SOME SECRETS SHOULD REMAIN IN THE SHADOWS Those who know me will say I’m an ordinary, and a bit naive, 17-year-old. They might think differently if they knew my secret. It’s something I’ve never shared with anyone, and I mean no one.Every once in a while, since I was eight, I’ve had a dream. The same one, every time. I dream of a man hidden by shadows, who never fails to save me from the searing … save me from the searing flames that threaten to devour me.
He is always there for me.
Always!
That’s the dream…this is now. I have a new classmate, and instinctively I know, something seems strange. In a matter of hours, dark rumors abound, labeling him an outcast. Even before he has the chance to become one of us, my classmates turned against him.
My heart tells me there’s more to him than his frown and this specific expression he has. That’s what my heart says, but I saw something I shouldn’t have. That night, in the park by the willow I saw him covered in blood.
I should keep my distance, but I can’t. Something mysterious draws me to him.
He has secrets of his own.
However, one secret could destroy us both.
more
I loved the characters and the unique personalities in Beyond Dreams – the pairing of their innocence and maturity made the story, as dreams morphed into reality and imagined relationships became tangible. I never quite understood if it is common in this world to have people who are only part human with special abilities and superhuman strength, but Ariana seemed generally unafraid and accepting of Michael’s gifts. The drama of the high school backdrop was handled well and the sweetness of the love story that developed was refreshing and a satisfying end to the book.
Beyond Dreams is a short and sweet YA PNR, centring on the lives of Ariana and Michael. Both of them are young, still at school, when they meet under strange circumstances which makes Ariana initially not trust Michael. But as things slowly are revealed, a bond begins to form between the two, and they slowly warm to one another.
Yet Michael has a dark secret, dangerous to not only himself but those around him. And even more danger lurks around the corner as his past comes back to haunt him.
This is a rather short novel, with a simple storyline and perhaps a little slow start, but I don’t mind that. I rather enjoyed the book as a whole, even though it isn’t my go-to genre. It has action, romance, and a touch of magic with a nice paranormal feel. A great book!
As an extra note: The narrator – since I listened to the audio book – was a great fit for Ariana and she did a splendid job.
Beyond Dreams is the first book in the Fateful Dreams Series by Andreea Pryde. It is a paranormal YA novel. The story is told in Ariana’s POV. A romance develops between Ariana and Michael. There are twists and turns, mystery, some drama, as well as action.
I really liked the characters and felt they were developed very well. The book flowed well, and it was easy to read. I am looking forward to reading the next installment in the series.
This was such a cool story! It was very different and took me by surprise many times. Ariana has had dreams since childhood that never made sense to her. Until the new kid in school Michael comes into her life. He isn’t like everyone else and everyone seems to be afraid of him. It doesn’t help that he is afraid of himself as well. The one person who isn’t afraid of him is Ariana. She sees the good in Michael. Even when he reveals his secrets to her. As if that isn’t enough to deal with suddenly someone has a target on Michael and Ariana gets swept up in that drama. Also add in a teenage crush. This story has so much happening but not in a too busy sort of way. I was enthralled from start to end. I loved Michael too. His true spirit is really shown. And I love how protective he is of Ariana. I also loved how protective she was of him too. They are a perfect match friendship and romance wise. Get ready to be on the edge of your seat through this one. You will be hit with surprise after surprise. This narrator does a great job telling the story. I felt like it was Ariana telling it to me herself. I can’t recommend this enough to paranormal mystery fans.
This is one absolutely adorable YA paranormal romance novel and I enjoyed it immensely. And the romance was beautifully imagined and beautifully written. The author has an incredible ability to convey the emotions of first love and take the reader back in time.
This is a story of Ariana and Michael, two high school kids. Michael is a new comer and a victim of vicious rumours. Ariana is a curious, intelligent, and compassionate human being capable of looking beyond what others say. Nothing is what it seems, and Ariana has her dark secrets, as well. Both of them are so incredibly sweet and lovable, as are some of the side characters. Not all characters are lovable but they are all well developed, and there are proper scary villains in the story.
The author’s writing is great, but what got me the most is how she commenced with the familiar plot and then added so many new and original twists and turns, and turned it into a completely new complex plot that blew my mind by the time I reached the end of the story. Most of the time I had absolutely no idea where the story was going and what could possibly happen. I absolutely loved all about this story and I can’t wait for the next one.
*spoilers* Definitely different. I was initially surprised at how young the main character is. I was not expecting this book to have a fantasy/paranormal theme. After recovering from that jolt, I can say that I got sucked it. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and all of its twists and turns.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Smooth, easy-to-read paranormal YA romance.
This story centers around two high schoolers, Michael and Ariana. Ariana has had dreams of a boy since the time she was little so when Michael appears in her life, she knows he’ll be part of her world. As the two start to slowly interact more and more, their romance blooms in an awesome suspenseful storyline.
I love the way that the author started the story with such a hook of mystery but gradually blended that into the reality of Ariana’s words. As we learn the truth about her, and Michael, it’s easy to connect with these characters and grow with them.
I just finished this book right now and I have to say, even though it isn’t my usual genre, it blew me away. It was written so well, so descriptive and the characters were so easy to love. I kept turning the pages to find out if it’s a happy end or not, because honestly, I had no idea where it was going to go. The author gets 5 stars from me for this very imaginative unique story! Great job!
This is a great fantasy romance for young adults since it is clearly written with they youthful heart in mind. Written in POV, the story contains a bit of tension, a bit of mystery, some love and a tremendous amount of naivety on Ariana’s part. There were times when I felt the story could have been more complex and developed, but the story worked just the same as is. Perhaps that complexity will come in the next book as the story has plenty of room to expand in book 2 are quite high. All in all I thought it was a quick and fun read.