this book. I tried, I really did, but the language was so unfamiliar and I just couldn't slough through it.

While I enjoyed this book, I feel the synopsis is a bit misleading. I expected more suspense and behind the scenes in the political world and while there was plenty of talk about the fact that Chelsea's father was running for Prime Minister, there was very little sinister or plot twisting about it.

Dreams Beyond the Shore is a short novel about two teens in Trinidad, one who's father is running for Prime Minister and the other with an absentee father. Both dad's may dabble on the wrong side of the law, but really this story is about being a teenager on this island and gaining independence. Written by a Trinidad native, I liked the glimpse into life there that she gave.

In Dreams Beyond the Shore we find seventeen year old Chelsea at a crossroads in her life, left to decide whether to be the dutiful daughter her politician father expects her to be or to follow her own dreams to be a writer.

At its heart this is a coming-of-age love story. Told from two perspectives, Chelsea's and Kyron's-her eighteen year old boyfriend, the story is real and the central characters' voices ring true to the electric experience of new teenage love. Kyron steals the show with his good looks, confidence, intelligence, and integrity all mixed in with a slight bad-boy vibe.

Dreams Beyond the Shore is set on the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and while the setting is important, it remains in the background leaving at the forefront the classic tale of two teens struggling to define life on their own terms. Teen readers will definitely connect to their stories.

While the central story line is well written and developed, readers may find themselves wanting to know more about the underlying stories of Mr. Marchand's connection to the criminal world and the implications of his rise to being Prime Minister, both for the country and for Chelsea and Kyron.

There is an interesting cast of secondary characters who do have some depth but are unsatisfying in that their appearances are fleeting.
During her narrative, Chelsea hints repeatedly at her father being duplicitous and corrupt but we don't see hard evidence of this. Near the end there is a strong suggestion that Mr. Marchand has been involved in horrible crimes however it is hard to believe that these are the sort of activities of which Chelsea was aware.

This is an enjoyable book. I became invested in the lives of the main characters and was left wanting at the end as I needed to know more about the characters' fates.

This debut novel enthralled me with its strong character development and Trinidadian references, which are such a rare find given how rarely experiences other than white ever get published!