Dreamland by Sarah Dessen Questions 1. Process: How do you decide what to read? Where and when do you read?

How long does it take you to finish a book? What challenges do you face while reading? What might you do differently to improve your reading skills? When deciding what to read I read the synopsis of each summer reading book and whichever seemed most intriguing and relatable to me was my choice. Dreamland by Sarah Dessen was my answer. By the arousing curiosity of every word in the book, I could not stop myself from reading and it only took a period of 3 days to complete the book, when it normally takes me 4 to 5 days. I read in the mornings right after I wake up, because I believe thats when Im the most focused. While reading, the emotional conflicts the character has sometimes get confusing, because her choice changed very often while making decisions. To better understand why the main character portrays a fickle personality, or generally speaking to better understand a characteristic of a main character, I look into the biography of the author. By using the background of the author, it helps me piece together, why she would have written the book a specific way or why the author would have shaped the main character with a certain personality. 2. Topic: What is the main focus of the novel? The main focus of the novel is the main character, Caitlin, trying to find herself a place for herself at home, in school, and for herself. With the legendary footprints of her older sister left behind, Caitlin struggles to be noticed and if shes lucky, appreciated. 3. Setting: Where and when does the story take place? The story has two settings: The first setting which was part of Caitlins old life was school, Boos house, and her own home. The second setting become her priority during the majority of the book which was Rogersons car, Rogersons house, Rogersons random friends houses to sell illegal substances, and Corrinas house. 4. Character Development: How were the characters actions, thoughts, and feelings depicted? Were they believable? Could you identify or relate to any of those characters and explain how? The characters actions, thoughts, and feelings were all focused on trying to forget about Casss absence and become something that Cass hasnt already done. Caitlins motive to become something and feel important relates to many teens as they struggle to be noticed and appreciated whether it is by family members or friends. And in that attempt to accomplish these goals, teens become something they never wanted to be, just like Caitlin entered Rogersons unknown world. 5. Main Characters: Who are they? Provide a brief description (2-3 traits) per character. Caitlin O Koren- living in the shadow of her older sister until Cass runs away and Caitlin finds herself a new life around her abusive boyfriend. She is desperate to stand out from her sister, and she is miserable because being around her boyfriend is taking her away from the rest of her world.

Rogerson- Caitlins boyfriend who doesnt get a place at home so he takes his anger out on his girlfriend and drugs. He is harsh around the rest of the world, but helpless in his own home. Boo- Caitlins moms best friend, and also happens to be Caitlins neighbor. She was the first to sense something wrong in Caitlins life after Cass ran away but keeps it to herself until her bad vibes are found to be true. She is the cheerful character, always trying to cheer up the OKoren family whenever problems come up. Corrina- Caitlins new best friend and role model; she was used almost as a replacement of Cass. Caitlin came to her for advice, for afternoon snacks, and to get away from reality. 6. Narration: Who told the story? Is it told in first or third person? Why did the author choose this point of view and how does it shape the telling of the story? Did the author switch between narrators? Explain how. The story was told in first person by the main character Caitlin. Dreamland remained in first person throughout the story. The author chose this to show the drastic change of Caitlins life after her sister left and then showed her gradual realizations that this is not the life she wanted; to be away from society and just be focused on one person was not the right choice for her. 7. Credibility: Are the storyline and characters believable? Could the experiences and challenges faced in the novel be relative to today? Explain an example of this connection. The storyline and character relate directly to todays teenage lives. With the pressure of popularity in school, family problem, and school work, many teenagers take the wrong path and turn to alcohol/ drugs to ease their tensions. Caitlin OKoren had the shadow of her perfect sister, Cass to cope with and her uninterested attitude towards school led her in the wrong direction in which she became so dissolved in the bad life that she became shunned from the rest of the world. 8. Suspense: At any point in the story were you left in suspense wondering what would happen next? Explain. I was left in suspense after Rogerson first hit Caitlin, I was wondering what her reactions would be; I thought that would be her realizing moment that Rogerson is not the right decision for her. His physical abuse does not give her the comfort that she needs after her sister left her. But surprisingly, the total opposite occurred, when she decided to give him many more chances after he injured her several times. I was also intrigued when Cass called home for the first time, because after her perfect self did such an action as running away from home, I was wondering how she would talk to her parents for the first time after that and what her justifications would be. And even though Cass was a complex person with many accomplishments, her reasons for running way from that life were just the simple fact of being happy and not having to live up to everyones expectations all the time. 9. Action: Is there enough happening to hold your interest? Too much action and not enough character development?

As the storyline of the book progresses, you indirectly learn very much about the characters by their actions, thoughts, decisions, and dialogue. The events in Dreamland are told in a way that shapes each character and their personality. Also because Dreamland was at such a relatable status for all teens, that itself was enough to keep my interest. 10. Dialogue: Is the talking, or dialogue, realistic? Is there too much or too little dialogue? Was the dialogue difficult to follow? If so, why? The dialogue is realistic because the problems involved in the talking are real-life problems-Caitlin being ignored by her parents, her uninterest in school and sudden interest in cigarettes, her obsessive involvement with her boyfriend. The variations of Caitlins attitude while talking to her parents, her friends, and her boyfriend, were also interesting to read. Most of the time the book was told in a way that Caitlin was just describing her life, but when dialogue did come it always had feeling attached to them. 11. Plot: How does the storyline flow throughout the novel? Is it fluid and continuous or does it jump around? Explain. The storyline for the most part stays in the present, except for the beginning where there is a flashback about the 2 sisters childhood. The storyline is continuous except there are scattered parts in which Caitlin thinks back to the people she lost in her life. (Corrina, Cass, Rina) 12. Title: Does the title act as a true reflection of the novel and its meaning? What would you title the novel if given the opportunity to change it and explain your reasoning? I felt the title is ironical to the book, because Caitlins life is more like an unwanted reality rather than a wanted dreamland. I would title the novel The Side Effects of Love; love is the drug that keeps Caitlin coming back to Rogerson. The side effects are her drifting from her friends and family into a wrong path. 13. Theme: What is the author showing about life and living through the story? What does a reader learn through reading this novel? The author is showing the effects of abuse throughout the whole story. Abuse comes in different guises, it can mean the physical abuse- Rogerson, or the emotional- her parents never giving her attention, or the intimidation and abandonment- her sister and cheerleading. A reader learns the wrong ways of coping with these kinds of abuses and what a bad decision leads to. This is an emotional but encouraging book for kids. 14. Conclusion: How does the author end the story? Is the ending satisfying? Explain. The ending is Rogerson getting arrested for his misdoings with Caitlin, Cailtins parents realizing their obliviousness, Rina forgiving Caitlin, and Cass coming back to the family. Everything was resolved and everything was back to normal around her, and thats what Caitlin needs to slowly recover into herself and not be that unknown teen she was trying to be.