Synopses & Reviews
“It is like nothing else Ive ever read. The characters are so real, youll feel like you know exactly what they look like and how their voices sound and what they would say or do in any given situation. More than that, youll want to hang out with them. Then the world is so amazing and unique. You will want to go there. You will want to walk into ‘the Place. And you will want to sleep in a dream opera.”—Stephenie Meyer, The Twilight Saga The dreamhunting began as a beautiful thing, when Tziga Hame discovered that he could enter the Place and share the dreams he found there with other people. But Tziga Hame has disappeared and Laura, his daughter, knows that the dreams have turned sour. The wealthy still experience sweet dreams, but the government has been using nightmares to keep the convicts obedient and content. On St. Lazaruss Eve, when elite citizens gather in the dream palace, Laura is determined to show them the truth. She plunges them into the nightmare used to control the convicts. But as she struggles to counter the governments sinister plans, a deeper mystery surfaces, a puzzle only Laura can unravel, a puzzle having to do with the very nature of the Place. What is the Place, after all? And what does it want from her?
Review
“It is like nothing else Ive ever read. The characters are so real, youll feel like you know exactly what they look like and how their voices sound and what they would say or do in any given situation. More than that, youll want to hang out with them. Then the world is so amazing and unique. You will want to go there. You will want to walk into ‘the Place. And you will want to sleep in a dream opera.”—Stephenie Meyer, The Twilight Saga
“Will be considered among youth fantasys most significant recent works. Knoxs haunting, invigorating storytelling will leave readers eager to return to its puzzles—and to reap its rewards.”—Booklist, Starred Review
“Unexpected plot turns and a rewarding and engaging read.”—The Chicago Tribune
“Thoroughly impressive—for its sure, literary prose, nuanced characters, and fully realized Edwardian setting, but even more so for its original, surprising imagery and plot. An involving—and challenging—read, Knoxs fantasy is outstanding in its ability to make us think both poetically and analytically about human nature.”—The Horn Book
“Legendary allusions add depth and light.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Compelling.”—Voice of Youth Advocates
“Richly layered and thoroughly enthralling, Knoxs literary duet is a unique blend of fantasy and history that stands out as a stunning achievement in recent young adult literature.”—School Library Journal
Synopsis
The dreamhunting began as a beautiful thing, when Tziga Hame discovered that he could enter the Place and share the dreams he found there with other people. But Tziga Hame has disappeared and Laura, his daughter, knows that the art of projecting dreams has turned sour.
On St. Lazarus's Eve, when elite citizens gather at the Rainbow Opera to experience the sweet dream of Homecoming, Laura, determined to show them the truth, plunges them into the nightmare used to control the convict workers. The event marks the first blow in the battle for control of the Place, the source of dreams. Then, when Laura's cousin, Rose, uncovers evidence that the government has been building a secret rail line deep into the Place, Laura follows it to find out what lies at its end. As she struggles to counter the government's sinister plans, a deeper mystery surfaces, a puzzle only Laura can unravel, a puzzle having to do with the very nature of the Place. What is the Place, after all? And what does it want from her?
Inventive and richly imagined, Elizabeth Knox's Dreamquake, dramatic conclusion to the Dreamhunter Duet, will satisfy readers - whether or not they've read Book One.
"It is like nothing else I've ever read." -- Stephenie Meyer, The Twilight Saga
Synopsis
The explosive and captivating sequel to Dreamhunter, in which the meaning of the Place where dreams come from is finally revealed.
Synopsis
“It is like nothing else Ive ever read. The characters are so real, youll feel like you know exactly what they look like and how their voices sound and what they would say or do in any given situation. More than that, youll want to hang out with them. Then the world is so amazing and unique. You will want to go there. You will want to walk into ‘the Place. And you will want to sleep in a dream opera.”Stephenie Meyer, The Twilight Saga The dreamhunting began as a beautiful thing, when Tziga Hame discovered that he could enter the Place and share the dreams he found there with other people. But Tziga Hame has disappeared and Laura, his daughter, knows that the dreams have turned sour. The wealthy still experience sweet dreams, but the government has been using nightmares to keep the convicts obedient and content. On St. Lazaruss Eve, when elite citizens gather in the dream palace, Laura is determined to show them the truth. She plunges them into the nightmare used to control the convicts. But as she struggles to counter the governments sinister plans, a deeper mystery surfaces, a puzzle only Laura can unravel, a puzzle having to do with the very nature of the Place. What is the Place, after all? And what does it want from her?
About the Author
Elizabeth Knox is the author of several books for adults, including The Vintners Luck. Dreamhunter was her first novel for younger readers. She lives in Wellington, New Zealand.
Reading Group Guide
1. In the Dreamhunter Duet, dreams are bought and sold as commodities. How are these dreams similar to television programs or movies in our modern society?
2. The Dreamhunter Duet is set in the early twentieth century. How does the historical setting affect the story? How would it be different if it were during the present time?
3. How do different groups of people—the Church, the Regulatory Body, dreamhunters themselves, and the general public—react differently to the industry of dreamhunting? What are the motives behind their reactions?
4. Both books in the Dreamhunter Duet are complex, with several storylines that come together seamlessly. How do these simultaneous storylines affect the books progression
5. Laura is a teenager, yet she works in an adult field as a dreamhunter. How does she change and develop through her experiences? Would her choices have been different if shed been ten years older?
6. Though Rose and Laura are first cousins and good friends, they are very different people. How are their differences and similarities apparent on their separate paths—dreamhunter versus debutante? How would the story change if Rose were the dreamhunter and Laura the debutante?
7. When Laura realizes that the Regulatory Body is using nightmares as a form of punishment for prisoners, she decides to let people know about it by overdreaming her aunt at the Rainbow Opera and sharing the nightmare with the well-to-do audience. What result does this have? What other courses of action could Laura have taken?
8. The public officials and the Regulatory Body that oversee dreamhunters use dreams to punish people and to control popular thought. Debate whether or not the government should use dreams for these purposes.
9. What role does the Sandman play? How is he symbolic?
10. If dreams were available today as a form of entertainment, how would the public react to them? How would the government? Would you attend a performance at a dream theater?