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Scribbler of Dreams
Kaitlin Malone has been raised to hate the Crutchfields, relatives the Malones have feuded with for as long as Kaitlin can remember. This legacy of hatred has never been questioned—until Kaitlin meets a boy and begins to fall in love with him before she discovers that he is a Crutchfield . . . and the son of the man her father has gone to prison for killing.
To give the relationship a chance, Kaitlin lies about her identity. But what was supposed to be one temporary untruth leads to yet another, and soon she finds herself tangled in a complicated web of deceit. In the course of her deception, she discovers an even bigger lie: The Crutchfields are not the monsters her family has always portrayed them to be. When Maggie Crutchfield, the matriarch who started the feud, reaches out from the past to right a wrong, she offers Kaitlin a legacy worth holding on to-if she can.
223 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2001
50 people are currently reading
3235 people want to read
About the author
Mary E. Pearson
48 books15.5k followersMary E. Pearson is the International and NYT bestselling and award-winning author of multiple novels including her adult debut novel, The Courting of Bristol Keats, about a woman from a small town who is unexpectedly plunged into a world of gods, fae, and monsters.
Her other books include The Remnant Chronicles—The Kiss of Deception, The Heart of Betrayal, and The Beauty of Darkness—and its spin-off duology Dance of Thieves and Vow of Thieves. Mary's awards and honors include the Golden Kite for fiction, ALA Best Books, NYPL Best Books, IRA Choice Books, YALSA Teens Top Ten, Arkansas and South Carolina Young Adult Book Awards, and her science-fiction novel, The Adoration of Jenna Fox, was an Andre Norton Award Finalist. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages world-wide.
As a child she loved reading about and living in fantasy worlds. They were a portal to possibility that provided both escape and power. These days she loves writing about those worlds for the same reasons. She totally believes in magic, because, as one of her characters once whispered to her, “What is magic, but what we don’t yet understand?”
When she is not creating dangerous fantasy worlds, she enjoys the relatively safe pleasures of travel, gardening, friends, and family. Visit Mary on Instagram @maryepearson for book news and updates.
Her other books include The Remnant Chronicles—The Kiss of Deception, The Heart of Betrayal, and The Beauty of Darkness—and its spin-off duology Dance of Thieves and Vow of Thieves. Mary's awards and honors include the Golden Kite for fiction, ALA Best Books, NYPL Best Books, IRA Choice Books, YALSA Teens Top Ten, Arkansas and South Carolina Young Adult Book Awards, and her science-fiction novel, The Adoration of Jenna Fox, was an Andre Norton Award Finalist. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages world-wide.
As a child she loved reading about and living in fantasy worlds. They were a portal to possibility that provided both escape and power. These days she loves writing about those worlds for the same reasons. She totally believes in magic, because, as one of her characters once whispered to her, “What is magic, but what we don’t yet understand?”
When she is not creating dangerous fantasy worlds, she enjoys the relatively safe pleasures of travel, gardening, friends, and family. Visit Mary on Instagram @maryepearson for book news and updates.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 433 reviews
March 20, 2011
On a small planet, where minute follows minute, day follows day, year follows year, where tradition marches on with a deafening, orderly beat – sometimes the order is disturbed by a dreamer, an artist, a scribbler – sometimes the beat is changed one person at a time.
Scribbler of Dreams is one of those few books that I was able to read in one sitting… UNPUTDOWNABLE! It made me feel a mixture of emotions from anger to sadness back to rage and ultimately resolve. Mary E. Pearson’s writing is execeptional and angst laden to the point where you have to be willing to forego an afternoon because once you start this story; you’ll find yourself glued to the characters and their journey.
The Crutchfields and the Malones have been sworn enemies for over a century. Their land and family disputes have caused these two families to carry on a burden of hate and distrust that has been passed down from generation to generation. When Kaitlin Malone is forced to leave the sanctuary of her private academy to attend her senior year at Twin Oaks High School as Kaitlin Hampton, she crosses paths with Bram Crutchfield. A relationship ensues, but in order for it to continue, it must be maintained by lies and deceit. At the end of the day, Kait takes a chance to discover if the person she’s fallen in love with has the power to search the deepest part of his soul to break this legacy of hate and create a new beginning for these two families.
I was definitely captivated by this Romeo & Julie-esque type story. The plot was carefully developed; and conflict was strategically planted throughout the novel to keep me on the edge of my seat. I will have to admit that I was disappointed that Kait relied on so many lies to hold on to Bram, but at the end, she learned her lesson and I was proud of the choices she ultimately made. I was also bothered that nothing came of what the Crutchfields were planning to do to the Malone farm. That seemed to have been glossed over. ^^
There was a part in the story where you witness Kait’s turning point and that’s when she asks herself:
How many faces does regret have? The quiet face of a lie, barely whispered. The seductive face of prying questions. The shrewd face of a deception well planned. The longing face of a dream never realized. How many faces… too many to count, and when I look in the mirror, I see them all.
One last point, I deducted one star because I felt the story came to an abrupt end. However, I can close the chapters of this book with my own deductions, but I would like to have seen them scribbled down at least as an epilogue.
Great story that was well worth my Saturday afternoon. :)
Scribbler of Dreams is one of those few books that I was able to read in one sitting… UNPUTDOWNABLE! It made me feel a mixture of emotions from anger to sadness back to rage and ultimately resolve. Mary E. Pearson’s writing is execeptional and angst laden to the point where you have to be willing to forego an afternoon because once you start this story; you’ll find yourself glued to the characters and their journey.
The Crutchfields and the Malones have been sworn enemies for over a century. Their land and family disputes have caused these two families to carry on a burden of hate and distrust that has been passed down from generation to generation. When Kaitlin Malone is forced to leave the sanctuary of her private academy to attend her senior year at Twin Oaks High School as Kaitlin Hampton, she crosses paths with Bram Crutchfield. A relationship ensues, but in order for it to continue, it must be maintained by lies and deceit. At the end of the day, Kait takes a chance to discover if the person she’s fallen in love with has the power to search the deepest part of his soul to break this legacy of hate and create a new beginning for these two families.
I was definitely captivated by this Romeo & Julie-esque type story. The plot was carefully developed; and conflict was strategically planted throughout the novel to keep me on the edge of my seat. I will have to admit that I was disappointed that Kait relied on so many lies to hold on to Bram, but at the end, she learned her lesson and I was proud of the choices she ultimately made. I was also bothered that nothing came of what the Crutchfields were planning to do to the Malone farm. That seemed to have been glossed over. ^^
There was a part in the story where you witness Kait’s turning point and that’s when she asks herself:
How many faces does regret have? The quiet face of a lie, barely whispered. The seductive face of prying questions. The shrewd face of a deception well planned. The longing face of a dream never realized. How many faces… too many to count, and when I look in the mirror, I see them all.
One last point, I deducted one star because I felt the story came to an abrupt end. However, I can close the chapters of this book with my own deductions, but I would like to have seen them scribbled down at least as an epilogue.
Great story that was well worth my Saturday afternoon. :)
August 9, 2009
Good Lord, where do I begin???
This is hands down one of the worst YA books of all time. The plot is a rip-off of Romeo and Juliet, which was not a turn off at all and was probably the number one reason I decided to read this. Big mistake because Pearson relied so heavily on R&J that she failed to really set up any kind of plot that makes sense. The story starts off with Kaitlin Malone telling us, "I hate the Crutchfields." The Crutchfields being the family of her Romeo, a young lad named Bram Crutchfield. (WTF kind of a name is Bram?) Anyway, the book starts off with Kait and her family harboring an irrational, multi-generational hatred towards the Crutchfields. You're supposed to care about and wonder why they started to hate each other (and I suppose you do) but when the "truth" of it comes out it's completely laughable.
"Why did my father have to kill a Cruchfield? ...the hatred between the Crutchfields and Malones goes back five generations, when the Crutchfield sisters first parted ways. Maggie Crutchfield was a slut... when she became pregnant without the benefit of marriage, her sister, Amanda Crutchfield Malone, refused to see her ever again. When their parents died and left them thousands of acres that is now Twin Oaks, they divided the land down the middle..."
Now if you can't laugh at this overly dramatic break down of the history of these crazy families then you can certainly laugh at the retardedly one-dimensional characters in this book. Kaitlin Malone constantly writes nonsensical journal entries and has virtually no friends. While pretending to be named Kaitlin Hampton (her mother's maiden name), she "falls in love" with Bram, who is also incredibly dense and apparently an "artist" (I say "apparently" because all of the art scenes were so horribly implausible to me). I love that the characters barely know each other for a week before they exchange "I love yous." They have absolutely no chemistry and know nothing about each other and what Kait tells him are total lies BUT THEY LOVE EACH OTHER.
So the big drama in the novel is that somehow Bram's family is planning to buy or acquire a chunk of this precious farmland that belongs to the Malones. Bram tells Kait bits and pieces about this upcoming acquisition and Kait (while pretending to be a Hampton but really being a Malone) goes on to discover that the Malone's new worker is planning to sabotage the Malone farm. It's super dramatic stuff (not really, not at all) and the whole conflict seems totally anti-climactic. There's absolutely no build-up at all, you don't feel invested in the characters or their problems, and I kept reading hoping it would actually get better but, I swear, the novel got progressively worse.
And one more thing that seemed completely out of left field and totally didn't help to make the book any more interesting: the secret journals of Maggie Crutchfield show up about halfway in the book. Yes, the same "slut" that tore the family apart miraculously wrote journals that fall into Kait's hands and Kait starts to feel a connection to her grandmother (great-grandmother?) who tore the family apart. It's supposed to add depth to the story but all it does is make it seem more insanely random.
I've read Pearson's The Adoration of Jenna Fox and really liked it so I know she's not a bad writer but this is a really badly written book. The plot is horrible. You don't feel invested in anything that's going on. The characters are beyond flat. Nothing about it is likable.
This is hands down one of the worst YA books of all time. The plot is a rip-off of Romeo and Juliet, which was not a turn off at all and was probably the number one reason I decided to read this. Big mistake because Pearson relied so heavily on R&J that she failed to really set up any kind of plot that makes sense. The story starts off with Kaitlin Malone telling us, "I hate the Crutchfields." The Crutchfields being the family of her Romeo, a young lad named Bram Crutchfield. (WTF kind of a name is Bram?) Anyway, the book starts off with Kait and her family harboring an irrational, multi-generational hatred towards the Crutchfields. You're supposed to care about and wonder why they started to hate each other (and I suppose you do) but when the "truth" of it comes out it's completely laughable.
"Why did my father have to kill a Cruchfield? ...the hatred between the Crutchfields and Malones goes back five generations, when the Crutchfield sisters first parted ways. Maggie Crutchfield was a slut... when she became pregnant without the benefit of marriage, her sister, Amanda Crutchfield Malone, refused to see her ever again. When their parents died and left them thousands of acres that is now Twin Oaks, they divided the land down the middle..."
Now if you can't laugh at this overly dramatic break down of the history of these crazy families then you can certainly laugh at the retardedly one-dimensional characters in this book. Kaitlin Malone constantly writes nonsensical journal entries and has virtually no friends. While pretending to be named Kaitlin Hampton (her mother's maiden name), she "falls in love" with Bram, who is also incredibly dense and apparently an "artist" (I say "apparently" because all of the art scenes were so horribly implausible to me). I love that the characters barely know each other for a week before they exchange "I love yous." They have absolutely no chemistry and know nothing about each other and what Kait tells him are total lies BUT THEY LOVE EACH OTHER.
So the big drama in the novel is that somehow Bram's family is planning to buy or acquire a chunk of this precious farmland that belongs to the Malones. Bram tells Kait bits and pieces about this upcoming acquisition and Kait (while pretending to be a Hampton but really being a Malone) goes on to discover that the Malone's new worker is planning to sabotage the Malone farm. It's super dramatic stuff (not really, not at all) and the whole conflict seems totally anti-climactic. There's absolutely no build-up at all, you don't feel invested in the characters or their problems, and I kept reading hoping it would actually get better but, I swear, the novel got progressively worse.
And one more thing that seemed completely out of left field and totally didn't help to make the book any more interesting: the secret journals of Maggie Crutchfield show up about halfway in the book. Yes, the same "slut" that tore the family apart miraculously wrote journals that fall into Kait's hands and Kait starts to feel a connection to her grandmother (great-grandmother?) who tore the family apart. It's supposed to add depth to the story but all it does is make it seem more insanely random.
I've read Pearson's The Adoration of Jenna Fox and really liked it so I know she's not a bad writer but this is a really badly written book. The plot is horrible. You don't feel invested in anything that's going on. The characters are beyond flat. Nothing about it is likable.
March 6, 2011
I'm really glad this was not the first "Pearson" book I'd ever read. I don't know based on this one, if I would have read any of the others. I would have missed out on "Jenna Fox" (and The Miles Between, but it wasn't my favorite either). I'm beginning to wonder if she wasn't just a one hit wonder.....
"Scribbler" borrowed just a little bit much from "Romeo and Juliet." It was un-original and un-compelling. All the twists and turns were very obvious. The characters were not very likeable. The love story was decent, but it was like waiting for the train to crash. I knew it was coming.. I just wanted it to be over with. No such luck though, it was the last couple of chapters before anything crashed and burned. The ending was abrupt, like the author wanted to be finished writing it as bad as I wanted to be finished with the story. Thank heavens it was short... very short.
I have to also comment on the "instant love" going on... Geez, why is it so hard to actually write about falling in love, instead of making your character pretty much fall right off the bat! Gah, I'm tired of that!
I think what I'm writing makes it seem like it was terrible. While it was not very great, it was horrid. It gets a Meh moment. I award it with mediocrity.
I have to comment on the cover... Hate it! Boring.
I'm just not impressed!
2.5 stars
Bram-eo, Bram-eo, wherefore art thou Bram-eo
"Scribbler" borrowed just a little bit much from "Romeo and Juliet." It was un-original and un-compelling. All the twists and turns were very obvious. The characters were not very likeable. The love story was decent, but it was like waiting for the train to crash. I knew it was coming.. I just wanted it to be over with. No such luck though, it was the last couple of chapters before anything crashed and burned. The ending was abrupt, like the author wanted to be finished writing it as bad as I wanted to be finished with the story. Thank heavens it was short... very short.
I have to also comment on the "instant love" going on... Geez, why is it so hard to actually write about falling in love, instead of making your character pretty much fall right off the bat! Gah, I'm tired of that!
I think what I'm writing makes it seem like it was terrible. While it was not very great, it was horrid. It gets a Meh moment. I award it with mediocrity.
I have to comment on the cover... Hate it! Boring.
I'm just not impressed!
2.5 stars
Bram-eo, Bram-eo, wherefore art thou Bram-eo
March 3, 2021
I really want to set this book on fire.
I unfortunately cannot because I had to read this appalling book for school.
I don't think I have ever not related to a character more. I usually think reading about values that I don't care about but the mc deeply does is cool, this was not swag. The overwhelming hate I have for her is unreal. Sometimes I just do not understand character motivation at all. This is one of these times. She was a horrible person and after her "development" I low-key think she still was. Also the amount of slut shaming that is never addressed at the end is a lil bit concerning for me. the amount of misogyny is scary to me as well. the "im not like other girls" narrative is pushed and it just made me angry. okay so I understand that's how she was raised or whatever but she lacks basic empathy? like maybe stop thinking about yourself and your own family and realize other people struggle too? is this really too much to ask for? just once I want a mc who is a decent human without false morals.
I could write a huge essay on my opinions on this book but I will spare you that pain that I had to withstand.
The character development in this book is like a spiderweb, you don't even see it there until you walk face first into it. Not in a good way.
everything felt rushed? none of the characters had actual depth to them? nothing really ends up resolved? no one ends up satisfied after reading? yeah I got nothing.
also is no one going to talk about the fact that the couple is literally related??? some might say that it's not close enough to be weird but to me it very much is. (Cassie Claire would approve)
the author trying to incorporate these "poetic" journal entires was an interesting creative choice. I would definitely say Pearson's writing is enthusiastic. Though the amount of metaphors and similes I had to try to understand just hurt my brain.
this book felt like an eternity long. Like nothing actually happened? sure you could say events occurred but what is the plot?
this entire book felt super rushed and unnecessary. after literally I kid you not 30 pages the main character has decided the two of them have a bond. (WHAT IN THE SJM?) then the rest if the book is an occurrence of events that basically mean nothing but a way to get from one point to the next.
onto my la teachers thoughts and why they are wrong. he said that this book is unpredictable, I disagree. I think the things that happened were all pretty predictable from the start and gave off sitcom-esk vibes. He also said there is no Disney ending. I don't know what he considers a Disney ending but in my mind this kinda is. he said there is so much depth, I however think it is more of a "Emily" trying to be alt if that makes sense. lastly, he said I would enjoy this book and my my was he wrong.
the fact that the love interests only personality traits are being a Crutchfield and being an artist is so disappointing. Pearson's characters act like they have all this hidden depth and personality while all they are are these two dimensional characters who try so hard to sound deep. Also no teenagers talk like this? I know it is fiction but never in my life have I grabbed someones hand holding an apple and tried to explain to them how apples relate to humans. probably just a me thing though.
I use books as a form of coping and escapism this book provided the opposite of that. It made me even more unstable and made me hate reading for the time being. 👎 if you are an English teacher I beg of you not to give this to your class to read.
It's very hard to form coherent sentences that's capture my emotions towards this monstrosity.
I feel like I've lost so much time reading this while I could have been doing literally anything else.
After analyzing basically everything I still cannot think of one solid theme I got out of this book.
do I need to say it? DO. NOT. READ. THIS. BOOK. please I beg of you literally read a shampoo bottle or something. you would probably walk away feeling a lot better than after finishing this.
I unfortunately cannot because I had to read this appalling book for school.
I don't think I have ever not related to a character more. I usually think reading about values that I don't care about but the mc deeply does is cool, this was not swag. The overwhelming hate I have for her is unreal. Sometimes I just do not understand character motivation at all. This is one of these times. She was a horrible person and after her "development" I low-key think she still was. Also the amount of slut shaming that is never addressed at the end is a lil bit concerning for me. the amount of misogyny is scary to me as well. the "im not like other girls" narrative is pushed and it just made me angry. okay so I understand that's how she was raised or whatever but she lacks basic empathy? like maybe stop thinking about yourself and your own family and realize other people struggle too? is this really too much to ask for? just once I want a mc who is a decent human without false morals.
I could write a huge essay on my opinions on this book but I will spare you that pain that I had to withstand.
The character development in this book is like a spiderweb, you don't even see it there until you walk face first into it. Not in a good way.
everything felt rushed? none of the characters had actual depth to them? nothing really ends up resolved? no one ends up satisfied after reading? yeah I got nothing.
also is no one going to talk about the fact that the couple is literally related??? some might say that it's not close enough to be weird but to me it very much is. (Cassie Claire would approve)
the author trying to incorporate these "poetic" journal entires was an interesting creative choice. I would definitely say Pearson's writing is enthusiastic. Though the amount of metaphors and similes I had to try to understand just hurt my brain.
this book felt like an eternity long. Like nothing actually happened? sure you could say events occurred but what is the plot?
this entire book felt super rushed and unnecessary. after literally I kid you not 30 pages the main character has decided the two of them have a bond. (WHAT IN THE SJM?) then the rest if the book is an occurrence of events that basically mean nothing but a way to get from one point to the next.
onto my la teachers thoughts and why they are wrong. he said that this book is unpredictable, I disagree. I think the things that happened were all pretty predictable from the start and gave off sitcom-esk vibes. He also said there is no Disney ending. I don't know what he considers a Disney ending but in my mind this kinda is. he said there is so much depth, I however think it is more of a "Emily" trying to be alt if that makes sense. lastly, he said I would enjoy this book and my my was he wrong.
the fact that the love interests only personality traits are being a Crutchfield and being an artist is so disappointing. Pearson's characters act like they have all this hidden depth and personality while all they are are these two dimensional characters who try so hard to sound deep. Also no teenagers talk like this? I know it is fiction but never in my life have I grabbed someones hand holding an apple and tried to explain to them how apples relate to humans. probably just a me thing though.
I use books as a form of coping and escapism this book provided the opposite of that. It made me even more unstable and made me hate reading for the time being. 👎 if you are an English teacher I beg of you not to give this to your class to read.
It's very hard to form coherent sentences that's capture my emotions towards this monstrosity.
I feel like I've lost so much time reading this while I could have been doing literally anything else.
After analyzing basically everything I still cannot think of one solid theme I got out of this book.
do I need to say it? DO. NOT. READ. THIS. BOOK. please I beg of you literally read a shampoo bottle or something. you would probably walk away feeling a lot better than after finishing this.
February 20, 2012
The very first time I read this book I ordered it from a book fair when I was in middle school. I have reread it more times than I can count since, and it was one of the first stories I was so desperate to finish I did almost nothing else.
No, the story is not original, but guess what? It says that it's a Romeo and Juliet tale on the back of the friggin book. What are you expecting? So amazing new tale that's never been done? So NO, do not go into this book thinking it's going to have a bunch of twists and turns you didn't see coming.
What I loved was the passion and sexual tension Pearson managed to capture within the story. It is a slow and steady story that shows there are no black and white sides to a story. For the first time Juliet has to see things from Romeos perspective and work to resolve to conflict between their families. She even slowly learns that the family feud stems mostly from her ancestors and learns to admit that she may have been wrong.
The ending was realistic, and you know what? It ended there! It was a beautiful story that made me cry and laugh out loud, but it did not become a dragged out trilogy that ruined everything. This is one of my all time favorite books and I recommend it very highly. It is perfect for young girls because it never goes too far with the teenage romance and they have to work together.
No, the story is not original, but guess what? It says that it's a Romeo and Juliet tale on the back of the friggin book. What are you expecting? So amazing new tale that's never been done? So NO, do not go into this book thinking it's going to have a bunch of twists and turns you didn't see coming.
What I loved was the passion and sexual tension Pearson managed to capture within the story. It is a slow and steady story that shows there are no black and white sides to a story. For the first time Juliet has to see things from Romeos perspective and work to resolve to conflict between their families. She even slowly learns that the family feud stems mostly from her ancestors and learns to admit that she may have been wrong.
The ending was realistic, and you know what? It ended there! It was a beautiful story that made me cry and laugh out loud, but it did not become a dragged out trilogy that ruined everything. This is one of my all time favorite books and I recommend it very highly. It is perfect for young girls because it never goes too far with the teenage romance and they have to work together.
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April 8, 2017I SPENT YEARS SEARCHING FOR THIS BOOK HOLY SHIT
So I read this book in 7th grade, and I forgot about it by 8th. But as the years went on, I kept remembering this book. I didn't know the title, the characters names, even what exactly in the book. I just knew some of the plot, the girl went to boarding school then public school, meet a boy her family hates and they fall in love. That was it. That's all I knew. So I spent years knowing I would never find this book based on that information alone, because it seems like a pretty basic plot for a book. And it is.
But then I decided to go stalker mode on it on Goodreads yesterday. Spent hours looking for it, and I couldn't find it. So then I decide "might as well go to google. Probs won't find it there either. *sigh*" I go on google and type this in the search box:
"book boy and girl whose families hate each other fall in love and the girl doesn't tell the boy"
Seems basic right? I was expecting Romeo and Juliet to show up.
BUT NO
THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK THAT SHOWS UP. THE FIRST RESULT IS THE BOOKS LINK TO GOODREADS AND I JUST
I STARED AT MY SCREEN NOT BELIEVING WHAT I WAS SEEING.
Then I went bat shit crazy.
I was pissed. I spend years, fucking YEARS, searching for this god damn book, and then I type in the simplest fucking sentence that could have been any book's plot and ITS THE FIRST THING THAT POPS UP
But yeah. I'm gonna read this again. Give me a couple days to get over my strange happiness/anger that I actually found it again. ✌️
So I read this book in 7th grade, and I forgot about it by 8th. But as the years went on, I kept remembering this book. I didn't know the title, the characters names, even what exactly in the book. I just knew some of the plot, the girl went to boarding school then public school, meet a boy her family hates and they fall in love. That was it. That's all I knew. So I spent years knowing I would never find this book based on that information alone, because it seems like a pretty basic plot for a book. And it is.
But then I decided to go stalker mode on it on Goodreads yesterday. Spent hours looking for it, and I couldn't find it. So then I decide "might as well go to google. Probs won't find it there either. *sigh*" I go on google and type this in the search box:
"book boy and girl whose families hate each other fall in love and the girl doesn't tell the boy"
Seems basic right? I was expecting Romeo and Juliet to show up.
BUT NO
THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK THAT SHOWS UP. THE FIRST RESULT IS THE BOOKS LINK TO GOODREADS AND I JUST
I STARED AT MY SCREEN NOT BELIEVING WHAT I WAS SEEING.
Then I went bat shit crazy.
I was pissed. I spend years, fucking YEARS, searching for this god damn book, and then I type in the simplest fucking sentence that could have been any book's plot and ITS THE FIRST THING THAT POPS UP
But yeah. I'm gonna read this again. Give me a couple days to get over my strange happiness/anger that I actually found it again. ✌️
March 27, 2021
The only reason I read this book was because of Nicole. So basically being the good friend I am, I decided to not let Nicole suffer through this all by herself.🤧 (she had to read it for school). Let's keep in mind that she finished this like a month ago, yet I've put off finishing it because it was that bad.
I WANT TO CHUCK THIS BOOK IN A BLENDER AND SET IT ON FIRE
(I, unfortunately, can't because it's a library book🙄)(I'm glad I didn't waste my money on this monstrosity)
Literally nothing happened. NOTHING.
and wtf was that ending!?🥴
When Satan can't reach you so he lets this book get published.(ladidadi da dadi dadi da) No, an abomination. you cant call it a book. It's literally Wattpad on crack. It was so cheesy and stupid. Like the amount of secondhand embarrassment I got from it is astronomical.😤
oh yes, can we please talk about how there is fucking INCEST in it. INCEST.😀 Like that is not okay, and the main character thought it was. The author also didn't credit Cassie Clare✋🙄 rude. SwEeT hOmE aLaBaMaAa🤪
back to the "plot": basically this pick me girl who "isn't like the other girls"(i don't even know her name) falls in love with a boy in THE SECOND FRICKEN CHAPTER. and it wasn't just a crush, it was a full-on "soul mate epiphany" type thing😑. All she does in the book is write really bad poetry and fantasize over him.
someone, please tell me how this is a "modern-day Romeo and Juliet" retelling. PLEASE. This is literally the farthest thing from it, and probably one of the worst books to ever exist.
And if you think it can't get any worse, let me just tell you that there was an unbelievable amount of slut-shaming in here that was never addressed!?😠🤨
I'm gonna go gouge me eyes out now✌️😚😋😍🤪
PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO. NOT. READ. THIS.😩 SAVE YOURSELF WHILE YOU CAN.🏃🤺
I WANT TO CHUCK THIS BOOK IN A BLENDER AND SET IT ON FIRE
(I, unfortunately, can't because it's a library book🙄)(I'm glad I didn't waste my money on this monstrosity)
Literally nothing happened. NOTHING.
and wtf was that ending!?🥴
When Satan can't reach you so he lets this book get published.(ladidadi da dadi dadi da) No, an abomination. you cant call it a book. It's literally Wattpad on crack. It was so cheesy and stupid. Like the amount of secondhand embarrassment I got from it is astronomical.😤
oh yes, can we please talk about how there is fucking INCEST in it. INCEST.😀 Like that is not okay, and the main character thought it was. The author also didn't credit Cassie Clare✋🙄 rude. SwEeT hOmE aLaBaMaAa🤪
back to the "plot": basically this pick me girl who "isn't like the other girls"(i don't even know her name) falls in love with a boy in THE SECOND FRICKEN CHAPTER. and it wasn't just a crush, it was a full-on "soul mate epiphany" type thing😑. All she does in the book is write really bad poetry and fantasize over him.
someone, please tell me how this is a "modern-day Romeo and Juliet" retelling. PLEASE. This is literally the farthest thing from it, and probably one of the worst books to ever exist.
And if you think it can't get any worse, let me just tell you that there was an unbelievable amount of slut-shaming in here that was never addressed!?😠🤨
I'm gonna go gouge me eyes out now✌️😚😋😍🤪
PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DO. NOT. READ. THIS.😩 SAVE YOURSELF WHILE YOU CAN.🏃🤺
April 25, 2025
ok this is a really good book! it has some swearing (d--,oh my ---) but other that that its a good romance story!
January 23, 2019
One of things I enjoyed the most about this story was how poetic is was written. I feel like the author has a knack for that. I also felt like the story flowed well and for the most part it was engaging to me, but I also felt like it was missing something that I can't quite put my finger on. There is a murder, deception, mystery all in this story which is what drew my attention to the story in the first place. I felt that for that part of the story it felt a little inadequate. I guess I was just expecting more.
I did enjoy the characters for the most part, but I felt like Kaitlin was fighting a losing battle, trying to get these 2 families together, and also I felt a little weird about the romantic aspect of the story considering the 2 involved were related even though it was not a close relation. So the romantic side of things was a little off. I also felt like the end was a little rush and incomplete.
Even so I am glad I read it. I feel like it was pretty light reading and I can dive into her other books knowing she does have a pretty decent writing style, so I do look forward to reading her other series.
I did enjoy the characters for the most part, but I felt like Kaitlin was fighting a losing battle, trying to get these 2 families together, and also I felt a little weird about the romantic aspect of the story considering the 2 involved were related even though it was not a close relation. So the romantic side of things was a little off. I also felt like the end was a little rush and incomplete.
Even so I am glad I read it. I feel like it was pretty light reading and I can dive into her other books knowing she does have a pretty decent writing style, so I do look forward to reading her other series.
October 24, 2008
I really really really enjoyed this book! The book was kind of a romance book, but it also had a bit of mystery to it. I loved how the author made up the story of how they met, and that they both were artists of some kind. It was really cool that Bram and Kaitlin connected in that way. I think others would enjoy the book "Scribbler of Dreams" because it is a story about two lovers who in the end try to bring their two different families together.
February 6, 2021
Good story. A real page turner. Held interest from cover to cover. Clean...no swearing, sex etc. yet even enjoyable for older adults!
February 13, 2025
Read this in middle school off of my favorite math teachers bookshelf after a test and I firmly believe this is really what got me into reading. This will always hold a special place for me.
August 13, 2025
Another re-read of my favorite YA novel from back in the day. A good Romeo and Juliet story ❤️ will always love this book!
July 17, 2024
This being a summer reading book for me I expected to to be a horrible book. This book has become one of the best books I have ever read. I’m really sad that it’s over
September 3, 2009
My friend lent me this book to read back in November or 2008. I never read it because I'm not very big on romances. But I read the back last night and got somewhat interested. I read it and quickly became amazed by this book. It's a romance but not the typical type. Kait has a huge hate for his family and Bram has a hate for her own. So she hides her identity from him. They fall in love. But all this time she's been feeding him lies and pretending to be somebody that she is not. And when he finds out it is her time to pay for it.
July 12, 2014
I thought the story line was good, I just didn't like the fact that the two main characters were romantically involved; they are related! That was the whole point of the book, the family feud. I don't care if it's way down the line, if you know you're cousins with someone don't be in a relationship with them.
January 2, 2008
The story was very Romeo & Juliet. Complete with cathartic ending. I can't remember all the details, but I remember thoroughly enjoying it.
September 13, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. It is mainly about a teenage girl and this boy she met at school and about their relationship. This was a great book and I think just about everybody would like this book.
July 15, 2014
MY 100th book! PARTY HARD BITCHES
SHAKE IT SHAKE IT
MOVE IT MOVE IT
BOUNCE AND WIGGLE
DANCE AND GIGGLE
OH YEAH
SHAKE IT SHAKE IT
MOVE IT MOVE IT
BOUNCE AND WIGGLE
DANCE AND GIGGLE
OH YEAH
April 30, 2020
if you like incest you will love this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2025
15 years ago, I read this book because my study hall teacher was a librarian and got annoyed watching me waste study hall every day. She made me go to the school library and find a book. I wasn't a reader before her, and to this day, I credit her and this book to my love of reading. However, I had been searching for this book for 10 years trying to remember the title but only remembered a few details of the plot and cover. Through the help of a group on Redd, t I was able to read this book again. And even though it's not perfect as an adult, it holds a special place in my heart!❤️
December 27, 2024
I loved this one years ago. Wanted to re-read it, but sadly it didn't hold up as much as I'd hoped .
Read
September 26, 2025hometown bookshelf reread #8
an old favorite. can’t say it held up as well as some of the others… the part I enjoyed the most were the fall out boy lyrics I had scribbled in the margins a decade ago
an old favorite. can’t say it held up as well as some of the others… the part I enjoyed the most were the fall out boy lyrics I had scribbled in the margins a decade ago
December 8, 2014
As my rating says, this was a "nice, entertaining read", and I couldn't put it down not knowing what the resolution might be.
It was interesting to see how even the smallest lie could get into something really big, and I felt sorry for Kaitlin because indeed the truth was not better than all those lies - so I could feel her struggle.
I kept asking myself what would I do in a similar situation (assuming that I could get somehow into this kind of trouble), and the truth is that I don't know.. I wouldn't be able to sit there, hearing my love interest talking about how much he hates my family - or even me, without knowing - (I have my own pride.. a lot of it) but anyways.. is it worth it? was it?
I would have love to read more about Bram (and yes, his point of view in this would have been great), because I didn't really get the love part in this story.
So OK.. Romeo & Juliet, love at first sight.. I can understand that, but I needed to see more development on it.
Kait was saying how she loved him an how great they were together, but I never saw it happening. It was like hearing a story from/about a friend of her, not her story (if you understand what I mean).
Let's assume that I don't trust her.. she is young and she doesn't know much about love,so I want to feel by myself that strong love she talks about, I want to see what she sees in Bran, I want to see by myself how great he is .. well, don't hold your breath because this is not going to happen.
So except from this little detail about their unbelievable and sudden love (that pretty much holds the whole story if you ask me) and also the fact that I didn't get to know any of the characters at all, the book was really entertaining with some fun moments, and some sad ones.. I liked the journal entries left behind, and I could (kind of) believe that a story like that would hold such hate trough time.. because we are humans, so we love to hate as much as we love to.. well, love :))
--
PS: I loved the last scene with her sister Abby.. nice :)
PSS: I know that my review is pretty much 'rushed' and doesn't say much about the important things, but hey, so is the story :))
PSS: no, really, it was a nice read - I was just in the mood for something more.. romantic (thinking about Romeo and Juliet, so would you probably).. it's not Mary's fault that I was expecting something else. So, don't expect 'something else' while reading this :p
This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com
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It was interesting to see how even the smallest lie could get into something really big, and I felt sorry for Kaitlin because indeed the truth was not better than all those lies - so I could feel her struggle.
I kept asking myself what would I do in a similar situation (assuming that I could get somehow into this kind of trouble), and the truth is that I don't know.. I wouldn't be able to sit there, hearing my love interest talking about how much he hates my family - or even me, without knowing - (I have my own pride.. a lot of it) but anyways.. is it worth it? was it?
I would have love to read more about Bram (and yes, his point of view in this would have been great), because I didn't really get the love part in this story.
So OK.. Romeo & Juliet, love at first sight.. I can understand that, but I needed to see more development on it.
Kait was saying how she loved him an how great they were together, but I never saw it happening. It was like hearing a story from/about a friend of her, not her story (if you understand what I mean).
Let's assume that I don't trust her.. she is young and she doesn't know much about love,so I want to feel by myself that strong love she talks about, I want to see what she sees in Bran, I want to see by myself how great he is .. well, don't hold your breath because this is not going to happen.
So except from this little detail about their unbelievable and sudden love (that pretty much holds the whole story if you ask me) and also the fact that I didn't get to know any of the characters at all, the book was really entertaining with some fun moments, and some sad ones.. I liked the journal entries left behind, and I could (kind of) believe that a story like that would hold such hate trough time.. because we are humans, so we love to hate as much as we love to.. well, love :))
--
PS: I loved the last scene with her sister Abby.. nice :)
PSS: I know that my review is pretty much 'rushed' and doesn't say much about the important things, but hey, so is the story :))
PSS: no, really, it was a nice read - I was just in the mood for something more.. romantic (thinking about Romeo and Juliet, so would you probably).. it's not Mary's fault that I was expecting something else. So, don't expect 'something else' while reading this :p
This review can also be found at ReadingAfterMidnight.com
____________________________________________
Blog (EN) | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Booklikes | Blog (RO)
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January 2, 2011
Maggie Crutchfield makes one small mistake, having a baby without the presence of a husband,and her sister Amanda Crutchfield Malone absolutely shuns her and refuses to ever speak to Maggie again. This is how the Crutchfields and Malones began to hate each other and create their feud. Five generations later Kaitlin Malone and her sister, Abby, are starting a new high school with their mother's maiden name, Hampton. This school just so happens to be owned by the very wealthy Crutchfield family. The hatred for the Crutchfields still courses through Kaitlin and Abby's veins, but with their father in jail and money still being tight, public school is all they can afford. Kaitlin would spend her lunch relaxing under a tree and writing in her journal across from a nice boy, Bram, who would sit under another tree and draw. Bram and Kait soon hit it off, practically love at first sight. Once Kait finds out that Bram's last name is Crutchfield, and his father is the reason for her dad's incarceration, she hasn't got a clue what to do. Afraid to tell him the truth about her last name and who she really is, she continues to lie to Bram continually just to keep their relationship alive. When the Crutchfield family tries to sabotage the Malone farms, everything gets much worse for Kait to control. Kaitlin desperately wants Bram to know who she really is, but the Crutchfield-Malone feud might be too strong for him to handle.
January 6, 2011
the only plot is the romance. When there were other conversations, or activities the main character was doing, it was just summed up really quick in a paragraph. So you didn't get to know other characters. It also seems like rushed romance. She saw him, they talked like twice then were suddenly "in love". her friend said she "had the hots" for him. and she says "no it's not like that its REAL". which sounds so lame! because the only reason she did start hanging out with him is because he was hot. she lied to him the whole time too, which is not "real" love. the whole fight between their two families was unrealistic. hate between two specific families would not carry on for hundreds of years, especially over something like a sister getting pregnant. which in the book Kaitlin calls "treachery". That made me laugh. Malone vs. Crutchfields is suspiciously close to Montigues vs. Capulets, which is sort of cheesy. They shouldn't love each other at all, because THEY'RE RELATED. I also predicted exactly how everything would go...so that's not a good sign. Altogether...i'm disappointed and wish i hadn't wasted my time on it.
September 2, 2009
I totally fell in love with Scribbler of Dreams. I don't know if I would say it's a Romeo and Juliet type story (even though it is), but the family feud reminded me more of the Hatfields and McCoys with a love story. Either way, it was amazing.
Kait Malone hates the Crutchfields for everything they've done. She's forced to transfer to a Crutchfield school, Twin Oaks. There, she meets Bram, the quiet artist who has an eye for beauty. The only drawback? Bram's name is Crutchfield.
It was so adorable, their relationship and the family history woven into the story. Kait is a character much like myself. She writes in her journal when she's not doing anything else and she had quite a way with words. Bram is like her male reflection with art skills.
Kait has to struggle with everything she's ever learned about the Crutchfields and the Malones. She has to battle the very real hatred between the families and her snowballing lies.
There were some raw feelings in this book and I felt for Kait and Bram. Totally two thumbs up and five stars.
Kait Malone hates the Crutchfields for everything they've done. She's forced to transfer to a Crutchfield school, Twin Oaks. There, she meets Bram, the quiet artist who has an eye for beauty. The only drawback? Bram's name is Crutchfield.
It was so adorable, their relationship and the family history woven into the story. Kait is a character much like myself. She writes in her journal when she's not doing anything else and she had quite a way with words. Bram is like her male reflection with art skills.
Kait has to struggle with everything she's ever learned about the Crutchfields and the Malones. She has to battle the very real hatred between the families and her snowballing lies.
There were some raw feelings in this book and I felt for Kait and Bram. Totally two thumbs up and five stars.
August 7, 2011
This book is Amazing to say the least. I read this book 2 years ago and the plot is etched in my brain. I remember reading this book and staying up just to finish it. The book itself, I couldn't put down and the next day, going to school with bags on my eyes, I went to the library to check out another book by Mary Pearson and they didn't have any.
This book reminds me a lot of Romeo and Juliet. Two families: The Crutchfields and The Malones, sworn enemies, countless arguments, and a continued hate towards each other. Kaitlin Malone is forced to leave her private school and go to a high school called Twin Oaks with the last name Hampton. Then she meets Bram Crutchfield. A relationship grows until Kaitlin realizes Brams last name is Crutchfield and that his dad is the reason why Kaitlin's dad is in jail. Bram, on the other hand, clueless about Kaitiln's real identity. Kaitlin lies about who she really is, afraid of his reaction. Can their love overcome the feud between their two families? or will they be forced to fall apart?
This book reminds me a lot of Romeo and Juliet. Two families: The Crutchfields and The Malones, sworn enemies, countless arguments, and a continued hate towards each other. Kaitlin Malone is forced to leave her private school and go to a high school called Twin Oaks with the last name Hampton. Then she meets Bram Crutchfield. A relationship grows until Kaitlin realizes Brams last name is Crutchfield and that his dad is the reason why Kaitlin's dad is in jail. Bram, on the other hand, clueless about Kaitiln's real identity. Kaitlin lies about who she really is, afraid of his reaction. Can their love overcome the feud between their two families? or will they be forced to fall apart?
September 26, 2011
GOSH!! I just bought this book yesterday - september 25,2011 - and I was surprised to myself that I actually had finished this book today! I love the story.. super love.. the story is really fascinating about family, hate, love, lies, and regret.. this book only shows that love can conquers everything even a generation "hate" of two families.. reading this, I felt like I had also felt every feeling of Kaitlin Malone.. I was tickled in pink,I laughed, I feel nervous, and I cry!! yes, I cry... It's weird but I really been hooked to its story.. wanna read it more.. but somehow I felt the ending was fast.. I want their story to be continued until the hates in their family be gone or Bram and Kait will be a happy family with a happy life.. that'll be nice.. I was even inspired to plan to draw a scenery of them.. the part when Bram and Kait first met.. It's really romantic. I imagined as if they own the world while autumn/spring/summer leaves are falling into them.. =)
February 6, 2015
Oh my gosh, this book was SO bad! I was so excited to read this book because I thought it would be interesting to read a modern version of Romeo and Juliet, but I was wrong. I understand that Romeo and Juliet fell in love at first sight, but for some reason it felt entirely too unbelievable between Kait and Bram. Despite the main focus of the novel being the relationship between Kait and Bram, their relationship did not develop at all throughout the novel. Their relationship nearly bored me to tears. The characters were not likable, the plot crept along at a snail's pace, and every second of the book was entirely too predictable. Plus much of the narration seemed like it was talking down to the reader. Plus, someone could make 10 cheesecakes from all the cheesy lines and situations in this book. Overall, I really didn't like this book. If I wasn't trying to read as many books as possible for my reading challenge this year, I probably would have put it down after only 25 pages.
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