Witch Dreams - Hardcover

Vande Velde, Vivian

3.52

501 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0761452354 ISBN 13: 9780761452355

Publisher: Two Lions, 2005

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Sixteen-year-old Nyssa can enter into people’s dreams. Although the authorities of the medieval town of Lindenwolde would put her to death if they realized she was a witch, she feels compelled to practice her unique brand of witchcraft to answer the biggest question of her life: who broke into her father’s woodworking shop and killed her parents? Six years after the murder, Nyssa finally gets her chance to enter the dreams of the man she suspects is responsible. Suddenly she finds herself on a reckless, relentless journey that leads her through a maze of adventures—both in the real world and in the world of the unconscious. Nyssa risks death as she finally identifies the murderer in a shocking and unexpected climax.

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About the Author:

Vivian Vande Velde's books have won many awards, including the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Never Trust a Dead Man. She is also the author of Ghost of a Hanged Man. She lives in Rochester, New York.

From Booklist:

Gr. 5-8. Ever since her parents were brutally murdered, 16-year-old Nyssa has searched for a way to confirm her suspicions about the killer, perhaps using her extrasensory ability to share in others' dreams--a dangerous gift that smacks of witchcraft. After one such "bespelling" reveals a flaw in her assumptions, Nyssa's investigations, combining supernatural elements and traditional gumshoe methods, end with a revelation about the facts as well as a thrilling psychological twist. It's never quite clear why it took six years for Nyssa to tap the dreams of eyewitnesses, but the greater flaw may be the unappealing jacket illustration; if readers can get past that, they'll soon be ensnared by the briskly paced plot and Vande Velde's simple yet visceral writing, especially effective in passages about Nyssa's dream-wanderings ("Wish dreams felt cool and rippled, and fear dreams tasted rancid but were exciting"). Offer this to middle-graders who enjoy the light fantasy of Nancy Springer's Rowan Hood series, older reluctant readers drawn to tales of witchcraft, and whodunit fans in both categories. Jennifer Mattson
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