REVIEW: THE DREAM WEAVER by Reina Luz Alegre

In THE DREAM WEAVER by Reina Luz Alegre, Zoey lives in the land of in-between. She’s spent nearly her whole life moving from city to city, following the whimsical dreams of her father, not staying anywhere quite long enough to call it home. She speaks mostly English, though her grandfather, Poppy, would love for her to improve her Spanish. And she’s just moved to a new town, where she knows almost no one well enough to call friend.
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​Though in-between places, languages and friends, Zoey is a grounded and compassionate character who knows that where she belongs—where she has always belonged—is with her family. But now her brother, José, is going to college in just a couple of months. And then her father announces he is starting yet another new dream-job in New York City.

​Without her.

Suddenly Zoey’s doesn’t feel like she belongs at all, and the land of in-between grows bigger and scarier when Zoey discovers her grandfather’s bowling alley, Gonzo’s, is in trouble—and if they don’t do something about it soon, he could lose it forever.
THE DREAM WEAVER is such a touching tale. It will appeal and speak to young readers who know the place of in-between all too well—not knowing the right clothes or make-up to wear, or how to identify yourself, or where, exactly, you can call home. So much of being between a child and young adult is filled with these feelings of not quite-here-nor-there, and Reina Luz Alegre conveys this awkward and blossoming age beautifully on the page.
Each character is so well-developed, I could practically hear their voices coming off the page—Poppy, telling Zoey to quit worrying, or about tales from his life. José, explaining his passion for medical technology. Her father and his absence for much of the book, too, has its voice.
One of the especially precious parts of THE DREAM WEAVER is Zoey being introduced to a new friend group. Isa, Lacey, Patrick, and Tyler accept Zoey, introduce her to fashion and their bowling league, and even team up with her to try and save Gonzo’s. Alegre perfectly captures the wonderfulness as well as awkwardness of new friendships.

​With beautiful, clear prose, and an excellent, page-turning plot, THE DREAM WEAVER will become a favorite for many, many young readers—especially those from and in the in-between, the ones who most need the reminder that their dreams, too, are valued, and home is always where your loved ones are—both family and friends.

THE DREAM WEAVER is available for pre-order from Indiebound, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon. THE DREAM WEAVER can also be added to Goodreads here!
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Reina Luz Alegre lives in Florida with her family. She’s dreamed of becoming an author since the second grade, and grew up to work on various other professional dreams—including as a freelance journalist and lawyer—before debuting her first novel, The Dream Weaver. When she’s not writing, Reina loves to read, sing and salivate over baking shows.

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Review by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Raquel Vasquez Gilliland is a Mexican American poet, novelist, and painter. She received her MFA in poetry from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, in 2017. She’s most inspired by fog and seeds and the lineages of all things. When not writing, Raquel tells stories to her plants and they tell her stories back. She lives in Tennessee with her beloved family and mountains. Raquel has published two books of poetry. Sia Martinez and the Moonlit Beginning of Everything is her first novel. 

www.raquelvasquezgilliland.com