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Barbie: Dreamscape: An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller
Out of the box. Into the unexpected.
Barbie’s life is perfect. She lives in a pink-hued paradise called Heartland where everything is in order and everyone has a role to play, thanks to the mysterious and all-powerful beings who will soon assign her a Fate at graduation from the enchanted Swancrest Academy. She’s worked hard to earn a good one. Her years of endless studying and acing every challenge are about to pay off. But when the unthinkable happens and Barbie is left Fateless—the first in Heartland’s history—her carefully ordered world shatters.
Shaken and uncertain, Barbie must confront a future she never one with no clear path forward at all. Yet when a mysterious necklace begins to pulse with hidden power, she is drawn beyond Heartland’s protective mists into a daring journey across extraordinary lands. From sun-drenched shores to treacherous, ever-shifting landscapes, to shadowed forests steeped in secrets and magic, each realm will test Barbie’s courage, sharpen her wits, and awaken strengths she never knew she possessed—all while drawing her ever closer to a buried truth that could change her world forever.
A richly imagined coming-of-age tale from the premier voice in teen fiction, this is a story about defying expectations, rewriting the rules, and discovering that the greatest possibilities lie in stepping out of the box…and into the unexpected.
Barbie’s life is perfect. She lives in a pink-hued paradise called Heartland where everything is in order and everyone has a role to play, thanks to the mysterious and all-powerful beings who will soon assign her a Fate at graduation from the enchanted Swancrest Academy. She’s worked hard to earn a good one. Her years of endless studying and acing every challenge are about to pay off. But when the unthinkable happens and Barbie is left Fateless—the first in Heartland’s history—her carefully ordered world shatters.
Shaken and uncertain, Barbie must confront a future she never one with no clear path forward at all. Yet when a mysterious necklace begins to pulse with hidden power, she is drawn beyond Heartland’s protective mists into a daring journey across extraordinary lands. From sun-drenched shores to treacherous, ever-shifting landscapes, to shadowed forests steeped in secrets and magic, each realm will test Barbie’s courage, sharpen her wits, and awaken strengths she never knew she possessed—all while drawing her ever closer to a buried truth that could change her world forever.
A richly imagined coming-of-age tale from the premier voice in teen fiction, this is a story about defying expectations, rewriting the rules, and discovering that the greatest possibilities lie in stepping out of the box…and into the unexpected.
263 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 707 reviews
August 19, 2026
As a member of the official Barbie Fan club and collector of over 300 dolls in box...this book is garbage.
First, the author blatantly lies in her "letter to the reader". She's not really the first person to write a Barbie book/ novel. Random House had a collection of novels in the 60s. A simple Google search tells you this.
Second, what god awful writing. It's like she thinks her tween readers are idiots. The language is simplistic and borderline offensively dull.
Third, can this woman PLEASE DO SOME BARBIE RESEARCH. It's almost like she took a pop sugar quiz about Barbie and went "good enough". She uses almost nothing from the actual Barbie lore and simply uses the concept of Barbie as her heroine.
This was so disappointing. Why this author is continually allowed to write and get published is beyond me. I've seen fanfiction with better plot, character development, and writing style.
Please don't read this. I promise it's not worth it.
First, the author blatantly lies in her "letter to the reader". She's not really the first person to write a Barbie book/ novel. Random House had a collection of novels in the 60s. A simple Google search tells you this.
Second, what god awful writing. It's like she thinks her tween readers are idiots. The language is simplistic and borderline offensively dull.
Third, can this woman PLEASE DO SOME BARBIE RESEARCH. It's almost like she took a pop sugar quiz about Barbie and went "good enough". She uses almost nothing from the actual Barbie lore and simply uses the concept of Barbie as her heroine.
This was so disappointing. Why this author is continually allowed to write and get published is beyond me. I've seen fanfiction with better plot, character development, and writing style.
Please don't read this. I promise it's not worth it.
August 23, 2026
Wow wow wow this was so cute! I can really only hope this opens up more opportunities to create more stories and adventures for Barbie. This book touched on so many real life struggles we all face like anxiety, depression, and self worth while still staying light hearted and positive. Definitely worth the read and such great messaging for young girls!
August 19, 2026
being a barbie lover I was told repeatedly about this book. "It's barbie you'll love it!!!" and then I saw it was written by alex aster and my day was ruined.
I dont believe in hate reading. why read something you know youre not going to enjoy? but I thought "maybe. just maybe. I should give it a chance."
no.
it's bad. aster's writing is clunky as hell and does not evoke imagery in the way she wants it to. ik she has aphantasia but like this just ain't it. within the first couple chapters, barbie is reduced to NOTHING. she has no personality. like LITERALLY none.
BARBIE WHO?
it relies on the—I shit you not—dead mother trope of why barbie cares about anything. she wears pink because it was her mother's favorite color. she loves clothes bc her mom made clothes. THEREFORE STRIPPING BARBIE OF ANY PERSONALITY? barbie straight up says that she doesn't have hobbies and again I ask you BARBIE WHO? if anyone should have a multitude of hobbies IT SHOULD BE BARBIE. in the first chapter alone barbie freaks out over a career she won't love and it treats her like the dumbest person alive. thinking "bookkeeping" means keeping like, books that you read. saying she can't be a doctor because she faints at the sight of blood. oh. MY GOD. BARBIE *IS* A DOCTOR??? like genuinely I get the whole idea is "omg oh no barbie doesn't have a career and has to go on a journey of self discovery" but wouldn't it be better if barbie had like?? unlimited options?? she's excited about all the potential options she'll have and is devastated when she gets...nothing.
instead she's already introduced as a nothing character with no personality AND I *GET* IT, BARBIE IS WHATEVER YOU WANT HER TO BE. BUT THIS? THIS IS REDUCTIVE. barbie has plenty of personality. look at literally any of the animated barbie movies. barbie life in the dreamhouse. I love me some barbie who's kinda ditzy (like life in the dreamhouse) but making her this stupid is insulting. she's elle woods, she's not a no thoughts head empty gal.
like. it feels like the exact OPPOSITE of what barbie should be. there's so many ways this could have been done well and none of them were taken, clearly. I wish I could've loved this book. the premise is actually fun. but god dammit, it's handled so poorly. barbie comes off more like Ken than barbie. dont do my girl like that.
I dont believe in hate reading. why read something you know youre not going to enjoy? but I thought "maybe. just maybe. I should give it a chance."
no.
it's bad. aster's writing is clunky as hell and does not evoke imagery in the way she wants it to. ik she has aphantasia but like this just ain't it. within the first couple chapters, barbie is reduced to NOTHING. she has no personality. like LITERALLY none.
BARBIE WHO?
it relies on the—I shit you not—dead mother trope of why barbie cares about anything. she wears pink because it was her mother's favorite color. she loves clothes bc her mom made clothes. THEREFORE STRIPPING BARBIE OF ANY PERSONALITY? barbie straight up says that she doesn't have hobbies and again I ask you BARBIE WHO? if anyone should have a multitude of hobbies IT SHOULD BE BARBIE. in the first chapter alone barbie freaks out over a career she won't love and it treats her like the dumbest person alive. thinking "bookkeeping" means keeping like, books that you read. saying she can't be a doctor because she faints at the sight of blood. oh. MY GOD. BARBIE *IS* A DOCTOR??? like genuinely I get the whole idea is "omg oh no barbie doesn't have a career and has to go on a journey of self discovery" but wouldn't it be better if barbie had like?? unlimited options?? she's excited about all the potential options she'll have and is devastated when she gets...nothing.
instead she's already introduced as a nothing character with no personality AND I *GET* IT, BARBIE IS WHATEVER YOU WANT HER TO BE. BUT THIS? THIS IS REDUCTIVE. barbie has plenty of personality. look at literally any of the animated barbie movies. barbie life in the dreamhouse. I love me some barbie who's kinda ditzy (like life in the dreamhouse) but making her this stupid is insulting. she's elle woods, she's not a no thoughts head empty gal.
like. it feels like the exact OPPOSITE of what barbie should be. there's so many ways this could have been done well and none of them were taken, clearly. I wish I could've loved this book. the premise is actually fun. but god dammit, it's handled so poorly. barbie comes off more like Ken than barbie. dont do my girl like that.
August 19, 2026
This made me feel like a kid again… oh my god the nostalgia
August 24, 2026
DREAMLAND 🎀
“El destino no es definitivo. Tampoco lo es el fracaso. Tú tampoco —le digo a la oscuridad".
"—A mi modo de ver, las cosas debieron haber estado bastante bien alguna vez para que se pusieran tan mal. Si no… Fondo de Roca ni siquiera existiría. Sería toda tu vida. —Se encoge de hombros—. Y si las cosas fueron buenas alguna vez… pueden volver a ser buenas".
"Prefiero tomar mil malas decisiones que no poder decidir en absoluto. Esta es mi vida. No quiero pasarla viviendo por las decisiones de nadie más que por las mías”.
“La vida es un camino indómito y sinuoso, lleno de sorpresas, de revelaciones constantes, y las cosas terminan no siendo lo que parecen al principio. Pero tú estás al volante. Tú eliges la dirección que toma tu vida. Los obstáculos están fuera de nuestro control, claro. Pero solo tú eliges qué baches en el camino te detienen”.
“Tengo miedo”, admito. “Miedo de que este sea el final de mi viaje. De haber fracasado sin siquiera llegar tan lejos.”
“Tocar fondo nunca es el final. Es solo otra parada en tu viaje, si lo permites.” Posey se pone de pie. Da un paso adelante y, ante mis ojos, su ropa gris plateada comienza a adquirir más matices de color. Con cada paso, se vuelve más brillante. “Está bien tener miedo, siempre y cuando el miedo no te paralice. Está bien estar triste, siempre y cuando la tristeza no te consuma. Está bien ser cualquier cosa, siempre y cuando nunca dejes que un error o un logro te defina".
"Tenía miedo... pero respiré hondo. Corrí un riesgo. Tenía miedo. Lo hice de todos modos. Y claro, tal vez no recibí un Destino; Tal vez podría decirme a mí misma que todas esas clases, todo ese estudio, fueron en vano. Pero las habilidades que aprendí —disciplina, concentración, práctica, constancia— no son un desperdicio. Las estoy usando ahora mientras subo más y más alto en el cielo".
“Las sorpresas son regalos. Desvíos inesperados. Paradas no planificadas. Ir hacia atrás, en lugar de hacia adelante. ¡La vida no tiene un mapa! Y esa es la parte divertida, ¿no? No saber cómo irá” “
No”, digo, mi voz seca. Quiero un mapa. Quiero un plan. Quiero un Destino. Quiero un futuro que me entreguen en bandeja de plata, como a todos los demás el día después de Navidad. Eso es lo que quiero, más que nada.
“A veces… los peores momentos de tu vida se convierten en los mejores”.
"Solo ahora me doy cuenta de que no me hizo todos los atuendos para cada profesión porque quisiera que tuviera un uniforme para cualquier papel que me asignaran ; quería que fuera todos ellos. Este viaje me ha convertido en una alquimista, capaz de transformar la tristeza en fuerza. El rechazo en redirección. El fracaso en libertad. Ahora me he convertido en un faro de todas las cosas buenas que he presenciado, de todas las transformaciones de las que he formado parte, de todos los cambios que ahora acojo con agrado".
“El destino no es definitivo. Tampoco lo es el fracaso. Tú tampoco —le digo a la oscuridad".
"—A mi modo de ver, las cosas debieron haber estado bastante bien alguna vez para que se pusieran tan mal. Si no… Fondo de Roca ni siquiera existiría. Sería toda tu vida. —Se encoge de hombros—. Y si las cosas fueron buenas alguna vez… pueden volver a ser buenas".
"Prefiero tomar mil malas decisiones que no poder decidir en absoluto. Esta es mi vida. No quiero pasarla viviendo por las decisiones de nadie más que por las mías”.
“La vida es un camino indómito y sinuoso, lleno de sorpresas, de revelaciones constantes, y las cosas terminan no siendo lo que parecen al principio. Pero tú estás al volante. Tú eliges la dirección que toma tu vida. Los obstáculos están fuera de nuestro control, claro. Pero solo tú eliges qué baches en el camino te detienen”.
“Tengo miedo”, admito. “Miedo de que este sea el final de mi viaje. De haber fracasado sin siquiera llegar tan lejos.”
“Tocar fondo nunca es el final. Es solo otra parada en tu viaje, si lo permites.” Posey se pone de pie. Da un paso adelante y, ante mis ojos, su ropa gris plateada comienza a adquirir más matices de color. Con cada paso, se vuelve más brillante. “Está bien tener miedo, siempre y cuando el miedo no te paralice. Está bien estar triste, siempre y cuando la tristeza no te consuma. Está bien ser cualquier cosa, siempre y cuando nunca dejes que un error o un logro te defina".
"Tenía miedo... pero respiré hondo. Corrí un riesgo. Tenía miedo. Lo hice de todos modos. Y claro, tal vez no recibí un Destino; Tal vez podría decirme a mí misma que todas esas clases, todo ese estudio, fueron en vano. Pero las habilidades que aprendí —disciplina, concentración, práctica, constancia— no son un desperdicio. Las estoy usando ahora mientras subo más y más alto en el cielo".
“Las sorpresas son regalos. Desvíos inesperados. Paradas no planificadas. Ir hacia atrás, en lugar de hacia adelante. ¡La vida no tiene un mapa! Y esa es la parte divertida, ¿no? No saber cómo irá” “
No”, digo, mi voz seca. Quiero un mapa. Quiero un plan. Quiero un Destino. Quiero un futuro que me entreguen en bandeja de plata, como a todos los demás el día después de Navidad. Eso es lo que quiero, más que nada.
“A veces… los peores momentos de tu vida se convierten en los mejores”.
"Solo ahora me doy cuenta de que no me hizo todos los atuendos para cada profesión porque quisiera que tuviera un uniforme para cualquier papel que me asignaran ; quería que fuera todos ellos. Este viaje me ha convertido en una alquimista, capaz de transformar la tristeza en fuerza. El rechazo en redirección. El fracaso en libertad. Ahora me he convertido en un faro de todas las cosas buenas que he presenciado, de todas las transformaciones de las que he formado parte, de todos los cambios que ahora acojo con agrado".
August 21, 2026
This book is literally everything I wanted it to be. Infinity stars. It’s wholesome and cute and so inspirational. 💕🥹
August 21, 2026
This was such an amazing read! I would highly recommend this to all age groups, especially my younger cousins.
If someone gave me this book when I was younger, I would thank them forever.
This book was full of inspiration and wisdom. It had adventure, magic, mystery, dealing with grief, love, heartbreak, friendships and happiness.
I grew up playing with Barbies, watching all the Barbie movies and shows. This book exceeding my expectations was the best thing ever.
If someone gave me this book when I was younger, I would thank them forever.
This book was full of inspiration and wisdom. It had adventure, magic, mystery, dealing with grief, love, heartbreak, friendships and happiness.
I grew up playing with Barbies, watching all the Barbie movies and shows. This book exceeding my expectations was the best thing ever.
September 1, 2026
god this was garbage.
i couldn’t even make it through a few chapters before i had to put it down. and before anyone comes for me, YES, i know i technically didn’t finish it. i simply value my remaining brain cells too much to subject them to another 350 pages of this. i don’t need to finish a book to know i hate it. sometimes you can smell the dumpster fire from the parking lot.
i’m usually not someone who swears throughout my reviews, but this book brought out a side of me that i didn’t know existed. every few pages i was sitting there thinking, “surely this has to get better.” spoiler: it did not. at some point, i realized i was basically hate-reading and decided that as a full time college girly my time was more valuable.
the writing reads like an 8-year-old discovered Wattpad, wrote a story during recess, handed it to their teacher, and the teacher said, “You know what? Let’s publish this.”
the dialogue is painful. the narration is painful. the characters are painful. the plot is painful. there were moments where i had to stop reading because i couldn’t believe an actual editor looked at certain things and thought, “yup. This is ready to go.”
and the fact that this is marketed as YA??? Be fucking serious. YA readers deserve better than this. My 10-year-old sister could’ve written a more compelling story, and I genuinely think she would’ve had better dialogue. at least she knows how people talk.
as a lifelong Barbie lover, I REALLY wanted to give this a chance. I love Barbie. I grew up with Barbie. I have a soft spot for anything Barbie-related, so when I saw this book, I thought, “Ok maybe this will be cute. Maybe it’ll be nostalgic. Maybe I’ll have fun."
what an absolute fucking mistake. I ignored every red flag because I wanted to give Barbie the benefit of the doubt. Barbie did not deserve this.
and then there’s Alex repeatedly promoting this book by claiming she’s the first person in the world to write a Barbie book.
girl.
you are not the first bitch to discover that Barbie can exist between two covers. there are entire generations of children who grew up reading Barbie books. somewhere, a dusty Barbie chapter book from 2006 is sitting on a bookshelf wondering why we’re pretending it never existed.
the funniest part here is that I went into this already knowing I probably wasn’t going to like it because… well. Alex Aster. But I thought, “Okay, it’s Barbie. Surely even I can find something to enjoy.”
no.
i expected magic, adventure, nostalgia, Barbie, and something remotely resembling a coherent story. Instead, I got writing that made me question whether i had accidentally picked up a elementary-grade book written by someone who had never spoken to another human being.
0/5. 0 stars. my condolences to the trees that died for this.
i couldn’t even make it through a few chapters before i had to put it down. and before anyone comes for me, YES, i know i technically didn’t finish it. i simply value my remaining brain cells too much to subject them to another 350 pages of this. i don’t need to finish a book to know i hate it. sometimes you can smell the dumpster fire from the parking lot.
i’m usually not someone who swears throughout my reviews, but this book brought out a side of me that i didn’t know existed. every few pages i was sitting there thinking, “surely this has to get better.” spoiler: it did not. at some point, i realized i was basically hate-reading and decided that as a full time college girly my time was more valuable.
the writing reads like an 8-year-old discovered Wattpad, wrote a story during recess, handed it to their teacher, and the teacher said, “You know what? Let’s publish this.”
the dialogue is painful. the narration is painful. the characters are painful. the plot is painful. there were moments where i had to stop reading because i couldn’t believe an actual editor looked at certain things and thought, “yup. This is ready to go.”
and the fact that this is marketed as YA??? Be fucking serious. YA readers deserve better than this. My 10-year-old sister could’ve written a more compelling story, and I genuinely think she would’ve had better dialogue. at least she knows how people talk.
as a lifelong Barbie lover, I REALLY wanted to give this a chance. I love Barbie. I grew up with Barbie. I have a soft spot for anything Barbie-related, so when I saw this book, I thought, “Ok maybe this will be cute. Maybe it’ll be nostalgic. Maybe I’ll have fun."
what an absolute fucking mistake. I ignored every red flag because I wanted to give Barbie the benefit of the doubt. Barbie did not deserve this.
and then there’s Alex repeatedly promoting this book by claiming she’s the first person in the world to write a Barbie book.
girl.
you are not the first bitch to discover that Barbie can exist between two covers. there are entire generations of children who grew up reading Barbie books. somewhere, a dusty Barbie chapter book from 2006 is sitting on a bookshelf wondering why we’re pretending it never existed.
the funniest part here is that I went into this already knowing I probably wasn’t going to like it because… well. Alex Aster. But I thought, “Okay, it’s Barbie. Surely even I can find something to enjoy.”
no.
i expected magic, adventure, nostalgia, Barbie, and something remotely resembling a coherent story. Instead, I got writing that made me question whether i had accidentally picked up a elementary-grade book written by someone who had never spoken to another human being.
0/5. 0 stars. my condolences to the trees that died for this.
Want to Read
March 31, 2026ITS OUT ITS OUT ITS OUT
ᥫ᭡.ִֶָ𓂃 𝕖𝕩𝕔𝕖𝕣𝕡𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 ♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧
https://people.com/alex-aster-barbie-...
it's confirmed. this will be better than lightlark 😏
the writing is over-the-top purple prosey buuut i vibe with the glinda-inspired magic system. the plot is giving barbie the movie ✨
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
at least we know it'll be better than lightlark
ᥫ᭡.ִֶָ𓂃 𝕖𝕩𝕔𝕖𝕣𝕡𝕥 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 ♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧
https://people.com/alex-aster-barbie-...
it's confirmed. this will be better than lightlark 😏
the writing is over-the-top purple prosey buuut i vibe with the glinda-inspired magic system. the plot is giving barbie the movie ✨
⊹₊˚‧︵‿₊୨ᰔ୧₊‿︵‧˚₊⊹
at least we know it'll be better than lightlark
Want to Read
February 25, 2026⊹ ࣪ ˖ ໒ 🩰 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 ࿐ ͎. ｡˚ ° ⊹ ˚.
ALL MY CHILDHOOD DREAMS ARE COMING TRUE, LOOK AT THIS BEAUTIFUL COVER 😭💓
ALL MY CHILDHOOD DREAMS ARE COMING TRUE, LOOK AT THIS BEAUTIFUL COVER 😭💓
August 26, 2026
If I’d taken a shot every time the word ‘pink’ gets mentioned I would’ve been paralytic by the end of the first chapter.
August 28, 2026
“Is that… what nerves feel like?” My eyes widen. “Was I having…anxiety?!”
The idea of it makes me squeal. It’s just so… relatable!
🧍♀️
── oh mama, it was HORRIBLE!
as a barbie MEGAFAN who's been watching all the movies and collecting her dolls since I was BORN, I AM FUMING. this book was literal tiktok/chatgpt slop. I'm trying to keep things as brief as possible, cuz the more I talk about how bad this was the more likely I am to rip out whatever hair's left on my skull.
set in heartland, (and no, not the netflix show, though I wouldnt be surprised if it was taken from there-) the story follows barbie now that she's graduated swancrest academy (where the teacher is literally called 'Teacher' like that's his name....) and is about to be assigned her destiny by the Fates (like the folks from caraval idk?) on a special day called Boxing Day.......which made no sense to me because in a lot of barbie's stories she doesnt refer to herself as a doll, it was just the life in the dreamhouse show and the live action movie where it is explicitly said that she's a doll that could be 'boxed', and nowhere in this book did anyone refer to themselves as dolls - the lack of a correlation is just laughable. anyway, as it turns out she's jobless- I mean fateless so she decides to go on what is supposed to be a 'magical quest' to seek answers from the Fates etc, and that's exactly where it all goes downhill.
for a story that's supposed to be about the face of one of the most creative doll franchises out there, this was so dull. the worldbuilding is quite literally just places like 'heartland', 'summerland' and 'ANYland' (yes, I cldnt believe it either).......anyland? really? you couldn't even PRETEND TO GAF about what you were writing?😭 the characters had NO PERSONALITIES whatsoever ESPECIALLY ken like they did him so dirty lmfaoo, and I couldnt care less about callie, sunny and robin. even the plot twist didnt wow me. the lack of an actual conflict had me SOBBING. YES she's fateless and is the first in heartland or earthland or universeland to be fateless yet she faced zero public scrutiny and there was no external response to something that should've terrified everyone in heartland. you're telling me she was literally the only person crashing out while everyone else vibed with it? there were no stakes in this book whatsoever. also, barbie's worst nightmare being her becoming a doctor was just a reflection of alex aster's own out of touch views because the REAL barbie would respect all careers, especially those in healthcare.
nothing about this story felt magical because of alex aster's robotic, surface level, chatgpt writing style. a lot of the concepts like imagining things to life and candy lands etc were stolen and repackaged from barbie: dreamtopia and there were no solid descriptions of barbie's surroundings other than a mere sentence or two like 'candy-cane trees. gingerbread hedges. candied apple trees, and gates made of caramelized sugar.' I don't know about you, but I prefer it when the author provides rich details of the different locations the story is set in - fantasy stories are meant to be immersive and this was anything but. there was little to no paragraphing every
single
sentence
read
like
this. which would've been understandable if it were a stylistic choice used to represent the character's current mental state like in the shatter me series, but trust that barbie wasn't even going through half the things juliette was, so the lack of well structured paragraphs made zero sense to me.
nothing in this book stood out to me, and nothing about it spoke barbie. this was definitely a cashgrab from mattel's part to compete with all the ya disney novels that have been coming out lately which are fantastic btw considering disney's hired so many talented fantasy authors like alison saft, margaret owen etc.
it's no secret that alex aster is not a good writer and definitely not good at writing fantasy - lightlark is proof of that. call me delusional, but money and connections can only get you so far in your career because sure you can get the million dollar book deal from mattel etc, but at the end of the day, if you want people to know you as a remarkable fantasy author and want your career to survive at least 5 more years, you need the talent for it - something money can't buy. booktok and nepotism has infiltrated the publishing industry so much that instead of actually caring about the quality of what you're reading, if they feed you enough special editions and fanart and cute pr boxes, it's a gem! barbie: dreamscape is no exception.
a lot of the 5 star reviews of this book I'm seeing literally ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE WRITING IS MEDIOCRE AND JUVENILE AT BEST but it's okay because 'barbie's all about being childish and silly!" MOTHERFU- WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOUT?! DID NOBODY WATCH THE MARGOT ROBBIE FILM?! BARBIE STARTED OFF AS A DOLL FRANCHISE FOR KIDS BUT IT HAS BECOME SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT she's been an inspiration to young girls and women alike FOR GENERATIONS. her love for fashion and style, her constant emphasis on self expression, and her slogan 'you can be anything' has shaped so many women and has encouraged them to pursue careers and be in spaces they never thought were for them. to call her childish and non-serious is an incredibly misogynistic take. and yes, IT IS THAT SERIOUS. can't believe this was ya even middle schoolers wouldn't read this. words can't describe how enraged I am rn, mattel how could you do this to us💔
Want to Read
February 24, 2026I just saw the announcement for this book on Instagram and my feelings are honestly all over the place. A Barbie novel. That’s something neither child-me nor adult-me ever imagined would actually happen… and yet here we are.
The cover is absolutely stunning — mesmerising in the most Barbie way possible. So pink, so dreamy, so perfectly what you picture when you think of Barbie. And as someone who loves stories about girls becoming knights and wearing armor? This feels like a dream concept.
That being said, Barbie has meant so much to me for as long as I can remember. I grew up loving her, and I have such a deep connection to the Barbie movies especially. So of course there’s a tiny bit of fear about how this story will turn out. When something is that nostalgic and important, you just want it handled with care.
I also really hope Ken has an important and positive role in the story. The Ken I know and grew up with loved Barbie with his whole heart and would do anything to see her happy. If he’s not in it, I’ll survive… but I truly hope he won’t be villainised. He deserves better than that.
I’m also not very familiar with Alex Aster’s writing style yet, but I’m keeping my hopes high and my heart open.
More than anything, I hope this book makes the little girls in us incredibly happy — and that it becomes everything we imagine when we think of Barbie… and maybe even more. 💖✨
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
The cover is absolutely stunning — mesmerising in the most Barbie way possible. So pink, so dreamy, so perfectly what you picture when you think of Barbie. And as someone who loves stories about girls becoming knights and wearing armor? This feels like a dream concept.
That being said, Barbie has meant so much to me for as long as I can remember. I grew up loving her, and I have such a deep connection to the Barbie movies especially. So of course there’s a tiny bit of fear about how this story will turn out. When something is that nostalgic and important, you just want it handled with care.
I also really hope Ken has an important and positive role in the story. The Ken I know and grew up with loved Barbie with his whole heart and would do anything to see her happy. If he’s not in it, I’ll survive… but I truly hope he won’t be villainised. He deserves better than that.
I’m also not very familiar with Alex Aster’s writing style yet, but I’m keeping my hopes high and my heart open.
More than anything, I hope this book makes the little girls in us incredibly happy — and that it becomes everything we imagine when we think of Barbie… and maybe even more. 💖✨
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
August 20, 2026
so whimsical 💗🦄✨🌸!!!
Want to Read
July 18, 2026Want to read because Barbie.
I know I'll hate it because of Alex 🙄
I know I'll hate it because of Alex 🙄
September 1, 2026
« Everyone visits Rock Bottom at least once in their life, don’t they? »
Out of the 8 books I’ve read from hers (including this one), I’ve only liked 3 (Nightbane, Grim & Oro and Barbie Dreamscape). The rest I didn’t like for various reasons, including writing issues. Will I stop reading her books though? No, because her personality is just so sweet. She loves what she does and I love seeing it.
« I’d rather make a thousand bad decisions than not be able to decide at all. This is my life. I don’t want to spend it living by anyone’s choices but my own. »
Barbie Dreamscape is about losing yourself. Losing yourself, not knowing who you are or what you want, not knowing what to do, drowning in other people’s expectations, people pleasing, etc. Allowing yourself to feel lost ; allowing the bad feelings to exist and not trying to shove them off. No one is just one thing.
« I don’t know what I’m doing.
- join the club. No one does. »
I really loved this one. It gave me what I thought it’d give me. It really delivered as a Barbie novel and I hope she writes more of these.
« Sometimes, I get so caught up in my head that even breathing doesn’t feel natural. »
——•pre read
Barbie was my entire life for so long that this book is making me really nostalgic 🥹 I still sing the Cat’s meow song from The princess and the pauper at least once a week lol
Out of the 8 books I’ve read from hers (including this one), I’ve only liked 3 (Nightbane, Grim & Oro and Barbie Dreamscape). The rest I didn’t like for various reasons, including writing issues. Will I stop reading her books though? No, because her personality is just so sweet. She loves what she does and I love seeing it.
« I’d rather make a thousand bad decisions than not be able to decide at all. This is my life. I don’t want to spend it living by anyone’s choices but my own. »
Barbie Dreamscape is about losing yourself. Losing yourself, not knowing who you are or what you want, not knowing what to do, drowning in other people’s expectations, people pleasing, etc. Allowing yourself to feel lost ; allowing the bad feelings to exist and not trying to shove them off. No one is just one thing.
« I don’t know what I’m doing.
- join the club. No one does. »
I really loved this one. It gave me what I thought it’d give me. It really delivered as a Barbie novel and I hope she writes more of these.
« Sometimes, I get so caught up in my head that even breathing doesn’t feel natural. »
——•pre read
Barbie was my entire life for so long that this book is making me really nostalgic 🥹 I still sing the Cat’s meow song from The princess and the pauper at least once a week lol
Read
September 5, 2026first of all thankyou to the Mattel x Barbie team for sending me a copy of this book🩷
I will ALWAYS be honest in my reviews and this was a DNF around 40-50% and I don’t rate DNFs but this book would’ve been 2 stars AT MOST if I finished it. The writing is clunky, it feels unedited, almost like a first draft.
Barbie is one of the most unlikeable characters I’ve ever read? I thought she was supposed to be inspirational… not bratty. I liked the fantasy elements and the journey Barbie was going on, but this is definitely not YA, I think this leans more towards children’s fiction. I’d recommend this to <12 at most.
I really tried to force myself to finish it but it’s simply just bad.
I will ALWAYS be honest in my reviews and this was a DNF around 40-50% and I don’t rate DNFs but this book would’ve been 2 stars AT MOST if I finished it. The writing is clunky, it feels unedited, almost like a first draft.
Barbie is one of the most unlikeable characters I’ve ever read? I thought she was supposed to be inspirational… not bratty. I liked the fantasy elements and the journey Barbie was going on, but this is definitely not YA, I think this leans more towards children’s fiction. I’d recommend this to <12 at most.
I really tried to force myself to finish it but it’s simply just bad.
August 20, 2026
1.5 stars.
Do you want to read a book that was marketed as a YA but feels like a middle grade that was written by someone who doesn't understand their target audience at all? You do? Great! Read this. Seriously.
I'm going to try and be quick with my thoughts because, as someone with zero nostalgia for Barbie, I don't think my opinion will hold much weight, but I still read this and still have thoughts, so here we go. This book is a hand-holding, overexplained mess, with an infuriating overuse of certain grammar choices that pulled me from the story each and every time. The cast is simplistic and one-note. (Even real life Barbie lore doesn't make her one note, the fuck?) And it's so juvenilistic. I understand that the young adult genre goes as low as 12 in it age range, but if the target audience was supposed to be on that lower end, I think it's an insult to their intelligence. I wouldn't even give this to a middle grade reader, it's that bad.
All style, no substance, barely any grit. It felt like Aster had a checklist and rushed through it as quick as she could. Which... boo? Give me something good, y'know? And there was a glimmer of something here - I think the places Barbie comes across are stupidly fun, even if the way Aster describes them were pretty lackluster and rapid. I gave this book an extra .5 stars for the kookiness alone. (Although if this is just stuff stolen from other Barbie media, do let me know as I know very little about it.)
Obviously, I am coming into this biased (I've "read" 3 books by Aster before and those were Lightlark (1 star), Summer In The City (2 stars) and Starside (DNF)) but even then. I was surprised by how sloppy this was. I would say I'm shocked Mattel approved this but, well. Cashgrabs are as cashgrabs be.
And the worst part of this to top it all off? Alex Aster, you didn't make me care about the animals.
Do you want to read a book that was marketed as a YA but feels like a middle grade that was written by someone who doesn't understand their target audience at all? You do? Great! Read this. Seriously.
I'm going to try and be quick with my thoughts because, as someone with zero nostalgia for Barbie, I don't think my opinion will hold much weight, but I still read this and still have thoughts, so here we go. This book is a hand-holding, overexplained mess, with an infuriating overuse of certain grammar choices that pulled me from the story each and every time. The cast is simplistic and one-note. (Even real life Barbie lore doesn't make her one note, the fuck?) And it's so juvenilistic. I understand that the young adult genre goes as low as 12 in it age range, but if the target audience was supposed to be on that lower end, I think it's an insult to their intelligence. I wouldn't even give this to a middle grade reader, it's that bad.
All style, no substance, barely any grit. It felt like Aster had a checklist and rushed through it as quick as she could. Which... boo? Give me something good, y'know? And there was a glimmer of something here - I think the places Barbie comes across are stupidly fun, even if the way Aster describes them were pretty lackluster and rapid. I gave this book an extra .5 stars for the kookiness alone. (Although if this is just stuff stolen from other Barbie media, do let me know as I know very little about it.)
Obviously, I am coming into this biased (I've "read" 3 books by Aster before and those were Lightlark (1 star), Summer In The City (2 stars) and Starside (DNF)) but even then. I was surprised by how sloppy this was. I would say I'm shocked Mattel approved this but, well. Cashgrabs are as cashgrabs be.
And the worst part of this to top it all off? Alex Aster, you didn't make me care about the animals.
Want to Read
February 26, 2026Is anyone else excited for this?!??
I’ve loved everything Barbie since I was little… and honestly? I still do 🫣🩷 So I’m extra pumped for this.
(Me typing this on my pink phone with my Barbie wallpaper, sitting wrapped up in my Barbie robe.)
#BarbieGirl 🩷
I’ve loved everything Barbie since I was little… and honestly? I still do 🫣🩷 So I’m extra pumped for this.
(Me typing this on my pink phone with my Barbie wallpaper, sitting wrapped up in my Barbie robe.)
#BarbieGirl 🩷
August 29, 2026
She ruined Barbie.
August 26, 2026
well 1) this has nothing to do with barbie, the character is nowhere near what barbie is and how she would act (and writing the word "pink" every other sentence is not gonna change this) 2) the plot is all over the place 3) i'm sorry to say i've never read such a poorly written/edited book
Want to Read
February 25, 2026I grew up on Barbie movies so my inner child is ecstatic!! A barbie fantasy is something I didn't even know I needed but I need this asap 😩‼️
Want to Read
February 27, 2026WHO WOULD WE BE WITHOUT THE BARBIE MOVIES THAT RAISED US🩰°˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧°.🎀༘⋆
August 30, 2026
Genuinely don’t understand all the bad reviews. I almost let that deter me from reading this and I’m glad it didn’t. This was whimsical, imaginative, had some of the unique world building I’ve ever read, and compulsively readable. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything this whimsical in fiction since Alice in Wonderland. Books with this kind of feel are a rarity. Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series is probably the only other thing that comes remotely close, but that one is a much darker take of whimsy.
Due to some of the comments I’ve read, I was afraid this was going to be too middle grade-y but that ended up being a non issue. It was BARELY middle grade-y. Yes it’s more of the juvenile side of YA but I would still put this solidly in YA. It just has a lighter, more whimsical feel which can come across as younger, but none of the action or danger has been dumbed down for a younger audience.
Maybe I’m just the target audience as a Barbie fan and pink lover but I thought this was a bubbly, pink confection of whimsical fun. I thought it was creative, imaginative, and genuinely well plotted. This book is exactly as it’s advertised itself to be 🤷🏻♀️
Due to some of the comments I’ve read, I was afraid this was going to be too middle grade-y but that ended up being a non issue. It was BARELY middle grade-y. Yes it’s more of the juvenile side of YA but I would still put this solidly in YA. It just has a lighter, more whimsical feel which can come across as younger, but none of the action or danger has been dumbed down for a younger audience.
Maybe I’m just the target audience as a Barbie fan and pink lover but I thought this was a bubbly, pink confection of whimsical fun. I thought it was creative, imaginative, and genuinely well plotted. This book is exactly as it’s advertised itself to be 🤷🏻♀️
August 21, 2026
Barbie, but on Acid, I am definitely 100% too old for this. Also not the first Barbie novel. Saying it is, is a blatant lie.
Have any of you seen nacho libre and remember that scene where the old monk says “this is the worst lunch I have ever had” yeah well this is the worst book I have ever read. Jesus Christ I thought Starside was bad but this is unreadable. I am fairly certain I lost brain cells while reading it.
Barbie book? Take everything away from Barbie that makes Barbie, Barbie and make her a pick me, but somehow worse. How the fuck was this YA how could this even be MG, kids aren’t that incompetent of understanding complexity in stories. I kept thinking it was going to be get better, but it didn’t.
-5/5
Over all story 1/5 just because of the nearly non existent nostalgia for Barbie and the secret door
My want for the characters to be 💀 100/10
Predictably of the plot, a pea could have predicted everything
The writing is more than just juvenile, the way aster writes things makes it seem as if she thinks we don’t know anything and assumes she is the only person who went to college or had any kind of higher education at all.
Ken shows up, disappears and at the end shows back up again, almost like aster forgot she had even written Ken into the book to begin with. Which would not surprise me.
My college text books are more interesting.
Btw definitely just Lightlark in a different front.
Have any of you seen nacho libre and remember that scene where the old monk says “this is the worst lunch I have ever had” yeah well this is the worst book I have ever read. Jesus Christ I thought Starside was bad but this is unreadable. I am fairly certain I lost brain cells while reading it.
Barbie book? Take everything away from Barbie that makes Barbie, Barbie and make her a pick me, but somehow worse. How the fuck was this YA how could this even be MG, kids aren’t that incompetent of understanding complexity in stories. I kept thinking it was going to be get better, but it didn’t.
-5/5
Over all story 1/5 just because of the nearly non existent nostalgia for Barbie and the secret door
My want for the characters to be 💀 100/10
Predictably of the plot, a pea could have predicted everything
The writing is more than just juvenile, the way aster writes things makes it seem as if she thinks we don’t know anything and assumes she is the only person who went to college or had any kind of higher education at all.
Ken shows up, disappears and at the end shows back up again, almost like aster forgot she had even written Ken into the book to begin with. Which would not surprise me.
My college text books are more interesting.
Btw definitely just Lightlark in a different front.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2026
3.5*
This was whimsical! I quite enjoyed it, and I liked a lot of the messaging throughout the story. It does read more like a middle grade, and at times it’s a bit juvenile, but it feels expected for the book and the audience.
I really enjoyed how Alex was trying to pour into her readers by providing hope back into the reader’s life. There were many reminders to appreciate life, simple things, and be confident that you can do anything if you believe in it. It was genuinely such a great reminder. I wish it was expanded on more, because I think it would’ve been really cool to see more commentary on that, but this isn’t really a complaint because I liked this part a lot.
Barbie was a very fun character. I was a bit hesitant to read from her POV, especially since in other Barbie mediums, she’s renamed, but I wasn’t too thrown off. She had some cute character development that aided well in the theme of the story.
All the side characters were fun. They didn’t have much character development since this is more of a coming of age, and the characters were methods to move the plot along and teach Barbie something, so I don’t fault Alex for that. I wish we had more time with them, because I really enjoyed them.
That being said, the villains in this were very cool. I liked that element more than I thought. I wish the wrap-up was less quick, but that’s a minor thing. Barbie really showed so much grace throughout the book, which is a great thing for younger readers.
Overall, this could be really wonderful for younger readers getting into the YA space. I found the reminders to seek joy, continue to forgive, and continue getting up really wholesome.
This was whimsical! I quite enjoyed it, and I liked a lot of the messaging throughout the story. It does read more like a middle grade, and at times it’s a bit juvenile, but it feels expected for the book and the audience.
I really enjoyed how Alex was trying to pour into her readers by providing hope back into the reader’s life. There were many reminders to appreciate life, simple things, and be confident that you can do anything if you believe in it. It was genuinely such a great reminder. I wish it was expanded on more, because I think it would’ve been really cool to see more commentary on that, but this isn’t really a complaint because I liked this part a lot.
Barbie was a very fun character. I was a bit hesitant to read from her POV, especially since in other Barbie mediums, she’s renamed, but I wasn’t too thrown off. She had some cute character development that aided well in the theme of the story.
All the side characters were fun. They didn’t have much character development since this is more of a coming of age, and the characters were methods to move the plot along and teach Barbie something, so I don’t fault Alex for that. I wish we had more time with them, because I really enjoyed them.
That being said, the villains in this were very cool. I liked that element more than I thought. I wish the wrap-up was less quick, but that’s a minor thing. Barbie really showed so much grace throughout the book, which is a great thing for younger readers.
Overall, this could be really wonderful for younger readers getting into the YA space. I found the reminders to seek joy, continue to forgive, and continue getting up really wholesome.
August 20, 2026
Ummmm….
This was one of the most bizarre books I’ve ever read. The world building was rushed and all over the place. It was so choppy and disorganized. There were about 5 different plots that almost came together in the end but not really. The last 100 pages made the most sense but it still was very hard to follow along.
Everything felt disjointed. There were moments of I’m going to tell you everything that would immediately switch to I’m going to show everything that I just told you about. The author’s writing style is not for me.
This book felt way too juvenile to be YA but doesn’t seem Middle Grade either.
I also felt that the only thing “Barbie” about it was the color pink. There’s so much more to Barbie than that and it got lost in whatever was trying to happen here.
I should have DNF’d it but I was hoping that it would get better as it went and it didn’t. You might like it better than I did. Give it a try if you want.
Recommended reading age (8-12 yrs)
No Spice
No Explicit Language Use
G Rated Violence/Gore
⭐️⭐️I didn’t like anything about this
This was one of the most bizarre books I’ve ever read. The world building was rushed and all over the place. It was so choppy and disorganized. There were about 5 different plots that almost came together in the end but not really. The last 100 pages made the most sense but it still was very hard to follow along.
Everything felt disjointed. There were moments of I’m going to tell you everything that would immediately switch to I’m going to show everything that I just told you about. The author’s writing style is not for me.
This book felt way too juvenile to be YA but doesn’t seem Middle Grade either.
I also felt that the only thing “Barbie” about it was the color pink. There’s so much more to Barbie than that and it got lost in whatever was trying to happen here.
I should have DNF’d it but I was hoping that it would get better as it went and it didn’t. You might like it better than I did. Give it a try if you want.
Recommended reading age (8-12 yrs)
No Spice
No Explicit Language Use
G Rated Violence/Gore
⭐️⭐️I didn’t like anything about this
August 20, 2026
How is this marketed as YA. Like literally in what UNIVERSE. I had to double check that it was YA (Yes — it is! In multiple places!) I am so so disappointed and I’m not even scratching the surface. Full review to come.
Want to Read
April 25, 2026RELEASE DAYYY YAYYYYYYYY
______
GASP WHAT A BARBIE RETELLING IN THIS ECONOMY?!??!?!?! I'M SATTTT
______
GASP WHAT A BARBIE RETELLING IN THIS ECONOMY?!??!?!?! I'M SATTTT
September 5, 2026
This isn't gonna be a review from a guy who wants to make fun of Barbie for being Barbie. Heck no! I played with Barbies as a kid and I watched all the original animated movies back in the early 2000s and I remember enjoying them! So when I heard that Alex Aster was going to write an official Barbie novel, I was immediately worried because, well, I've read some of Aster's other books and she is simply not a good author. And Barbie: Dreamscape once again proves that Aster has no skill, no creativity, and no backbone. So let's get into some details (mild spoilers ahead):
The story moves at a speed that's way too fast for such a short book. We read about 5 different realms and none of them are explored in great detail because this book just doesn't have the time. For example: we arrive at Summerland, meet Ken, talk to a guide, look for the magic key, find the magic key and leave the island again all in the span of like 2 chapters. There's no time for Barbie to take a break, girl literally only goes to sleep once in this entire book. She says that several weeks have gone by with her travelling while the pacing and the writing itself make it look like it's been a few days max. We have no time for interesting mini-stories on the individual islands, everything is very simplistic, surface-level descriptions. We got some basic fantasy tropes to run through and then we're gonna move on to the next part. This is a fast read simply because there's no time taken to explore anything in detail and because the writing in this is the most entry-level-coded writing I've read in a while.
This book is written in the most simplistic, straigh-forward, assumes-the-reader-to-be-dumb, and in-your-face way possible. Aster, in all her years as a professional writer, has never learned to improve her craft. This book reads like it's written for dumb pre-teen children who've never engaged with story-telling. The opening of this book reads like satire, that's how cringe it sounds (the book never assumes this tone again and acts like this was normal narration):
"My life is a dream. Rose-colored enchanted birds wake me up every morning with a warm cup of tea. They pull back my sunset-tinged, spun-from-clouds (yes, actual clouds) comforter, help me up from my pillow (also a cloud, sunrise dipped), then carry me by the ribbons on the shoulders of my nightdress to the bathroom to get ready, where a bath is already running, pearlescent bubbles foaming and effervescing. They do my hair, then an enchanted wardrobe helps me get dressed, then I have a perfect day at school with my perfect friends and we all have fun and then go to bed and do it all over again."
It's meant to emphasise that Barbie lives a perfect life when, in fact, she does not and is about to find out that everything sucks, she's not special, and doesn't actually know who she is. Important themes (self-discovery, self-doubt, identity crisis etc.) for sure, but Aster writes about them in the most simple ways possible. And she does it in a very repetitive way. Barbie only has one lesson to learn in this entire book: I'm my own person and I forge my own fate! And she will learn this lesson several times in this short novel.
Barbie will continuously have the same doubts and identity crisis over and over again, every new location leads to her suddenly falling into another depression again. There's some surprisingly dark stuff here, with Barbie saying people would be better off without her and that she should just give up on finding a good life; interesting stuff, but it also leads to very hard tonal whiplash (remember, this book is supposed to be YA). And of course Barbie finds a solution to her dark, depressing personal issues very quickly: every time she wallows in self-doubt, 3 pages later she will just believe in herself, recount a happy memory, or remind herself that she has to keep going and that defeats every dark thought right away! We literally repeat this story-pattern at least 5 times and there's no variation on it ever. Barbie never has any other issue and the one issue she does have, she overcomes easily when the plot demands it.
I also don't like how this books implies, multiple times, that all you need to do to overcome depression and inferiority issues is to just change your attitude and really believe in yourself. Barbie overcomes all her self-doubts by simply starting to think more positively and recount a happy memory. The Dreamland realm later on literally banishes all bad things, all negativity is declared illegal; if anything bad happens or is being felt, you will be dragged into the nightmare realm. Only positive and nice things are allowed in Dreamland. It gives toxic positivity so hard and it's never addressed or talked about by Barbie or anyone else! This book basically tells its young audience: if you ever feel depressed, just try hard enough and choose to feel differently and then you'll do better! Not sure if that was the intended message, but as someone who deals with depression and other dark shit, this didn't feel great to read...
The in-your-face writing means that everything will be told do you directly. Characters will say, out loud, if Barbie is going through character development or if she's good at something. If you didn't catch what the descriptions were implying about certain interactions or characters, don't worry because Barbie, as the narrator, will immediately turn to the camera and tell us what that thing that just happened meant; say goodbye to subtext, it's overrated! Also, information will be repeated just as directly several times as well, in case you didn't catch something or in case the reader might be really stupid (which Aster seems to think you are):
"“It’s been a while since I’ve taken on a student… but I’ll teach you everything I once taught your mother.” Lune is Headmistress of Dreamlake. She also used to be my mother’s teacher."
Everything in this book is simple and uncreative. The different realms are called Heartland, Summerland, Anyland, Everland, and Wonderland! At one point, Barbie feels bad while located at a place that's literally called Rock Bottom (I was imagining the SpongeBob place)! The sports team in Dreamland is called Dream Team! This book thinks you are dumb, it treats you like a little child when this is meant to be a YA novel; and even if this were a book for children: young people deserve good writing as well! There's no excuse for this to be so poorly and so unimaginatively written when there's children's entertainment out there that does it way better!
Speaking of uncreative: Alex Aster really only knows how to write one type of story and one set of fantasy stereotypes. Fantasy country that's magically kept isolated by an outside force: check! Fmc who has supposedly no powers until she inevitably gets powers: check! Shallow secondary characters who mean basically nothing and are unimportant to the plot: check! Dead parent: check! Replacement parent who doesn't fully support the fmc: check! Fmc who is weak until the plot demands she no longer isn't: check! Simplistic naming conventions for literally everything: check! No actual detailed descriptions of places: check! Creatures only being called creatures without ever being described further: check! Narrative and world-building inconsistencies through the entire book: check! Magic that works however the plot demands it: check! Meandering and repetitive plot-beats that just occur in a series of unrelated events until the book decides we need a climax: check! Everyone complimenting the fmc for being cool, kind, and caring: check! Fmc attends a fancy ball: check! ... There are just so many elements Aster writes into every single one of her books, it's like no one ever told her to branch out. And the stuff that she doesn't come up with herself she usually "steals" from other popular books.
Information is inconsistent and often kept unexplained for no reason. For example, Barbie's entire story is built around her mother being dead. We don't even get to know the name of her mother, only that her name started with a B (which doesn't make sense in Barbie canon, but I'll come back to that later). I'm not even sure if we get told what Barbie's age is supposed to be? Barbie is simultaneously very studious but also the dumbest person ever: she's apparently never seen a horse irl before, but is later able to easily compare a Pegasus (not a species, btw, Aster) to being "twice the size of a regular horse" after seeing a single horse one time. Barbie has never seen a horse, but is effortlessly able to point out that the creatures in the other magic realms she's never been to are clearly forest trolls, chimaeras, unicorns etc. Barbie needs magic keys to travel between realms, but we're never told how travelling between realms was possible before that. It's said that Barbie's mum died fighting evil magic forces, but we're never told what those evil powers/creatures were or why they acted that way. Who is Barbie's father? The question is never raised by anyone, not even Barbie herself. Barbie is fascinated by magic and all the magical things around her, right up until the book decides that Barbie needs a reason for why she struggles with her magic powers and that's because she actually has hated magic the entire time because it got her mum killed. There are so many more of these smaller and bigger inconsistencies and missing information which yet again show that Aster's editor is definitely not doing their job.
Let's talk about how this Barbie novel has almost nothing to do with Barbie. I don't think Alex Aster did much research before setting out to write this book. You can tell because she lies in her author note by saying that she has now written the first ever Barbie novel. That is factually incorrect and a simple Google search would have told you that Barbie books were published back in the 60s by Random House. A lot of Barbie lore actually originated in those books, such as the name of Barbie's parents: surprise, surprise, the name of Barbie's mum does NOT start with a B... (It's actually Margaret) And if you're looking for any other popular or beloved characters from the Barbie franchise, then forget about it! None of the secondary or tertiary characters in this book are variance of or references to characters from the Barbie canon. The best thing we get is Ken who makes a brief appearance for two chapters and all he does in those two chapters is swoon about beaches and sunsets with Barbie. None of the different realms Barbie travels to seem to be references to actual locations from the Barbie toys, movies, or games. The only thing we get is Barbie briefly getting fairy wings for one chapter which somewhat reminded me of Fairytopia. But if you're reading this as a hardcore Barbie fan, hoping to get some fun easter eggs, forget about it!
Barbie herself is also nothing like the Barbie I remember seeing in the early 2000s movies or other franchise entries. Barbie doesn't have a personality in this book, she's just another boring YA fmc in a generic fantasy story. Her personality is liking the colour pink and she'll remind you of that constantly (the colour pink and its variants are mentioned at least 200 times throughout the entire book). And even this iconic part of Barbie, her liking pink, is not even an aspect of her own personality: the Barbie in this book likes pink because it was her mum's favourite colour. The Barbie in this book isn't headstrong, confident, or capable of taking on any job as long as she works for it. Nope, Aster's Barbie doesn't wanna be a doctor because she's afraid of blood, she thinks bookkeeping means actually collecting books, she is not curious about life outside school, she has no actual hobbies, and she's never bothered to develop an interest in anything except her studies. Having Barbie doubt herself from time to time is okay, but this Barbie despairs at the mere idea of encountering problems. The Barbie I remember tackled problems head on, she's confident and not brought down the second a small obstacle hinders her journey. Alex Aster's Barbie is nothing like that, she's Barbie in name only and nothing else.
Whoever thought it was a good idea to let Aster write a book for one of the most beloved and popular franchises of all time: what were you thinking?! This book combines all of Aster's bad writing qualities yet again. And while it's not the worst I've read from this author, this is still terrible because Alex Aster has never been good writer to begin with and will most likely never become one because she doesn't bother to develop her craft. If I were a hardcore Barbie fan, I'd feel insulted by being given sloppy writing like this. And as an enjoyer of good books, this was simply a boring, low-quality experience.
The story moves at a speed that's way too fast for such a short book. We read about 5 different realms and none of them are explored in great detail because this book just doesn't have the time. For example: we arrive at Summerland, meet Ken, talk to a guide, look for the magic key, find the magic key and leave the island again all in the span of like 2 chapters. There's no time for Barbie to take a break, girl literally only goes to sleep once in this entire book. She says that several weeks have gone by with her travelling while the pacing and the writing itself make it look like it's been a few days max. We have no time for interesting mini-stories on the individual islands, everything is very simplistic, surface-level descriptions. We got some basic fantasy tropes to run through and then we're gonna move on to the next part. This is a fast read simply because there's no time taken to explore anything in detail and because the writing in this is the most entry-level-coded writing I've read in a while.
This book is written in the most simplistic, straigh-forward, assumes-the-reader-to-be-dumb, and in-your-face way possible. Aster, in all her years as a professional writer, has never learned to improve her craft. This book reads like it's written for dumb pre-teen children who've never engaged with story-telling. The opening of this book reads like satire, that's how cringe it sounds (the book never assumes this tone again and acts like this was normal narration):
"My life is a dream. Rose-colored enchanted birds wake me up every morning with a warm cup of tea. They pull back my sunset-tinged, spun-from-clouds (yes, actual clouds) comforter, help me up from my pillow (also a cloud, sunrise dipped), then carry me by the ribbons on the shoulders of my nightdress to the bathroom to get ready, where a bath is already running, pearlescent bubbles foaming and effervescing. They do my hair, then an enchanted wardrobe helps me get dressed, then I have a perfect day at school with my perfect friends and we all have fun and then go to bed and do it all over again."
It's meant to emphasise that Barbie lives a perfect life when, in fact, she does not and is about to find out that everything sucks, she's not special, and doesn't actually know who she is. Important themes (self-discovery, self-doubt, identity crisis etc.) for sure, but Aster writes about them in the most simple ways possible. And she does it in a very repetitive way. Barbie only has one lesson to learn in this entire book: I'm my own person and I forge my own fate! And she will learn this lesson several times in this short novel.
Barbie will continuously have the same doubts and identity crisis over and over again, every new location leads to her suddenly falling into another depression again. There's some surprisingly dark stuff here, with Barbie saying people would be better off without her and that she should just give up on finding a good life; interesting stuff, but it also leads to very hard tonal whiplash (remember, this book is supposed to be YA). And of course Barbie finds a solution to her dark, depressing personal issues very quickly: every time she wallows in self-doubt, 3 pages later she will just believe in herself, recount a happy memory, or remind herself that she has to keep going and that defeats every dark thought right away! We literally repeat this story-pattern at least 5 times and there's no variation on it ever. Barbie never has any other issue and the one issue she does have, she overcomes easily when the plot demands it.
I also don't like how this books implies, multiple times, that all you need to do to overcome depression and inferiority issues is to just change your attitude and really believe in yourself. Barbie overcomes all her self-doubts by simply starting to think more positively and recount a happy memory. The Dreamland realm later on literally banishes all bad things, all negativity is declared illegal; if anything bad happens or is being felt, you will be dragged into the nightmare realm. Only positive and nice things are allowed in Dreamland. It gives toxic positivity so hard and it's never addressed or talked about by Barbie or anyone else! This book basically tells its young audience: if you ever feel depressed, just try hard enough and choose to feel differently and then you'll do better! Not sure if that was the intended message, but as someone who deals with depression and other dark shit, this didn't feel great to read...
The in-your-face writing means that everything will be told do you directly. Characters will say, out loud, if Barbie is going through character development or if she's good at something. If you didn't catch what the descriptions were implying about certain interactions or characters, don't worry because Barbie, as the narrator, will immediately turn to the camera and tell us what that thing that just happened meant; say goodbye to subtext, it's overrated! Also, information will be repeated just as directly several times as well, in case you didn't catch something or in case the reader might be really stupid (which Aster seems to think you are):
"“It’s been a while since I’ve taken on a student… but I’ll teach you everything I once taught your mother.” Lune is Headmistress of Dreamlake. She also used to be my mother’s teacher."
Everything in this book is simple and uncreative. The different realms are called Heartland, Summerland, Anyland, Everland, and Wonderland! At one point, Barbie feels bad while located at a place that's literally called Rock Bottom (I was imagining the SpongeBob place)! The sports team in Dreamland is called Dream Team! This book thinks you are dumb, it treats you like a little child when this is meant to be a YA novel; and even if this were a book for children: young people deserve good writing as well! There's no excuse for this to be so poorly and so unimaginatively written when there's children's entertainment out there that does it way better!
Speaking of uncreative: Alex Aster really only knows how to write one type of story and one set of fantasy stereotypes. Fantasy country that's magically kept isolated by an outside force: check! Fmc who has supposedly no powers until she inevitably gets powers: check! Shallow secondary characters who mean basically nothing and are unimportant to the plot: check! Dead parent: check! Replacement parent who doesn't fully support the fmc: check! Fmc who is weak until the plot demands she no longer isn't: check! Simplistic naming conventions for literally everything: check! No actual detailed descriptions of places: check! Creatures only being called creatures without ever being described further: check! Narrative and world-building inconsistencies through the entire book: check! Magic that works however the plot demands it: check! Meandering and repetitive plot-beats that just occur in a series of unrelated events until the book decides we need a climax: check! Everyone complimenting the fmc for being cool, kind, and caring: check! Fmc attends a fancy ball: check! ... There are just so many elements Aster writes into every single one of her books, it's like no one ever told her to branch out. And the stuff that she doesn't come up with herself she usually "steals" from other popular books.
Information is inconsistent and often kept unexplained for no reason. For example, Barbie's entire story is built around her mother being dead. We don't even get to know the name of her mother, only that her name started with a B (which doesn't make sense in Barbie canon, but I'll come back to that later). I'm not even sure if we get told what Barbie's age is supposed to be? Barbie is simultaneously very studious but also the dumbest person ever: she's apparently never seen a horse irl before, but is later able to easily compare a Pegasus (not a species, btw, Aster) to being "twice the size of a regular horse" after seeing a single horse one time. Barbie has never seen a horse, but is effortlessly able to point out that the creatures in the other magic realms she's never been to are clearly forest trolls, chimaeras, unicorns etc. Barbie needs magic keys to travel between realms, but we're never told how travelling between realms was possible before that. It's said that Barbie's mum died fighting evil magic forces, but we're never told what those evil powers/creatures were or why they acted that way. Who is Barbie's father? The question is never raised by anyone, not even Barbie herself. Barbie is fascinated by magic and all the magical things around her, right up until the book decides that Barbie needs a reason for why she struggles with her magic powers and that's because she actually has hated magic the entire time because it got her mum killed. There are so many more of these smaller and bigger inconsistencies and missing information which yet again show that Aster's editor is definitely not doing their job.
Let's talk about how this Barbie novel has almost nothing to do with Barbie. I don't think Alex Aster did much research before setting out to write this book. You can tell because she lies in her author note by saying that she has now written the first ever Barbie novel. That is factually incorrect and a simple Google search would have told you that Barbie books were published back in the 60s by Random House. A lot of Barbie lore actually originated in those books, such as the name of Barbie's parents: surprise, surprise, the name of Barbie's mum does NOT start with a B... (It's actually Margaret) And if you're looking for any other popular or beloved characters from the Barbie franchise, then forget about it! None of the secondary or tertiary characters in this book are variance of or references to characters from the Barbie canon. The best thing we get is Ken who makes a brief appearance for two chapters and all he does in those two chapters is swoon about beaches and sunsets with Barbie. None of the different realms Barbie travels to seem to be references to actual locations from the Barbie toys, movies, or games. The only thing we get is Barbie briefly getting fairy wings for one chapter which somewhat reminded me of Fairytopia. But if you're reading this as a hardcore Barbie fan, hoping to get some fun easter eggs, forget about it!
Barbie herself is also nothing like the Barbie I remember seeing in the early 2000s movies or other franchise entries. Barbie doesn't have a personality in this book, she's just another boring YA fmc in a generic fantasy story. Her personality is liking the colour pink and she'll remind you of that constantly (the colour pink and its variants are mentioned at least 200 times throughout the entire book). And even this iconic part of Barbie, her liking pink, is not even an aspect of her own personality: the Barbie in this book likes pink because it was her mum's favourite colour. The Barbie in this book isn't headstrong, confident, or capable of taking on any job as long as she works for it. Nope, Aster's Barbie doesn't wanna be a doctor because she's afraid of blood, she thinks bookkeeping means actually collecting books, she is not curious about life outside school, she has no actual hobbies, and she's never bothered to develop an interest in anything except her studies. Having Barbie doubt herself from time to time is okay, but this Barbie despairs at the mere idea of encountering problems. The Barbie I remember tackled problems head on, she's confident and not brought down the second a small obstacle hinders her journey. Alex Aster's Barbie is nothing like that, she's Barbie in name only and nothing else.
Whoever thought it was a good idea to let Aster write a book for one of the most beloved and popular franchises of all time: what were you thinking?! This book combines all of Aster's bad writing qualities yet again. And while it's not the worst I've read from this author, this is still terrible because Alex Aster has never been good writer to begin with and will most likely never become one because she doesn't bother to develop her craft. If I were a hardcore Barbie fan, I'd feel insulted by being given sloppy writing like this. And as an enjoyer of good books, this was simply a boring, low-quality experience.
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