DREAMCATCHER by Stephen Bowkett
Dreamtime Series
Dolphin (Orion Children's Books) - Jan. 2000
ISBN: 1858816521 - Paperback
Fantasy
Teen / Young Adult

Reviewed by Rachel Hyde, MyShelf.com
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Dreamtime is a series of books aimed at teenagers.  Each short novel is a different entry into the twilight world where anything can happen and each is a separate stand-alone story.  In this one two friends on a backpacking trip across the States stumble on a derelict factory when looking for somewhere to spend the night.  Inside is a community of hippies seemingly connected by a love of listening to stories and making Native American artefacts like dreamcatchers but this hides a darker reality as the boys soon find out.  The Shadowman is out to get them… 

I confess to being prepared for a preachy, reading scheme tale and was pleasantly surprised when I encountered a genuinely enjoyable story that kept me guessing and entertained into the bargain.  Well-off John and his streetwise friend Dodge were swiftly delineated and easy to identify with as they got drawn into what first appeared like a haven but was increasingly seen as a trap, but not the kind they anticipated.  The ending was rather a cop-out and seemed grafted on to the more realistic scenario for the sake of happy-ever-after and this was a pity after such an enjoyable tale.  I’d recommend it to a teenager looking for a short but lively novel nonetheless if they like this type of setting.

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