Witch Dreams

Publishers Weekly

For six long years Nyssa has been seeking justice for her parents who were murdered when she was 10 years old. She had suspected Elsdon, a youngest son of Lord Haraford, but his parents had provided his alibi, and Nyssa was powerless to prove otherwise. Now, Elsdon returns to their medieval village, and Nyssa has a chance to discover what really happened on the day her parents died, for she has the ability to share, almost like eavesdropping, other people's dreams. But she must be subtle, for such a power would be considered magic in the eyes of the villagers, and she would be tried as a witch. Nissa's explanation of her taxonomy of dream-types ("wish, fear, or true-memory" dreams) is fascinating, if at times confusing, but unfortunately, none of the characters is fully developed, which detracts from the story's mounting suspense. Vande Velde's spare prose style reflects the simple and harsh existence of Nyssa's village-this is not a place where people can expect something even as basic as food or a bed of one's own. Nyssa's dream visions, by contrast, unspool as detailed, vivid scenes that give weight to what occurred the day of the murders. Although not among the author's best, it's a chilling tale nonetheless. Ages 10-14. (Oct.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Gr 6-9-Nyssa, 16, is a witch who is able to dream other people's dreams. She is trying to resolve the lingering questions about who murdered her parents six years earlier. She uses her powers of "bespelling" and tries to get to "true memory." For years, she believed that the wealthy young man who was seen at the scene was guilty and only exonerated for the crime through his parents' influence, yet through exposure to several people's dreams she learns of his innocence. Vande Velde once again grabs readers' attention on page one and holds it to the end. This quick-paced story is easy to understand and the writing is crisp and suspenseful, with the dream sequences in italics. The surprising plot twists should please mystery fans.-Donna Marie Wagner, Harris County Public Library, Houston, TX Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

As her story opens, 16-year-old Nyssa, orphaned by the unsolved murder of her parents when she was ten, dreams vividly about the day of their deaths. She lives in a vaguely defined medieval society that condemns witches-by definition anyone with psychic abilities. This includes Nyssa, who can "read" other people's dreams. On the day of her parents' deaths, Nyssa's father threatened to exile his witch daughter to a monastery, leaving her with a lot of ambivalence about his murder. Hoping to solve the mystery, she uses her power to examine the event through the dreams of all its witnesses. Plot drives this combination of fantasy and mystery, leaving even primary characters underdeveloped, but providing a hook for readers. Although definitely not the author's best work (beside the weak characterization, the book comes to its pat resolution far too quickly and leaves one whopping loose thread), it will appeal to fans of Vande Velde's previous work, to readers of occult fiction and to those younger teens perennially in search of thin books. Purchase accordingly. (Fantasy. 12-14)