School Library Journal Starred Review (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Gr 9 Up-"I have no words to describe how I am feeling—it's like grief, maybe, but grief for myself. I was living my life, and then something came along and killed me, erased me." Seventeen-year-old Shelby Jane Cooper's world begins to come apart after she is hit by a car in Scottsdale, AZ. Her overprotective mother takes them on the run, and a coyote (who used to be a boy) begins to bring her into the Dreaming, a magical place where Shelby is no longer deaf and the animal inhabitants believe she can save them from an evil witch. What's real, this world or the Dreaming? What are the "two lies" that Coyote warns Shelby about? What is the one truth? Lake's new novel is perplexing and disorienting, full of the rich language and heady epiphanies readers have come to expect from the Printz-award winning author of In Darkness (Bloomsbury, 2012). The plot draws on Native American mythology and the haunting vastness of the Southwest landscape. The battles between elks and wolves, narrow escapes from authorities, and the looming mystery (Who is Shelby?) will make teens want to tear through the pages. Encourage them to temper this impulse lest they miss a single one of Shelby's heartrending revelations that happen on her journey to save the Dreaming and herself.— Chelsey Philpot, Boston University

ALA Booklist (Sat Nov 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

There will be spoilers. But how else does one begin to review a book so rife with reveals? Spoiler Shelby, 17, is mute. After she fractures her foot, her single mother whisks her away on a desert road trip with a shocking admission (spoiler : Shelby's hospital stay might have allowed Shelby's father t dead but rather a murderous maniac! track them down. Their journey is echoed by the B-side plot of the Dreaming, a dark fairy-tale land where a talking coyote informs Shelby that she is the Maiden and must kill the Crone in three days or else the human world will end. As the story bounces between either end, the book's one weakness becomes evident: the fantasy plot, though metaphorically rich, never clicks on its own. The realistic story, however, is a rare joy to behold: costarring the unforgettable character of Shelby's mom, unpredictable at every turn (no more spoilers here!), abruptly violent, and yet receptive to playfulness, as when Shelby represents a skinny elk with the symbol :"))))?. Another impressive stylistic swerve from Printz-winner Lake.

Horn Book

After a car accident, her mother whisks seventeen-year-old Shelby from the hospital for a road trip with the revelation that her father isn't really dead. Shelby has her own reveal: "BTW, I'm deaf." And then there's "the Dreaming," an alternate reality tinged with fairy tales and American Indian mythology that Shelby visits while asleep. This hallucinatory, kaleidoscopic novel's nuanced themes are eminently discussable.

Voice of Youth Advocates (Tue Feb 28 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Seventeen-year-old Shelby has lived an extremely sheltered life. She and her mother, Shaylene, follow a strict schedule. Shelby is homeschooled throughout the week, while her mother quietly cross-stitches scenes from the Scottish highlands. Fridays, however, are special. Shaylene takes Shelby to the batting cages, where she never misses connecting with the ball. Then it is time for the library and, finally, ice cream for dinner. Shelby relishes her time on Fridays because freedom for her is scarce. She loves her overprotective mother but knows that something is very wrong with their relationship. Shelby's dreams/nightmares are pushing her toward the truth, but is the truth something she can live with?Lake is truly a masterful storyteller. The way he has woven Shelby's story into the Native American folklore of Coyote is both brilliant and wholly appropriate. He also does a clever job of hiding certain aspects of Shelby's demeanor until the reader believes that the mystery has been solved. Each chapter flows into the next with such ease that it is difficult to find a stopping place. Readers will continue reading till the end is reached at least, that is what this reviewer did. Lake makes readers care for Shelby and her predicament, and one cannot help but cheer for her and wish her well. This is a strange and beautiful story that truly deserves to be read. Do not hesitate to add this to your collection.Jonatha Basye.