Author and artist Giulio Macaione's graphic novel Alice From Dream to Dream has been on my radar for some time now. I've never read anything by this author before, but the concept sounded interesting: A teen girl who has the ability to enter other's dreams.
I was expecting something along the lines of Inception or maybe even The Cell, but unlike most people with this unique ability probably would, Alice doesn't abuse her power. No nocturnal influencing the choices and actions of her family and peers... No getting nighttime revenge on her jerkface brother or the resident Mean Girl... No trying to make her cute best friend see her as more more than a friend by being a literal dream girl... If anything, Alice seems more a victim of her ability than anything else. Especially when she is forced to share dreams with her horror movie-obsessed brother.
Daily life isn't much better. Between family troubles at home and being bullied at school, Alice's only relief from the drama is her secret place in the local graveyard. But then there are those dreams of a girl trapped in the graveyard pond... So, really, there's no escape at all.
But just when life seems as bad as they can be, things get worse: Alice's best friend, Jamie, is in a terrible accident. And Alice, with her dreamwalking abilities, may be the only one who can save them both. But first they must solve a long-buried mystery. And they can only do that in the dream world.
Alice From Dream to Dream was pretty much the most unique graphic novel I've read so far in 2019. The concept is so unique, the artwork is beautiful, and the story (and its characters) are so well done. I couldn't put this book down until I learned all its secrets. Although this appears to be a stand-alone, I wouldn't say no to a sequel. These are characters I'd like to revisit.
--AJB
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