I have seen Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor mentioned many times across all bookish social media platforms and I can see why it’s so popular. The world is incredible rich and lush and beautiful, however, I have read 180 pages and I have no interest in continuing this book. Why is that?

Let me start by saying this is not because I dislike the book. On the contrary, I find it to be an incredible piece of literature that cracks open the side of YA fantasy that I truly adore. The depth of history and culture I have glimpsed and the detail that gets into every page are markers of an excellent novel. I would love to be able to come close to creating such vivid imagery and attachment that this world has for devoted readers.

The issue, I believe, lies with me and my reading preferences. Specifically, the shift I’ve had in my reading direction. Strange the Dreamer is a gem in a sea of sand, it is something that I hope young readers find and fall in love with. It ticks all the right boxes except one which, unfortunately in this instance, make it a read I cannot become attached to or immersed in enough to continue. As an adult looking for more mature fantasy with compelling background and layers to characters and the world they live in, Strange the Dreamer was showing signs of being the book I’d love most in 2023. I soon discovered though, around part two, that the inexperienced teenage perspective is something I have grown out of and find difficult to relate to. Lazlo and Sarai are strong characters, but their life experience and naivety paired with slow build to the real conflicts and action of the story lose me and my interest.

I will say though that I love Laini Taylor for writing chapters with actual chapter names. Not only did this give context for the chapters but it made them more interesting and gave vigour to an otherwise dull aspect of story formatting. It shows character and intention and I think more books should include proper chapter titles. I also really appreciate that a book so chonky (532 pages) has a half dozen parts or so to help break up the reading. This makes it so palatable and means that the story has a structure that can support itself well, with clear portions dedicated to certain parts of the plot or character development. It’s again something that I think would be a great tool for authors, especially those breaking into the YA Fantasy space. With the intense saturation within the genre and the repetitive themes, visuals and language used, elements of formatting and story structure such as these really make the work stand out.

I will certainly be recommending Strange the Dreamer to those looking for YA Fantasy and keeping an eye out for Laini Taylor books that lean more adult. I love her writing style – I remember reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone and her description and characterisation blew me away. In general, I think Laini Taylor is a YA fantasy author people should check out.