Alright, I've let this marinate for a handful of days so I finally feel ready to talk about it.

Canadian author Heather O'Neill's latest is a kind of modern fairy tale in which the daughter of a prominent intellectual mother is sent out of their occupied country with a precious manuscript written by her mother that she's promised could preserve the artistic autonomy of their native land. But the youngsters' way out of the country is a trap and our teenage main character barely escapes with her life - and without her mother's book. She wanders through the forest with a talking goose as a companion, hoping that the pages have made their way to the notorious "Black Market" and that she can stay alive long enough to find them.

Heather O'Neill's specialty is blending the horrific realities of the human condition with a nonsensical amount of whimsy, so fairy tales are firmly within her wheelhouse - especially those old-fashioned ones in which terrible things befall the characters. The sections in which our main character Sofia is travelling through the wilderness are somewhat distorted; she's clearly kidding herself about something even if we don't find out about what for a long, long time.

As such, I much preferred the flashback scenes showing Sofia and her intelligentsia mother Clara, who weren't close before the occupation by "the Enemy" (a kind of hybrid of the Russians and the Germans), but who grow attached to one another once their country has been invaded. They have a very complex relationship that Sofia is still working through as she wanders through the woods.

I had somewhat given up on really enjoying this book until there is a VERY interesting revelation toward the end of the book that recontextualizes everything we had already read before it, making you see both Sofia and her mother with new eyes.

That's what turned this into a 4 star read for me over a 2 or a 3. I haven't been able to stop thinking about what that "twist" means to the story and the mother-daughter relationship we were introduced to.

I didn't enjoy this nearly as much as When We Lost Our Heads and The Lonely Hearts Hotel, but it's provided enough food for thought to keep me feasting for days, and that's something.

After reading her previous historical fiction book, this one came as quite a surprise. It was quite fantastical, but still the writing was smart, and beautiful, & a joy to read. The characters were likable and interesting, & I very much enjoyed the touch of magical realism which is the opposite of what I usually feel. It added the perfect amount of lightness.

I enjoyed this, but must say I was a bit disappointed as I related to previous works of Heather O'Neill's more. Still - this is an interesting modern-day fable, and I liked how it all tied together in the end.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

O’Neill’s When We Lost Our Heads is one of my favorite novels ever, so I was super excited to read O’Neill’s next novel. It absolutely delivered what I’d been expecting, which is a decadent dream with beautiful language and quite a bit to actually chew on, once you actually dig into it.

The Capital of Dreams is a bit of a meandering novel, sometimes literally since Sofia and the goose do sort of just wander around for long periods of time. But honestly? I didn’t mind it at all. I adored how dreamy this is and how it’s sort of the literary equivalent of taking hallucinogens. She captures the fairy tale quality SO well, but because of this I don’t know if I’d recommend this to people who prefer something more grounded and uh…. clear, I guess, but more for me.

A stunning cover! I love Heather O'Neill and this story. There was such a loveliness to it that gave me childhood-vibes, mysterious like The Secret Garden with the coziness of Narnia. O'Neill's distinctive writing style and A-plus character development shines through yet again with her almost-spooky and haunting vibes. I want more stories from Elysia! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this ARC!

No one encapsulates the intricate and often paradoxical essence of adolescent girls quite like author Heather O'Neill in The Capital of Dreams! Sofia embodies the relatable blend of awkwardness, courage, and exasperation, truly representing the authentic spirit of a 14-year-old girl. Love starved and lonely is a terrible creature to be, you might end up wandering through the forest with a talking goose as your only companion. Give this book a chance, there is a twist that will be worth the price of admission.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the advanced copy of this book.
I was excited for the world-building, reclamation of self, and perseverance of the main character in this story. I read through multiple chapters before deciding to DNF. Unfortunately, Sci-Fi is not really my jam so I struggled to really get into this book. Others who are fans of sci-fi, world-building, and war-filled fantasy might enjoy this book. I’d recommend to my friends who enjoy those, it just wasn’t for me!

I have read and loved Heather O'Neill's work in the past, but this was painfully boring. I did love the goose character though.

Let me preface this review by saying that I’m a DIEHARD fan of ‘When We Lost Our Heads.’ That book changed my brain chemistry.

That said, this one didn’t really do it for me. As always, O’Neill’s prose is fresh and poignant. I would gleefully read her grocery list if given the opportunity. But I feel like excellent prose couldn’t completely carry this book and the things that I loved from WWLOH were missing in ‘The Capital of Dreams.’

Honestly, I think it’s a me problem. I’m always trying to branch out and try new things in fiction, but most war related stories really just don’t do anything for me. There’s an undeniable blend of whimsy and grit within this novel, and it’s brimming with the complicated character dynamics that O’Neill is also renowned for, but there was just something holding me back from loving this one as much as I wanted to.

That cover is stunning though!

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for a free copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own :)

IA fantastic story, and a marvelous work of literature with prose that borders on poetry, interesting enough to keep me turning pages. Five stars!

A fairytale? A war story? A tale of survival?

A little girl faces the destruction of her country as it is invaded by The Enemy, and is tasked with delivering a work of resistance literature to the outside world. Alone in the unfamiliar world outside the capital, she befriends a goose and they travel on foot together. As her journey becomes perilous and she has to improvise in order to survive, reality becomes intertwined with the mythology of the young, and fact blends with fable.

4.5

Heather O’Neill knows exactly how to put the chaos, wonder, and ache of girlhood into words.

The Capital of Dreams is a delightfully strange story. It follows Sofia, a fourteen-year-old girl forced to flee her home when her country is invaded. Through her eyes, war becomes something almost mythical—filled with talking geese, secret markets, and an eccentric cast of characters.

This story turned out to be much darker than I was expecting which I didn’t mind. I could definitely see myself rereading this and getting something new from it every time.

“The thing about the metamorphosis out of girlhood is that there is a buoyancy to it. It is a moment in life, a brief flash when you must at least try to run. To see if you can run fast enough to catch up to that feeling of being yourself. And claim it
as your own.”

“How can we ever be given proof that something does not exist? That absence, the unknowing. Is that what keeps us going in life? Looking for something that we lost, that we believe should be ours. Do we ever come across anything we are looking for?”

I never read anything by Heather O'Neil before, so I didn't really know what to expect. This was definitely unlike anything I've read in quite a while.

I really enjoyed how the author blended several genres is a mashup of a few genres. It is a coming of age story, it is about war and trauma, but it feels like a dark fairy tale. I also loved the authors writing style. I was struck by many lines, and I will be thinking about them long after I put this one down.

Overall, it is a dark and sometimes sad story, but not without lighter moments. I also feel like the end makes the whole story worth it.

Having read O'Neil's other three big works, I unfortunately do believe this is my least favorite. I generally love O'Neil's gritty, historical, hard to stomach stories but this just fell so flat for me. I did not find the story to be particularly captivating and maybe that is just because I do not enjoy dystopian fiction. The characters didn't feel as enjoyable as I usually expect from her books. I don't think this is a bad book by any means, just not a personal favorite for me.

Heather O'Neill manages to perfectly put into words what it means to be a girl and each new title she releases builds on that. The Capital of Dreams was no exception.

In The Capital of Dreams, amidst a reimagined fairy tale, The Enemy has taken Elysia, and Sofia, must escape their clutches and hope to save her mother Clara's work. Clara was never a typical mother and has spent her life focused on her intellectual pursuits. Now that the world has been turned upside down however, Sofia and Clara have had to reconsider their relationship to one another. Full of lush imagery and evocative prose, Heather O'Neill has written a gorgeous book that's hard to describe but will stay with you for weeks after you've read it.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

The Capital of Dreams follows Sofia Bottom, a young girl living through war. Sofia's mother is a famous intellectual named Clara. Clara sends Sofia away to safety with an important manuscript Clara wrote. Clara claims this manuscript will change how people view their country of Elysia, as it is currently being invaded by the enemy. Sofia's attempt to reach safety ends up being a trick and in her rush to save her life, Sofia loses the manuscript. This leads to Sofia roaming around the country with a magical talking goose in search of safety during war.

The first half of The Capital of Dreams was so enthralling. The novel jumps between before the war and Sofia living through the war. Before the war, Sofia lived in the Capital with her mother. They do not get along well and many of these chapters focus on Sofia's childhood and the strange relationship she has with her mother. The chapters of Sofia living through the war on her own are much more magical and unworldly. Sofia is a child who is alone, living through a war that leaves her in constant danger. She is on the search for her mother's manuscript, but she has no real idea of where it could be. She's roaming her country, avoiding soldiers and running into other Elysians. There is a slight fantastical feeling throughout the book as everything is being seen and explained through a child's eyes, but also because the country of Elysia itself has its own mythos of tree people and faeries.

I loved how strange this book was. The writing is also stunning. I highlighted so many passages that were so thoughtful and interesting. While I loved a lot of what this book was doing, it did start to feel like it was going on forever. I felt like everything I loved in the beginning/middle of the book got a little stale as it went on. There is a twist at the end that I found compelling, but by that point in the book I was already kind of over it.

Overall, this is an interesting exploration of war through the eyes of a child. It also deeply explores a mother/daughter relationship in a way I haven't read before. Even though this is not a new favorite, I plan to pick up more for this author as her writing is stellar and her storytelling is quite unique.

officially reading Heather O'Neill's backlist and anything she writes in the future. with both books I've now read by her, I feel like I cannot adequately describe how unique and special both her writing and stories are. her prose is lyrical and immersive, blending whimsy with darkness in a way that is both enchanting and unsettling.

The writing was really good. It had a whimsical feel to it. There was some slow parts in the middle that was a bit hard to get through. But the ending was worth it.

Heather O’Neill has once again crafted a mesmerizing, lyrical tale with The Capital of Dreams, a novel that blends dystopian grit with whimsical, fairytale-like storytelling. As someone who loves dystopian fiction, I was completely captivated by the world O’Neill created—both haunting and enchanting, filled with sharp social commentary and beautifully flawed characters.

Sofia Bottom is a compelling guide through this fractured, dreamlike society. I was deeply invested in their journey, their resilience, and the way they navigated a world teetering between decay and wonder. O’Neill’s signature poetic prose adds an almost surreal quality to the novel, making it feel like a lost fable unearthed from some dystopian future.

I read this on Kindle, but I absolutely loved the book cover and will probably purchase a physical copy because it deserves a spot on my shelf. The artwork perfectly encapsulates the novel’s eerie beauty.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Hive for the ARC—this was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I can’t wait to discuss it with fellow dystopian fiction fans!

A quirky, dark, introspective, and sometimes downright madcap quasi-fantasy — when a book makes you use all those words at once to describe it, you know it’s something unique and special!

I had to lean into this one a little bit at first and trust the process — but it grows on you over time, and keeps you coming back because you can’t stop thinking about it and all its layers. I’d never read any of Heather O’Neill’s other work, so I went in totally blind and it was a wild ride.

Part fable or fairytale, part coming of age story, part historical fiction (the author has said the book is based in part on her father’s stories from WWII and her own experiences in Gaza in 2023), it’s in a category all its own. Ultimately there’s not much “action,” it’s not that kind of war novel — it’s more about contemplation of the broader war of ideas, the meaning and importance of art, identity politics and class systems, and ultimately, one young girl growing up and trying to both survive and find purpose during war.

Thanks to @harperperennial for putting this one on my radar - The Capital of Dreams is available in paperback now!

A young girl befriends a talking goose while trying to survive a war and occupation.

Sophia's world is turned upside down when her mother, who is known as the most intelligent woman of her country, sends her away to keep her safe from the unavoidable bombing of their home, The Capital. This leads Sophia down a winding, fever dream of a path through the country while navigating a world without her mother. She soon meets a new companion, a talking Goose, and they band together to make it through the war and find the coveted Black Market. On the way, she meets many characters, both trustworthy and untrustworthy, that keep her on her toes and force her to learn how to make her own decisions - something she thought she would never be able to do in her mother's shadow.

This story is whimsical, dark, and very timely with its deeper message on womanhood and what it means to live amidst a war. I got lost in this book and loved what I got out of it. Heather O'Neill knows how to weave real world problems with imagination and fantasy, and I don't think I'll ever get enough.

I will be recommending!