Dr. Sara Alderson has more than enough to keep her busy working eighty four hours a week with a three year old daughter Lizzie and twin babies to take care of but her life gets even more hectic when Lizzie shows up in her mothers dream and Sara knows her daughter has the same gift she has. When Lizzie dreams about a young boy the son of a congressman she met on a train being sad and scared the adventure is on. Sara must save her daughter from these horrible dreams and in the process face down a mafia gangster to save hundreds of children too. With plenty of action and excitement yet with a depth of feeling this is one of the best books in the Dream Series yet. ( )

This time, the twist of the entire Dream series on the “What if you could see someone else’s dreams” question has taken an extra new bend. It is, “What if your child could see your dreams, and the dreams of others? What if she has your power?”

Here is the first time Sara realizes that her daughter, Lizzie, can see inside her: “She was seeing—she was inside—she saw me dreaming. She’s got it just like I do.” Being inside her is doubly frightening because at this point there is a new life inside Sara: she is pregnant again. So in a way, there is a sense of violation when boundaries can be crossed like that, even when the dreamer is only a four-year old, sweet child. On the other hand, there is the motherly wish to keep her daughter safe, which in this case may mean keeping her away from people whose dreams she might penetrate. Which is exactly what happens when Sara and Lizzy meet two strangers, a woman and her son Billy, on the train. Billy’s father is being blackmailed, which will put Billy and his mother in danger.

The conversations are lovely, showing you a family scene between Sara, her mom, her husband Brian, her mother-in-law, Helen, and Lizzy. It is the dialog that wraps the entire mystery in a wholesome, familiar veil, and observations such as this, about Lizzie: “Then she occupies herself by trying to get both twins smiling at the same time, which is a trick none of us have managed yet.” . And, it is also the sense of inheritance of power, and the connection between generations: “I can’t believe that in all this time, for seven whole years, I never once wondered about my mother. If Lizzy got it from me, I had to get it from somewhere too. And I never gave it a thought.”

Five stars. ( )

J.J. DiBenedetto’s Dream series of novels just keeps getting better. The characters grow convincingly into their lives. New friends are introduced with an enjoyably natural touch. And the world of a new doctor feels real enough despite this new doctor’s many other activities. Overworked... always overworked... struggling to balance family and job... eager to serve each of her young patients and their parents, Doctor Sara suddenly finds that scary dreams just might be genetic.

Readers who’ve followed the series will find their expectations well fulfilled, while new readers will quickly come up to speed. Clearly Sara has dreamed before. Clearly four-year-old Lizzie hasn’t. But if stopping the dreams means solving the problem first, how will a mother see the problem through her daughter’s eyes?

Of course, there’s always the question of what a daughter will see when she dreams through others’ eyes. Little Lizzie is certainly a bright, inspiring four-year-old, imaginative, friendly, and sweet, but it’s easy to understand her mother’s concerns. Meanwhile a mobster’s daughter needs treatment, a grandmother’s disapproval is balanced with genuine kindness, and a politician’s son has a booboo. It’s all good fun with just the right amount of introspection, intriguing action, and genuine affection. Smooth fast writing, convincing dialog—even from the four-year-old—and genuine family relations combine into a romantic tale that grows with the family; mystery that slides into dreams; and paranormal powers that definitely intrigue—I’m just eager to read more.

Disclosure: I was given a free ecopy, rather a while ago, and I offer my honest, if belated review. ( )