Witch Dreams, by Vivian Vande Velde

Vivian Vande Velde (whose name I'm entirely jealous of) is one of those authors that you sit up and pay attention to. Her books have plots that are slightly atypical with an ending more ironic than expected, but frequently satisfying. When I come across a book of hers I haven't read (in this case, one that my library doesn't have, but my mother's did - hurray!), I always give it a chance. Oh sure, she's a bit of a mixed bag, but her books seem to stick with you - you never forget a Vande Velde book.

Witch Dreams, by Vivian Vande Velde
YA, 2005

from Booklist:
Ever since her parents were brutally murdered, 16-year-old Nyssa has searched for a way to confirm her suspicions about the killer, perhaps using her extrasensory ability to share in others' dreams--a dangerous gift that smacks of witchcraft. After one such "bespelling" reveals a flaw in her assumptions, Nyssa's investigations, combining supernatural elements and traditional gumshoe methods, end with a revelation about the facts as well as a thrilling psychological twist.

I must confess this was to date my least favorite of VVV's books. I was completely thrown off by her brother's....ah...situation as discovered at the end. I also thought that while the ending completely worked, it was a bit rushed. The whole story has hints of Nyssa being a bit mad - something you brush off as people not understanding her abilities. And yet...somehow you close the book wondering if she is truly a bit off. Or more than a bit. This made it harder to like Nyssa, and I like to enjoy my heroines. But then, this wouldn't be a VVV book without a little oddity mixed in, yes?

Graded a B-.

Cover note: Eh. Not a huge fan. I probably wouldn't have picked it up had it not been a VVV book.