Dreamhunter

by Elizabeth Knox

Book Overview

Laura comes from a world similar to our own except for one difference: it is next to the Place, an unfathomable land that fosters dreams of every kind and is inaccessible to all but a select few, the Dreamhunters. These are individuals with special gifts: the ability to catch larger-than-life dreams and relay them to audiences in the magnificent dream palace, the Rainbow Opera. People travel from all around to experience the benefits of the hunters'...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312535716
• ISBN13: 9780312535711
• Release Date: February 2009
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.4" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 12 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

New Zealand distopian fantasy

A great read. I won't repeat a synopsis of the story as other reviewers have done that well. Loved that it was a NZ author and set in an alternate NZ. Knox did not push the place because it really is not relevant. This story could happen anywhere (and is!). However, it is sad to see that some people still mistake us for Australia!!! How do they arrive at that? Definitely an adult novel in theme but Knox obviously expects her YA readers to be intelligent young people and interested in the state of the world, as are her protagonists. She has something also to say about young people, who like Laura and Rose, are frustrated in their efforts to deal with a frightening situation by the adults who underestimate and over protect them. Highly recommended.

Dreamhunter Rocks!

Dreamhunter Elizabeth Knox Genre-Fantasy Dreamhunter is a fantastic read for anyone who enjoys a page turning fantasy. The books main characters are two 15 year old cousins called Laura and Rose. Laura is more drawn back and cautious than Rose, who is outgoing and a big risk taker. They live in a world almost exactly like ours except for that it is next to The Place, an area that only a few chosen people can enter and catch larger than life dreams which can be found only in The Place. Laura's father is the legendary Tziga Hame, who first discovered The Place. Rose's mother is also one of the first dreamhunter's and both of the parents would like their daughters to Try. Every 15 year old is allowed to Try, Trying is an event held every year by the government to recruit young dreamhunter's. About 9 kids will get accepted each year by The Place, to every one else they will just walk the next step on the road and never enter. This book relates to a trilogy of books that I read by Garth Nix because in that trilogy there was a huge wall between the Old Kingdom and The New Kingdom with evil magical creatures on the Old Kingdom side. The difference between that trilogy and this book that I just read is that in the Garth Nix books anyone could cross the wall at their own risk but in Dreamhunter only a few chosen people can enter The Place. I think that Elizabeth Knox has a wonderful style of writing that keeps you on your toes throughout the entire story. Every part of this book was packed with exciting details and vivid descriptions of the characters and setting. I loved this book a lot and I would recommend it for readers of any age. Packed with suspense, action and mystery, it has me eagerly waiting for the conclusion of the story of Laura in Rose in the last book in the Dreamhunter duet.

A stunning fantasy that will leave all readers wanting more

Laura Hame and Rose Tiebold's 15th birthdays are approaching. While many people their age would be excited about parties and presents, this birthday is different for the two cousins. They are eligible to test themselves at the Place and see if they're qualified to be Dreamhunters. The Place is a vast, extraordinary land where dreams of every kind are only accessible to Dreamhunters. A Dreamhunter is a person who can cross over and catch impressive dreams that can be relayed to other people. Dreamhunting runs in the cousins' families. Laura's father Tziga and Rose's mother Grace are famous Dreamhunters whose collections of dreams bring large audiences far and wide to experience them at the Rainbow Opera, a famous dream palace. Despite the fame and wealth, dreamhunting is not always a glamorous occupation, and oftentimes a dreamhunter is on a different schedule from that of their own family. On many occasions, Grace's husband Chorley is the primary caretaker of the Hame-Tiebold household. When it is the girls' turn to try, they each have different expectations. Laura feels anxious while Rose hopes to be a famous dreamhunter like her mother. When the day arrives, both are surprised at the results. Rose doesn't cross to the Place, but Laura does. However, for Laura the occasion is bittersweet; instead of having a pleasant dream called the Wild River, she has a nightmare, and her father has mysteriously disappeared after going on an official job for the government. The family is baffled by the Dream Regulatory Body's explanation and doesn't understand why Tziga would decide to enter the Place without telling his family. Meanwhile, strange events have been occurring that defy explanation. Laura and Rose begin their own investigation, but when Laura continues having unusual dreams and discovers a mysterious letter from her father in the Place, it becomes apparent that there's a far bigger and deadlier secret involving corrupt government officials and their families that no one ever could have dreamed. Set in the beginning of 20th-century Australia, DREAMHUNTER tells the story of a family whose members make surprising discoveries both in and beyond their world, while changing within themselves. A stunning fantasy set in a world of high society, politics and intrigue, it is destined to be a classic that readers anxiously will want to see continue. --- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle (SdarksideG@aol.com)

Elegantly awesome book!

"Dreamhunter", wow it sounds so mysterious. Elizabeth Knox has really outdone herself. She wrote a 365 page book (hardcover), and made it sound like a fairytale written in perfect english. Laura Hame's father, Tziga Hame, is a famous dreamhunter. He takes dreams from a magical place called the "Place" and performs them to people to either entertain them, or heal them. There are very few dreamhunters, each with their own special talents. However, not all is as it seems. Laura must learn the truth about her father when he disappears, and what she learns could change the course of the future. Through magic, fiction, and politics, Elizabeth Knox writes an elegant fantasy that keeps READERS ENTERTAINED! READ IT!

A Great Symphony

The Rainbow Opera is young adults at it's finest. The fantastic prose rolls over your eyes and the story is astounding, it is literature. Elizabeth Knox has been writing since she was sixteen, and this is her first young adult's novel - but do not turn away from this book in Genre-disgust! It can be read by adults, and those who have have enjoyed it fully. It tells the story of two fifteen year-old cousins, Laura and Rose. These girls are nearing the age in their country when they can have...(meaningless suspense)... A Try. That is what you should do, give this book a try, you will enjoy it. Even if you are The Dark Master Of Scorn.