Welcome To The Inner Workings of Brent's Brain

Awards and Honors

A Flamingnet "Top Choice"!
A PNWB 2008 Book Award Nominee!

More awards and honors coming soon
( I hope!)

Reviews

"Hartinger deftly moves into the realm of fantasy in his latest outing....Hartinger’s winning pairing of a sincere message with hyperbolic humor should resonate with readers."
-- Publishers Weekly

"An outstanding, different fantasy."
-- Midwest Book Reviews.

"Slumberia appears hauntingly liquid as dreams sometimes do, but beneath the surface is a sinister undercurrent. The story unfolds like a television show, fast paced and visual...the characters are well defined and the story line clever. Readers looking for a fun but edgy book will enjoy stepping into this unusual world with its grim circumstances and adventure."
-- School Library Journal

"Reminiscent of the movie Labyrinth...Entertaining...engaging and fun...interesting characters and fun sequences...There's also a poignancy since Julie represents all the kids being used by their parents."
-- SFRevu

"Brilliant...an amazing, original tale into a story not just for younger readers, but for all ages...Peppered throughout with both Hartinger's trademark humor and Hollywood satire, this is one read that simply cannot be put down until you finish the last word."
-- Book Chic

"Hartinger, who worked as a screenwriter, sends up Hollywood while providing a fast-moving story for preteens."
-- The Oregonian

"Julie's entertaining and humorous quest leads to a satisfying conclusion."
-- Kirkus Reviews

"An amazingly imaginative novel, with a fully realized world full of fascinating images and creatures. From the moon people, whose faces only show themselves to those who truly care, to the moustached butterflies that act as messengers and the shark-turned-lawyers, these are beings unlike those in any other book. The setting, in the
always-night Slumberia, with its desert full of ghosts and towering city of nightmares, is vivid and unforgettable."
-- TeenReadsToo

"[A] great summer read...exceptional fantasy that you cannot put down."
-- Reading (PA) Eagle

"Slightly similar to Gaiman’s Coraline, but also slightly similar in feel to L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time in some parts, and the movie The Labyrinth in other parts. I'm definitely looking forward to...the next installment in the series."
-- Once Upon a Bookshelf

"His inventive storyline challenges friendships, questions the reality of reality, and investigates the truth of love—old, lost, and newly found. But, he does this on a level that kids and tweens can understand...Dreamquest: Tales of Slumberia is an excellent entry into tweener thriller fantasy; Hartinger has another success on his hands!"
-- TeenFiction.Suite101.com

"Powerful and haunting, with an incredibly determined girl hero and truly unique characters in an amazing landscape--wow!"
-- Tamora Pierce

"Hartinger gave us a real mind twister with his last book, Grand & Humble, and this one is going to send young adults on another serious mind trip...This one has Hartinger's usual dry humor and clever dialog - he paints real characters, even immersed in a fantasy world. This one's for more advanced readers, and highly recommended."
-- SmartWriters.com

"I wished this book would never end...Dreamquest brings amazing adventure, imagination and a fabulous book. Brent Hartinger, the author of a bunch of books about teenagers, does good work!"
-- Flamingnet (a "Top Choice")

"Parents looking for middle school-level reading should go out and pick up a copy of Brent Hartinger's Dreamquest: Tales of Slumberia as soon as possible. This charming, fast-paced, and imaginative book updates the classic tale of a child finding a secret dream realm....Although Hartinger is mostly known for edgy teen novels, he clearly knows his fantasy tropes."
-- Amazon Book Blog

"Hartinger takes many satirical swipes at Hollywood, and he certainly has a handle on the genre he’s working in...He also brings a disciplined, dream-logic-driven sense of the surreal to his story...Hollywood isn’t the only source of inspiration here. Hartinger actually had a dream that provided the basis for this book. May he dream on, for many books to come."
-- Boston Edge

"Dreamquest is a marvelously inventive fantasy, dripping with creative juices and operating, like the best classic tales, on several levels at once."
-- David Lubar



					Dreamquest (Tales of Slumberia, Book1) by Brent Hartinger (for readers 8 and up) Synopsis


					Eleven-year-old Julie Fray is living a nightmare. Her parents are fighting so much she can't even escape when she goes to sleep. Every night she has horrible dreams and all she wants is for them to stop. Then one night she wakes up inside her dream, in the studio where her dreams are produced. With the help of some new friends, including a production assistant named Roman, Julie learns that if she can somehow find the people responsible for producing her dreams, she might be able to make them go away. But it won't be easy: the tiny tear in the fabric of her consciousness that let her fall into the dream studio in the first place is closing fast...and she could be trapped inside her own head forever! Even worse, it turns out that when Julie fell into her dreams, Vivian, the actress who plays Julie in her dreams, escaped into the waking world--and the fake Julie will stop at nothing to take over Julie's life.
					Awards and Honors A Flamingnet "Top Choice"! A PNWB 2008 Book Award Nominee! More awards and honors coming soon ( I hope!) Reviews "Hartinger deftly moves into the realm of fantasy in his latest outing....Hartinger’s winning pairing of a sincere message with hyperbolic humor should resonate with readers." -- Publishers Weekly "An outstanding, different fantasy." -- Midwest Book Reviews. "Slumberia appears hauntingly liquid as dreams sometimes do, but beneath the surface is a sinister undercurrent. The story unfolds like a television show, fast paced and visual...the characters are well defined and the story line clever. Readers looking for a fun but edgy book will enjoy stepping into this unusual world with its grim circumstances and adventure." -- School Library Journal "Reminiscent of the movie Labyrinth...Entertaining...engaging and fun...interesting characters and fun sequences...There's also a poignancy since Julie represents all the kids being used by their parents." -- SFRevu "Brilliant...an amazing, original tale into a story not just for younger readers, but for all ages...Peppered throughout with both Hartinger's trademark humor and Hollywood satire, this is one read that simply cannot be put down until you finish the last word." -- Book Chic "Hartinger, who worked as a screenwriter, sends up Hollywood while providing a fast-moving story for preteens." -- The Oregonian "Julie's entertaining and humorous quest leads to a satisfying conclusion." -- Kirkus Reviews "An amazingly imaginative novel, with a fully realized world full of fascinating images and creatures. From the moon people, whose faces only show themselves to those who truly care, to the moustached butterflies that act as messengers and the shark-turned-lawyers, these are beings unlike those in any other book. The setting, in the always-night Slumberia, with its desert full of ghosts and towering city of nightmares, is vivid and unforgettable." -- TeenReadsToo "[A] great summer read...exceptional fantasy that you cannot put down." -- Reading (PA) Eagle "Slightly similar to Gaiman’s Coraline, but also slightly similar in feel to L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time in some parts, and the movie The Labyrinth in other parts. I'm definitely looking forward to...the next installment in the series." -- Once Upon a Bookshelf "His inventive storyline challenges friendships, questions the reality of reality, and investigates the truth of love—old, lost, and newly found. But, he does this on a level that kids and tweens can understand...Dreamquest: Tales of Slumberia is an excellent entry into tweener thriller fantasy; Hartinger has another success on his hands!" -- TeenFiction.Suite101.com "Powerful and haunting, with an incredibly determined girl hero and truly unique characters in an amazing landscape--wow!" -- Tamora Pierce "Hartinger gave us a real mind twister with his last book, Grand & Humble, and this one is going to send young adults on another serious mind trip...This one has Hartinger's usual dry humor and clever dialog - he paints real characters, even immersed in a fantasy world. This one's for more advanced readers, and highly recommended." -- SmartWriters.com "I wished this book would never end...Dreamquest brings amazing adventure, imagination and a fabulous book. Brent Hartinger, the author of a bunch of books about teenagers, does good work!" -- Flamingnet (a "Top Choice") "Parents looking for middle school-level reading should go out and pick up a copy of Brent Hartinger's Dreamquest: Tales of Slumberia as soon as possible. This charming, fast-paced, and imaginative book updates the classic tale of a child finding a secret dream realm....Although Hartinger is mostly known for edgy teen novels, he clearly knows his fantasy tropes." -- Amazon Book Blog "Hartinger takes many satirical swipes at Hollywood, and he certainly has a handle on the genre he’s working in...He also brings a disciplined, dream-logic-driven sense of the surreal to his story...Hollywood isn’t the only source of inspiration here. Hartinger actually had a dream that provided the basis for this book. May he dream on, for many books to come." -- Boston Edge "Dreamquest is a marvelously inventive fantasy, dripping with creative juices and operating, like the best classic tales, on several levels at once." -- David Lubar