Each time I hear or read a Gene Wolfe story, I think, maybe this is the one, this is the story that makes me understand why people love Wolfe stories so much. I got it a little with the Island of Dr Death story, but I wanted something that knocked my socks off and really turn me into a Gene Wolfe fan.
Sadly, this was not the story. If anything, I actively disliked it. Kid finds his dreams are blending into reality, he gets smart and strong through no effirt on his part, all the women fall for him, even the dog become his friend, and they all ride into the sunset happily ever after. At first I found the dream bits at the beginning interesting, and the whole part with the girl who's neighbor was a ghost was interesting to, but then the story just went on, and on and ON. I almost gave up during the time in the counselor's office when he's talking with three women, because I had no clue who was who, or why I should care.
There was one line, though, out of the entire story, that struck me as brilliant: when the dream girl (don't ask me who) offers the boy a kiss, and he runs away saying, "I won't be able to stop." That was perfect, and poignant, and summed up the entire adoloscent experience for me. Too bad it dragged on for so long.