Dreamsleeves (YA)

Book #64 Read in 2012
Dreamsleeves by Colleen Murtagh Paratore

I enjoyed this book a lot.  This book was written by an author who lives locally and I loved reading about colleges and cities that I know.  Additionally, the characters in this book were ones I immediately cared about and they felt like family.

Aislinn takes care of her younger siblings.  Her father is an alcoholic; her mother tries to keep things peaceful in the house so that her husband does not fly off the handle.  Aislinn's dream is really for her father to stop drinking.  Aislinn comes up with an idea she calls "dreamsleeves", writing one's dream on a label sticker and sticking it on her shirt sleeve.  She does this and her younger siblings do as well.  

One day, she wears a dreamsleeve to church which says her dream of her father stopping his drinking.  The priest comes to their house after church that day and speaks to her father.  He flips out on Aislinn afterwards and accuses her of lying to the priest.

Readers will have their hearts ache for Aislinn, her mother and her siblings.  This book has drama, humor and a touch of young romance.  I enjoyed this book.