DREAMBOUND

5 stars out of 5

When I started this book, my first thought was that believability was going to be stretched beyond the limit - and I was spot on. That said, count me as one who took a deep breath (make that two or three) and decided to go along for the ride.
 

And what a ride it is! Part Peter Pan, part Harry Potter, part Narnia and all fantasy with roots in reality, it really blew me away. One big reason is the unique presentation: Written as a cleverly composed compilation of notes, interviews, emails, book excerpts and other interactions between Bryon and other characters, it's far from any of the standard writing styles common to most books. Basically, it follows the frantic attempts of successful writer/reporter Byron James (nee Kidd) to find his 12-year-old daughter Liza. The girl, it seems, left a note, meaningfully stashed in her favorite fantasy book, to inform her parents that she was leaving home to find her way to "the end of the world." Byron and his wife Val are devastated, of course, but Bryan - knowing that several other children have gone missing in similar fashion and never been found - takes it to a whole new level by vowing to find her and bring her back.

Not a little of his intensity is born of guilt; he blames himself for failing to give Liza the attention she deserved and not supporting her strong beliefs in the fantasy world she clearly loved. And, his attempts to win Val over to his assertion that Liza is still alive fall mostly on deaf ears; separated from Byron and in therapy after Liza's disappearance six months earlier, she's struggling to come to terms with her grief and isn't inclined to drag things out any longer. And that brings up another point: while Bryon's dogged determination to find Liza is commendable, he's not the most lovable of heroes. Put another way, his controlling, misogynistic attitudes make it easy to see why he no longer has a wife and daughter. Still, there remains a clear and present danger to Liza - and there are some signs that he's trying for an attitude adjustment - so (insert a couple more deep breaths here) I gave him a pass.

Early on, Bryon concludes that the author of Liza's favorite books, Annabelle Tobin, is central to the disappearance. The wildly popular series has spawned a huge following, right down to an annual event similar to Comic Con. Now, all those fans are clammoring for the sixth, and final book, to be completed; but so far, Annabelle's promises to produce are empty and the author has become a virtual recluse. Just to land a meeting with her, then, is the first significant hurdle Bryon must overcome. The rest of the story follows Byron's progress - complete with gains, setbacks and near disasters - as he tries to follow the path Liza took to get wherever she went and, hopefully, find that she's still alive, able and willing to come back home. Loved it - and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the privilege of reading and reviewing a pre-release copy.

Dreambound by Dan Frey (Del Rey, September 2023); 400 pp.

THE FUTURE IS YOURS

4 stars out of 5

My best suggestion after finishing this book? Don't read it right after you've smoked a joint. Heck, don't even try it after you've had a couple of beers. It's mind-boggling enough without any outside help.

That's not to say I didn't thoroughly enjoy it - truth is, the story is highly thought-provoking and tantalizing; if you could see a year into the future, would you look (especially knowing there's nothing you can do to alter what you now know happens)? On a much larger scale, if this kind of technology were possible today, what would it mean for the U.S. military (to know who won the war or who is secretly (until now) building up a nuclear arsenal? International relations (which of today's friends will be tomorrow's enemies)? Or how you treat your mother-in-law now that you know she won't be around for Christmas next year?

On a basic level, the story tracks the progress of The Future, a high-tech business started by college friends Ben Boyce and Adhi Chaudry. The actual technology, beyond having heard the term "quantum computing," was beyond me - but once I got the gist of what was happening, it simply didn't matter. Ben is the outspoken motivator and public relations guru; Adhi is the socially shy mastermind behind the technology. Their goal is to launch their company, which builds and sells desktop-type units that allow end users to link to their futures - and for all intents and purposes (including raising tons of start-up money), they'll be off and running right on schedule.

But there's many a slip twixt the cup and the lip, and once the secret gets out, opposition rears its questioning head in the form of government investigations not unlike today's quibble over the pros and cons of social media. All that is woven throughout using emails, text messages, blog posts and even Congressional testimony that shifts in time to create one of the most unusual book formats I've ever read (not to mention sort of freaky, but by golly, it works). Needless to say, I couldn't wait to finish; I can't say much more about the plot without giving too much away, but the ending brings a surprise that, given the rest of the book, really shouldn't have been.

Extra kudos for originality and entertainment value - and thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Future is Yours by Dan Frey (Del Rey, February 2021); 352 pp.