Review: The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters

"Smoke stung my nose. I braced myself for fire. But, no- instead, a young man stepped out of the clouds onto the apron, and the audience gave a collective gasp."

"Good evening mesdames and messieurs," said the boy in an accent that sounded French and dangerous and deliciously sophisticated. "I am Monsieur Reverie." (p.6)

Thus begins the hypnotism show that Olivia Mead and her friends are attending on her birthday. Olivia proves to be a good subject for  hypnosis. Her father sees it as quite a boon. Now he can have the rebelliousness hypnotized out of her. But as so often happens with these sorts of things, the results are different from the intentions. With Henri's careful wording, now Livie can see a person's true nature, good or bad, rather than coming to accept what role women should play in the world as men like her father would dictate to them.

The setting is turn of the century Oregon. Suffragists are trying to get women the vote. Olivia is a sort of suffragist herself. This is one of those things her father wants hypnotized out of her. When she realizes what has happened, she seeks help from the only person who can aid her, Henri. They are drawn together to solve her mesmerized problems and more.

This is a really well written book. The setting is perfect for the plot device of hypnotizing the rebellion out of Olivia. Details bring it further to life. It's easy to picture what's going on in your mind's eye. The main characters of Henri and Olivia are well drawn and sympathetic. The book really does a good job of providing a snapshot of what life was like at this particular time in history in Oregon. The plot slowly escalates as do Olivia's father's demands on Henri. The climax of the book provides quite a feat of mesmerization. It is easy enough to suspend disbelief to follow the plot and allow it to flow.

I would recommend this book especially to YA readers who like historical novels with a touch of adventure, romance, and the paranormal. I give this book 5 stars out of 5.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. And all quotes come from the ARC and may appear slightly differently in the finished book.