Dreams, book nine of The Fragile Line Series by Sarah Dawson Powell
Complex, Gripping, Intriguing
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Young Adult/Themes of substance abuse
'Dreams', book nine of 'The Fragile Line Series' by Sarah Dawson Powell- author 
"I'm never having another child, I swear"..... "What happened was a terrible, terrible mistake"! "It's only a big deal if someone finds out"! "This is how it was always supposed to be"..... "We do nothing, but it looks like we go to court".... 'We've all wanted to kill you at a time or another"..... "I've been trying to call Aaron, but he's not answering"....."If I don't push myself, nothing will change"...... 'I will gladly spend the rest of my life in prison, after I have pleasure of blowing your brains out".... "I don't think I ever realised how manipulative she was of me until today"..... "I wanna hear you say my name".... "You made her feel it didn't matter if she was alive or dead"..... Your husband is obviously not the father of my son"..... "I know Angel's dad, and he isn't you"! "She stabbed him"? "You don't deserve to have kids"! "I have so many questions"..... "Always the innocent one, huh"? "Stop lying to me, I know she's dead"! "I want to see Aunt Sadie"! "She manipulates everyone and everything"...... "I''m not trying to fight you"! "Yeah, but she's not your baby"!
"I really like her, but it's complicated".....After the chaos of Book Eight, Book Nine was initially a bit of a slow burner for me. In the aftermath of all that has taken place, there is a lull with no real drama for a while except the end of chapter one's bombshell for Jenny, that I certainly wasn't expecting, as it comes from outside the group dynamic, someone who it felt, had been left in the past but served as an excellent plot twist. The random quip from Corey amidst the heated discussion between him and Jenny, about the stir fry sauce caused me to laugh out loud and was an attempted diffuser to an otherwise tense situation, something that this author does well, although I'm not sure that Jenny appreciated it. Jenny's ignorance towards the contents of her and Corey's pre-nuptial agreement did not surprise me, but made me wonder, not for the first time, why I have been giving her kudos for being more sensible than Sadie. When Corey takes the decision that her and Jenny should have time apart, it is frustrating that Jenny does not challenge him. Whenever problems arise, Jenny's automatic reaction seems to be to give up unless there is someone else to prop her up and motivate her. In this way, I suspect she is a relatable character for a number of readers. 
The situation with Sadie after recent traumatic times, acting out periods of her past, obviously point to the fact that her subconscious has not properly dealt with events. I thought that this particular plot was well devised, connecting unresolved previous trauma to unresolved current trauma, combined with traits of the old Sadie as her recovery progresses. She is hugely fortunate to have Dave in her corner, who appears to content to let her do what she feels she has to, but at the same time, his priority is keeping her safe and secure and to ensure that certain people do not do anything to diminish the progress that she is making. He is very laid back and seems keen to make the most of their time together now that he has her back, but to take things at her pace. Sadie's decision that she makes when they are on the beach, and his willingness to make that happen, made for a very touching moment. He makes her secure enough to instil the confidence in that she needs to be herself; which is demonstrated on a visit to the jewellers, and when she meets with the others and attempts to take control of the situation with Corey, unaware of the revelation that he has for her. Dave has unwittingly taken on a lot to be with the bonkers blonde; not only her ghosts from the past, some of which remain a part of her everyday life, but also her continuous erratic, diva-like behaviour, which recent events don't seem to have quelled and rather instead, ingrained a sense of entitlement that Sadie is allowed to act however she chooses because of what she's been through. However, by the end of the book, she appears to realise how lucky she is and seems content not to need more, having gained closure thanks to Jenny's insecurities......Will that last? It is evident that she is still fond of pushing those boundaries though...... 
It feels that Ryan has changed a lot with the events of book nine. He appears to have become more responsible with having the boys to take care of and, I thought, more inclined to put the past behind him. That is until he remarks that 'Sadie is only with Dave because he lets her'. Shades of the old Ryan showing and a need to protect his pride, do make me curious as to where his story is going. Particularly with Ashley's announcement, and the news that Jenny will surely be presenting him with in book ten. Could we be about to see a return of the Ryan James Gallagher of old?
It was nice to see Trevor once again display some back-bone and that he has a clear sense of where he wants to be, or rather where he doesn't. Why it took him all this time to execute it is beyond me if he didn't like all the trappings of fame or his relationship. Telling Sadie that 'they all love her no matter what' would suggest one reason and that he has not fully closed the door on that part of his life perhaps, and a motivator to re-shape his life away from the rest of the group. I do now wonder how his future will fit in alongside the others, if indeed he wants it too. His argument with Jenny was spectacular! 
Angel now having a more vocal role, is proving to be an ideal vehicle to inject humorous moments, and I think that the Author writes the toddler's dialogue really effectively. She is a sassy little lady who is clearly aware of more than the grown-ups realise. I will say though, that the amount of offspring being created is proving a challenge to keep track of, and who's whose! Lol 
Eric is playing a dangerous game with his new found freedom from his family responsibilities, and I hope he doesn't take it too far. His attitude towards Sadie did seem to alter very quickly I thought, and given the decision he has made to continue his music career in the wake of the precarious position of 'Mile 258', has he made it impossible for him to win Rainie back? It doesn't really feel like he cares, and to me, he still feels like a bit of side character, and unless he can regain his family and pick up his career, I don't see that changing. 
Now I am done with book nine, and following a recent post about the last three books in the series on Sarah's social media, I have come to the dispiriting realisation that I am nearing the end of the Fragile five's journey, who have been a part of my life for the past nine months. I have been reading each instalment monthly, and as I understand it, the last book is still a work in progress, so hopefully, they may still be with me for a bit longer yet. I greatly look forward to reading Book Ten, 'Nightmares'. 
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