Daydreamer is a work of love, danger, and adventure. The journey to tell this story has turned me into the writer I am today. The themes and ideas in Daydreamer: family wherever you can find it, shapeshifters, history, dragons, the mind and memory, a sense of awe for the countries existing just beyond our imagination, what real love looks like; all of them are things that I know I'll continue exploring.
Praise for Daydreamer
“An achingly well written story about the blurry line between reality and magic in childhood—and the heartbreaking ways it can be shattered.”
—Shannon Chakraborty, New York Times best-selling author.
“Cameron’s sentences are laden with magic, stuffed to spilling with the stuff of dreams. Through them, he takes us on a journey that’s personal, poignant, phantasmagoric, and profound.”
—Carlos Hernandez, Pura Belpré Award winning author of Sal and Gabi Break the Universe
“Charming truths melt into harsh lessons about danger, bravery, persistence, and Charles’ growing strength in this fast-paced coming-of-power delight.”
—Nisi Shawl, multiple award-winning author of Speculation, Everfair, and Kinning
“There’s magic on every page of [this] mesmerizing, unpredictable story rooted in the sights, sounds, and smells of The City….Daydreamer is a tale that will capture the imagination of adults and children alike.’
-Milton J. Davis, author of Amber and the Hidden City
- If you were a kid who loved the film The Neverending Story and how it turned a shy bullied child into a fantastic hero, you’ll love this book. If you were a Black or brown city kid in the eighties who stayed a child even when your surroundings tried to demand an early adulthood, you’ll also love this book. If you were a neurodivergent kid who retreated into your own world with its own rules that made more sense than the “real” one, you’ll also love this book. And if you were none of those things, but want to spend some time in a world that keeps you on the edge of your seat because the veil between reality and the fantastic is oh, so thin—get your hands on a copy of this book.
- Melissa A Watkins, Lightspeed Magazine