Screamcatcher: Web World
by Christy J. Breedlove
When seventeen-year-old Jory Pike cannot shake the hellish nightmares of her parent’s deaths, she turns to an old family heirloom, a dream catcher. Even though she’s half blood Chippewa, Jory thinks old Indian lore is so yesterday, but she’s willing to give it a try. However, the dream catcher has had its fill of nightmares from an ancient and violent past. After a sleepover party, and during one of Jory’s most horrific dream episodes, the dream catcher implodes, sucking Jory and her three friends into its own world of trapped nightmares. They’re in an alternate universe—locked inside of an insane web world. How can they find the center of the web, where all good things are allowed to pass?
Momma Says: 4 stars⭐⭐⭐⭐
With Screamcatcher, Christy Breedlove takes an item we've all at least heard of and explores a new thought - Where do all those bad dreams go, and how much can one dream catcher hold before it can't take anymore? I don't pretend to be an expert in Native American lore. In fact, I wouldn't even consider myself well-versed, but that's the beauty of this one. I didn't have to know all the lore to completely devour this fantastical story where Jory and friends are thrust into a world made of nightmares, a world of no color where the worst of the worst will test them to the breaking point.
The story moves at breakneck speed from the time these teenagers enter the nightmare world, and it doesn't let up. I would be hard put to pick a specific genre for this one because the author runs the gamut with that. It's most certainly a fantasy, but we also get action, adventure, and even a bit of sweet romance. It also reminds me of dystopian fiction, and some coming of age for these young adults as they learn to defend themselves in the worst of circumstances. As far as a target age group, I would consider Screamcatcher's target audience to be older teen to young adult, but I'm well past both of those and I found this one almost impossible to put down once I started.
Any fantasy requires some world building, and Breedlove does it with style. We're drawn into this nightmare realm and the author paints vivid pictures with her words. Not only could I visualize this terrifying world, but it's given to me organically throughout the story. In addition to the setting, every new nightmare is well-written and gripping.
The only drawback for me came in the form of character development. That's not to say that the characters aren't well-drawn, they certainly are in that we get a good look at how each deals with their circumstances and it's not hard to feel Choice's love for Jory. That said, I would've liked a bit more into Jory, especially. Obviously, she's dealing with plenty of inner turmoil, and she's forced to dig deep into her heritage if there's to be any hope of escape. But, I wanted more of what was going on inside her head as she came to grips with this new reality, more of the things that shaped her into the person she is. Here, I have to add that more of Choice would've also been a big plus for me, but that wasn't a deal-breaker. He comes across as pretty much an open book, and it's not hard to figure out his motives for anything.
In the end, I was thoroughly gripped by the world Christy Breedlove has created. Screamcatcher starts with a gorgeous cover, and its inside is filled with originality and an edge of your seat tale that kept this reader turning pages well into the night.
With Screamcatcher, Christy Breedlove takes an item we've all at least heard of and explores a new thought - Where do all those bad dreams go, and how much can one dream catcher hold before it can't take anymore? I don't pretend to be an expert in Native American lore. In fact, I wouldn't even consider myself well-versed, but that's the beauty of this one. I didn't have to know all the lore to completely devour this fantastical story where Jory and friends are thrust into a world made of nightmares, a world of no color where the worst of the worst will test them to the breaking point.
The story moves at breakneck speed from the time these teenagers enter the nightmare world, and it doesn't let up. I would be hard put to pick a specific genre for this one because the author runs the gamut with that. It's most certainly a fantasy, but we also get action, adventure, and even a bit of sweet romance. It also reminds me of dystopian fiction, and some coming of age for these young adults as they learn to defend themselves in the worst of circumstances. As far as a target age group, I would consider Screamcatcher's target audience to be older teen to young adult, but I'm well past both of those and I found this one almost impossible to put down once I started.
Any fantasy requires some world building, and Breedlove does it with style. We're drawn into this nightmare realm and the author paints vivid pictures with her words. Not only could I visualize this terrifying world, but it's given to me organically throughout the story. In addition to the setting, every new nightmare is well-written and gripping.
The only drawback for me came in the form of character development. That's not to say that the characters aren't well-drawn, they certainly are in that we get a good look at how each deals with their circumstances and it's not hard to feel Choice's love for Jory. That said, I would've liked a bit more into Jory, especially. Obviously, she's dealing with plenty of inner turmoil, and she's forced to dig deep into her heritage if there's to be any hope of escape. But, I wanted more of what was going on inside her head as she came to grips with this new reality, more of the things that shaped her into the person she is. Here, I have to add that more of Choice would've also been a big plus for me, but that wasn't a deal-breaker. He comes across as pretty much an open book, and it's not hard to figure out his motives for anything.
In the end, I was thoroughly gripped by the world Christy Breedlove has created. Screamcatcher starts with a gorgeous cover, and its inside is filled with originality and an edge of your seat tale that kept this reader turning pages well into the night.
❃❃Reader Copy provided by the author
Much thanks for the wonderful review, Momma. I find your analysis deep and intuitive--I've taken some notes as a reminder of how to improve book #2. Christy.
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