Dreaming Anastasia Review

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…
Taken from GoodReads.

Dreaming Anastasia is the debut novel by Joy Preble and follows the story of modern-day Anne Michaelson as bizarre dreams of a girls splattered with blood plague her. She's certain her dreams are somehow tied to the death of her brother, but she can't understand them in the slightest. Enter Ethan Kozninsky, the stunning, posture-perfect guy who might just be able to explain what she's seeing and why she's doing us - and help her embrace her destiny to save Anastasia Romanov from the evil witch, Baba Yaga.

When the book first began, I was intrigued by all the great reviews, but I have to admit that I was a bit bored for a while. I enjoy back story, and I think it has its place, but I feel it was very heavy in this book. The action - the real action, didn't begin until later. I also was a bit disturbed that Anne wasn't more worried about her dreams. Yes, she was concerned when she woke up screaming, but they didn't make her worry all the time. I feel that, were I in that situation, I would be a complete wreck.

I don't want to give spoilers, so I won't give too much away, but Anne decides she should work with Ethan, which I think is great, but she still doesn't trust him. I think the trust bit is a little tired in the YA books I've read of late. I guess I'm saying that I'm on the fence on this one. I really enjoyed the ending, and I'll definitely want to read the potential sequel (is it true there is going to be one?), but for now, I'm just kind of mehhhhhhhh on it all. I give this book a 4 out of 5 because it's beautifully written, it just didn't capture me as well as I hoped for it to. That said, the cover is still stunning!

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