Dreamworld

By Jane Goldman

Book Overview

When it comes to crime in Dreamworld, the sprawling Florida vacation resort might as well be never-never land. That's because the bad things that happen there never reach the press. As an ambitious rookie cop on the community's security force, twenty-five-year-old Sylvia Avery toes the company line, smoothing over disturbances that might tarnish the utopian image of Dreamworld and its hugely popular ImagiNation theme park.
But that flawless facade is shattered when a horrific murder-suicide takes place "on property." Thrown into a company-sponsored cover-up, Avery discovers bizarre and disturbing experiments taking place at Dreamworld's ultrasecret research center. Torn between her loyalty to her new boss -- and lover -- and a need to uncover the terrifying truth, Avery enters the dark and twisted world beneath Dreamworld's picture-perfect surface. Now, in a place where fantasy rules and illusion is everything, Avery is about to come face-to-face with a cold and deadly reality.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671787209
• ISBN13: 9780671787202
• Release Date: April 2000
• Publisher: MTV Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

My new favorite mystery

I love mysteries with a twist, and the idea of horrible things happening beneath the flawless exterior of a theme park intrigued me from the moment I read the blurb on the back of this book. The fact that the "Dreamworld" theme park is nearly a carbon copy of Disney World, from the costumed characters to the themed lands and resorts to the "It's a Small World"-like ride where the novel's climactic moments occur, adds a strange level of realism to the story-- as if you're reading a shameful secret exposé rather than a novel. It's not just the unique setting that makes this such a wonderful mystery novel, though. The characters are great, particularly the tough and witty star Sylvia Avery. The plot builds up quite a bit of suspense as pieces of the intricate puzzle are revealed one by one, and most of the twists were very surprising. I suppose it would be wishful thinking to hope for a sequel, but as a standalone novel "Dreamworld" stands above most other mysteries I've read.

art imitating life? goldman knows someone at disneyworld

the real reason i loved this book as much as i did was because jane goldman's descriptions of everything about dreamworld (from procedure, right down to uniforms and park layout) was complete walt disney world. she even mentions disney SEVERAL times in the book. also, her descriptions of the orlando/kissimee area are insanely accurate (disney world cast members *do* hang out at a bar on state road 192 called the big bamboo lounge). i enjoyed reading a novel that was basically ABOUT the place that i work. if you're looking for a taste of behind-the-scenes at disney world, read this book.

Dreamworld: characters you wish you knew

When I first bought the book, I must admit, it was only because it was an MTV book. But as soon as I had read the first chapter, I was hooked. Goldman's detailed descriptions of Avery, Trey,Hayes,Perdue, and all the other characters make you feel as if you really knew them. It's exciting,action-packed, a great mystery, has an amazing sex-appeal, and is suited for teenaged to adult readers. After I had finished it, my friends got in line to borrow it because it was an amazing read!

I love my MTV!

I loved this book! Goldman's use of dialogue (inlcuding the cursing we all use) and suspenseful plots made the book realistic and exciting. Plus, the cover is cool! Feel it!

Exciting and Intricate

Combine a heavy dose of pop-culture, fantasy, sex appeal, and a twisting plot, and you have Dreamworld in a nutshell. Exciting and animate, Dreamworld reads like a well written movie. It's filled with exciting characters, intriguing story lines, and little details that go unoticed until the book is finished. It's the kind of book you can barely put down, yet still reads beautifully. In short, it's an awesome example of modern fiction. Definately worth picking up.