Callie is a computer in the City. She works with numbers and she shouldn't dare to dream of anything more, especially not singing...but she does. Jeremy is a dreambender in the Meadow. He works in people's dreams, changing them and, in turn, changing the dreamer. The dreambenders maintain order. They keep peace among the people and prevent dangerous dreams from taking hold. Dangerous dreams like singing.

Jeremy also asks a lot of questions. And soon he questions the very idea of dreambending. He has met the singer in her dreams and it doesn't seem so dangerous to him. What would happen if no one patrolled the dreams? What would happen if Callie was allowed to sing?

"Dreambender" written by Ronald Kidd is a dystopian novel reminiscent of "The Giver". The oppressive government (dreambenders) seek to control the City dwellers by manipulating dreams. While the concept is interesting and this world could be incredible, the story didn't quite make it to that level.. Too much time is spent preaching about the morality of manipulating a person for the greater good, leaving the reader to feel as though they are being taught a lesson. Subtlety is not the strong point of this novel, and neither is character development or pacing. The characters feel flat and the story rushed. There are too many big ideas going on with none of them properly developed.

While some may enjoy this book, there are better dystopian novels available for middle-grade readers.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dreambender by Ronald Kidd and it's clever story. There are a lot of post-apocalyptic novels available and a lot of them are pretty similar. On the surface, this novel seems to be another book in that genre. However, Dreambender was different for me. I enjoyed learning about the different jobs in the society and watching Jeremy learn and discover what is important to him. I enjoyed his journey to find truth and peace in a "safe" world. Beautiful writing and beautiful message.

Like a few other reviews, I too would have liked to see more at the end of the novel. It felt rushed. But overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend Dreambender.

Review copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

“DREAMBENDER,” by Ronald Kidd, Albert Whitman & Company, March 1, 2016, Hardcover, $16.99 (ages 8 and up)

When the Warming came, it changed how people lived. The arts became dangerous, a distraction from the needs of many, and so they disappeared.

Callie Crawford is a computer. Not a computer in the sense we know them now, but what they are in the future — someone who works with numbers. Everyone in the City has a job — keeper, catcher, computer. It’s what they’ve been assigned, and most people are happy in their work. Callie knows what she does is important but wonders if there’s something more.

Jeremy Finn is a dreambender. As the title suggests, his job is to adjust, or bend, people’s dreams. When people dream of violence, those thoughts are quietly twisted away. The same goes for thoughts of music and art. People in the City must never become too focused on feelings; that’s how the Warming came in the first place.

You’d think that once a dream was altered, the original would disappear, but not for the dreambenders; they keep hold of those dreams and can relive them whenever they choose. The problem is Jeremy thinks music is beautiful, and when he visits a dream in which Callie is singing, he wants her to be able to relive it, too.

Fascinated with a girl he’s never met, Jeremy defies the rules and sets out to meet Callie. But no one in the City knows about the dreambenders, and meeting Callie sets off a chain of events that will challenge everything people have come to know and count on.

“Dreambender” is dystopian without the violence or hopelessness that often accompanies the genre, making it more suitable for middle readers. Although, author Ronald Kidd’s prose adds a sophistication that YA readers will appreciate. At 256 pages, the book is relatively short and its pacing makes it a fast read overall.

Of the two main characters, Callie is the more refined, but Jeremy is infinitely more interesting. I found his overall story arch to be more thought provoking and his questioning nature more realistic. He’s someone I’d actually want to spend time with in real life.

“Dreambender” is a self-contained novel — something that should happen more often. Because of that treatment, it has a tighter, more polished feel. Every word and action has a visible purpose, making for a more enjoyable reading experience.