As I Dream of You

by Jennifer Lee, LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)

Franny and Sam are each other’s entire world. So what do you do when your world ends? Frozen’s Jennifer Lee and Lunar New Year Love Story’s LeUyen Pham deliver a tour de force young adult romance with a supernatural twist.

Falling in love is supposed to hurt. That’s what Franny and Sam, two cynical teenagers raised on tales of heartbreak and loss, have come to understand. Yet when they fall for each other, they find the reality of love is something else it’s electrifying, all-encompassing, and easy. Theirs is a love that can conquer anything…perhaps even death.

But Franny and Sam’s quest to stay together—no matter the cost—soon blurs the line between reality and fantasy, and their shared dream threatens to turn into a nightmare.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Romance, Young Adult, Fantasy, Comics, Fiction, Death

352 pages, Paperback

Expected publication May 5, 2026

Reviews

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

LITERAL PERFECTION - I CRIED!

Jennifer Lee has woven a beautiful tale of grief and love in As I Dream of You. This is a haunting love story that takes the idea of “forever” and pushes it past the edge of reality. Franny and Sam start as two cynical teens who don’t believe in happy endings, until they fall for each other so hard it feels like they could conquer death itself. Jennifer Lee weaves romance with a supernatural twist, blurring the line between dream and nightmare as their obsession deepens. It’s tender, electrifying, and a little terrifying, with LeUyen Pham’s art dripping in emotion and atmosphere. If you love stories that explore the beauty and danger of love when it becomes all-consuming, this graphic novel will leave you breathless. I found myself CRYING as I read the last couple of pages because of how beautiful this story is. You definitely do not want to miss it!

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a truly beautiful depiction of love, loss, grief, and continuing on even after we think we have no more to give. It brought me to tears at times and at other times lifted my spirits higher than I ever would have thought.

[Steff Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dreams are just dreams...
...until they change your life.

I have a tendency to forget about the book synopsis when I pick up a book to read, something I think can be really rewarding in the end as it allows me to enter the book’s world with a mind somewhat free of expectation. Somewhat as a result of this, I began reading Jennifer Lee’s As I Dream of You a little uncertain of where the story would take me, where everything was headed. And I genuinely believe that this was one of the best ways for this book to be read.

It’s difficult to express how deeply I felt for this story, partially because there is such an incredibly phenomenal twist surprise that I just didn’t see coming. And this twist is truly what solidified not only how impressed I was with the book and story, but how impactful the story would be on my emotional state. I don’t personally think that I cry often while reading, but this story certainly had me crying.

The books all read like truths, which at first helped, because I needed something to hold onto. But as soon as I'd close a book, it would all fade.

There are things we experience in life that hit us all in different ways; love…grief…these are all inherently personal experiences. But there’s a common thread to it all that builds something beautiful in how we can all recognize the experiences of others in ourselves. I had no idea where this story was headed, but I loved every moment of reading it. Even the pieces that were hard for me to feel were exceptional, poignant, so very telling.

And I think we all need something to hold onto. And the fading away of something doesn’t necessarily mean we lose it entirely. It’s all still in there, with us…shaping our souls. Making us who we are. And that, without a doubt, is beautiful.

When we lose someone we are derailed. The future we expected is erased...
...leaving us shattered in its wake.

In truth, I owe my life to losing him, too. It made me who I am.

LeUyen Pham’s artwork is exceptional, really pulls you into the emotions of the story in a visceral way. I think there’s something really brilliant about how you can feel what’s going on simply through looking at the characters. While the story wouldn’t be incomplete without the artwork, I will say that this artwork brings so much more than your typical graphic novel.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sobbing at 6:30 in the morning after staying up all night to finish this masterpiece of a book. This book just hit me like a ton of bricks but in the best way possible. I’m truly shattered. I adore everything about this book. I didn’t expect it to be so intense. It’s just so good. It’s extremely emotional, but extremely magical at the same time. I really can’t even start to describe it. It’s just something you have to read yourself to understand. Grab this book for yourself asap. I can’t say anything else without spoiling it and the magic of the story won’t hit right if you have spoilers. Go in blind. You’ll thank me later.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fanny and Sam have a “meet cute” when they physically run into each other at school. From there, bit by bit, they fall in love. They talk about forever, as each shares how life is for them. Sam is trying to find native chestnut trees. Fanny is wondering where her music will take her. She wants to go to college, but knows her mother can’t afford it.


It would not be giving it away to say that their love is shattered when their car strikes a stag. The one who survives keeps dreaming of the one who died. But it is not clear which is real and who is still alive.


Amazing illustrations. Surreal story. There is a lot of grief, and love, and teenage end-of-the-world-without-yous. It is a story that is trying very hard to tear your heart out, and stomp on it, as often as it can. I won’t say I cried, but I did eat up thes tory as quickly as I could to find out how it was going to end. As often happens, I thought I was just going to take a quick look at it, which developed into sitting down and reading the whole thing.


Good story. Well designed graphic novel. Good surprises. Nice way of looking at what death is, and where it all goes afterwards.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is going to be published on the 4th of May 2026.

[Mariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story surprised me in a quiet, meaningful way.

Going in, I didn’t fully know what kind of story this would be, and for a while it felt like a slow burn. The relationship develops quickly, the pacing feels a little disorienting at first, and I wasn’t immediately sure where the story was headed. But that confusion turned out to be intentional. This isn’t really a book about falling in love, it’s about what comes after, and once that clicked, everything else fell into place.

At its core, this is a story about grief: how consuming it can be, how it can narrow your world until nothing else seems to matter, and how hard it is to imagine a future beyond it. The book explores that feeling with a lot of care and respect, showing both the temptation to hold on at any cost and the slow, painful understanding that choosing life sometimes means letting go.

I really appreciated how thoughtfully the themes were woven together. The symbolism feels intentional and cohesive, especially the parallels to mythology, which add emotional weight without feeling heavy-handed. There’s a strong emphasis on what unselfish love actually looks like - not possession, not clinging, but wanting what’s best for someone even when it hurts.

The art complements the story well. At times it’s eerie and unsettling, but clearly so on purpose, reinforcing the story’s atmosphere rather than overwhelming it. By the end, the emotional payoff really landed for me, and while it’s undeniably sad, the story ultimately leans toward hope.

This isn’t a book that tries to shock or overwhelm. It’s quiet, reflective, and sincere. I think it will resonate especially with readers who have experienced loss, but it’s also a story about choosing to keep living and allowing life to grow around grief.

It may not be flawless, but it’s well crafted, emotionally honest, and carries a message that feels both gentle and important. I’m glad I read it.

[Shahana · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I Dream of You is absolutely beautiful and completely devastating.

Franny and Sam are each other’s entire world, so what do you do when your world ends? Jennifer Lee and LeUyen Pham tell a young adult love story with a supernatural twist that completely broke my heart.

Both Franny and Sam grow up believing that love always leads to loss. When they fall for each other, though, love feels easy and all-consuming. It feels safe. Their connection is so strong that it starts to feel like it could survive anything, maybe even death.

This story is also an Orpheus and Eurydice retelling, which is one of my fav myths, and it adds so much weight and inevitability to the story. Watching how the myth is reimagined here made everything hit even harder.

As they try to hold onto each other no matter the cost, reality and fantasy begin to blur, and the dream they share slowly becomes something darker. This story hurt, but in a way that felt intentional and meaningful.

The illustrations are stunning and add so much emotion to the story. Please check the content warnings before reading, but truly, everyone should read this.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I requested this ARC because my high school library is always looking for more romance graphic novels. As I Dream of You by Jennifer Lee is going to be a great addition to our collection. The story follows Sam and Franny, two teens who fall madly in love. They experience many teen romance dramas while going to school, dealing with family, and more. The story takes a tragic turn, echoing and playing off the story of Orpheus and Eurydice with many elements of fantasy woven throughout. The sketches are realistic and colorful--really beautiful and gripping, honestly. This book will be a good choice for teens looking for people their age, romance, and an easy-to-access but still good story. Just a heads up that there are some romance scenes, so double check for your own library. Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for this ARC.

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love can be a beautiful thing filled with immense emotions, but losing it will feel heart wrenching and world ending. It’s what you do to cope with the loss that determines where you go after…

When Franny & Sam get into the car, they don’t expect that to be the last time they’ll be together… alive. One of them will walk away and the other will be a husk of the person they were.

You know… I did not know this was a sad story. I didn’t know I was going to cry, but here we are at 3am on Christmas night with tears dripping from my chin, all for a fictional character. But this was so beautiful in its sadness. And now I’ll be cuddling my dogs hard tonight. Oh! And my husband too. 😅

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted eARC.

[Stacey Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two young people meeting at the right moment in their lives, blossoming from friendship to love. Two high school students dreaming for a better future. One just coming into the small Alaska town. The other searching for an item his late mother tells him about. One night splits their lives forever. Now she must trek life without the one she truly loved. She dreams of him and hopes to find him, but something reminds him of what she said and figures she might her herself and seeks friends of theirs to seek her for help. This was beautifully capture of young love. Nothing to graphic. The mention or thoughts of suicide is pushed in this graphic novel. This was sweet love and he hope to grow old with one another. But greatly draped and written. Well done!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is truly a dream team matchup of illustrator LeUyen Pham (Princess in Black and so many more!) and author Jennifer Lee (the brilliance behind Frozen). This book is part tragic love story and part ghost story. It challenges the boundaries of life and death. YA readers will be swept away by the ethereal art and magical realism. This book was quite a bit darker than I was expecting but had a very powerful twist. Top marks for the art. The story had moments of depth and difficult emotions, though I wanted a better more character development and backstory. Nonetheless, I suspect this will be a bestseller upon its May 2026 release. My anticipation for this graphic novel was enormous, so I was thrilled to receive a digital ARC from NetGalley for review.

[SketchyNewEngland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this but it was just too heavy and dark for me. A sweet, cozy love story, happily ever after, this is not. Maybe if I had a little warning going into it, it would have hit differently.
The illustrations were beautiful and really brought this up to 3 stars for me. I just really didn’t enjoy the story unfortunately. The plot twist felt cliche and fell flat for me. It was romantic but some parts fell squarely into the horror genre and for me it just didn’t work. I think this book will find its audience though, and the gorgeous artwork will sweep readers away.
Thank you NetGalley for the free review copy.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant and visually stunning graphic novel that reimagines the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in a modern-day love story perfect for YA and adult audiences. The illustrations are gorgeous, rich with emotion, and enhance the text so well.

I read this in the aftermath of a tragic funeral, so this story hit incredibly close to home. But what stayed with me was not just the sorrow—it was the way this book gently explores the idea that love can outlast loss, and that surviving grief is its own kind of love story.

Painful, beautiful, and ultimately hopeful, As I Dream of You is a moving testament to the power of memory, myth, and connection

[Kait W · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me crying at work. It is absolutely beautifully done and utilizes the story of Orpheus and Eurydice in a nuanced way that I found captivating. I had a great time reading this graphic novel, while I did feel the artwork was inconsistent in quality at times it still evoked strong emotion and had a bunch of truly gorgeous moments. The moment I finished, I wanted to start at the beginning again and reread the entire book. It is an excellent commentary on what it means to love someone amidst grief and do what is best for yourself and your loved ones.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about life and death. About living and going forward after death has made a claim of someone you love. This book is a fast read and excellently illustrated. There is a trigger warning for suicide. It’s also a bit of a twist. The author has the reader thinking one thing is going on, and then the sudden realization that what you knew is not as it appears. This book was deep and thought-provoking, and it lovingly written. Whether you read it because you like sad books or you know someone in a similar situation, this is a book that will leave the reader deep in thought and feeling.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautiful rendering of first love and grief. Franny and Sam had philosophical discussions about Orpheus and Eurydice both in and out of a high school class. And, when a tragic accident happens, they begin to meet in their dreams. The interrogation of loss and grief paired perfectly with the drawings making Lee and Pham a new powerhouse team.

I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.

[k a r e b e a r · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visually stunning story of two teenagers, Franny and Sam, and their love that challenges death. They both struggle to navigate through their grief, and start to become consumed by their desire to holding on.

I found the story to be engaging, beautiful, heartbreaking, touching, and found myself crying at the end.

“When we lost someone, we are derailed. The future we expected is erased..leaving us shattered in its wake. Loss leaves us angry. Hopeless. It makes us afraid..afraid to feel, afraid to love again. But it is through love..that we learn how to go on.”

“It’s just the hardest thing there is”
“What is?”
“Being left behind”

Grateful to First Second Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book. All opinions are my own.

[Josie J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this book completely blind, and it had me on the edge of my seat through every single plot twist. The ending brought out so many emotions. Franny and Sam’s connection was incredibly strong. Strong enough to withstand and defy countless challenges. The story ended perfectly, yet it was still heartbreakingly sad.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterpiece. Visually stunning and emotionally transcendent - this is the height of the graphic novel form. I can't remember the last time I've read a book that affected me this way. Thank you so much to Jennifer Lee and LeUyan Pham for creating this incredible piece of art for teen readers. It needs to be in every high school and public library. ARC read.

[Laynara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know what to expect going into this. The artwork and story on grief and love was very well done. I brought me to tears and honestly I needed this book in my life after loosing someone extremely close to me.

[Serena Mancini · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the artwork and message of this book. Gives off Romeo and Juliet mixed with The Sixth Sense vibes.

[Phon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title drew me in and I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I thought it was going to be a cute love story but it ended with heartbreak and tears. When you lose someone dear to you the only way you can find them is through dreams. I love the story and the twist, very unexpected. Wish it was a movie.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a touching story about love and loss.

[Sean Briere · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, I want to thank NetGalley for the e-arc of this graphic novel.

This story had a really interesting premise, and it had some good emotional moments, but it didn’t fully come together for me. The story about love, grief, and dreaming was interesting. The artwork is definitely the highlight. However, the pacing felt uneven. I couldn't connect fully with the characters, and I wanted to care more than I did for them.