My Never Ending List

I wasn’t sure which part of the book I loved more, the world where Shelby deals with reality or the one where she was living within the Dreaming.   In the real world, she lived with her mom, her sheltered mother, who protects her as though she was a two-year old. Her mom kept a vigil watch over her every move, afraid something might happen to her and yes, eventually something does happen to Shelby. It’s after this incident that Shelby starts to experience the Dreaming, the world where Shelby’s previous dreams start to take on a life of their own. Can Shelby be the chosen one to help the Dreaming? With Mark as her guide, and the elk and their commitment to help, this world is compelling and enchanting to say the least. The story alternates between the two worlds and as they switch, I am sadden to see each world disappear and Shelby emerge into the other realm. I am so engrossed into each journey, I don’t want to let go. After the accident, Shelby is faced with more reality than she is ready to handle. Shelby learns why her mother was so protective all those years and now at the age of 17, she only has a few months before she herself is an adult. Shelby wants to go return to the batting cage and ice cream Fridays with her mother but the truth is out and you can’t erase the truth, so those days are over. I really enjoyed the mix of fantasy and reality in this story. The perplexity of Shelby age added another great element to the story also.

I received this copy of this book from NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Children’s Book in exchange for an honest opinion.