Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'A Girl Can Dream' by Emily Barr.

My brain was utterly confused for 80% of this book so sadly that did ruin my reading experience of this book - I'm not big brained enough for the intricate layers this book came with. I've never read a novel by Emily Barr before so I didn't really know what to expect from this but I did enjoy the writing style so I would be willing to give another novel by hers a shot.

I loved The One Memory of Flora Banks and I read it several times so I was super excited for this one. I loved the different places and emotions it tapped into.

A really ambitious book, with lots of complex concepts and plot devices. I found it a bit too ambitious sometimes, with the symbolism being heavy handed, and not really a very good explanation or dive of why and how Hazel fell under the spell of the abusive older partner. However, I understand that the main aspect of the story was the time in "Venice", and how it was the way it was. I found the ending quite satisfying, but a little unbelievable and "I's dotted and T's crossed" - but otherwise, a really gripping book I whizzed through reading and I'm certain a younger generation will really enjoy.

Thank you for the chance to read and review this book.

I've read all of Barr's YA titles so far and have a strong fan base amongst my Yr 8s at school although this is for slightly older readers I would suggest- dealing as it does with coercive relationships, eating disorders and abuse. As others have said, I can't really go into the plot without spoiling the story for others but it follows Ghosted in that it blends elements of magic-realism/fantasy as well as real life drama. The way that Barr blends the scenes in Venice with the flashbacks works very well, it builds up the tension and tells the story in a way that really keeps you turning the pages. There are some very important life lessons about relationships in this book too but they are delivered in a way that is subtle and sympathetic for the readership.

This book took me a bit to settle in to, and I would encourage anyone reading to stick with it.

It’s hard to explain without spoilers, but the book explores many themes including family, friendships, and grief. The author navigated these with grace.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Its very difficult to surmise Emily Barr's new novel without giving too many spoilers, so definitely think this is book that people need to go into with an open mind so that they can experience the story for themselves. The dual timeline of past and present, makes for a very interesting read. I did find that at times it was difficult to follow the storyline due to the various sub stories unfolding however this is no disrespect to the amazing content that it covered.

The novel presents a number of issues and themes such as abuse in a relationships, sexuality, loyalty, eating disorders and Hazel trying to find her true self. The introduction of the topics makes the novel very unique and not something that I've experienced previously. The novel was a mash up of various genres such as romance and thriller, which I really enjoyed.

I did however feel that there were some elements that were missing and would have liked more of an understanding of the characters personal development towards the end. Despite this I would recommend this novel and look forward to reading more of Emily Barr's creations in the future.

Emily Burr’s newest novel is imaginative and keeps you on your toes from the get go. It’s one of the most unique books I’ve read in a long while and it’s really hard to articulate the premise of the book without spoiling and I think people deserve to go in blind. I devoured it in one sitting so I think that’s telling enough ;)

It deals with so many themes within the unique dual timeline setting — abuse in relationships and all the different ways it can look, the fluidity of sexuality and finding yourself, friendship and loyalty. The book just had it all on top of a really unique premise that was slightly thrilling, speculative and romantic. Truly just a genre-mashup of delight.

It’s my first book by Burr but I’d definitely like to dive into her backlist after enjoying this so much :)