Surprises are rare. The last book that had me “turning” e-page after page to find out what happened next was Andy Weir's The Martian. Then this. Because Dreambound was so unfamiliar, so new, I had no idea what would come. I usually can't help but try to figure it out before the protagonist does, or at least predict what’s coming next. That didn't happen here. Mr. Rey wrote something that engaged me so that I didn't *want* to spoil what was unfolding (Chapter Twenty Two - whoa and F*********k!). That is refreshing. This book was gripping and I was turning those e-pages as fast as I could read. I would have finished it it one sitting if I didn't have life and all intervening. And the pace accelerated until the (okay, I did allow myself one prediction) frenetic end.

Disclosure 1) I rarely summarize fiction plots, mainly because I think it unfair to the author - there are plenty of people who do for those on the hunt, and there is almost always an extra teaser blurb somewhere - and I think it unfair to the reader who, like me, dislikes spoilers. Still,Frey crafts two worlds - the in-book imagined Hidden one, and a more familiarly grounded, yet still slightly different "real" one. And weaves them well in a non-traditional form of storytelling.

Disclosure 2) I received an advance review copy of this from NetGalley and thank the marketing rep from the publisher Del Rey/Penguin Random House for suggesting it to me.

This book, at its core, is a book about a parental love for his child.
Byron Kidd's daughter ran away. He will do anything to find out what happened to her. Even if it means leaving this world behind.

With beautiful artistry, the author takes the reader on a fantastic journey to another world hidden in plain sight of our own.

I really liked the Fairy Tales within the story. I thought the interweaving of present day Los Angeles and the Hidden World was really neatly done.

I thought the characters were wooden and sometimes too cliched, Misha for example. Val for another. One parent wants to find the girl, the mother has already buried her. Seemed very far fetched.

Overall a good book, makes you think of acceptance and what we will all do to follow our hopes and dreams.

5 big stars. Finished this book in two days. A preteen girl who loves her fairy tale books disappears and her Dad has to come to terms that things are not black and white and he has to suspend what he thinks is true to save his daughter from an alternate reality and becomes a better person for it. Highly enjoyable and fast paced.

This is a very ambitious novel that turns into a meta-commentary on fantasy novels in general. I'm not entirely convinced that it works on that level, but it's a very interesting twist for readers who read a lot of books in this genre. I'm glad I read it, but understand that it's more than just a straight forward fantasy quest tale.

A chaotic mindbender with a heart of gold! - 4.5

What if fantasy novels were closer than they appeared? When 12 year old Liza goes missing, her Father links her disappearance, and others, to a series of kids fantasy books... and goes down a rabbit hole into a greater mystery than he is prepared for.

Ultimately, a redemption story leading to the importance of acceptance, I was swept away by not only the story, but the unique way it was told, a mix of narrative, emails, text exchanges and audio transcriptions.

Great for lovers of Rabbits by Miles and Ready Player One by Cline!

My thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I wasn't too sure about the structure of this book at first--it's written as a series of journal entries, recordings, and similar media--but as I read through the first few chapters, I found that the style made for quick pacing and unexpected twists. I think that the author succeeded at trying a fairly fresh way of writing a contemporary fantasy novel; I've seen sci-fi written in this way before, but not fantasy. It's always nice to read something new and original.

I found that most of the characters in the book were well fleshed-out, and the protagonist experiences some pretty significant character development over the course of the story. The plot is somewhat predicable, in the sense that the fantasy elements are pretty obvious from the beginning, even though the book is from a skeptic's point of view, but there aren't any serious flaws with the plot. It's a well-paced mystery that evolves into a bit of a thriller by the end.

Overall, I thought this was a solid contemporary fantasy novel, and I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a fresh take on the genre.

4.25, This book was not what I was expecting at all, but I am not complaining either! The book is written as a collection of emails, interviews, and short story entries which was surprising to me at first. It is very similar to Maria Semple's "Where'd You Go, Bernadette." This organization is not usually my forte, but it seemed to work very well for this story.

The overall storyline was great as well. I loved how it was an investigation at heart intertwined with fantasy and sci-fi. Most of the characters were also entertaining and interesting. The main character, Byron Kidd, and the way that he was written reminded me of Andy Weir's Ryland Grace ("Project Hail Mary") and Mark Watney ("The Martian"). Misha was probably my favorite character, though. Also, the ending had me SOBBING.

I am giving this book a 4.25 because while it was a page-turner for me, I felt like some parts could have been left out. Some of the short story entries were hard to follow. It might just be me because I am not used to reading about fairies and other fantasy entities. If you are into characters and plot points involving that, you will be sure to love this book! Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be sure to recommend it to others.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

I wasn't expecting this particular format, in emails and messages, and it threw me off. I don't particularly like that style of writing and so it was hard for me to get through. The story for what it was was interesting, but the format wasn't my cup of tea and I DNF'd at 45%.