Hi Bookish friends!!!
Welcome to my spot on another exciting Ultimate Blog Tour with Dave @The_WriteReads/@WriteReadsTours and the gang!
For today’s post I’m excited to share my thoughts on The Pawnshop Of Stolen Dreams by Victoria Williamson!!!
Also a big thank you to Dave and Tiny Tree Books for sending me a physical copy the book for this tour!!
So, without further ado let’s dive right in!!
About The Book:
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Length: 214 Pages
Publishing: 11th May 2023
Synopsis/Blurb:
In a strange little village called Witchetty Hollow, eleven-year-old Florizel is the first to run into the curious visitors who’ve come to open a brand new Daydream Delicatessen and sack-baby factory.
At first, it seems the daydream confection and cheap sack children are the best things that could have happened to the poor folk of the Hollow – after all, who has the money to rent their child from Storkhouse Services these days? But after a few weeks, Florizel starts to notice something odd happening to the adults of the town. First, they seem dreamy, then they lose all interest in their jobs and families. Soon they’re trading all their worldly goods in the newly-opened Pawnshop for money to buy daydreams. With no money for rent payments, the children of Witchetty Hollow are being reclaimed by Storkhouse Services at an alarming rate. Florizel needs to act.
A magical tale of intrigue and adventure from award-winning children’s author Victoria Williamson.
My Thoughts:
The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams is a wonderful middle-grade fantasy. it is rather dark in places, but at the same time, it’s full of imagination, hopefulness, and humour.
I loved the unique concept where children are rented out to those who have longed to have a family. Those who can’t afford to rent real children can rent ‘sack babies’, which are a fraction of the price to rent. Sack babies are just as they sound, little sacks of hay that come to life and behave like a real child. however, sack babies are only allowed to be rented until their 10th birthday, when they have to be returned to be recycled. This is a concept I have never come across in any books, and I thought it was great.
The pawnshop of Stolen Dreams is full of great characters. some unlikeable some that I adored from the very start right through to the end. The two main characters, Florzel and Burble, were great. Burbles was my favourite. He is so sweet and charming, even though his a sack baby. I also absolutely adored watching the friendship between Florizel and Burble Grow, and the ending was very satisfying.
As I mentioned, this is a middle grade, but some darker themes are hidden within the story, which I think older readers will pick up on more rather than the target audience.
I also must mention the fab illustrations that are scattered throughout the book. they are beautifully detailed and capture the story well, and they definitely help to visualise the characters and bring them to life.
This was a fab read, and although this is the first book from Victoria that I’ve read, it definitely won’t be the last.
About the Author:
Victoria Williamson grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, and has worked as an educator in a number of different countries, including as an English teacher in China, a secondary science teacher in Cameroon, and a teacher trainer in Malawi.
As well as degrees in Physics and Mandarin Chinese, she has completed a Masters degree in Special Needs in Education. In the UK she works as a primary school special needs teacher, working with children with a range of additional support needs including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, physical disabilities and behavioural problems.
She is currently working as a full time writer of Middle Grade and YA contemporary fiction, science fiction and fantasy, with a focus on creating diverse characters reflecting the many cultural backgrounds and special needs of the children she has worked with, and building inclusive worlds where all children can see a reflection of themselves in heroic roles.
Victoria’s experiences teaching young children in a school with many families seeking asylum inspired her debut novel, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, an uplifting tale of redemption and unlikely friendship between Glaswegian bully Caylin and Syrian refugee Reema.
Twenty percent of her author royalties for The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle are donated to the Scottish Refugee Council.
You can find out more about Victoria’s books, school visits and upcoming events on her website: www.strangelymagical.com
Twitter || Goodreads (Authors Page)
And before I go, if you’re interested in joining in with some amazing blog tours and being part of the gang just head over to Twitter and get in touch with the awesome Dave @The_WriteReads or visit the website The Write Reads. Trust me you won’t be disappointed!!!
You can also find me on: Twitter || Instagram ||Goodreads
Mani's Book Corner 
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