The premise of To Dream is to Die was what drew me to request to review this book. After an accident, Brenna died for 6 minutes. Now alive, she enters “The Fade” while she’s asleep. There she’s merely a ghost of sorts, who isn’t wanted because she’s not truly dead. Determined to move on with her life, she heads off to college. Only one night while she’s roaming The Fade, someone sees her, and that scares her because no one alive can see her, until Damon.
Brenna is actually making friends for the first time in her life, first her friend Aeria, and then slowly, Damon, the man who can see her while she roams. Each time Brenna explores her new life at college while she’s asleep, she discovers something new, and she meets someone who sheds some more light on what exactly Brenna is, and what is going on around her. But things are getting dangerous, and it’s up to Brenna to fix what’s going on around campus and also to figure out what their president is up to.
I liked Brenna because she was strong and assertive, and that is my most favorite kind of main character. Watching her make essentially her first friend in Aeria was a lot of fun. I loved Aeria’s feisty personality. While sometimes I thought the duo was a little harsh on another girl in their dorm, Brenna’s first roommate Erica, I could see why they were.
If there were any downfalls to the book for me, it was that it ended on a cliffhanger, which I absolutely do not like. I thought sometimes the conversations got a little repetitive and long-winded, and I think the copy I was sent to review was an uncorrected proof because Erica’s name suddenly changed to Ashley, which I imagine was fixed in proofing.
Overall this was a fun read. The characters were good and so was the setting. I’m actually looking forward to learning more about The Fade and watching Brenna’s powers develop. A fun read.
You can read my review on Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub, and if you’ve enjoyed it, give it a “like”. You can purchase To Dream is to Die on Amazon for $4.99.
Rae's Reading Lounge 