A Little Like Waking

Adam Rex's "A Little Like Waking" is a young adult novel that blends magical realism with a deeply emotional love story. It follows Zelda, a teenager stuck in a surreal dreamscape where her deceased cat is alive and strange things happen. She meets Langston, and their burgeoning romance leads them to explore the dream's boundaries and confront a profound, difficult truth about their connection and reality. This book is ideal for ages 12-18, offering a contemplative and poignant exploration of love, loss, memory, and identity, reminiscent of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Parents should be prepared for discussions around complex emotional themes and the nature of reality.

You’ve Reached Sam meets The Good Place in this deeply-felt, unconventional love story about a girl, a boy, a dreamer, and a dream from best-selling and award-winning author Adam Rex. Zelda is stuck in a dream. A very strange dream, where people can fly, bears sneeze money, and her childhood cat, Patches, is somehow alive - despite being run over years ago. Things only get stranger when Zelda meets Langston, a sweet if overly timid guy who feels more real to her than anyone she’s ever met. As Zelda and Langston explore the far reaches of the dreamscape together, they find themselves growing closer and closer. But what they uncover along the way pushes them towards a truth neither of them wants to face. Will it turn out that he's the guy of her dreams, or is she the girl of his? Full of mind-bending artwork, Adam Rex's A Little Like Waking is a tender, insightful read that defies time, space, and expectation that's perfect for fans of Every Day and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.