Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Dreamshores

Rate this book
Restless and fire-hearted, ten-year-old Sierra Nevada Smith was always chasing monsters, whether through the pages of her favorite books or in the woods behind the secluded California town where she grew up. Fantastic new worlds opened for her, however, when, after a near-tragedy, she discovered the films of legendary stop-motion animator Russell Boylan.

Ten years later, she finds herself working aboard a yacht, adrift at sea and in life, her peers nicknaming her the 'Monster Girl': a sad consolation for her own stunted career as a stop-motion animator in this era of computer-generated effects. When their boat is mysteriously pulled through a corridor of fog, the crew finds themselves deposited on the shores of an extraordinary island, a place where the stomping, roaring, clambering dinosaurs and creatures of Russell Boylan's classic films have been relegated to live beyond script or screen, and to evolve.

And it is here that Sierra discovers not only an incredible power, but what may be her purpose.

ebook

Published July 25, 2016

1 person is currently reading
349 people want to read

About the author

Mike Robinson

11 books69 followers
Author of:

THE ENIGMA OF TWILIGHT FALLS TRILOGY:
"The Green-Eyed Monster"
"Negative Space"
"Waking Gods"

"Dreamshores: Monster Island"

"Skunk Ape Semester"

"The Atheist"

"The Prince of Earth"

"Too Much Dark Matter, Too Little Gray: A Collection of Weird Fiction"

----------------------------------------------

Screenwriter/Producer:

"Blood Corral" (feature)

"Chrysaline" (short)

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
7 (35%)
4 stars
7 (35%)
3 stars
4 (20%)
2 stars
2 (10%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for Chelsies Reading Escape.
634 reviews379 followers
September 18, 2016
I requested this book from Netgalley because I love the idea of being stranded on an island with monsters. The story had enchanting moments and a unique concept. Its a celebration of our childhood imagination. I enjoyed the main character Sierras quirky personality and love of monsters. The descriptions were very imaginative with a lot of quotable sentences.

"These forests were a repository of lore, dispensing more legend than oxygen"

I thought Russel Boylan and the movies mentionned were real but I googled him and didnt find anything. Im not a big fan of old stop motion movies so I didnt have much to go on but I do like monsters and horror movies. I was able to relate to the Sierra in that aspect. When I was a kid I used to scare my friends with monster stories about beast, cannibals and orgres. I also loved exploring the woods for monsters with my brother.

I typically prefer fast pace books that focus more on the plot and have a bit less descriptions, but thats just a personal preference. It was a bit slow for me even during action scenes. I think it to took longer than usual because theres a lot of descriptions and it took my focus away from the story. However, I know a lot of people enjoy the vivid descriptions.

"Sierra felt like a turkey on the Thanksgiving table, a vulnerable hunk of meat and the unfortunate center of attention, fully eyeballed before the actual knife descended and the carving began and exposed all her insides."

The monsters seemed more silly than scary but not necessarly in a bad way since they were written with the purpose of being surreal. Once the setting and the monsters were explained the story starts getting more exciting. The monster island gave me a bit of a Lost vibe which I really liked. I also enjoyed trying to figure out how the monsters came to be on this island and why all the characters were brought there.

Since I can usually predict how a story will play out Im extremely happy when I dont see it coming and thats exactly what I got with this book. I was able to predict a few minor things but most of the story kept me guessing. It was definitely an imaginative and unique read. It had a very dreamy atnosphere. I think the last half of the book was a lot more entertaining and mysterious but the last 2 chapters felt longer than needed.
Profile Image for Montzalee Wittmann.
5,261 reviews2,352 followers
December 18, 2016
Dreamshores by Mike Robinson is a strange but wonderful book. It's about a girl, then later the woman, obsessed with the monsters of stop-motion animator guru that dies in a plane crash out at sea. When her and others are on a boat, a strange fog comes in and takes them to a island where the unbelievable happens. This is a fantastic, nail-biting, fantasy filled, surprise/twists at ever turn book! I can't say enough of how I loved this book! I don't want to give away anything, just read it! Just when you think you figure it out, have you? It is awesome. I received this book for an honest review.
Profile Image for Melissa Souza.
185 reviews54 followers
August 23, 2016
*** Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review! ***

The plot was what really drew me to this book. I liked the idea behind this story but somehow I feel it could have been developed better. I will explain this further.

Dreamshores starts off with a ten year old girl named Sierra who develops a passion for Russel Boylan's stop motion animations. The story then jumps ahead 10 years where an adult Sierra seems to have lost her calling and finds herself working on board a super yacht. After a catastrophic event involving the vessel, the crew find themselves shipwrecked on an island inhabited by fierce creatures right out of a movie.

From reading the book, there is a kind of "Lost" meets "Jurassic Park" vibe which I thought was cool. But somehow, I felt the writing to be way over the top. Don't get me wrong, I love books filled with descriptions. But with Dreamshores, it felt tedious almost bordering on philosophical. Maybe some other readers might enjoy this, but I found that it hampered the story as it tended to drag on.

"Sierra felt like a turkey on the Thanksgiving table, a vulnerable hunk of meat and the unfortunate center of attention, fully eyeballed before the actual knife descended and the carving began and exposed all her insides."

The story does deliver a variety of twists. There were a lot of action scenes within the book which I found really interesting especially towards the end, but I felt the energy waned in these parts due to the time spent on describing every motion and scene it detail. In essence, the pacing was not what I would expect in an creature feature or adventure novel. I want to feel my pulse racing. I didn't get that kind of feeling.

With regards to Sierra's character, I liked how she was very alternative in her style. I also liked how she was trying to find her purpose in life and asked the big questions. She also seems to come across as a person who cares. However, we don't get to see much character development because there isn't much interaction between characters. The only relationship I gathered was between her and Boylan, from a mentor and protege point of view, which I found fascinating. But I wanted to see more. What made her tick and so on. I also felt like there was a spark between her and KB. But somehow, this angle wasn't pursued much. I would have liked to see how their friendship evolved even if it wasn't in a romantic way.

As to the overall worldbuilding, I thought it was done well. It had an almost dream like quality to it. The creatures were not overly scary or imaginative in my opinion. But I can say, I did appreciate the uniqueness of the story. I liked how the story revolved around stop motion animation and I learned a fair bit about it. I did enjoy the parts where the author doesn't stick to just the basics and makes one think beyond the story.

All in all, I guess this book just wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe someone else might enjoy it more. I would recommend it as a one time read.
Profile Image for Paige.
1,875 reviews89 followers
February 13, 2018
Rating: 3/5

Genre: New Adult Fantasy

Recommended Age: 15+ (technical words and monsters)

Pages: 233

Author Website Link

Amazon Link

I received a copy of this book for free courtesy of Black Chateau Enterprises and the author. Thank you so much! All opinions are my own.

What’s It About: Restless and fire-hearted, ten-year-old Sierra Nevada Smith was always chasing monsters, whether through the pages of her favorite books or in the woods behind the secluded California town where she grew up. Fantastic new worlds opened for her, however, when, after a near-tragedy, she discovered the films of legendary stop-motion animator Russell Boylan.

Ten years later, she finds herself working aboard a yacht, adrift at sea and in life, her peers nicknaming her the ‘Monster Girl’: a sad consolation for her own stunted career as a stop-motion animator in this era of computer-generated effects. When their boat is mysteriously pulled through a corridor of fog, the crew finds themselves deposited on the shores of an extraordinary island, a place where the stomping, roaring, clambering dinosaurs and creatures of Russell Boylan’s classic films have been relegated to live beyond script or screen, and to evolve.

And it is here that Sierra discovers not only an incredible power, but what may be her purpose.

The Pros: The book was really intriguing and unique. The plot had a lot of promise and I felt that the main character complimented the plot. In other words, I didn’t feel like there was just this random person that was dropped into this world, but that there was a person who was made for this world. I also felt that the pacing wasn’t wonky and that it felt very natural.

The Cons: Well… I don’t think there was enough world building in this book, which left me very confused in parts. I feel that the book needed to slow down (even if the pacing suffered from it) so the reader had a chance to catch up and look around in the world. I also feel that the characters needed to be developed a little further, but for the most part they were fine. The most developed character was the main and in my opinion that’s how it should be. I also didn’t like how the wording got a bit technical and scientific. I’m not a sciencey person and so the wording really took me out of the story.

Verdict: Overall, I thought the book was good and the story was beautiful, but some of the more technical portions of novel writing were overlooked in my opinion.
Profile Image for Kylie.
1,220 reviews30 followers
February 5, 2018
4 stars! I really enjoyed this book. For me, it was a mix of Jurassic Park and Spy Kids 2, which was really fun.
The beginning really didn't pull me in too quickly, as it was kind of background information leading into the main story. It wasn't too exciting, but it was necessary.
I was immediately drawn to Sierra. She's such a little spitfire kid at the beginning who thinks she can do whatever she wants. I love that she kept her personality as she grew up. She had so much passion for the Boylan movies she loved no matter what people thought of her or them. Her relationship with KB is perfect. I love such loyalty in friendships.
The island part was such a whirlwind. It's so fast paced and exciting and terrifying at the same time. I could picture every monster, all the scenery and the characters perfectly in my head, and that just made the story all the more real in my head. Each monster was more terrifying than the next and they just kept coming.
It was hard to keep track of who was who out of the secondary characters just because they didn't have much time, and usually that muddles things for me. In this book it didn't, which I really liked.
The only thing that hindered my reading was that sometimes the wording got kind of technical and scientific which made it a little hard to understand and took away from the magic of the story, but it didn't happen often.
The ending of the island part threw me for such a loop and left me with so many questions, but I think that was the point. I loved how everyone's lives moved on afterwards and we actually got part of that story too, instead of just ending after the island part.
Profile Image for Erin Mason.
572 reviews9 followers
March 2, 2018
I wasn’t to sure what to expect from this book when I first picked it up but I loved the premise. Once I started, it felt like I was slipping into a dream. The whole idea of merging life after death with the creations of our own minds is so different and thought provoking. The battle of wills between Sierra and Boylan in the weird in between world and how they ultimately came out of it was stunning and hauntingly beautiful. The world described came to life in my head and I so enjoyed the whole trip. It was an adventure full of monsters and the connection between the two main characters was well thought out and palpable. I’m thoroughly impressed. Highly imaginative.
74 reviews
February 3, 2017
I really enjoyed the celebration of creativity and "genuineness" in this book. Claymation is so much more "real" than CGI, and then of course this book takes the "realness" of creativity to a whole new level. The book could have been complete without the epilogue, though -- I really didn't want to know what happened afterwards.

I received an electronic advance review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Patricia.
1,802 reviews46 followers
June 30, 2018
This is a strange story in a very good way . The story starts with a ten year old Sierra a girl who chases monsters either in books or in the movies of her all time favourite film maker Russel Boylen . A stop motion animator . Jump ahead ten years and Sierra is all grown up and working on a yacht and nicknamed the monster girl by all her friends and work mates . When they end up on an island where all Russel's monsters are alive and evolving . She finds out her purpose in life and what she is meant to do .
This is a book that has a vibe of all old time horror movies . The characters are well written . Sierra is a young woman that is obsessed with all things monster related . She knows everything about the monsters of Russel Boylen. She is a spitfire and she thinks she can do what ever she wants . She is loyal to her friends especially KB. Now KB is a sweet guy that would do anything for Sierra . He tries to protect her and they have such a special bond . They are great together as friends . Now the real star of the show is the island . It is ever changing and evolving keeping everyone including Sierra on their toes .
This book is like a combination of land of the lost and every monster movie you have seen . The author takes us on an adventure full of monsters and a brave girl that will stop them . It read like a graphic novel you can just imagine what is going on and painting a picture as you go along . There was just a few spots that I was tripping over when it got just a little too technical in the wording . Another spot was the ending I would love to have seen how they survived after the island . It just kind of stopped with them on the island . Over all I really enjoyed this story and the premise was very intriguing . I could really see this one as a graphic novel . So if you want to take a chance on monsters and islands in the middle of nowhere check it out you will not be disappointed .














Profile Image for Patti.
1,502 reviews13 followers
July 4, 2018
Overall rating: 4***

So I wasn’t sure about this book but kept reading just to see where it was leading. I am glad I did. This authors writing style is very unique. The storyline is definitely one of a kind in my reading exposure so far. I was guessing that Sierra would find her happy place once her idol took notice of her and launched her rise to fame and fortune. I was given an outcome I didn’t see coming and I am very pleased. Granted the subject matter for me was equal to giving me a crash course on quantum physics but hey, I am a trooper and stuck with it! A great one of a kind read
Profile Image for Ruby.
607 reviews51 followers
August 21, 2017
Lover of Jurassic Park and old fashioned B movies will want to give this fun tale a read. It abounds with monsters, dinosaurs, and beasts of fantasy and sci-fi, adding in a heroine with super powers, an eerie island, and the idea that we all have a destiny awaiting us. Nicely written!!
Profile Image for Ashley Martinez (ilovebooksandstuffblog).
3,133 reviews92 followers
June 28, 2018
It was bizarre and imaginative. I’ve never read anything like it and to be honest I’m not really sure what I think of it. It was an interesting concept but it just didn’t grab me.
Profile Image for Jill.
491 reviews
July 7, 2018
This was such an original story. I'm glad I read it and if you like to be kept on your toes and guessing until the end then this story then you'll love this one!!
Profile Image for Laura Kehoe.
Author 2 books31 followers
September 4, 2016
I received a copy of Dreamshores from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Dreamshores explores what happens when the real world and dream world collide. It's a fantastical tale about a young woman, aptly nicknamed"Monster Girl" who finds herself facing the very monsters she's spent most of her life obsessing over.
I was really torn about the rating for this book. On the one hand, it's such a unique and fascinating idea for a book. And I did feel a connection with Sierra Navada, the main character. I loved her spirit and passion. I wish some of the other characters could have been fleshed out a little more, however, because I feel like she was the only one I truly got to know.
My biggest problem with this book was a lack of a satisfying explanation for events that took place. I feel like Dreamshores could have benefited from at least a few more pages of world building and explaining exactly what was happening. The somewhat ambiguous quality of the story did make it feel more dream-like, which was likely the point. But as a reader, I found myself slightly frustrated at times because I wanted to know more about why things were happening.
Overall, I enjoyed Dreamshores. Despite the issues I had, I would still recommend this book. It's definitely worth a read!
Profile Image for T.M.B.A. Corbett.
172 reviews33 followers
July 25, 2016
This book is about young girl Sierra who fell in love with the monster creations of the stop-motion animator Russell Boylan. She grows up and doesn't achieve her dream in the same field and instead works on a boat. Turns out Sierra was supposed to be on this boat that gets lost at sea in fog and ends up on an island full of Russell Boylan's monsters. From this point on in the story, you get taken on a wild adventure full of twist. The character Sierra is likable and so are the monsters. The adventure was the best part of the book for me. Overall the story was as convivial as the book cover. I recommend to all lost souls who are waiting, looking, and hopefully stumbling upon their purpose!
a href="http://www.tmbacorbett.com">C... out my Blog for more Book Reviews and Giveaways!
Profile Image for Ann.
6,045 reviews85 followers
August 20, 2016
This was an ok read. It was a slow start but did keep my interest a little more as the story developed. Sierra Nevada Smith is a fan of stop motion animation and becomes shipwrecked on an island where all the "monsters" from movies have landed. A strange adventure for her and her friends.
Profile Image for Lora.
281 reviews2 followers
February 26, 2022
This was a truly unique story! I thought for sure I had the story figured out, but then it would throw me for another loop. Highly enjoyed!

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.