Welcome to the Author Spotlight, an *updated feature of my blog. The review that follows is totally unsolicited. The author has not given me anything in return for this recommendation.
For my first Author spotlight I’m going to introduce you to Amy Martin, the author of the In Your Dreams Series.
This is a YA series. I don’t normally read YA, but the first book in the series was free and sounded interesting so I decided to give it a chance.
Boy am I glad I did! I got sucked into Amy’s world almost from the first page where we meet “Zip” McKee, a small town high school basketball star just waiting to get the hell out of town.
Then the new kid, Kieran, moves in right next door. He walks into Zip’s English class and promptly passes out, right on top of her heart. She follows him to the nurse’s office and finds out he has narcolepsy. Zip can’t help thinking it’s a little weird, but it doesn’t matter. She’s hooked from the start. Their relationship is a sweet and refreshing look at first love.
I couldn’t help being intrigued. I’ve never read about anyone with narcolepsy or the complications that go with it and found this story possessed a unique twist on the girl/boy-next-door love story.
As the story continues we learn that Kieran doesn’t just have narcolepsy. He has abilities beyond the norm and as Zip gets pulled into his world, it seems that danger looms closer and closer every day until the climax brings a shocking twist.
I was hooked by the time I finished In Your Dreams. The purchase price of $2.99 for the second book was a bargain, as well as $3.99 for the third. The series continues to twist and turn, adding new characters and ideas. Every time one problem is solved, another one pops up to keep you intrigued.
One of the aspects of this series that I found so appealing, especially for a YA novel (since they are not my normal genre) was that the teenage characters really felt authentic. They didn’t seem too old for their age. They’re not overtly sexualized, instead Zip’s inner dialogue expresses all the nervousness you would expect from a young girl experiencing her first kiss. They swear occasionally. Rag on each other. Flip each other off. At times they felt totally awkward and inexperienced. Just like teenagers should be.
The characters are likable, decent people. Zip is an independent, smart young woman worthy of her own story. A character for young women to look up to. A not-so-easy feat in today’s world of co-dependent love/sex stories.
As a mother of two, I wouldn’t have hesitated to let my kids read this when they were younger, something I wouldn’t say about other popular YA books out there. When you get down to it, this series is a great read for any age.
You can find Amy on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/amy.martin.writer/timeline
On the web at: http://www.theamymartin.com/
*This review was previously published 07/19/14