Dreamland by Rosa Rankin-Gee (Book Review)

This is a dark and brutal book that stays with you.

It follows Chance and her family as they relocate from London to Margate after receiving a government-funded grant to leave the city. But, Margate is not a shiny happy seaside resort in this near-future dystopian novel. Climate change means temperatures are soaring, and the town is in constant danger from ever-increasing tidal surges and flooding, plus it has become a place to relocate marginalised groups of people.

Poverty, drugs and crime are part of everyday life, and Chance has found a way to survive and look out for her family, including her baby brother Blue.

Chance steps in to help a girl, Franky, who is being chased in the town, and they form a friendship and then a relationship. However, the two girls couldn't be more different in terms of their backgrounds, and it appears that Franky has not been completely honest about who she is and why she is in town.

I don't want to give too much of the plot away. But when you think things are grim, this book will then take you to an even darker place. Yet even in darkness, some light must shine. This book has moments of real tenderness. The emotional complexity of the relationships between Chance and her mum, Blue, Francesca, and especially Davey is beautifully written, showing that love and friendship prevail even in the worst situations.