{"product_id":"9798317820916","title":"The Dreamer","description":"Author: Linda Patricia Cleary\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 9798317820916\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Bookbaby\u003cbr\u003eYear first published: 16 Apr 2026\u003cbr\u003ePages: 328 \u003cbr\u003eFormat: Paperback \/ softback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrand Prize Short List, The First Horizon Award Winner \u0026amp; The Montaigne Medal Finalist (Eric Hoffer Book Awards) \/ The BookFest First Place Award  YA Science Fiction \/ Literary Titan Silver Award \/ International Impact Book Award\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe wanted a normal life. Fate had other plans.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAsh Bennett is done running.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 2347, life aboard the Starling means constant movement across the colonies, new identities, and never staying anywhere long enough to belong. Raised by her brilliant, secretive parents aboard the one-of-a-kind ship, Ash dreams of something impossible: a normal life. Real friends. A real home. Maybe even a date that doesn't happen through a glitchy chatter bubble.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen a routine stop on Phobos turns catastrophic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOvernight, Ash loses everything she thought she understood about her life. Hunted by enemies she's never heard of and haunted by questions her parents never answered, she's forced into the orbit of a group of teen misfits, all searching for something of their own.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere are Isaac and Isabel, telepathic twins trying to uncover the truth about their missing parents while evading the legendary Mind Squad Agents hunting them. Edan, a street-smart thief who also happens to be the prince of the space pirates. Moon, a quiet savant who understands code better than people. And Xai, the mysterious blue alien boy who's haunted Ash's dreams for months... and may be far more real than he should be.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs grief, betrayal, and a strange power awakening inside her collide, Ash uncovers a prophecy tied to an ancient stone that could reshape the future of the galaxy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut trust doesn't come easy aboard the Starling.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith telepathic super soldiers closing in, buried secrets surfacing, and war brewing across the colonies, Ash must decide whether to keep running... or finally stand and fight.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBecause some destinies can't be outrun.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Dreamer is the first book in The Black Stone Cycle, a sweeping YA science fiction series about identity, belonging, survival, and the people who become family in the darkest corners of the stars.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor fans of Skyward, Firefly, and The Darkness Outside Us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePraise for The Dreamer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Indelible characters fuel this deliberately paced but wholly engaging SF story.\" - Kirkus Reviews\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"By the time I reached the later chapters, I realized I was rooting not just for Ash but for the strange little group forming around her. The mix of loss, found family, and growing danger pulled me in. I liked that the book didn't wrap things up neatly. It left questions hanging in the air, teasing a bigger truth waiting on the other side. I enjoy stories that don't talk down to me, and this one trusted me to sit with the unknown.\" - Literary Titan Reviews\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The writing sets the stage for a larger saga, sweeping readers into a futuristic world with incredible detail and wonderfully diverse characters who portray queerness and neurodivergence in ways that feel neither forced nor superficial.\" - Booklife by Publishers' Weekly Review\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ships in 10 to 15 days","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47925106540702,"sku":"ING-9798317820916","price":26.78,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0400\/9043\/5742\/files\/9798317820916.jpg?v=1782959684","url":"https:\/\/classicbargains.com.au\/products\/9798317820916","provider":"Classic Bargains Australia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}