My True Love Gave to Me Mini Review: The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer

Book Title: My True Love Gave to Me

Editor: Stephanie Perkins

Story Title: “The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer"

Story Author: Laini Taylor

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Publication Date: October 14, 2014
Source: St. Martin's Griffin for Review

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If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins. Whether you enjoy celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or New Year's there's something here for everyone. So curl up by the fireplace and get cozy. You have twelve reasons this season to stay indoors and fall in love.

Mini Review: "The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer"

Today is Christmas Day, and that means we've come to the last of my mini review series for My True Love Gave to Me. The last short story in the anthology is also by a new-to-me author by the name of Laini Taylor, and while this story isn't like anything I'd ever pick to read myself, I'm so grateful to have been introduced to "The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer" and Ms. Taylor because it's one of the most powerful short stories in the book.

"The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer" isn't your typical holiday story. There aren't Christmas trees, menorahs, or any other symbol that we might think of when we think of December holidays. There are references to Christmas and advent, but it's truly something else. It's a brilliant piece of magical realism that completely floored me. 

Ms. Taylor's writing is beyond beautiful. It's full of imagery and I could see the words really coming to life in my mind. I was able to imagine what the characters looked like, and I had vivid pictures of what the Isle of Feathers looked like.

If you love fairytales, then this is the story for you because it's very reminiscent of many popular folktales that we all know and love while still being one hundred percent original. It's also full of diversity that is much needed in YA. I'm so glad that it was the concluding story because it's one that just gives you all the feels. I couldn't get it out of my head for days and days.

Laini Taylor is the internationally bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy, as well the Dreamdark books, and Lips Touch: Three Times, which was a finalist for the National Book Award. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and her daughter.