There are three rules when it comes to travelling through another person's dream; never change anything, never walk the same dream more than once and never, ever be seen. 
 Dreamland is a young adult paranormal fantasy cross thriller about a girl burdened with the ability to travel through other people's dreams, glimpsing worlds of magic and subconscious wish fulfilment. But these worlds are also dangerous, faceless monsters reside within nightmarish landscapes without rule or reason, desperately hunting people across the hazy boundary between dream world and reality. 
 This book starts off with such a compelling concept, and is complemented by really intriguing world building and an altogether mysterious and creepy atmosphere. There is something dark and dangerous about this world, a thrilling sense of uncertainty and tension in the plot as well as a sinister and chilling quality about the writing. The immersive imagery of the dreamscapes is richly detailed and fascinating, adding to the moody and atmospheric feel of the book. 
 And yet, while it's not a bad book, it seemed to get lost somewhere along the way. It just wasn't a standout for me, a strong concept that felt promising but failed to deliver simply because it tries to weave too many elements into the storyline. This book feels confused, like it's not quite sure what it wants to be or where the focal point is because there are so many storylines happening; paranormal fantasy, thriller/murder mystery or young adult romance? The combination of so many plotlines detracts from each component, rather than enhancing the whole, leaving inadequate time to flesh out each aspect of the story. 
 I could have done without the murder mystery element personally, which honestly felt completely unbelievable to me (view spoiler)[ (because in what world would a six year old be considered a likely suspect in a double homicide, are you kidding me?) (hide spoiler)] in favour of greater focus on the paranormal fantasy plotline, because the dream world was arguably the most interesting aspect to this book in my opinion. 
 A novel perhaps worth a read for the concept, but let down by the execution. 
 Actual rating 2.5 stars