Review: Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble

Title: Dreaming Anastasia

Book #: 1

Author: Joy Preble

Pages: 310

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Tags: Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Recommended to: Romanov story lovers.

Rating: .9

"Love, Magic, and the Power of Dreams."

What really happened to Anastasia Romanov? Anastasia Romanov thought she would never feel more alone than when the gunfire started and her family began to fall around her. Surely the bullets would come for her next. But they didn't. Instead, two gnarled old hands reached for her. When she wakes up she discovers that she is in the ancient hut of the witch Baba Yaga, and that some things are worse than being dead.

In modern-day Chicago, Anne doesn't know much about Russian history. She is more concerned about getting into a good college—until the dreams start. She is somewhere else. She is someone else. And she is sharing a small room with a very old woman. The vivid dreams startle her, but not until a handsome stranger offers to explain them does she realize her life is going to change forever. She is the only one who can save Anastasia. But, Anastasia is having her own dreams…

Taschima's POV:

Like usual we start with the high school girl that appears to be just an ordinary girl. She does her thing, and her biggest worry is chemistry. This girl's name is Anne. Anne appears to be living the life, when one night she glances over her shoulder and sees, wait for it, this mysterious young fella -who is incredibly hot by the way- with these oh so blue eyes that you just feel like diving into them forever. She feels the connection with him since that first glance, and now she's doing the impossible to get away from him.

Yeah, all seems right with this girl. That is, until you find out she dreams of being Anastasia, the Romanov princess, and seems to know stuff that nobody knows about the Russian duchess. Also she seems to dream this dream repeatedly. Is Anne as ordinary as she seems? Or is behind her a secret so terrifying, that even witches from fairy tales don't wanna mess with her?

The book was an interesting read. Something new to my list thats for sure.

I have a thing for the story of Anastasia. The Disney movie is one of my faves. And the spin off Preble creates it's one I very much enjoyed.

The characters were believable. Anne is a high school kid who when confronted with the impossible, acts like a high school kid is suppose to act, she freaks out. Denial hits, and you know whats next. Tess is Anne's best friend. She is the best friend everyone wish they had, loyal, loves you, and doesn't turn her back when you start talking crazy. Ethan, our hot blue eye angel, is old, but at the same time young. Which is how his character should be. I liked this characters very much.

Now one of the problems I had was that, since Anne and Tess are dancers I kept imagining the dancer girls from my high school. And since the girls from my high school are all girly oh-my-god-I-broke-my-nail girls I had a hard time creating a new image.

One of the things that I liked was the romance. It wasn't a I-met-you-and-I-instantly-fell-in-love thing. It was a I got to really know you and now I want you thing. I wouldn't say it was really love, but that's up for discussion.

Ending wise I think it fit. Though I would have like to see a more crazy one, but it was decent and it fit the puzzle Joy was creating.

All in all, good debut novel. I say read it!