DREAM LIFE

Buzzing with excitement but choppy in momentum, Claire Voyante’s second outing features copious implausibilities set in the colorful playground of Manhattan. Black-and-white dream images help Claire solve mysteries—if she can determine which random details matter. Best friend Becca invites Claire into a tiny secret society of upper-crust teen girls doing underground deeds for the city and the mayor, so grandiose as to strain belief (clandestinely replacing a major Grand Central Station clock, for example). Now the Brooklyn Bridge has a faulty cable, and unless the Moons repair it, its protected historical status will disappear and developers will ruin the bridge’s cityscape with tacky real estate. As escapism, the tale works well enough, flavored with real NYC settings and brand-name clothing—though as in Dream Girl (2008), Mechling still has designer-label–wearing Claire boggling at her friends’ wealth. Logic-seekers won’t understand why the plot-propelling secrets are secrets at all, and readers who enjoy solving puzzles will lament the lack of usable clues; however, fans of contemporary references (Whole Foods, FreshDirect, etc.) will enjoy the enthusiastic ride as it jolts fancifully along. (Fiction. 11-14)