Mini-Reviews: Dream Girl & Dream Life by Lauren Mechling

Title: Dream Girl (Book 1)
Author: Lauren Mechling
Pages: 320
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: November 10, 2009
Claire Voyante has been having strange visions ever since she can remember. But the similarity between her name and her talents is purely coincidental. The name is French, and unlike the psychics on TV, she can’t solve crimes or talk to the dead. Whenever Claire follows her hunches, she comes up empty—or ends up in pretty awkward situations. But that all changes on Claire’s 15th birthday, when her grandmother, Kiki—former socialite, fashion icon, and permanent fixture at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel—gives her something a little more extraordinary than one of her old cocktail dresses: a strange black-and-white onyx cameo on a gold chain. It’s not long before Claire’s world becomes a whole lot clearer. And a whole lot more dangerous.
Dream Girl is not at all what the cover portrays, it's fast-paced, real, and mysterious...not to mention the added bonus of a cute guy! Claire Voyante is a unique, and fun protagonist whom readers will love to get to know. Delving into her life--and her dreams--is what makes this book such an interesting concept of dreams. While readers get a peek at her dreams, they'll find the dreams enigmatic, captivating, and different. Kiki, her grandmother is one quirky character who readers will get get to know and love! She is one grandma that I'd sure love to have!

Title: Dream Life (Book 2)
Author: Lauren Mechling
Pages: 336
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 12, 2010

Claire Voyante's first semester at Henry Hudson High School was eventful, to say the least. As she heads into her second semester, things are calming down a bit. But Claire has a few secrets that are getting harder to keep. Her biggest secret of all? The onyx and ivory cameo necklace her grandmother gave her for her 15th birthday. Ever since she started wearing it, her dreams have been coming to her in black and white and turning out to be oddly prophetic.

Becca’s been hanging out with her old prep school friends and never seems to have time for Claire anymore. And soon, Claire discovers why—there’s a secret group of society girls with a mysterious identity. And, turns out, a mysterious enemy who’s out to get them. The second she sniffs out trouble, Claire jumps on the case. But is it someone close to Claire who’s in danger again—or could it be Claire herself whose life is at stake?

Dream Life could actually become a stand-alone! Mechling weaves and introduces the book to the reader so well that they could read this first and then read Dream Girl! Here, Claire Voyante is back with a new mystery to uncover! The concept of a secret society and a secret identity really added to the excitement building up in Dream Life. And the mysterious enemy just adds even more to the already action-packed filled book. Such a fantastic series!