Title: Gossamer
Author: Lois Lowry
# of pages: 140

Plot Summary:

Littlest One is a dream-giver, a creature that is not human, but an imaginary being that lives within all things. Their purpose is to collect memories from objects in the specific house they are assigned to, and, using those memories, formulate and bestow dreams to humans.

She is, as her name suggests, the youngest in her colony of dream-givers. She begins her first mission with the guidance of Fastidious, whom is annoyed by her constant chatter. After Littlest becomes the responsibility of an older member of the colony, Thin Elderly, his fondness with younger dream-givers allows a close relationship to form between the two. However, the fear of Sinisteeds, those who bestow nightmares, soon lingers over the troubled household they are assigned to, and they simply must work harder to allow recovery for the elderly woman and young boy (bestowing pleasant dreams). In the end, she learns that she has been gradually maturing into an independent dream-giver and will be named "Gossamer" in the future, for her talent for a gossamer touch.

Opinion:

This was a novel that was based on describing a situation and expanding on it, rather than weaving an exciting story with the situation as its foundation. There were plenty of possibilities for a breathtaking plot and a dramatic ending, but all that really occurred to me was how Littlest One was maturing while she aged as a dream-giver and how she would eventually teach younger pupils to bestow dreams.

Of course, I felt happy for Littlest, having achieved so much over the course of the novel, but the lack of action and adventure simply disappointed me.

Nevertheless, the Lois Lowry uses beautiful, descriptive language that was perhaps the only source of motivation for me to continue reading, coupled with her imagination. I would recommend this book for those who would like to read a book that is unique in its own right, but otherwise, I only found Gossamer to be satisfactory.

Main themes and subjects:

• Dreams (both the pleasant and unpleasant)
• Imaginary beings (dream-givers and Sinisteeds)
• A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step
  

Target audience: Pre-teens, Teenagers

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 2/5

Book review by Fiona T.
* 12 hours so far