Dreaming of Amelia by Jaclyn Moriarty

As you can see my copy of this book is a little tattered, a sign of a good book if ever I saw one. Amelia and Riley are two new students at Ashbury High and everybody wants to know everything there is to know about them. They have been a couple since they were 14 years old and like to keep themselves to themselves. This just makes people much more anxious to know who they are and what their story is. The book is told by a group of students at the school as they write gothic fiction for their HSC English fiction exam. They all give their opinion on the new students and what they think happened in their pasts. Will we ever know the truth of what truly happened to Amelia and Riley, or will it remain as Gothic fiction with no resolution?

This book is actually the fourth in the Ashbury/Brookfield series by Jaclyn Moriarty but each book is a stand alone story so it doesn't matter. If you are going to read them though, do try to read them in order because the events of other stories are mentioned in later books so they are a minefield of spoilers. I loved the way this book was set out because it meant you may never know the truth of what happened to Amelia and Rory. Each character saw them a different way and changed what they did to fit in with their Gothic fiction outline. Although there are some dark moments, many parts of the book are light hearted and jovial. I really liked the many characters because they were funny but also were very good role models for people growing up. Okay, so maybe they don't always do their homework but they are nice people who live pleasant, comfortable lives. This book was a piece of exhilarating escapism! So what are you waiting for?