I have always been a sucker for happy endings. So, even though the title ‘Dream Factory’ could have deterred me, simply based on the fact that it makes it sound like dreams are simply manufactured rather than achieved, attained, or excitingly developed, I picked up this book. It was fun learning about what some of the inner workings of Disneyworld are (or might be, depending on how factual the book really is in that respect). However, Ella and Luke’s relationship, the main crux of the novel, was not as developed as I would have liked. I could tell, of course, that they liked each other as the book went on. It was very clear that they preferred each other to the significant others they had while working as scabs at the park while the regular workers were on strike. Metaphorically, I suppose that Cassie and Mark, their respective girlfriend and boyfriend, were like scabs filling in the space where Ella and Luke truly belonged. I love symbolism, and the metaphorical thought processes that Ella and Luke had throughout the novel as they thought about their own lives and how they felt about each other were interesting.

Even though I liked the metaphorical structure, I didn’t feel overly connected to any of the characters. However, I kept reading, because I really did want to see how it would all end up. The setting was a huge draw for me. Being in the Disneyworld environment and picturing what the behind-the-scenes life is really like was intriguing. It was also appealing the way they had the characters join together to find out more about the park. It moved the storyline along and the scavenger hunt brought new relationship developments into play.

There was one spot where Cassie and Mark were working together to complete the scavenger hunt and Mark came back drunk, and then told Luke that Cassie kissed him. This was never further developed, as far as I can remember, even though Luke did internally realize Cassie’s ability to be phony at times.

It is also important to note that the novel switches off chapters, with one being from Ella’s perspective, the next from Luke’s, the next from Ella’s, and back and forth throughout the entire novel. Even though I tend to like this type of give and take, back and forth, I often found myself checking to see who was speaking. I wasn’t always overly clear on that, and it took away from my full enjoyment of the story.

All in all, this was an entertaining read, but it had some spots that I wish had been developed further to make the characters resonate more.

You can find ‘Dream Factory’ by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler here: http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Factory-Brad-Barkley/dp/0142412988/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1434045025&sr=8-2&keywords=dream+factory