Relook in a Book #4: Dreamland by Sarah Dessen
Goodreads Synopsis: Ever since she started going out with Rogerson Biscoe, Caitlin seems to have fallen into a semiconscious dreamland where nothing is quite real. Rogerson is different from anyone Caitlin has ever known. He's magnetic. He's compelling. He's dangerous. Being with him makes Caitlin forget about everything else—her missing sister, her withdrawn mother, her lackluster life. But what happens when being with Rogerson becomes a larger problem than being without him?
July 22, 2022: I know, I know yet again another Sarah Dessen book but serious I thought since I've already done three why not do all the ones I read of Sarah Dessen's way back when for Relook in a book. I'm writing this part again before I've even opened the next book and Sarah Dessen's fourth book overall, Dreamland.
I don't remember much about this book other than it was the first book I read that dealt with physical and emotional abuse from a love interest. One of the things, I remember is that the guy from this book, excuse me while I cheat and look up his name in the book, Rogerson, he's name is Rogerson, I was never ever going to remember that. Anyways, the thing I remember about Rogerson is that he shows up in another Sarah Dessen book later on. I believe it was Lock & Key but I'll have to wait until I get to that one to confirm. I believe I remember liking this book, it was another one of my first Sarah Dessen books that I think got me hooked on reading her at the time. It was something different that I hadn't read before and at least that part stuck with me if nothing else. I'm going to get to reading and will jump back on here once, I'm done.
Oh, also if you haven't noticed with the other reviews I had originally given this 5 stars.
Okay, just started rereading the book and I totally forgot that it started with her sister running away and that's the most relatable thing for me that I ever read. One of my sisters ran away when I was about seven years-old. Much like the main character Caitlin who's sister left on Caitlin's sixteen birthday, I was given a present right before when my sister left. Caitlin got her dream journal to see her sister in Dreamland and I got a Barbie doll.
July 23, 2023: I had started this review while reading Dreamland and planned on updating it once I was finished rereading the book, however, June of last year I got a new job and my reading fell on the wayside. This isn't one of my favorite Sarah Dessen books, that much I remember about it and I couldn't find the motivation to continue reading it at the time of being newly hired. I will try to finish my reread of this and add my honest review at a later time.
August 4, 2023: Well over a year later, I finally completed the reread for Dreamland. It took me about 3 days to read it this tike as I was determined to finish it. I did start from the beginning again, even the parts I didn't read last year, I had vague memories about what happened next in the story.
Here's my honest review. This subject is a heavy one. About child abuse and relationship abuse, her sister running away and drugs which mostly consist of pot. It definitely not my favorite book out in the world. It felt like everything was mentioned a few times. Like time would past from Christmas to new years but in the next chapter were back to Christmas and new year just about what everyone else did. This bugged me a lot as I just felt like we were stuck in a loop going back to the same times over and over again in different chapters. For example the last two chapters we are repeatedly subjected to her visitors lineup while at a treatment center. Not much was added and we didn't get anywhere really.
I have two major issues. We'll start we the drugs and cigarettes. Where were they getting all the money everyone spent of cigs and pot? I mean serious only two people are mentioned to have a job and one of them is a drug dealer. I don't think it's justifiable with how much they smoked themselves. Also, with how much smoking occurs casual inside the school bathroom that it reeks of it and one patient at the treatment center just being allowed to smoke inside the visitor's room. If this was true to life which it probably was as I remember smoky restaurant when I was younger, I'm glad I was subject to as much second-degree smoke as everyone in this book must have been.
My second problem, we focus on Caitlin getting the help she needs with drugs and getting past the abusive relationship with Rogerson, but what about Rogerson? Caitlin has witness his abuse at his father's hands. Yet, she doesn't tell anyone, like she doesn't say anything about Rogerson abusing her. She spends all this time wondering where she should have ended their relationship to protect herself while she's at the treatment facility but not once does she consider if she just told someone about the abuse Rogerson in the first maybe he would have gotten the help and care he needed because dealing his emotions the only way he was taught by his dad lashing out. They talk about his lawyer making a deal for reduced jail time and community service. I just hope to God that it includes therapy for him as well. Which I don't it as his character later shows up in Lock and Key and I don't think he's doing any better. That thought hurts me a little. Caitlin gets the help she needed but Rogerson after years of abuse which lead to mental issues like OCD looks like he's SOL. I just wish someone cared enough to help him before it got this bad for him. He's a human being and not a monster, at least not at first. I'm not trying to justify his abuse of Caitlin or anything. Please don't get me wrong about this. Abuse is always wrong and no one should be forced to stay in any time of abuse of relationship, the shouldn't feel any shame trying to get help or like it's their own fault. In this case, I would but the blame on Rogerson's dad, however, it would be a case where his dad was abuse as well and never received help. It's just a cycle of abuse that I wish had a stopping point.
Oh, another thing. I mentioned this in another post about how I like an ending with a hint of romance in the end maybe with someone else but that doesn't happen but I guess it's okay that her sister came back to visit her in the end.
Overall, this is getting 2.5 out of 5 from me. It's just not what I enjoy reading and the endless jumping back to the past bothered me. Also, the endless smoking as if that's was ever cool. This book won an award at some point and I just think it was because of the subject matter really.
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