Review of Strange the Dreamer

 

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Genre/Category

Strange the Dreamer is a fantasy romance novel. The category I am reviewing for is 6th-12th Grade Fantasy.

Target Age Group

Strange the Dreamer is recommended for teenagers and young adults 14 years and older.

Summary

In Strange the Dreamer, Lazlo Strange was orphaned as a baby and raised by monks. One monk in particular told him stories of an unseen city full of fantastic and whimsical elements like streets paved with lapis lazuli. One day, while playing make-believe, Lazlo discovered he could no longer say or remember the name of this city, only “Weep,” as if it were removed by magic. Lazlo decided to dedicate his life to learning about this city and uncovering the truth. One day, those efforts paid off as the warrior Eril-Fane from Weep emerged in his life. Joining Eril-Fane and his crew, Lazlo set off to uncover the mysteries of Weep, which include finding love with Godspawn Sarai, with blue skin and cinnamon hair, and unlocking his true identity, lost to him all this time.

Justification

Strange the Dreamer has won both the Printz Award and the Leslie Bradshaw Award. Also, Goodreads listed the title as Best YA Fantasy. I’ve had this title on my shelf for a while as a gift and was excited to finally give it the time it deserves!

Evaluation

I have chosen to evaluate the world-building, characterization, and conflict of Strange the Dreamer.

World-Building

One of the most unique elements of Strange the Dreamer is the world it is set in. Laini Taylor’s world-building does not rely on fantasy cliches or repetitive techniques, but rather creates a distinct set of monsters, gods, cities, abilities, and more. For example, Thyon Nero is an alchemist who uses his own liquid spirit to dissolve Mesanthium, the metal of a giant, winged, floating city casting an eternal shadow onto Weep, the reason for Lazlo’s mission. Sarai, a child of the Goddess of Despair lives up in the citadel and can scream moths that allow her to observe and manipulate the dreams of humans. These elements and much more give the novel a heavily-immersive quality and makes the title a standout in the fantasy genre.

Characterization

This novel is full of complex, well-rounded characters including Thyon, a golden boy prince who is abused by his father and has to consult Lazlo to achieve his dreams; Eril-Fane and Azereen, husband and wife separated by grief and shame; Ruby and Feral, two teenagers never having been exposed to the outside world and wanting to explore life’s pleasures; Minya, a hurt child with godlike power; Sarai, a girl with the power to cause pain but only wanting to create understanding; and Lazlo, a dreamer who thinks he is nobody but whose true identity is more than he could comprehend. All these characters and many more work to create an intractably woven narrative with different desires, trauma, motivations, and perspectives.

Conflict

The conflict of Strange the Dreamer is significant because it is multi-layered, internal, and external. Moreover, the multiple lines of conflict overlap and resolve at nearly the same time and create new conflict. Lazlo Strange struggles internally with the knowledge that he does not know his parents or identity. Even worse, this lack of concrete identity leads him to be labeled as a nobody, leading to many instances of self-doubt. Externally, the city of Weep requires a hero to save them from the aftermath of years of servitude to wrathful Gods and the eternal darkness they are trapped in. Another conflict at play are the children of such gods leftover from the carnage, seeking survival and purpose in life. These three conflicts, plus many more, come to a head toward the climax of the novel, making for an intense resolution and setup for the second installment in the narrative.

Reference

Taylor, L. (2017). Strange the Dreamer. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.