Dangerous Dream by Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl Series: Dangerous Creatures #0.5
Published by Little Brown on 17 December 2013
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 46
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
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Catch up with Ethan, Lena, and Link as they finally graduate from high school and get ready to leave the small Southern town of Gatlin. But when Dark Caster Ridley makes an appearance, the sometime bad girl can't resist picking a fight with her sometime boyfriend, Link. Angry and rebellious as ever, Ridley ends up alone in New York City and becomes entangled in the dangerous underground Caster club scene, where the stakes are high and losers pay the ultimate price.
Where's a Linkubus when you need him?
*I received a free ARC of Dangerous Dream from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*
Dangerous Dream is a very short story that starts with Ethan, Lena and Link’s high-school graduation. For the first couple of days of summer, the three of them, plus Ridley, Liv and John Breed hang out, until Link say the dreaded L-word to Ridley, and she huffs and puffs before taking off on her own. Because she doesn’t want to admit she even likes him, so she goes country-hopping to forget him.
Ridley ends up in New York after several months of traveling, and goes to a new Caster-bar to try to live things up a little more dangerously than she has been doing it lately. From there, she manages to persuade a mortal boy to bring her to a high-stake card-game. A game where all kinds of supernatural people have to leave their powers at the door, and they have to pay in talent, favors or powers. As Ridley has been able to figure out some things in advance, she is able to keep her siren song intact before entering. And up until the very last game, it seems she will win the tournament – until she is faced with a Darkborn. For once, Ridley being so self-centered might just have come back to bite her in the butt.
Dangerous Dream is an excellent introduction to the Beautiful Creatures spin-off series. Ethan definitely thought things were going to be fine after he saved the world, but it seems that not only good came from his sacrifice…
Ridley was something else. None of it was easy with her. None of it was ever what it looked like at first. That’s what Link usually loved about Ridley.
She made life so damn hard for herself, and everyone around her, that it was like a miracle, only in reverse.
In Paris, she had grown tired of champagne and oysters, and of Etienne, who had come with them.
Rid wasn’t cut out for all that insecurity and angst and BFF crap. Best friends forever? As far as she was concerned, it was more like bitches, frenemies and freaks.
About Linda @ (un)Conventional Bookworms
Linda is an English as foreign language teacher and has a Master's degree in English Language and Literature. She's an avid reader, blogger, compulsive one-clicker and a genre omnivore. Ever since she learnt how to read she has been seen with a book or two in her hands everywhere she goes.
Twitter: bmreviewsohmy
I need to finish that series..I am so behind and now there is a spin off!! I actually have that short story but haven’t read it yet.. 🙂
Yeah, Stormi, you definitely do! Thanks for stopping by.
I read the first few books in this series, but am really behind now. I saw the movie too, and was disappointed. This sounds like a good little novella. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I haven’t actually watched the movie, Lindy, but I’m sorry you were disappointed in it. That often happens to me as well, so I mostly stay away from movies based on books I’ve read and loved now.
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Still have to read the whole series and I’m not totally sure I want to… I saw the movie and didn’t really enjoy it, but I know readers were also disappointed, so that is not the reason why I’m not picking it up. I don’t know, there is just something that doesn’t really convince me… Perhaps one day I’ll change my mind.
Glad you enjoyed the novella 🙂
There are just so many series out there, though, I can totally understand if you don’t feel like continuing one where you didn’t feel completely into the story, Silvia.
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I definitely need to add this spin off series to my to be read list. Thank you for the review and information.
I hope you’ll enjoy it, Xyra! It is darker than the Beautiful Creatures…
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No doubt, it has to be darker…isn’t Ridley the main focus?
I got this novella and Dangerous Creatures from NetGalley but I haven’t read any of the Beautiful Creatures books yet. Do you think I should read the original series first before starting this one?
I think it won’t bother you too much to read Dangerous Creatures without knowing the full cast and story from Beautiful Creatures… Ridley will probably be well explained in these books.
Thanks for stopping by, Kazhy.
ah a spin-off? sounds cool, thought I have to try the first series first I suppose.
Eh, I think it’s totally possible to enjoy Dangerous Creatures without having read Beautiful Creatures, Lily!
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I didn’t read the books but I saw the movie. It’s very classic YA fantasy, I wonder if the spin-off would have the same tone or would it push boundaries and be more trendy…
I think it’s a little too early to tell after just the novella, Braine. I didn’t watch the movie, but I did quite enjoy the books… I know other bloggers didn’t enjoy them at all, though…
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I didn’t know there was going to be a spin-off, so I’m kinda excited! Of course, I’m not caught up in the original series but I really liked the gothic feel of it. Great review, Lexxie! **BIG HUGS**
You should be excited, Brandee. I have read all the books in the original series, so I was really happy when I found out there was a spin-off 🙂 Good luck getting to the top of Mt. TBR to find room for this 😉
*BIG HUGS*
I need to finish the Beautiful Creature series first (Whether it’s necessary or not, LOL. I can’t help it, I’m totally OCD), but I will definitely get to this eventually. Great review, Lexxie!
It isn’t necessary, Jessica, but I’m the same way when I know about it – I can’t start a spin-off before I’ve read everything else first.
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I’ve only read the first two in the Beautiful Creatures series but this one sounds like something I’d like a lot more. Ridley is a very different character which I love. I’m super excited to check out the first book as well as this novella. Even with the flaws, I’m glad you thought it was a good intro! 😀
Yes, because Ridley doesn’t care to try to be good *evil giggles* that’s partly why I really enjoy her so much, Laura.
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I’m hoping to read this one real fast tomorrow and get it marked off my tbr list.I’ve listened to all the other books on audio and enjoyed them and I guess I’m the only person who likes both the books and the movie. 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed the movie, Ginny. I’m always a little iffy of seeing movies based on books I loved, because the characters are so vivid in my mind 🙂
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