


And it never ends-the plot is heavily reliant on dialogue, and the dialogue is the worst part! The story pacing is just.weird. Tess and Anne's dialogue is a sad approximation of how adults think teenagers speak-it all comes off stilted and unfunny even when it's trying to be witty. The characters are complete cardboard (except maybe Anastasia, but it's hard to tell, because reading the impossible cursive font that most of her entries were written in was just too annoying after a certain point). Leaving history and culture aside, the writing is not good. There's no deeper understanding of any of the Russian cultural bits that she tries out, it's all very American and very, oh, it's Russia, let's throw in some gratuitous mentions of the ballet and Tolstoy! The Russian folklore and culture bits read like she pulled them off Wikipedia and for Romanov history, I suppose she probably read "Nicholas and Alexandra" (or watched the movie). "Ya khachu videt'" means "I want to see", not "I want." And Etanovich? Really? Here are two off the top of my head: it's matryoshka, not matroyshka. Almost every single Russian word or phrase she used in the book was misspelled to the point of changing the meaning of the word, mistranslated, or misused.unfortunately, all three in some cases. For the people who are liking the Russian culture lesson.eh. From the description on the jacket, it sounded promising, but alas, it was not to be. Someone suggested this book to me because I have an advanced degree in Russian Studies, so it seemed like it would be up my alley. There's too much beautifully written YA out there nowadays for that. " - YABooksCentral.Singularly bad-if this was a book for younger children, the quality might be more understandable, but no excuses on this one.

Lovers of fantasy and romance will not be disappointed, and a sudden twist at the end will leave readers eyes wide and mouths agape… Dreaming Anastasia will most definitely be gracing my shelves from now on. "Joy Preble has given readers an intriguing tale of magic, tragedy, love, and betrayal… Be prepared to fall into this story your heart will ache for the characters and what they’ve suffered, especially Anastasia. " Dreaming Anastasia is a fun young adult fantasy that takes the reader back and forth from current-day Chicago to the time of the Romanovs, and throws in elements of a Russian folktale for added chills.". It was a wild, fun and sweetly romantic ride.". " Dreaming Anastasia is a story of love and loss on many different levels. It made me want to research the Romanov family and the fairy tale character of Baba Yaga… DREAMING ANASTASIA is easy to read and an enjoyable story. It's the perfect blend that will attract a variety of readers.". "The novel is cleverly written in alternating points of view (Anastasia, Anne, and Ethan) and takes you on a ride of paranormal fantasy, contemporary and historical fiction, with a little bit of romance.
