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The Dream Maker
There are three scientific laws of shared
- A mind cannot reach more than a few metres from where it lies.
- A mind cannot host more than two other consciousnesses simultaneously.
- A mind cannot control what it dreams about.
Only Maatje Finkel knows better. To one person these laws mean nothing at all.
***
Eighteen-year-old Maatje is searching for the incredible dream from her childhood; a fantastical hotel created by a mysterious mind that defied every law of shared dreaming. A mind Maatje is convinced can fix her broken family and change the future of dream science.
But she’s not the only one looking for it.
Clandestine powers, dark secrets and a violent fugitive – the trail of the dream maker is rife with destruction and heartbreak. And as reality and dream weave themselves inseparable around her, Maatje is soon tangled in a deadly nightmare that threatens to tear millions of dreamers apart . . .
***
A thrilling YA adventure deep into the uncontainable wonder of the dreaming psyche, as it wrestles with the overwhelming nature of existence; and the waking up to yourself that childhood’s end so spectacularly brings.
Welcome to the world of the dream maker.
Bring a comfy pillow.
- A mind cannot reach more than a few metres from where it lies.
- A mind cannot host more than two other consciousnesses simultaneously.
- A mind cannot control what it dreams about.
Only Maatje Finkel knows better. To one person these laws mean nothing at all.
***
Eighteen-year-old Maatje is searching for the incredible dream from her childhood; a fantastical hotel created by a mysterious mind that defied every law of shared dreaming. A mind Maatje is convinced can fix her broken family and change the future of dream science.
But she’s not the only one looking for it.
Clandestine powers, dark secrets and a violent fugitive – the trail of the dream maker is rife with destruction and heartbreak. And as reality and dream weave themselves inseparable around her, Maatje is soon tangled in a deadly nightmare that threatens to tear millions of dreamers apart . . .
***
A thrilling YA adventure deep into the uncontainable wonder of the dreaming psyche, as it wrestles with the overwhelming nature of existence; and the waking up to yourself that childhood’s end so spectacularly brings.
Welcome to the world of the dream maker.
Bring a comfy pillow.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2024
About the author
Kiera Nixon
2 books4 followersKiera has always been fascinated by the ways words can be used to twist insanity into perfect sense, and thought she better take some responsibility and twist some of it back again.
She can be found at the bottom of any clear body of water and tempted out with a decent story or sandwich.
She can be found at the bottom of any clear body of water and tempted out with a decent story or sandwich.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 8, 2024
The title alone makes you want to read it. Omg did i love this book. If only hoping into someone else's dream, was that easy. Knock on your neighbors door and boom your in their Dream. I would be going and knocking on peoples doors in the middle of the night. How cool is that. I wish it was possible to do this now in the real world.
October 20, 2024
What a fun and fascinating book! Here's some of what it has:
A world where people share adventures with loved ones in their dreams, dreams that both sleepers share. A magic hotel where dreamers can go to heal from their real world troubles. An orphanage run by a man who aims to exploit this cozy dream comfort for his own gains. And a quest to save the world from him and his evil dreamworld accomplice!
Very fun world-building and warm found-family vibes from a debut author. Highly recommended.
A world where people share adventures with loved ones in their dreams, dreams that both sleepers share. A magic hotel where dreamers can go to heal from their real world troubles. An orphanage run by a man who aims to exploit this cozy dream comfort for his own gains. And a quest to save the world from him and his evil dreamworld accomplice!
Very fun world-building and warm found-family vibes from a debut author. Highly recommended.
September 30, 2024
What if stepping into your neighbour’s dream was as easy as knocking on their front door?
I loved this book! Why?
The characters. I really rooted for Maatje and for Will, and empathised with Rachel. And while I found Friederich a bit harder to relate to at first, his motivations were totally understandable.
The questions it raised, and how it did that. Yes, it’s about a scenario that couldn’t (currently???) happen, but the dilemmas it presents are very recognisable from real life. It was set up so I sympathised at first with the dream research that Maatje did, only to be thrown the other way as I was let into Friederich’s objections to the work. And while it soon became clear that the way the research centre used dream study, and dreamers, was totally unethical, the story was spun skilfully to show me how the power to move between dreams had potential not just for evil and power, but also for comfort and for rescue.
The clever timeline, where we alternated between past and present. This switch, forward and backwards, answers questions about how past and present stories are linked, only to throw up more questions. I thought it was clever the way the past timeline jumped through time more quickly in order to catch up with the present.
The dreams themselves, where the music of a violin draws Maatje towards a magical, joy-filled, food-filled hotel which has room for everyone, and a door that really shouldn’t be opened.
Thoroughly recommended.
I loved this book! Why?
The characters. I really rooted for Maatje and for Will, and empathised with Rachel. And while I found Friederich a bit harder to relate to at first, his motivations were totally understandable.
The questions it raised, and how it did that. Yes, it’s about a scenario that couldn’t (currently???) happen, but the dilemmas it presents are very recognisable from real life. It was set up so I sympathised at first with the dream research that Maatje did, only to be thrown the other way as I was let into Friederich’s objections to the work. And while it soon became clear that the way the research centre used dream study, and dreamers, was totally unethical, the story was spun skilfully to show me how the power to move between dreams had potential not just for evil and power, but also for comfort and for rescue.
The clever timeline, where we alternated between past and present. This switch, forward and backwards, answers questions about how past and present stories are linked, only to throw up more questions. I thought it was clever the way the past timeline jumped through time more quickly in order to catch up with the present.
The dreams themselves, where the music of a violin draws Maatje towards a magical, joy-filled, food-filled hotel which has room for everyone, and a door that really shouldn’t be opened.
Thoroughly recommended.
October 4, 2026
What a delightful, dreamy (pun somewhat not intended) tale! The ending was one of those that felt like it could lead to another book, or that it could have been a hazy, satisfying but not all bows neatly tied up kind of ending. It seems like more authors are doing the latter these days. And everything up to the ending felt like a hazy, fever-dream that you want to hold on to just a little longer. Is it a nightmare? Not quite. Is it 100% delightful and pleasant? Not quite. Is it thrilling? Absolutely!
I completely adored Maatje and Will. Talk about a meet-cute, if we can call it that, which I want to. I want to write more about them and their story, but I feel like it would all be spoilers. I will say the author's ability to portray tortured longing is just amazing. All the different children are also positively radiant! Their personalities and unique
The world-building is gorgeous and complex. On the one hand, it's very much just our world, but the tiny additions make all the difference! And unfortunately, the monsters are just humans, which, in my experience, are often the worst monsters.
The concept of this story was so unique, and I've never ready anything like it (I feel like I've been saying this frequently lately - so writers have been tearing things up!!). It blends technology with inexplicable natural phenomenon seamlessly.
I completely adored Maatje and Will. Talk about a meet-cute, if we can call it that, which I want to. I want to write more about them and their story, but I feel like it would all be spoilers. I will say the author's ability to portray tortured longing is just amazing. All the different children are also positively radiant! Their personalities and unique
The world-building is gorgeous and complex. On the one hand, it's very much just our world, but the tiny additions make all the difference! And unfortunately, the monsters are just humans, which, in my experience, are often the worst monsters.
The concept of this story was so unique, and I've never ready anything like it (I feel like I've been saying this frequently lately - so writers have been tearing things up!!). It blends technology with inexplicable natural phenomenon seamlessly.
October 10, 2026
The Dream Maker by Kiera Nixon is a story that has a bit of everything, heartbreak, wonder and a sprinkling of violence, with a really interesting storyline running throughout.
Maatje Finkel is the main character, and she’s been told never to enter a stranger’s dream. That rule obviously doesn’t last long when she meets a boy Will who invites her into a hotel for tired and lonely dreamers. From there, the story takes you into a really imaginative world and raises some interesting questions about what you would do if you could actually enter somebody else’s dreams.
One character I really enjoyed was Friedrich. He was so determined to be with his family that he was willing to face any danger to achieve it. He was completely focused on his objective, and I found his character really interesting.
The pacing worked well for me. The chapters were short, which made the book easy to get through, and there was always enough happening to keep me interested. I also thought the ending was satisfying and brought the story to a good conclusion.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It’s the kind of story that gives you plenty to think about and would make a great book to discuss with friends. I’d definitely recommend it if you enjoy imaginative stories with a bit of everything.
Maatje Finkel is the main character, and she’s been told never to enter a stranger’s dream. That rule obviously doesn’t last long when she meets a boy Will who invites her into a hotel for tired and lonely dreamers. From there, the story takes you into a really imaginative world and raises some interesting questions about what you would do if you could actually enter somebody else’s dreams.
One character I really enjoyed was Friedrich. He was so determined to be with his family that he was willing to face any danger to achieve it. He was completely focused on his objective, and I found his character really interesting.
The pacing worked well for me. The chapters were short, which made the book easy to get through, and there was always enough happening to keep me interested. I also thought the ending was satisfying and brought the story to a good conclusion.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It’s the kind of story that gives you plenty to think about and would make a great book to discuss with friends. I’d definitely recommend it if you enjoy imaginative stories with a bit of everything.
October 5, 2026
This was a gripping story from start to finish! We were both surprised how much we loved this! We loved the clever story line of being able to go into other people's dreams. The descriptions of the dreams were very vivid and as the reader you could really imagine what they were like.
It was a well paced story that was very easy to read. We loved its short chapters with multiple POV's that bounced between past and present helping the reader fully understanding what was happening and build tension to the storyline plus helping answer questions as you read.
All characters in this book were very interesting individuals and you can't help but want the main characters to succeed. There's definitely a real sense of found family and sticking together through tough times.
We are both looking forward to reading and seeing what the author writes next!
Definitely recommend!
It was a well paced story that was very easy to read. We loved its short chapters with multiple POV's that bounced between past and present helping the reader fully understanding what was happening and build tension to the storyline plus helping answer questions as you read.
All characters in this book were very interesting individuals and you can't help but want the main characters to succeed. There's definitely a real sense of found family and sticking together through tough times.
We are both looking forward to reading and seeing what the author writes next!
Definitely recommend!
October 7, 2026
The concept of this book was really interesting to me and one I had never even thought of before. How odd would it be to be able to go into someone else’s dreams, and for them to be able to enter yours?
The thought of that is horrifying to me, so I was firmly on the side of the protesters and was so upset by what happened early on in the book. I did find myself preferring Friederich to Maatje, though, which is unusual when Maatje is the main character of the novel.
I found her annoying and felt like shaking her for who she trusted and for how she ended up inadvertently helping the bad guys.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It has a really unique and interesting concept, and I think it would be perfect for YA readers.
The thought of that is horrifying to me, so I was firmly on the side of the protesters and was so upset by what happened early on in the book. I did find myself preferring Friederich to Maatje, though, which is unusual when Maatje is the main character of the novel.
I found her annoying and felt like shaking her for who she trusted and for how she ended up inadvertently helping the bad guys.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It has a really unique and interesting concept, and I think it would be perfect for YA readers.
October 4, 2026
I was not prepared for how much I was going to like The Dream Maker. I had read the synopsis and thought that it sounded cool, but it was actually fantastic! The whole premise was fascinating with everyone being able to enter dreams and meet other people, and there are laws involved with that. If you break any of those laws, you can be arrested. And, then, you have the dream makers…that’s all you’re getting from me. You have to read it to know more because you have to get the whole experience. It is absolutely something that would be appropriate for, and likely appeal to, the YA crowd as well as us OAs (Old Adults) who like to read YA fiction.
The Dream Maker: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Dream Maker: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 5, 2025
This lovely light read is so memorable because of its unique magical world of dreams and dream science. The book is well-paced, gripping, and full of relatable characters. I found myself very invested in their struggles and interested in what would happen next. The author has interesting things to say about working together and questioning authority. This is a fantastic read for the YA audience and slightly older, offering a relatable read for parents and young people.
I can't wait to read more from this author!
I can't wait to read more from this author!
July 16, 2026
This gave me dallerguts dream department store with a bit more fantasy and less whimsy.
I loved the characters and how they were written and the fact that you go from the past to the present with them and follow their stories throughout as things change.
I enjoyed the concept of dreams being intertwined with others and like a dream world. Such vivid descriptions of the places made it feel more immersive.
This book gave me cosy YA fantasy vibes but also with a bit of an ongoing story that had you rooting for certain characters.
Would definitely recommend picking this book up
I loved the characters and how they were written and the fact that you go from the past to the present with them and follow their stories throughout as things change.
I enjoyed the concept of dreams being intertwined with others and like a dream world. Such vivid descriptions of the places made it feel more immersive.
This book gave me cosy YA fantasy vibes but also with a bit of an ongoing story that had you rooting for certain characters.
Would definitely recommend picking this book up
October 6, 2026
This was a really fun book, I loved the concept of being able to Dream walk - invite others into your Dream and also go into others dreams - I mean, let's face it .. we all know someone whose dreams you'd want to visit - I know my little girl has some amazing dreams!
I really loved the multi POV chapters covering 2 times. This made things really interesting as the story developed.
If you enjoy YA books, whatever age you are, you'll enjoy this. Would recommend to any dreamer!
I really loved the multi POV chapters covering 2 times. This made things really interesting as the story developed.
If you enjoy YA books, whatever age you are, you'll enjoy this. Would recommend to any dreamer!
September 30, 2024
Lucky to have had the opportunity to read this as an arc.
Loved the unusual concept - it kept me hooked from the minute I heard it.
What a fantastic debut!
Loved the unusual concept - it kept me hooked from the minute I heard it.
What a fantastic debut!
January 18, 2026
This book was so easy to read. Fast-paced, short chapters, multiple points of view and lots of action. Then and now perspectives were skillfully woven together in a way that dovetailed so well.
February 4, 2026
great book very fun and great world building I loved it
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews