Review: The Dream Maker in the Desert by Marie Krushing

by First Mate Keira

Title: The Dream Maker in the Desert (Society Series, Book 1)
Author: Marie Krushing
Format: Trade Paperback
Page Count: 527
Grade Reading Level: 7+ Grade

Summary: Emmet Watts was an outcast in school. Students labeled him a freak and as a result nobody was brave enough to be his friend. One night while taking out the garbage, Emmet is confronted by a creepy man and rescued from him by a team of others. In the world he’s whisked away to, Emmet learns one thing was true. He was a freak – a superhero with powers as yet undiscovered. He’s given a choice. He can return home, no questions asked or he can stay and discover who he was really meant to be. In the end there was only one choice Emmet could live with…

Why I started this book:

It was offered to LYAF as an ARC which we accepted.

Likes:

This is a very boy friendly novel and book series with lots of action, fighting, sparring, and a general cool factor due to superhero powers. It’s even got elements that will make it girl friendly too.
Chris is Emmet’s mentor and team captain within the Society and is a pretty awesome guy. He trains Emmet, defends him, sticks up for him, and talks sense into him whenever the occasion demands it. That makes him a very good friend. His superpower is night vision but that also makes darkness his greatest fear.
The Kelly/Emmet relationship is cute and I definitely want to see it developed more.
It was very cool to see what superheroes feared. I already mentioned Chris' fear, I won't mention the others. You will have to read and find out for yourself.
Braeden is a well drawn bad guy. I liked very much how Krushing used his power to manipulate fears and dreams against him at the end. I wasn’t expecting it at all.

Dislikes:

While wrapping up the first Society series novel in a very clean and tidy way, I have to wonder who will be running the Dark Ones next? I can think of two from those mentioned already in the series, but they were followers first, it might be hard to reconcile them as leaders in the next book.
Kenny is the standard YA school bully. I feel he needs a little more to his character. He’s not really a threat and is drawn in a rather pathetic light as his arrogance and entitlement make him delusional. There’s no way right now he’d stand a chance against Emmet ever yet he keeps picking (verbal) fights. I want him to get superpowers. That would up the rivalry.

Last Minute Thoughts: The Society series is slated to be a trilogy. I’m interested in seeing what happens to our hero, Emmet Watts.

Buy: The Dream Maker in the Desert

Rating: 4 Treasure Chests