Reviews  

  Kirkus Review   Kirkus Aug 2012

View Kirkus review

 
Bob & Ruth Harris rated it
Goodreads / Kindle Aug 2012
Symphony of Dreams is such a wonderful name for this book. It describes everything felt when reading it and still feel when thinking of it -- a rich velvety feeling that wraps around you, that flows through you like the warmth of whiskey at the first swallow.

It makes you feel good, then sad, glad, then angry, happy, rejected, and broken-hearted. In all this it keeps you wondering, expecting, hoping, and praying for everything to turn out right.

The mood, the story, the flow of this character-rich story, sucks you completely in, like a beautifully played symphony.

Set in the South, a young girl has an unseen gift of prophetic dreams. The mystery of the story is woven around these dreams. She also has a grandmother who understands, counsels, and protects her. Thank God for grandmothers.

This young girl captures our hearts and takes us with her, through a hard childhood and into a tumultuous adulthood, in a true to life story of broken hearts and new love.

Cindy -- Keep on writing. We loved Symphony of Dreams. Ruth and Bob Harris.
 
R.E. Sheahan
Oregon, USA
rated it
Goodreads / Kindle Jan 2013
I enjoyed the pace of this book. It starts slow and descriptive as we get to know Symphony and her family. I was gently pulled into the story and swept along as the tension and the pace increased. When the time would jump ahead several months, I often wished I could have kept in touch with the characters. I wanted to know what was happening with Symphony. But short of making the book hundreds of pages long, that just wasn’t possible.
This is a well written story with believable characters that you can truly care about, or in some case dislike, in real life situations. Too real for those whose differences from others has made them the target of bullying.
The author wove a memorable and exciting story of growing up in a family with its share of problems and ultimately acceptance, while showing both sides of the bullying issue, its consequences, and a touch of paranormal thrown in to add to the mix!
The final chapters are fast paced and exciting, building tension to a satisfying climax.
I am looking forward to the next book from this Author.
   
Melissa Bowerstock rated it
Goodreads July 2012
Symphony of Dreams is a compelling story, drawing the reader ever deeper into the "gift" of Symphony Weber and the twists and turns of her life. Rogan is excellent at portraying the sub-teen and teen characters, fully rounding them out with hopes, fears and motivations. The family dynamic of the Weber household will likely be familiar to many, the mildly dysfunctional "warts and all" family that is more the norm than the Donna Reed family. Watching Symphony struggle with her family, her body image, her friends and her gift inspires sympathy and support. The surprising last act is a nail-biter. Great story, one that stays with you long after the book is closed.
 
Michele rated it
Goodreads July 2012
Do yourself a favor, READ THIS BOOK! I star in this book and I LOVE IT so much so that I am re-reading to make sure I didn't miss a jot or tiddle!

Symphony is born with this wonderful/horrifying/nightmare-causing gift. It seems that her elder sister must have a little bit of empathy, because she seems to have a nightmare at the same time... and needs the comforting presence of her kid sister... What a bond! Unfortunately, however, Daniele either can't grasp or won't understand what kinds of trauma Symphony endures until it's almost too late.

The characters are real... they are spectacularly crafted into very real members of your life... they survive very real life experiences and in the end, they are able to come together as a singular, cohesive family. You get so caught up in all that goes on, you don't want to let it go, especially not to go to sleep or work !).

In summary, an excellent read!
 
Kris Heywood rated it
Goodreads July 2012
Just finished the book. It is one of those few and splendid novels you can get lost in. I finished the whole thing in a day and a half. I loved that it started when Symphony was a little girl and took us through her agonizing school years into adulthood and motherhood. Ms. Rogan tells an honest story. Whether you are too chubby for current tastes or too tall or too black, the pain is the same when you get singled out and bullied for something you cannot help. This is a polished, suspenseful yet loving tale with people you can care about.
 
Meg Spinella rated it

A good read!
Goodreads / Kindle June 2012
I sailed through this book. I loved the characters and the depiction of the American South. The plot was well-developed with plenty of suspense. I recommended it highly.
   
Erin rated it
Goodreads Jan 2013
I picked this up at the library. It was ok. The main character, Symphony, is born with the gift of seeing the future. She supresses the gift and lives her life and then has to un-suppress it for the good of the world.
 
  Karen Bryant Doering,
Parents' Little Black Book
rated it
Kindle July 2012
We first meet our main protagonist Symphony when she is a young child in her first years of school. Sleeping has become a worry for Symphony as her dreams are not the usual creative flights of fantasy, Symphony's dreams portend the future. But as all visions of the future, they are never completely clear, nor do they always lead her to know what is going to happen. There are too many variables.

As one of six children she alone seems to carry this gift. Unable to understand it herself and with a mother who believes it is best to ignore it Symphony feels alone and cut off from the family. Luckily she has a grandmother who understands what is happening who steps in to help.

But even with the help of her loving grandmother all is not well in the family. Coming to terms with both her gift and the abuse that is escalating is more than one young child can cope with. Near breakdown Symphony must find her place in both her family and the world.

I was totally captivated by this story and the characters within it. The story flows with ease and charm. The protagonists are well defined and realistic. The child's point of view is well done. This is a story that will draw you in and keep you turning the pages.
 
  Roy Glassberg rated it

Should be taught in every school
Amazon Paperback Oct 2012
"Symphony of Dreams" is a book about the effects of bullying, a subject that has recently come to our national attention: It should be taught in every school in America. In lucid and sparkling prose it tells the story of a young girl growing up in the South in the '70s (what a time!!) shunned and physically abused by her peers. What keeps her from the comfort of inclusion is her less than fashionable appearance==and her spooky ability to see the future in dreams. Can she survive emotionally, and can she come through when it's crunch time? Read it and find out.
   
  Kellie Hill rated it

Plan A Weekend Because You Won't Want to Put it Down
Amazon Paperback Aug 2012
I read this book in two days because I had to know what would happen. The characters are captivating and you feel connected to them. The story flows smoothly. The background information (which I'm usually not a big fan of) is detailed and absorbing. The first part of the book includes Symphony's childhood in which every woman will have a moment of recognition, whether it's family, best girl friends, losses, being an outsider, schoolyard bullies, or first love, we can all relate. The second part of the book includes the suspense and plot twists, which is a great read in a whole other fashion. A very enjoyable read. I hope there is a follow up as I'd love to see Symphony truly learn how to use her gifts in a way that is gratifying to her and allows her daughter to learn from her previous life lessons.
 
  jjumbeck rated it

Unforgettable story, well-developed characters, twisty plot!
Amazon Paperback July 2012
I never write reviews because I usually never feel compelled to. Most books don't grab me at the beginning of a story and keep me this interested but Symphony of Dreams did that and more. This author has a gift, a true and humble gift of making each character so real that the reader can't help but feel emotionally involved in this story. I felt like Symphony was part of me during parts of this book and I just wanted to tell her it was all going to be alright. In part one of the story I fall in love with the characters, the dysfunctional family dynamic and Grandma. In part two of the story I can't put the book down and need to keep reading because I was wrapped up in the tense emotions of the plot and I had to find out how it was all going to end. I finished the book last night at 11:30 only two days after I first picked it up (and I have a brand new, wonderful baby).

I'm an English teacher and I can't tell you how many books I've had to read or had recommended to me that I read out of curriculum or politeness...this book is not in that category at all! I LOVE this story and the only part of the story that was sad was that it had to end. Once you reach a certain part of this book you are part of the family so when the end comes around you want to start all over again just to exist within the story.

Incredible author, very well-written book!
 
  Kris Heywood "friendinneed"
Oregon
rated it

Great author, riveting book
Amazon Paperback July 2012
It's been a long time since I read a book I liked so much. I read the whole thing in one day from start to finish. Usually, these days, most fiction bores me, but Cynthia Rogan's Symphony of Dreams kept my interest from the first page to the last. This is a fine, adept, highly skilled author who clearly loves her characters and her material. With great courage, she writes about child abuse, bullying, the cruelty of peers, extra-sensory perception, and the love that binds families together. This is an honest, fascinating story to rival anything I've seen on the national bestseller list. Keep your eyes on this talented writer because I'm sure we'll be reading much more from her, every book better than the one before. I wish her and Symphony of Dreams every success.
   
  readomaniac rated it

Amazing!
Kindle Mar 2012
This book really grabs ahold of you. How wonderful is it that someone can create a wonderful character, put her story into words and share these words with the world? I really enjoyed this book.
 
  Hatrltss rated it

Must read!!
Kindle Mar 2012
I couldn't stop reading Symphony of Dreams!!! I almost instantly fell in love with Symphony. You follow her through so many emotions, love, fear, pain, devastation, then back to joy and the ultimate: the love a mother has for her child. With a twist of suspense it will keep you on edge and turning the pages as fast as you can!
 

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