Dreamland

Glued to my screen!!! I was lured in with a girl working at a bookstore: Moonrise Bookstore (who could resist that name?). I followed the breadcrumbs willingly. . . .and even when the plot seemed to turn a corner, and I spoke the murderer’s name out loud so I would have the smug satisfaction of saying I’d called it before halfway through, there was no loosening my grip on that kindle. I stayed to the very, very end. Breathless and all.

This was a roller coaster read. The characters fit their parts and the setting in Coney Island’s Dreamland with all the actual events of 1911 woven in as they were could have felt very contrived. They didn’t – it felt exactly right, deftly woven in with the action and decorated with exquisite side characters. And was I right about whodunit? Nope. Not even close. It’s even better when the author bests me – I don’t mind, a bit!

I’m looking for more from Nancy Bilyeau. . .her book “The Blue” was an earlier read from this year – look for it, too.

A 4.5 stars recommendation from me for Dreamland!

A sincere thanks to Nancy Bilyeu, Endeavour Quill/Endeavor Media Ltd and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bilyeau has done a fantastic job at portraying a family that has let its wealth make some naive and others corrupt. It was very easy to sympathise with Stefan (who was my favourite character) and the ordeal he went through in this book. However, I found Peggy's character development lacking, showing consistent naivety and grasping ideas very slowly. At times, following her became rather frustrating, as if the reader is always five steps ahead of her.

The setting of Dreamland crossed a strange line between mythical and fabricated, with a dark undertone (and also general tone) that ran through those scenes. I really liked that you couldn't quite be sure what to expect when the characters entered the theme park.

The villains of the story were very unredeemable; it was difficult to see any kind of humanity in them or reason behind their actions. It would have been good to explore their characters a bit more.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

PROS:
• Night Circus vibes.
Even if this is a mystery book and Night Circus is a fantasy one, and they don't have anything in common, the first chapters, plus some other parts, reminded me of precisely that one book. After finishing reading Dreamland, I have read some other reviews to see if anyone had this feeling, and it turns out I am the single one that felt this way. I don't know exactly what was the trigger for this, but I am inclined to think that the setting and the atmosphere had something to do with it. Or, it's possible that my memory to play some tricks on me because, you know, there are years and years from when I have read The Night Circus.
• Glimpse in the past.
Since I don't read that much historical fiction, I was pleasantly surprised to discover how life was for people about 100 years ago, and mostly how it was for women back then.
• The pacing.
I have to admit that at some points I felt it is a little slow-paced, but it wasn't the book's fault. After some time I have realized that the not too slow not too fast pace of it, it was perfect for this kind of book, and it gave me time to sink in all the information and feelings.

CONS:
• Rushed/short ending.
All that came after the reveal, it felt rushed. Like, you put the gift in the box, but you don't take the time and the necessary supplies to give a nice look to your gift. You just put it in the box, throw the address label on it and off you go. It was like the way of writing it was done by someone else. It didn't correspond with the rest of the book. And when I am saying this, I am referring specifically to the execution, not to the way it finished.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:
• This wasn't at all a bad book. Neither was a very good one. It delivered what it promised, had a great way to do so, and had plenty of awesome characters, but unfortunately, it didn't bring something new to me. Or what it was new, it wasn't that big of a wow in order for me to rate it with more than 3.5 stars.

A beautiful story. Having read other offerings by Ms. Bilyeau, I knew this would be a special treat. I was surprised at the setting however because previous books by her were set in England many centuries ago. This was a refreshing change since it was set at the turn of the 20th century in New York City and surrounded the idea of class society and immigration at the time. Wonderful character development and beautiful ideas. I was especially excited about the fact that it was about a young woman who was trying to go against the grain of what was assumed was the norm for women of the time. I would highly recommend this to any budding feminists in our midst.

DREAMLAND is a wonderful look at a young woman who doesn't conform to society. She is part of the privileged class of monied families that populated New York City sitting side by side with the Rockerfellers, Astors, and Vanderbilts but even when her branch of the family falls on hard times, fights tradition of marrying for wealth. Her ways of escaping are working in interesting places until the family finds her and even she is not prepared for a summer near the seductive Coney Island. A perfect pick for historical fiction lovers especially those who look for a spunky heroine. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

I really enjoyed ‘Dreamland’ by Nancy Bilyeau. Whilst it was an easy read it was also well written. The story, whilst set in the early part of the twentieth century had themes running through it that were bang up to date : racism, anti-semitism etc.

Dreamland is a historical novel set in Coney Island, 1911. Peggy Batternberg is from a prominent NYC Jewish family who decide to spend the summer months at the Oriental Hotel on Coney Island. Peggy visits Dreamland amusement park with her cousins and meets a handsome artist, Stefan. Stefan is a hard working immigrant and someone her family would not approve of. Peggy and Stefan begin seeing each other secretly just as a series of shocking murders occur on Coney Island. Stefan is accused and Peggy works to clear his name.

I wanted to read this novel because I love fiction about long ago amusement parks (i.e. Palisades Park by Alan Brennert and Joyland by Stephen King). I LOVED the glimpses of Dreamland in this book. They were absolutely fascinating!

The first half of the novel was fast moving and compelling. At some point, though, there seemed to be a problem of balance between the romance and the mystery story, and both lost some steam in the process.

As someone who loves historical fiction (favorite genre) and historical mysteries, I am glad I read this book, despite some reservations about the conclusion.

I have just finished reading Dreamland By Nancy Bilyeau.

The story is a historical fiction/mystery that takes place in 1911 in Coney Island, with the main character being an American Heiress, Peggy Battenberg

This to me was both very interesting and enjoyable. the era and place make for a great read. The clothing, decor, and intrigue set up for a book that kept me interested from start to finish!

Thank you to NeGalley, Nancy Bilyeau, and Endeavour Media

This novel had it all...secrets, intrigue, love and murder. All set in the dreamy landscape of Coney Island. Although when I say dreamy I truly mean dreams; which of course includes nightmares.
We are following the ever independent Peggy; an heiress who wants to be as far away from her family and prestige as possible as she is forced to spend the summer with them. During that time she finds the true meaning of privilege after a murder unravels in front of her.

I was first drawn to this book because of the cover. It spoke of danger and thrills. I can say with certainty that this book delivered.

Peggy Batternberg is part of a wealthy, snobbish family. They throw their money around and thinks it exempts them from the same treatment as the working class. Unfortunately, in many cases they are correct. Peggy herself hates the way her family acts. When the book opens, she’s working in a bookstore. Not for the money, which she doesn’t need, but for a sense of freedom. She’s pulled away to spend the summer on Coney Island with her family, and her sister’s fiance, who is an absolute jerk.

While in Coney Island, Peggy falls for an artist, but when women are found murdered, he’s the main suspect. Peggy has to prove he’s innocent- provided he actually is. Her efforts show the disparity between how the wealthy and working class are treated. The more Peggy pries, the more dangerous things become.

Peggy herself annoyed the living snot out of me at first. She looked down on her family’s privilege, but was perfectly okay with enjoying them herself. Her hypocrisy really bugged me. However, as the story went on, she began to change and mature. I liked her much more by the end of the book.

The story itself was really good. I liked the wealth of detail the author provided, and the pictures she painted with her words. I was able to picture every part of Coney Island, and it made the book incredibly enjoyable.

While I could see the ending from a mile away, it didn’t dull my enjoyment of the book in the slightest. This is one of the better mysteries I’ve read this year, and I’ll happily read more of Nancy Bilyeau’s books.

I was given a copy of Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the setting of this novel. 1910s New York was a really cool place to explore. I haven’t read many novels set in the 1910’s and find it to be an underappreciated era. I also love novels centered around amusement parks, circuses or carnivals etc. I was intrigued by the Coney Island setting. I really wanted more of it but the glimpses the reader got were great. I can tell the author did really good research on the era as well. Little conversations about things like women’s suffrage and incubators in carnival side shows really pinpoint that. There were multiple times where I learned things and also smiled when the novel talked about historical elements I knew about. There was also great discussion on how stymied women felt at this time. How many longed to venture out of their “sphere”. Feminism in the book was very present but in a historically appropriate amount. There were also great discussions of racism and hatred for immigrants in the novel. Really showed in a lot of ways our society hasn’t changed.

I really liked Peggy. She seemed like the modern girl that many people are more familiar with coming out of the 1920s. I immediately was invested in her story line. She never felt like a poor little rich girl.

The mystery was ok. I liked the premise of the mystery but found it a little obvious. I figured out quite early on who the murderer was. And found the villain to be a bit one dimensional.

I thought the romance was sweet. Young and innocent in a lot of ways. I was actually surprised with how it ended and loved that ending.

Overall I really found this book interesting and enjoyed it. I’d recommend it to people who enjoy historical fiction.

Bilyeau’s new novel takes us to 1911 Coney Island and into the world of the Peggy, a twenty-year old heiress who is not your typical socialite. She is strong willed, independent and intelligent against the wishes of her family who is concerned with appearances. When she meets an immigrant artist in the Dreamland amusement park and falls for him, she realises just how different life is for the working class. As girls start to turn up murdered, Peggy finds she needs to defy her family even more to help solve the murders and free an innocent man. Wonderfully developed characters and rich descriptions of the settings add to this suspenseful historical thriller and make for a great read.

Thanks so much for the ARC for Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau. I was sucked right into to 1911 New York -- Coney Island in the summer. The characters grabbed me right away and the mystery was strong. I thought I knew who "done it" but I was never sure and had to keep reading to be sure.

Dreamland, is an absorbing historical mystery with some romance set in 1911, New York City. Peggy Batternberg, a young heiress, is anxious to escape the shackles of her restrictive family which is all consumed by appearance and status. She is allowed to work in a bohemian bookstore and live in Greenwich Village but her life is disrupted when she is commanded to spend the summer at the Oriental Hotel in Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, next to Coney Island, which was then home to three amusement parks including Dreamland. The setting is a perfect one for family drama, a forbidden romance and a murder mystery. Ms. Bilyeau does an excellent job in putting the reader in early twentieth century New York where a handful of wealthy robber barons ruled like royalty and the poor immigrants were met with fear and loathing. I was raised in Sheepshead Bay in the shadow of the former racetrack and swam at the beaches where the three luxury hotels stood long ago. My love of Coney Island has been lifelong. So much so that I have a large collection of memorabilia from this period. So when Bilyeau places Peggy and the others in Dreamland, I can attest to the accuracy of her descriptions of the surroundings. (I forgive the author for the small time discrepancy as the fire that ultimately destroyed Dreamland took place before the start of the 1911 summer season.) This enjoyable book was a nice find and a quick read. It comes out on January 16, 2020. Many thanks to NetGalley, Endeavour Media and Ms. Bilyeau for the ARC. Rating: 4.25.

I 'wished' for Dreamland on Netgalley and SOOO glad the publisher granted my wish. This book is truly a 4.5 (hello out there can we get .5 for reviews?)
1911 when a ruling class certainly ran America (and especially New York). Peggy Batternberg is part of a ruling class family. She must fit into all of their rules and ideals. She managed to get a job at a bookstore and loves the anonymity of it. Family duties beckon (force) her to go to the Oriental Hotel on Coney Island.
There she finds a freedom she can't find even at the bookstore. She also finds family secrets that some in her family may deem worth killing for.
This was a fun, suspenseful, dramatic read that also reminded me how far women have come since 1911 in terms of roles. The character development flows throughout the book as we see how sometimes the rich thrive on pitting family members against each other in order to help keep things 'within the family',
I highly recommend putting this on your TBR!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC and Endeavour Media for granting my wish.

This book appealed to me as it’s set in roughly the same time and place as The Great Gatsby. That’s about as far as the similarities go, although there is a good mixture of likeable and unlikeable characters in this one too.
The main character Peggy is gutsy and compassionate. Having started to make a life for herself outside of her family, she is hauled back in with barely a moment’s notice. I’ve read a few books recently with a female protagonist in a historical setting pushing against society’s constraints (Violet in Tracey Chevalier’s A Single Thread comes to mind) and Peggy stands up well in that company. I think it’s easy to be sniffy about this type of character, but what’s the alternative, yet another white male chauvinist lead?
I enjoyed this glimpse into the gilded society of early 20th century East Coast America. Peggy’s quest for justice gave it an added dimension. I wasted no time in adding The Blue to my to-read list!

This book was an absolute joy to read! Bilyeau brilliantly captured the essence of the struggles of both the wealthy and the immigrants in New York and how they paralleled each other. The novel provides readers with historical references to the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, the heat wave that blanketed the north east for 11 days, the social club known as the Four Hundred, the popularity of Brooklyn as a playground for the rich at the turn of the century, and the necessary escape that Coney Island brought to the masses. This suspenseful tale has every element of success: murder, deceit, love, corruption, perseverance, obsession, and redemption. A book that will keep you up at night rushing to the end but that will leave wanting more once you're finished.

First, when one of my favorite authors has a book on the way, it's an exciting wait. Definitely a new addition to my library. Nancy Bilyeau is a fantastic writer and I highly recommend her books. This one is no exception!
Set in 1911, New York City, in Coney Island, this book reflects all the fun of the amusement park and includes a mystery that will keep the reader guessing. Having worked in an amusement park myself, I know the way an exhausted worker feels after a long day watching the public play, have fun, get into fights, and many other things. Pleasing the public is one of the hardest jobs. Nancy takes you to Coney Island! You can feel the tiredness and sweat of the people who have put in a hard day of work, with little pay.
This is a well written book, with characters who are well developed and I enjoyed it very much. Not to be missed!
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley. I will definitely have a copy of the hardcover also! Thank you,Netgalley!
All opinions are my own.

Well well well...this was something... something wonderful. Dreamland turned out to be an excellently written Historical Fiction whodunit set in New York more than a century ago. The foundation and general demeanor of this chronological opus seemed to be very well researched. Having grown up in Manhattan Beach Brooklyn, the whole atmosphere of the book felt incredibly familiar. I formed an instant connection, a tether to the heart and soul of the story, due to the sheer authenticity of the backdrop. Sure, the fine details were different, as would be expected with such a generational gap between the story's setting and my own experiences, but this period's Coney Island and its surroundings were undeniably congruent with my many many childhood memories. It was as if I just left mere days ago... and if I lived over a hundred years ago... BUT since I didn't, I found myself torn between being sad that I wasn't around to see some of the country's greatest technological advancements AND being ecstatic with my modern day rights as a woman (this of course was the clear winner). I love my right to vote, to earn equal pay as a man, to wear comfy bathing suits or even pants if I'd like.


Anywho, I saw this book as an homage to Women. It showcased a few strong female characters including (but not limited to) our MC Margaret (aka Peggy), her sister Lydia and even her aunt Helen who bravely circumvented the family's united front (and best interests) by warning Peggy of a possible familial plotter planning her demise. It was intense and extremely satisfying. Peggy was accessible, spunky and likeable. She exhibited grace, tenacity, honor and poise all while operating under the heavy thumb of her uncle David, the family's heir apparent Ben and Society as a whole. She was unafraid to stand up for those she loved and defended her admirable morals with vigor. Lydia, on the other hand, was a quiet type of strong. She stoically held her own against a stifling, overprotective family, a capricious fiance and a world looking to put her in her place. She emphatically vowed to be a proponent for Women's rights and her sibling relationship with Peggy was both compelling and envious.


What was the actual Trifecta of Awesomeness (Writing Quality + Character Development + World Development) like? Well, good thing you asked... ummmm thought... whatever! Dremland's pacing was spot on. The writing was beautific with period appropriate dialogue that was neither flowery nor verbose yet extremely satisfying. The characters were well fleshed out and the world building was elegant and exceedingly rich. These touches left me feeling like an actual participant in the story rather than a mere voyeur and it was fantastic!


As fantastic as it was, it did feel like a guilty sort of enjoyment because this poignant book illustrated some major biases of this bygone era. The injustices included the socioeconomic diaspora of the immigrant working class as well as the disparity between the sexes. What was considered to be acceptable, expected and tolerated behavior? In response we were given a tiny, seemingly plausible, peek into the lives and appetites of the Rich as well as a glimpse into the mindset, behavior, and treatment of the immigrant population a century ago. Sadly it was not too far off from some modern day conditions/expectations AND not only were the foreigners discriminated against but Women's conditions were stifling and (at times) abhorrent as well.


That being said I had three major gripes:

First, there was a crazy obsessed crazy person who may or may not have been unravelling at the seams. This could certainly work nicely in a story but here it was just confusing. Was he or was he not in love with our MC? Was he the one trying to kill her? Was he the one responsible for the local women's deaths? Was he schizophrenic? Was he an alien? Who knows? Well, we only SORT of know at the end (which is what makes things confusing) but still... I'm not telling.

Second, there was a glaring case of insta-love whereby "I love you(s)" were exchanged by both parties after just 2 meetings... a big No-No for me.

Third, some chapters jumped around and switched topics and voices without preamble or segue. These jumps made things feel incongruent and violently yanked me out of the story's flow. I ended up having to backtrack to find the train of thought again WHICH, needless to say, was jarring and exceedingly frustrating.


Overall:

This was an ethereal gem that harkened back to a "freely discriminating " "simpler" era that has passed in years but whose mindset has never been fully outgrown BUT... on the other hand... we got authentic, poignant writing, a wonderfully well rounded cast and a lush, robust World... who could ask for more? This book has it all!


If you are a Historical Fiction lover or an admirer of Whodunits in general then this book will certainly resonate with you! I am not a regular when it comes to those genres. Although after having read this book, I can definitely see the appeal. If you're on the fence about testing these genres let me be the first (or 100th) to tell you that a book like this one could easily make a convert out of you or me.


What are my final two cents? Well, that's easy, I think you should go ahead and give Dreamland a try... you'll thank me later.


~ Enjoy


*** I was given a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ***

A marvelous evocation of life in 1911 New York, as told through the eyes of twenty year-old Peggy Batternberg, rebel daughter of privilege who "slums" with her extended Jewish family for a summer at Coney Island. But why has this pompous, fabulously rich upper class family consented to the stay at the hoi-poloi Brooklyn shore? Peggy's sister, the only member of the clan she has a meaningful relationship with, is engaged. It was the fiance's demand.
Rebellious and open-minded, chafing at the restrictions a female from her class must endure, Peggy goes to Coney Island with three male relatives. She storms away from them and finds herself in Dreamland, one of Coney Island's massive amusement parks. An art exhibit captures her interest. She meets Stefan, a poor Serbian immigrant and talented artist. She likes him. They can talk. He takes her to dinner. Her family would be horrified.
But the proper veneer of respectability the Batternberg family - particularly the men - projects hides a multitude of sins, most shared by the mercurial Henry Taul, Peggy's future brother-in-law. Who has a mistress, and where is she kept? Which brothels do they patronize? Who is involved in the murders of young women? Why have the police singled out a poor, powerless Serbian artist as suspect? When Peggy protests at Stefan's brutal treatment, her powerful Uncle David threatens her with the ultimate punishment.
You'll be grateful for your air-conditioning, for comfy clothes, for the right to vote, indeed for the many freedoms women didn't have and are so well-drawn in this book. It is as much social commentary as well as historical murder mystery. It's a five.

Many thanks to the publisher, Endeavour Media, and NetGalley for this Advance Reading copy. Dreamland will be released January 2, 2020.