Waking Life 1: Pleasant Places

I received a copy of this book for free through NetGalley.

I did enjoy parts of this book, it had some imagination and it all felt pretty well put-together. However, I really didn't care for the story, characters, or art. I've read/seen enough variations on this concept before (character from a fantasy realm coming to the “real world”), and there aren't any groundbreaking elements in this first book that make this story seem worth repeating. The publisher describes Waking Life as “Enchanted meets Degrassi,” and while that does sound pretty fun, it doesn't have the wit of Enchanted or the (sort-of) authenticity of Degrassi. It all feels very by-the-numbers. As for the art, that's obviously going to be a matter of opinion, but I just didn't find it engaging or appealing in the slightest. Maybe Book 2 will bring some much needed originality to the story.