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Reviewed by Jennifer Donovan for Readers' Favorite
An outcast at 15 years old, Julia becomes entangled in her new friend’s suicidal ideation. Desperate for acceptance and easily manipulated, Julia allows herself to be pressured into taking her own life, not fully grasping the gravity of the situation until it has already begun. Julia awakens from a coma to a new reality in which Rachel is dead and her parents have become overbearing and overprotective, so she is never able to mature beyond the mentality of a socially awkward teenager. Cat & The Dreamer by Annalisa Crawford is a deep novella exploring the psychological impact of survivor’s guilt, untreated social anxiety, and authoritarian parenting.
Told through a dreamlike narrative in which Julia shifts between consciousness and daydreams, adjusting to the writing style takes a little getting used to. Annotating the book was extremely helpful. While a bit confusing at first, it soon becomes clear that this is exactly how the story needs to be told. Julia does not have a firm grasp on reality; she has been sheltered by her parents for the past 15 years since her suicide attempt, and she envisions Rachel taunting her by becoming the embodiment of her tormentors. In particular, Cat, a gorgeous co-worker, openly harasses Julia and becomes the subject of Julia’s frequent mental lapses into fantasy. Annalisa Crawford’s prose absorbs the reader, allowing the story to be felt rather than read. While a tale of growth, the mood remains somber throughout. Character-driven and heart-rending, Cat & The Dreamer is a brilliant, life-changing, thought-provoking read.
