Obtaining Lucidity by Lorelle Shorten

Obtaining Lucidity is an excellent novel you can read for free on Figment. It centers around Cassie, as she attends the first year of a compulsory schooling - away from her parents. Up until she goes to school, she has been home schooled, which makes her very different from others.

The novel focuses on Cassie finding out who she is, and learning about Lucid Dreaming. Lucid dreaming, simply put, is simply being aware of the fact that you're in a dream, allowing you to manipulate the dream. I may use the word simply, but it's very hard to do. In the novel, there are a few changes to this concept - namely machines are used to aid this.

While I'm not very clear about the purpose of the school, I really do love the setting. Lorelle has created a way to get kids separated from their parents in a believable way. And while there wasn't much of society, what is shown (especially about Cassie and her parents), is really interesting. The book was set in the future (2024), but the way they acted was quite nineteenth century (at least for the upper classes). It was way cool. If possible, I'll like to read more about it in the later books.

I think the real stars of the novel are the characters. There's Cassie, our not-quite-normal star, Porter (the guy her parents want her to marry), Kimberly (her new best friend) and Jake (the mysterious guy). There are a few other characters, but these four are the ones that stood out for me. I thought all of them were very well-rounded, and they kept me interested in the story.

And yes, there's a love triangle. I love that it's not the normal type though, the two boys are different, but not opposites. Both of them are nice in their own way. And Cassie doesn't spend the whole time trying to choose between the two - the dilemma comes about because her parents want her to be with Porter (oops, I think I'm giving away too much of the story).

For me, the only weakness was the plot. This book was mostly about Cassie trying to master lucid dreaming (which I really enjoyed reading about), but the last few chapters felt a bit too rushed for me. I was actually quite confused.

If you're looking for a read on Figment, I highly recommend this. Lorelle is planning a sequel, so keep your eyes peeled!