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Reverie
Inception meets The Magicians in the most imaginative YA debut of the year!
All Kane Montgomery knows for certain is that the police found him half-dead in the river. He can’t remember how he got there, what happened after, and why his life seems so different now. And it’s not just Kane who’s different, the world feels off, reality itself seems different.
As Kane pieces together clues, three almost-strangers claim to be his friends and the only people who can truly tell him what’s going on. But as he and the others are dragged into unimaginable worlds that materialize out of nowhere—the gym warps into a subterranean temple, a historical home nearby blooms into a Victorian romance rife with scandal and sorcery—Kane realizes that nothing in his life is an accident. And when a sinister force threatens to alter reality for good, they will have to do everything they can to stop it before it unravels everything they know.
This wildly imaginative debut explores what happens when the secret worlds that people hide within themselves come to light.
All Kane Montgomery knows for certain is that the police found him half-dead in the river. He can’t remember how he got there, what happened after, and why his life seems so different now. And it’s not just Kane who’s different, the world feels off, reality itself seems different.
As Kane pieces together clues, three almost-strangers claim to be his friends and the only people who can truly tell him what’s going on. But as he and the others are dragged into unimaginable worlds that materialize out of nowhere—the gym warps into a subterranean temple, a historical home nearby blooms into a Victorian romance rife with scandal and sorcery—Kane realizes that nothing in his life is an accident. And when a sinister force threatens to alter reality for good, they will have to do everything they can to stop it before it unravels everything they know.
This wildly imaginative debut explores what happens when the secret worlds that people hide within themselves come to light.
397 pages, Hardcover
First published December 3, 2019
2251 people are currently reading
29198 people want to read
About the author
Ryan La Sala
6 books1,669 followersRyan La Sala is a bestselling and award-winning author known for his genre defying, queer-centered horror and fantasy.
Ryan is the author behind the bestselling cottagecore horror, The Honeys, which is in development to become a major motion picture with Anonymous Content. He is also the author of Beholder, Reverie and Be Dazzled. He has been featured in The New York Times Book Review, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, and more. He writes to you from New York, overseen by his cat, Haunted Little Girl.
Ryan is the author behind the bestselling cottagecore horror, The Honeys, which is in development to become a major motion picture with Anonymous Content. He is also the author of Beholder, Reverie and Be Dazzled. He has been featured in The New York Times Book Review, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, and more. He writes to you from New York, overseen by his cat, Haunted Little Girl.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,421 reviews
November 13, 2020
"Just because something is imagined doesn't mean it isn't dangerous."
tbh all you need to know is that the main character is so gay his superpowers manifest as rainbows.
I did not see that coming. The charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent of it all. Reverie is a force of nature and you have no idea what epic kind of fantasy you're wading into. Moreover, it's unapologetically queer and magical as fuck. But the most important thing: this is fantasy at its finest. Imaginative, original, real.
Let's talk about the characters. Kane, a gay high school student, has issues. Mostly it's because he woke up in a river next to a burned-down house and he has no recollections of how he got there. And that's not the only thing he forgot. All of his teenager years have been erased from his mind. Additionally, he's being haunted by a creepy, murderous creature and he's got...superpowers? It's a lot to handle. Kane is not the most likeable character at times. He often treats the people around him like crap, and sometimes you want to punch him for doing the exact thing he was not supposed to do but even so, he never fails to be relatable. But the side characters, they're the real deal. It's amazing to see an author find a way to write a great number of characters that all have depth and are unique in their own way. Ursula definitely was one of my favourites. She was vulnerable and strong at the same time and she has the biggest heart of them all. Adeline had this fantastic no-bullshit attitude. Dean was hot, but he also was this cute little puppy that needs to be protected at all costs. But the best thing about this cast is that I just found my favourite villain. There are two kinds of favourite villains: one that is pure evil and makes your gut boil with rage (also known as Dolores Umbridge), and one that is flawless and fierce. It took me more than a decade to find a worthy candidate for the latter but Ryan La Sala finally granted me that gift.
Next, the world-building. I mean, that's what fantasy depends on. If you cannot convince your readers that the world you've created is real, why even bother. Reverie does everything right. Better than right! Ryan created several fantasy worlds in one big fictional universe. And it worked. Even when it was chaos, it was solid, convincing, believable chaos. Moreover, it was entertaining and funny. Ryan draws from so many clichés that we see in other fantasy novels but he gives them his own twist and the result is magical. It's astonishing how creative these worlds are. I wish I could pull that off.
The writing was outstanding. Compelling and emotional, but also extremely funny. One of my favourite scenes has Ursula in a wedding gown and I almost fell off the couch from laughing so hard.
This book is the gay fantasy novel I've always wished for. It's not like I've never read a gay fantasy book before, but most of them were either extremely disappointing or mediocre. They always lacked something. Reverie has it all. Queer representation, thrill, fun, fantasy, friendship. I did want to see more of the romance, though. That might be the only criticism I have. I wanted more time to see the romantic relationship unfold...and more making out. Apart from it being super queer, this novel is a gift to fantasy writing. I would be sad to see this book only be celebrated in the queer community when it has this powerful and spellbinding story to tell that any lover of stories about superpowers and enchanted artefacts and evil sorceresses would enjoy.
When I tell you that this missing out on this book is depriving yourself of the ultimate fantasy experience, you better listen. So preoder the hell out of this novel. Ask your library to buy it. Read it. Recommend it.
Find more of my books on Instagram
tbh all you need to know is that the main character is so gay his superpowers manifest as rainbows.
I did not see that coming. The charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent of it all. Reverie is a force of nature and you have no idea what epic kind of fantasy you're wading into. Moreover, it's unapologetically queer and magical as fuck. But the most important thing: this is fantasy at its finest. Imaginative, original, real.
Let's talk about the characters. Kane, a gay high school student, has issues. Mostly it's because he woke up in a river next to a burned-down house and he has no recollections of how he got there. And that's not the only thing he forgot. All of his teenager years have been erased from his mind. Additionally, he's being haunted by a creepy, murderous creature and he's got...superpowers? It's a lot to handle. Kane is not the most likeable character at times. He often treats the people around him like crap, and sometimes you want to punch him for doing the exact thing he was not supposed to do but even so, he never fails to be relatable. But the side characters, they're the real deal. It's amazing to see an author find a way to write a great number of characters that all have depth and are unique in their own way. Ursula definitely was one of my favourites. She was vulnerable and strong at the same time and she has the biggest heart of them all. Adeline had this fantastic no-bullshit attitude. Dean was hot, but he also was this cute little puppy that needs to be protected at all costs. But the best thing about this cast is that I just found my favourite villain. There are two kinds of favourite villains: one that is pure evil and makes your gut boil with rage (also known as Dolores Umbridge), and one that is flawless and fierce. It took me more than a decade to find a worthy candidate for the latter but Ryan La Sala finally granted me that gift.
Next, the world-building. I mean, that's what fantasy depends on. If you cannot convince your readers that the world you've created is real, why even bother. Reverie does everything right. Better than right! Ryan created several fantasy worlds in one big fictional universe. And it worked. Even when it was chaos, it was solid, convincing, believable chaos. Moreover, it was entertaining and funny. Ryan draws from so many clichés that we see in other fantasy novels but he gives them his own twist and the result is magical. It's astonishing how creative these worlds are. I wish I could pull that off.
The writing was outstanding. Compelling and emotional, but also extremely funny. One of my favourite scenes has Ursula in a wedding gown and I almost fell off the couch from laughing so hard.
This book is the gay fantasy novel I've always wished for. It's not like I've never read a gay fantasy book before, but most of them were either extremely disappointing or mediocre. They always lacked something. Reverie has it all. Queer representation, thrill, fun, fantasy, friendship. I did want to see more of the romance, though. That might be the only criticism I have. I wanted more time to see the romantic relationship unfold...and more making out. Apart from it being super queer, this novel is a gift to fantasy writing. I would be sad to see this book only be celebrated in the queer community when it has this powerful and spellbinding story to tell that any lover of stories about superpowers and enchanted artefacts and evil sorceresses would enjoy.
When I tell you that this missing out on this book is depriving yourself of the ultimate fantasy experience, you better listen. So preoder the hell out of this novel. Ask your library to buy it. Read it. Recommend it.
Find more of my books on Instagram
March 4, 2020
I wanted to love this one SO badly because Ryan is an absolute gem on twitter, but this just did not work for me. I had such a hard time wrapping my brain around the reveries and an even harder time connecting to the characters. Everything just felt disjointed and messy and I am SAD. Brb while I cry myself to sleep bc I didn't love this book like I thought I would
Buddy read with Julie <3
Buddy read with Julie <3
March 4, 2020
3 confused stars
I feel like I simultaneously understood this novel and completely lost the plot.
Writing: ★★★★
Plot: ★★ 1/2
Pacing: ★★★
I wanted so, so badly to love this queer-driven novel that marketed itself as a Inception meets The Magicians. Some of the reviews of Reverie are works of art in their own right, they read like this book is a thrill-ride, a rollercoaster of imagination, and a complex story filled with heart.
I both understand where they are coming from and wish that I had read THAT novel, the one they're describing. I feel like we're reading different things.
Reverie follows the story of Kane Montgomery, a gay high school student who was involved in a mysterious flaming car crash that somehow led to his long-term amnesia. Our entrance to Kane's world is, in essence, Kane's entrance into his own world as he's not sure what's going, on while we're not sure what's going on. (Can you feel the Inception vibes?)
Oh, and things are getting pretty trippy around him, including shadows coming for him in the real world and shady police action.
One of Reverie's selling points is its intense visual imagery and descriptions. I could feel every emotion, and vividly see each setting. Sentences were clearly constructed with care, and oftentimes distracted me from the plot of the novel as I read a sentence that was so unique ("Kane thought of the frustration that boiled through him—fine and corrosive, like soda bubbles") that I paused in my read to get a grip on its imagery. It was beautiful, but distracting. And indicative of a larger problem for my reading experience—I found too many things distracting, which really hampered my ability to get into the plot because the distractions obscured the plot, and then when I did get into it the plot, it was extremely confusing.
What, exactly, are the boundaries of a reverie and how do they work, logistically? I'm still not sure. They were visual masterpieces, an artistic playground for verbal description, but overall I was asking myself the why and the what way more than necessary.
Overall, I think Reverie is a singular novel, and an important touchstone in the realm of YA queer fantasy. I wish it had been more grounded and filled with scene transitions that explained some of its ethereal concepts, but as some readers loved that quality, it might be a me problem. I can guarantee this: you'll never read a book quite like it!
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley for an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
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I feel like I simultaneously understood this novel and completely lost the plot.
Writing: ★★★★
Plot: ★★ 1/2
Pacing: ★★★
I wanted so, so badly to love this queer-driven novel that marketed itself as a Inception meets The Magicians. Some of the reviews of Reverie are works of art in their own right, they read like this book is a thrill-ride, a rollercoaster of imagination, and a complex story filled with heart.
I both understand where they are coming from and wish that I had read THAT novel, the one they're describing. I feel like we're reading different things.
Reverie follows the story of Kane Montgomery, a gay high school student who was involved in a mysterious flaming car crash that somehow led to his long-term amnesia. Our entrance to Kane's world is, in essence, Kane's entrance into his own world as he's not sure what's going, on while we're not sure what's going on. (Can you feel the Inception vibes?)
Oh, and things are getting pretty trippy around him, including shadows coming for him in the real world and shady police action.
One of Reverie's selling points is its intense visual imagery and descriptions. I could feel every emotion, and vividly see each setting. Sentences were clearly constructed with care, and oftentimes distracted me from the plot of the novel as I read a sentence that was so unique ("Kane thought of the frustration that boiled through him—fine and corrosive, like soda bubbles") that I paused in my read to get a grip on its imagery. It was beautiful, but distracting. And indicative of a larger problem for my reading experience—I found too many things distracting, which really hampered my ability to get into the plot because the distractions obscured the plot, and then when I did get into it the plot, it was extremely confusing.
What, exactly, are the boundaries of a reverie and how do they work, logistically? I'm still not sure. They were visual masterpieces, an artistic playground for verbal description, but overall I was asking myself the why and the what way more than necessary.
Overall, I think Reverie is a singular novel, and an important touchstone in the realm of YA queer fantasy. I wish it had been more grounded and filled with scene transitions that explained some of its ethereal concepts, but as some readers loved that quality, it might be a me problem. I can guarantee this: you'll never read a book quite like it!
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire via NetGalley for an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.
Blog | Instagram
June 27, 2020
Quality, gay drivel! A+ queer nonsense!
January 21, 2020
Well, that was different.
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
March 4, 2020
drag
queen
sorceress
I AM SO READY FOR THIS
queen
sorceress
I AM SO READY FOR THIS
August 6, 2025
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I wanted to love Reverie by Ryan La Sala so much!
Reverie has a wonderful cover that draws you in immediately. The plot mentions a boy and a fantasy world that revolves around dreams. Everything I hoped this book would be – it wasn’t.
Kane is a gay teenager who is trying to pick up the pieces of his life back together after an attack leaves him with no memories of the past. He is in the search of who he is and who he was, and he discovers an alternate reality that he was involved in.
Reveries are worlds born from a person’s private fantasies, and once they manifest they can only be unraveled by bringing their conflicts to a resolution. Reveries have rules and plots, magic and monsters – anything you could wish for. And one wrong step can twist the entire thing into a lethal nightmare maze.
Sounds complicated already?
What if I told you that this is only from the blurb and the book doesn’t really explain these things at all?
Kane is an unraveler, together with The Others. Or at least he was, until one of The Others purged Kane of his memories. And here we are now, with Kane trying to solve the mystery and fight against evil.
I jumped into this book very eagerly, and was disappointing immediately, within the first couple of pages. The reveries and their whole concept were quite confusing, to the point of me not knowing whether the characters are now in a reverie, or in their real world.
Reverie had an amazing concept and it could’ve been done way better than this. I am just disappointed. It all seemed a bit messy and felt like it wasn’t thought through…
I didn’t connect with any of the characters, except for Kane, for the below reasons. And that was it… I didn’t care about any of the others, and there were quite a few characters.
One thing that annoyed me about Reverie, was the exaggeration of the #OwnVoices.
I am not against it, on the contrary! I love equality and I love diversity, and I share love everywhere and to everyone, and if you know me in real life, you will know this about me. We are all equal and different at the same time, and that is the unique thing that connects us all.
However, this book keeps mentioning that Kane is gay. And Kane is a lovely character. He is smart and he is brave. His memories were lost and is desperately trying to find out who he is, who he was, who are his true friends, who is good and who is evil. He doesn’t take for granted on what people tell him. He is AMAZING. Kane was so much more than just gay. But the author kept trying so hard to put an #OwnVoices hashtag on this book, that is was quite aggressive and off-putting. I love books that feature #OwnVoices, but Ryan, please – a little bit of modesty would’ve been nice.
I keep feeling this pressure of trying to write a book review that will not offend anyone, and I don’t mean to offend anyone, but I need to say that sometimes, there can be such a thing as “too much OwnVoicing” in a book. And we shouldn’t be afraid to point it out!
I am really sad about this one, guys. Honestly, I expected it to love it so bad, and now I feel down. I wouldn’t recommend it, but if you think you will love it, please pick it up. You are valid!
Thank you to the team at Netgalley and the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for sending me an ARC e-copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
I wanted to love Reverie by Ryan La Sala so much!
Reverie has a wonderful cover that draws you in immediately. The plot mentions a boy and a fantasy world that revolves around dreams. Everything I hoped this book would be – it wasn’t.
Kane is a gay teenager who is trying to pick up the pieces of his life back together after an attack leaves him with no memories of the past. He is in the search of who he is and who he was, and he discovers an alternate reality that he was involved in.
Reveries are worlds born from a person’s private fantasies, and once they manifest they can only be unraveled by bringing their conflicts to a resolution. Reveries have rules and plots, magic and monsters – anything you could wish for. And one wrong step can twist the entire thing into a lethal nightmare maze.
Sounds complicated already?
What if I told you that this is only from the blurb and the book doesn’t really explain these things at all?
Kane is an unraveler, together with The Others. Or at least he was, until one of The Others purged Kane of his memories. And here we are now, with Kane trying to solve the mystery and fight against evil.
I jumped into this book very eagerly, and was disappointing immediately, within the first couple of pages. The reveries and their whole concept were quite confusing, to the point of me not knowing whether the characters are now in a reverie, or in their real world.
Reverie had an amazing concept and it could’ve been done way better than this. I am just disappointed. It all seemed a bit messy and felt like it wasn’t thought through…
I didn’t connect with any of the characters, except for Kane, for the below reasons. And that was it… I didn’t care about any of the others, and there were quite a few characters.
One thing that annoyed me about Reverie, was the exaggeration of the #OwnVoices.
I am not against it, on the contrary! I love equality and I love diversity, and I share love everywhere and to everyone, and if you know me in real life, you will know this about me. We are all equal and different at the same time, and that is the unique thing that connects us all.
However, this book keeps mentioning that Kane is gay. And Kane is a lovely character. He is smart and he is brave. His memories were lost and is desperately trying to find out who he is, who he was, who are his true friends, who is good and who is evil. He doesn’t take for granted on what people tell him. He is AMAZING. Kane was so much more than just gay. But the author kept trying so hard to put an #OwnVoices hashtag on this book, that is was quite aggressive and off-putting. I love books that feature #OwnVoices, but Ryan, please – a little bit of modesty would’ve been nice.
I keep feeling this pressure of trying to write a book review that will not offend anyone, and I don’t mean to offend anyone, but I need to say that sometimes, there can be such a thing as “too much OwnVoicing” in a book. And we shouldn’t be afraid to point it out!
I am really sad about this one, guys. Honestly, I expected it to love it so bad, and now I feel down. I wouldn’t recommend it, but if you think you will love it, please pick it up. You are valid!
Thank you to the team at Netgalley and the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for sending me an ARC e-copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
December 20, 2019
When you read as much as I do, at times you wonder whether there are still books out there which are totally original, because quite often books tend to feel similar. And then a book like Ryan La Sala's
Reverie
comes along, which truly knocked me on my ass with its originality, camp, and downright craziness. I marveled at La Sala's storytelling and the creativity of this story, which is billed as
Inception
meets
The Magicians
.
"Reveries are what happens when a person’s imagined world becomes real. They’re like miniature realities, with their own plots and rules and perils."
Kane Montgomery is a high school student who has amnesia following a car accident. He can't remember much, which makes his day-to-day existence even more difficult than it has been, given the fact that he's a gay student in a small town. As he deals with bullying by his classmates and trying to figure out whom to trust, he starts to notice that things in his life don't seem to be adding up. He realizes that among the many things he's forgotten about his life before the accident is that he was part of a group called The Others, who are supposed to help save people from reveries, which are fantasies that become alternate realities.
This is one of those books that is more enjoyable when you don't know much about the plot, and instead you let La Sala transport you into a whole different world of sorts. The characters are truly unforgettable, none so much as Poesy, the drag queen who may or may not be a villainness. She's a sorceress, prone to lofty speech and trickery, and I was utterly FASCINATED every time she appeared in the story.
As crazy of a fantasy as Reverie is, it also deals with some pretty weighty issues, including bullying and homophobia. It's nice to have a book like this in which LGBTQIA+ issues and characters are at the forefront.
I love the way La Sala writes, but at times there was so much going on it was a little difficult to keep focused. I can't even imagine where he came up with these ideas, but this is one of those unforgettable stories that will stay in my mind for a long time. This isn't a book for everyone, but if you like a mash-up of fantasy and camp, Reverie might be right up your alley.
NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire gave me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
"Reveries are what happens when a person’s imagined world becomes real. They’re like miniature realities, with their own plots and rules and perils."
Kane Montgomery is a high school student who has amnesia following a car accident. He can't remember much, which makes his day-to-day existence even more difficult than it has been, given the fact that he's a gay student in a small town. As he deals with bullying by his classmates and trying to figure out whom to trust, he starts to notice that things in his life don't seem to be adding up. He realizes that among the many things he's forgotten about his life before the accident is that he was part of a group called The Others, who are supposed to help save people from reveries, which are fantasies that become alternate realities.
This is one of those books that is more enjoyable when you don't know much about the plot, and instead you let La Sala transport you into a whole different world of sorts. The characters are truly unforgettable, none so much as Poesy, the drag queen who may or may not be a villainness. She's a sorceress, prone to lofty speech and trickery, and I was utterly FASCINATED every time she appeared in the story.
As crazy of a fantasy as Reverie is, it also deals with some pretty weighty issues, including bullying and homophobia. It's nice to have a book like this in which LGBTQIA+ issues and characters are at the forefront.
I love the way La Sala writes, but at times there was so much going on it was a little difficult to keep focused. I can't even imagine where he came up with these ideas, but this is one of those unforgettable stories that will stay in my mind for a long time. This isn't a book for everyone, but if you like a mash-up of fantasy and camp, Reverie might be right up your alley.
NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire gave me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
dnf-lost-interest
October 22, 2019"Inception meets The Magicians, except with better wigs and a maniacal drag queen sorceress attempting to unravel the reality of Connecticut (yes, the state) and replace it with something…well something better than Connecticut.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
August 25, 2021
"That’s the thing about a big imagination. It’s hard to belong anywhere when you can always imagine something better."
I guess this book was okay in the end... (scratch that, it wasn't)
I can't say I liked this book as much as I wanted to. The end did save this book for me. I would have given it a lower rating if not for it. But by the end of the year I doubt I would remember what happened in this book. It's only been a week since I finished it and it's already fading from my brain.
I can't really give synopsis for this book since I'm not sure I undertsand what this book is about but basically this guy Kane wakes up from a coma. A few weeks prior he had an accident and now his memory is a bit fuzzy. But the strangest thing of all is when he meets four people who say they are his friends. And from there the action of this book starts.
So I made two mistakes while reading this book. The first one is that I listened to the audiobook. Because of that I couldn't fully understand the plot or the magic system or anything really in this book. And my second mistake is when I kept listening to the audiobook even though I was very confused the whole time. At the 61% mark, I was considering DNF-ing it, but I already read more than half the book, so I would have felt bad if I actually DNF-ed it. I wish I stopped reading it earlier and moved to other books that I would have actually ended up loving.
I didn't feel attached to any of this characters. I couldn't care less about Kane and his drama. I couldn't care less about the plot of this book
The only thing I found somewhat interesting was the romance. But it was so little that it didn't really make me love the book more.
The plot was very confusing and most of the times I couldn't bring myself to care for what was actually happening. I wanted to understand the magic system and what Reveries actually were, but everything was just so confusing and it needed more explaining. The magic system also felt a bit underdeveloped, for example I noticed quite a few plotholes or maybe that was just me not understanding anything. Both are two possible explanations.
The ending did make me like the story a but more, but not by much. I was still confused as hell by the end of it.
I think this is a very confusing review, but so are my thoughts and so is this book.
Sadly, even though this book had so much potential, I didn't really like it. I didn't care about anything in this book and I actually regret not DNF-ing it (which doesn't really happen often)
I guess this book was okay in the end... (scratch that, it wasn't)
I can't say I liked this book as much as I wanted to. The end did save this book for me. I would have given it a lower rating if not for it. But by the end of the year I doubt I would remember what happened in this book. It's only been a week since I finished it and it's already fading from my brain.
I can't really give synopsis for this book since I'm not sure I undertsand what this book is about but basically this guy Kane wakes up from a coma. A few weeks prior he had an accident and now his memory is a bit fuzzy. But the strangest thing of all is when he meets four people who say they are his friends. And from there the action of this book starts.
So I made two mistakes while reading this book. The first one is that I listened to the audiobook. Because of that I couldn't fully understand the plot or the magic system or anything really in this book. And my second mistake is when I kept listening to the audiobook even though I was very confused the whole time. At the 61% mark, I was considering DNF-ing it, but I already read more than half the book, so I would have felt bad if I actually DNF-ed it. I wish I stopped reading it earlier and moved to other books that I would have actually ended up loving.
I didn't feel attached to any of this characters. I couldn't care less about Kane and his drama. I couldn't care less about the plot of this book
The only thing I found somewhat interesting was the romance. But it was so little that it didn't really make me love the book more.
The plot was very confusing and most of the times I couldn't bring myself to care for what was actually happening. I wanted to understand the magic system and what Reveries actually were, but everything was just so confusing and it needed more explaining. The magic system also felt a bit underdeveloped, for example I noticed quite a few plotholes or maybe that was just me not understanding anything. Both are two possible explanations.
The ending did make me like the story a but more, but not by much. I was still confused as hell by the end of it.
I think this is a very confusing review, but so are my thoughts and so is this book.
Sadly, even though this book had so much potential, I didn't really like it. I didn't care about anything in this book and I actually regret not DNF-ing it (which doesn't really happen often)
December 3, 2019
2.5/5, rounded up because a) so much queer rep, and b) I freaking love the concept of an evil drag queen.
When I heard that a book existed where the “evil queen” trope has been transfigured into “drag queen sorceress,” I just knew I had to read it. And it’s a YA fantasy being compared to Inception and full of fabulously queer characters? It sounded like such an exciting idea. But you know those books that you have so hyped up in your mind because they sound so fresh and original, but then you find out that “fresh” is just a euphemism for “unpolished and awkward”? Yeah, that’s how this one ended up.
I’m not even entirely sure I can properly summarize this book, because on the one hand, I don’t want to give too much away…but on the other hand, it’s really dang confusing for quite a while when it totally doesn’t need to be, so I don’t feel too bad. Kane Montgomery is your typical super gay, out-and-mostly-proud loner. Well, maybe not so normal. Recently, he crashed his car into the old mill near his town, causing a huge explosion. He was found in a river shortly thereafter, suddenly missing several months’ worth of memories, and sporting some nasty burns on the back of his head. He can’t help the nagging feeling that he’s missing something important. Enter the Others, a group of students with (relatively new) superpowers, who enter Reveries (daydreams-made-real) and safely unravel them so that those who are dreaming and partaking in them can return safely to their lives without any memory of the Reverie itself. Kane thinks he used to be one of the Others as well. If only he could remember what happened that summer…
What ensues is a whirlwind plot of magic, evil schemes, illusions, fights, lots of wiped memories, family, friendship, and a dash of love. It’s pretty wild. Unfortunately, “wild” doesn’t always equate to “good.”
But, as always, I’ll start with the positive. This book’s largest and most obvious strength is its unabashed queerness. By the end of the book, nearly every character, primary or secondary, is confirmed not-straight–seriously, there are like two straight people total. Though they do face some external homophobia, they are generally respected, which is nice to see. As mentioned before, the villain is a literal drag queen sorceress, who is fabulous and evil and a total manipulative bitch who also happens to have perfect nails and hair at all times. And, just in case the story wasn’t gay enough, the main character is a gay teen whose power involves shooting literal rainbows out of his hands. I am not making this up, I swear.
I also do have to give La Sala props for coming up with such a creative and ambitious premise. The idea of people needing daydreams to sustain themselves but having to contend with those dreams sometimes getting out of control–and/or fighting back–is interesting, to say the least. There’s the omnipresent dread of knowing that, like in a regular dream, most people aren’t aware that they’re actually in a Reverie, and that if too much deviates from expectation, the Reverie will warp and twist itself into something more akin to a nightmare. The contents of the Reveries themselves were sometimes astonishingly original, particularly one involving a romance novel and some bejeweled eggs that hatch horrifying-yet-beautiful creatures. Finally, with magic manifesting itself in dream journals and dogs, charm bracelets and teacups, La Sala infused the world with all sorts of delightful quirks, most of which tied up nicely by the book’s conclusion. And he manages to anchor this weirdness as well, with a very normal, down-to-earth sibling relationship between Kane and his sister Sophia, with all the usual sibling bickering and freeze-outs juxtaposed with fierce loyalty, especially when it comes to keeping secrets from their parents.
The thing is, when you have such a large concept to work with, you have to execute it flawlessly. If you’re using a familiar magic system, like wizards with wands, your audience can infer pretty easily how they work. But when you’re coming up with a whole new way of experiencing a daydream, there are questions you need to answer–about how and why they start, about what their limits are, about what people on the outside will see, and so on–and while we got a great idea of what it is like to be inside the Reverie or to unravel it, many of the foundational details were either ignored altogether or given a cursory-at-best explanation somewhere in the storyline. Furthermore, even when they were explained, it was almost always in the form of an info-dump from one of the secondary characters, either a monologue or what feels like a very poorly scripted conversation, rather than organically explored.
This leads me to my second major issue with the book, which was the weak writing overall, starting with incredibly stilted dialogue. The characters’ jokes weren’t very funny, their speech patterns didn’t seem natural, and their expressions of emotion didn’t feel particularly heartfelt. Despite the fact that there were technically four major couples (either established or clearly beginning) by the end of the book, I only really felt a legitimate connection in one of them–and this was just a side couple, not even one of the Others!–and maybe some hints of it in a second. In particular, Sophia’s romantic feelings for someone come seemingly out of nowhere, and they were just sort of dropped in there, mentioned a few times, and then promptly ignored again by the end of the book.
But the weak writing wasn’t just in the characters; it was also in the language overall. So many cringe-worthy phrases were used–in particular, an excess of similes (which so frequently read as juvenile; if you’re going to make creative comparisons, try to mix in some more metaphors…or, better yet, just show what’s happening, don’t tell us what it is and then follow with a further comparison!). Here are a couple examples of lines I found particularly egregious:
Finally, there was the issue of tone and pacing in this book. It tried to do a lot, and in doing so, it spread itself too thin and didn’t fully take advantage of any of its components. The start of the book was incredibly slow and meandering as Kane didn’t know what was going on. I have to confess, with the weak writing and the lack of plot development, I almost decided to DNF about 35% of the way through. Then, all of a sudden, Kane has powers–which he masters the use of way too quickly, and frankly are just way too strong to be fair–and there’s magic everywhere and all sorts of things are happening rapid-fire, one after the other, in a rush until the end of the book. It goes from a recovery of memory, with a dash of mystery, into something that feels closer to a child’s superhero TV show, complete with the super-strong-force-field person, the invisibility person, the shape-shifting person, and the person who messes with your mind. Some parts of the book felt like they were trying to be deep, to make statements about being yourself and the importance of dreaming, and to show the power of family and friendship–and, seriously, Kane cries a lot. That’s fine; he’s been through a lot, and it’s nice when characters get realistically emotional. But then you back up and look at how ridiculous the premise’s execution is, and how impossibly easily and cheesily the plot wraps itself up in the end, and you can’t take any of it seriously anymore. Things are just too simple, and too many coincidences work out too improbably well, and it feels like we’ve lurched back from serious-book to Saturday-morning-cartoon-world again. Instead of picking a direction, and maybe seasoning it with bits of the other–either a serious book with a couple funny bits, or a lighter book with a handful of emotions–it went about 50/50 and ended up discordant and less enjoyable.
One thing that might have resolved both the iffy-writing issue and the tonal-inconsistency issue would be a switch in narration style. Now, I can’t say this for sure, because obviously, it’s not like I can mentally rewrite the whole book, but this story is written in third-person, which feels weird. I think a lot of the aforementioned tonal inconsistencies are because we have an impartial third party trying to navigate a story that is split between two feelings. And a lot of the narration is just explaining what Kane is thinking anyway. A first-person narration by Kane himself could have gone a long way in terms of a) solidifying the tone, b) playing up the gaps in his memory and their emotional impact on him, and c) making his feelings more convincing. Again, though, this is just speculation; I’m not an expert, but the question of why this book wasn’t in first-person hit me within the first chapter or two, and it never left, so I thought I should mention it here as well.
Basically, this is a super-gay book that could have been super-fun or super-heartwarming but instead is mostly super-weird due to its super-strange execution. If you’re interested in the premise, by all means, go ahead and read it–the concept truly is original and captivating, if you can get past the gaps in the worldbuilding overall. But if you are hoping the characters will steal your heart, or if you’re imagining a world of lovely prose, you should probably seek it elsewhere.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
“Kane shoved down his curiosity, knowing it was useless to expect a drag queen to do anything other than exactly what she wanted.”
When I heard that a book existed where the “evil queen” trope has been transfigured into “drag queen sorceress,” I just knew I had to read it. And it’s a YA fantasy being compared to Inception and full of fabulously queer characters? It sounded like such an exciting idea. But you know those books that you have so hyped up in your mind because they sound so fresh and original, but then you find out that “fresh” is just a euphemism for “unpolished and awkward”? Yeah, that’s how this one ended up.
“That’s the thing about a big imagination. It’s hard to belong anywhere when you can always imagine something better.”
I’m not even entirely sure I can properly summarize this book, because on the one hand, I don’t want to give too much away…but on the other hand, it’s really dang confusing for quite a while when it totally doesn’t need to be, so I don’t feel too bad. Kane Montgomery is your typical super gay, out-and-mostly-proud loner. Well, maybe not so normal. Recently, he crashed his car into the old mill near his town, causing a huge explosion. He was found in a river shortly thereafter, suddenly missing several months’ worth of memories, and sporting some nasty burns on the back of his head. He can’t help the nagging feeling that he’s missing something important. Enter the Others, a group of students with (relatively new) superpowers, who enter Reveries (daydreams-made-real) and safely unravel them so that those who are dreaming and partaking in them can return safely to their lives without any memory of the Reverie itself. Kane thinks he used to be one of the Others as well. If only he could remember what happened that summer…
What ensues is a whirlwind plot of magic, evil schemes, illusions, fights, lots of wiped memories, family, friendship, and a dash of love. It’s pretty wild. Unfortunately, “wild” doesn’t always equate to “good.”
But, as always, I’ll start with the positive. This book’s largest and most obvious strength is its unabashed queerness. By the end of the book, nearly every character, primary or secondary, is confirmed not-straight–seriously, there are like two straight people total. Though they do face some external homophobia, they are generally respected, which is nice to see. As mentioned before, the villain is a literal drag queen sorceress, who is fabulous and evil and a total manipulative bitch who also happens to have perfect nails and hair at all times. And, just in case the story wasn’t gay enough, the main character is a gay teen whose power involves shooting literal rainbows out of his hands. I am not making this up, I swear.
I also do have to give La Sala props for coming up with such a creative and ambitious premise. The idea of people needing daydreams to sustain themselves but having to contend with those dreams sometimes getting out of control–and/or fighting back–is interesting, to say the least. There’s the omnipresent dread of knowing that, like in a regular dream, most people aren’t aware that they’re actually in a Reverie, and that if too much deviates from expectation, the Reverie will warp and twist itself into something more akin to a nightmare. The contents of the Reveries themselves were sometimes astonishingly original, particularly one involving a romance novel and some bejeweled eggs that hatch horrifying-yet-beautiful creatures. Finally, with magic manifesting itself in dream journals and dogs, charm bracelets and teacups, La Sala infused the world with all sorts of delightful quirks, most of which tied up nicely by the book’s conclusion. And he manages to anchor this weirdness as well, with a very normal, down-to-earth sibling relationship between Kane and his sister Sophia, with all the usual sibling bickering and freeze-outs juxtaposed with fierce loyalty, especially when it comes to keeping secrets from their parents.
The thing is, when you have such a large concept to work with, you have to execute it flawlessly. If you’re using a familiar magic system, like wizards with wands, your audience can infer pretty easily how they work. But when you’re coming up with a whole new way of experiencing a daydream, there are questions you need to answer–about how and why they start, about what their limits are, about what people on the outside will see, and so on–and while we got a great idea of what it is like to be inside the Reverie or to unravel it, many of the foundational details were either ignored altogether or given a cursory-at-best explanation somewhere in the storyline. Furthermore, even when they were explained, it was almost always in the form of an info-dump from one of the secondary characters, either a monologue or what feels like a very poorly scripted conversation, rather than organically explored.
This leads me to my second major issue with the book, which was the weak writing overall, starting with incredibly stilted dialogue. The characters’ jokes weren’t very funny, their speech patterns didn’t seem natural, and their expressions of emotion didn’t feel particularly heartfelt. Despite the fact that there were technically four major couples (either established or clearly beginning) by the end of the book, I only really felt a legitimate connection in one of them–and this was just a side couple, not even one of the Others!–and maybe some hints of it in a second. In particular, Sophia’s romantic feelings for someone come seemingly out of nowhere, and they were just sort of dropped in there, mentioned a few times, and then promptly ignored again by the end of the book.
But the weak writing wasn’t just in the characters; it was also in the language overall. So many cringe-worthy phrases were used–in particular, an excess of similes (which so frequently read as juvenile; if you’re going to make creative comparisons, try to mix in some more metaphors…or, better yet, just show what’s happening, don’t tell us what it is and then follow with a further comparison!). Here are a couple examples of lines I found particularly egregious:
“Those emotions were flat now, like old soda.”
“Hmm. I don’t know, honey. I think you kind of look rock-and-roll, you know? Like, a tough guy. A tough, guy poodle.” She grinned. “Or should I say… a ruff guy.”
“That’s not funny, Mom.”
“Well, it certainly seemed to give you… paws.”
Kane tried not to laugh and failed.
“It cracked against the sorcerer, cutting into him like a wire through soft cheese.”
Finally, there was the issue of tone and pacing in this book. It tried to do a lot, and in doing so, it spread itself too thin and didn’t fully take advantage of any of its components. The start of the book was incredibly slow and meandering as Kane didn’t know what was going on. I have to confess, with the weak writing and the lack of plot development, I almost decided to DNF about 35% of the way through. Then, all of a sudden, Kane has powers–which he masters the use of way too quickly, and frankly are just way too strong to be fair–and there’s magic everywhere and all sorts of things are happening rapid-fire, one after the other, in a rush until the end of the book. It goes from a recovery of memory, with a dash of mystery, into something that feels closer to a child’s superhero TV show, complete with the super-strong-force-field person, the invisibility person, the shape-shifting person, and the person who messes with your mind. Some parts of the book felt like they were trying to be deep, to make statements about being yourself and the importance of dreaming, and to show the power of family and friendship–and, seriously, Kane cries a lot. That’s fine; he’s been through a lot, and it’s nice when characters get realistically emotional. But then you back up and look at how ridiculous the premise’s execution is, and how impossibly easily and cheesily the plot wraps itself up in the end, and you can’t take any of it seriously anymore. Things are just too simple, and too many coincidences work out too improbably well, and it feels like we’ve lurched back from serious-book to Saturday-morning-cartoon-world again. Instead of picking a direction, and maybe seasoning it with bits of the other–either a serious book with a couple funny bits, or a lighter book with a handful of emotions–it went about 50/50 and ended up discordant and less enjoyable.
One thing that might have resolved both the iffy-writing issue and the tonal-inconsistency issue would be a switch in narration style. Now, I can’t say this for sure, because obviously, it’s not like I can mentally rewrite the whole book, but this story is written in third-person, which feels weird. I think a lot of the aforementioned tonal inconsistencies are because we have an impartial third party trying to navigate a story that is split between two feelings. And a lot of the narration is just explaining what Kane is thinking anyway. A first-person narration by Kane himself could have gone a long way in terms of a) solidifying the tone, b) playing up the gaps in his memory and their emotional impact on him, and c) making his feelings more convincing. Again, though, this is just speculation; I’m not an expert, but the question of why this book wasn’t in first-person hit me within the first chapter or two, and it never left, so I thought I should mention it here as well.
Basically, this is a super-gay book that could have been super-fun or super-heartwarming but instead is mostly super-weird due to its super-strange execution. If you’re interested in the premise, by all means, go ahead and read it–the concept truly is original and captivating, if you can get past the gaps in the worldbuilding overall. But if you are hoping the characters will steal your heart, or if you’re imagining a world of lovely prose, you should probably seek it elsewhere.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an eARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
April 27, 2020
First, let me just say that I love this cover, especially in person. Also, let me say that I had the pleasure of meeting the author last year and he seemed like such a cool person.
Second, let me say that I didn't really like this book, despite really wanting to.
I wanted to love this. I looked for any way that I might rate this higher because I really wanted to be more enthusiastic about this novel, but sadly, my heart cannot in good conscience give this novel more than two stars. Two stars on Goodreads is "it was ok" and that's all this book was.
While the creativity and imagination of this novel were refreshing and I love the ideas of reveries, I just couldn't find myself caring about what was happening. This is mostly due to the fact that I wasn't necessarily in love with the characters.
The setting was super interesting, as was seeing the reveries and the characters interact within them. Seriously, I can't get over the creative and awesome concept of the reveries!
The writing was good. The descriptions of the worlds were well done.
There are magical drag queens, for crying out loud!
This should be awesome! It could have been awesome because it had all the building blocks for an awesome novel. But the execution felt off and for me, it starts with the fact that I didn't particularly like the main character, Kane and all his choices, and ends with the fact that while the world is extremely creative, I didn't understand half of what the heck was going on.
In the end, I thought this book was just 'ok' and nothing more. Do I recommend it? I don't think so. And yet, I would one day like to read another book by this author because he certainly had potential.
**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
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Second, let me say that I didn't really like this book, despite really wanting to.
I wanted to love this. I looked for any way that I might rate this higher because I really wanted to be more enthusiastic about this novel, but sadly, my heart cannot in good conscience give this novel more than two stars. Two stars on Goodreads is "it was ok" and that's all this book was.
While the creativity and imagination of this novel were refreshing and I love the ideas of reveries, I just couldn't find myself caring about what was happening. This is mostly due to the fact that I wasn't necessarily in love with the characters.
The setting was super interesting, as was seeing the reveries and the characters interact within them. Seriously, I can't get over the creative and awesome concept of the reveries!
The writing was good. The descriptions of the worlds were well done.
There are magical drag queens, for crying out loud!
This should be awesome! It could have been awesome because it had all the building blocks for an awesome novel. But the execution felt off and for me, it starts with the fact that I didn't particularly like the main character, Kane and all his choices, and ends with the fact that while the world is extremely creative, I didn't understand half of what the heck was going on.
In the end, I thought this book was just 'ok' and nothing more. Do I recommend it? I don't think so. And yet, I would one day like to read another book by this author because he certainly had potential.
**I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.**
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November 27, 2019
to sum it all up: drag queens, dreams, magic and gays
December 27, 2020
I’ll admit, with a tagline like “Inception meets The Magicians” I may have been a little skeptical going into this one. But now that I’ve read it, I really can’t find any fault with that assessment of Reverie. And I’m not sure that I could think up a better comparison myself!
How do I even begin to explain what happens in this book? In the very beginning I had no idea what was happening, which makes sense because the main character, Kane Montgomery, has amnesia after being part of a strange accident involving a fire and a (possible) death. Knowing Kane doesn’t remember anything doesn’t make this portion any less frustrating, but it’s something you just have to work through in order for things to make sense later.
Eventually through a combination of sleuthing and eerie recollections, Kane is able to piece together parts of his fractured memory. He knows three of his classmates, Ursula, Adeline and Elliot are involved, but he’s just not sure how. But as time goes on the world Kane thinks he knows begins to unravel, and he has to accept the help of others that he may not be able to fully trust.
Reverie is a fun YA fantasy romp that’s quick-moving and utterly imaginative. I give major props to Ryan La Sala for coming up with this twisting, nightmarish dreamscape. Some aspects, like the triumph that is Posey and her enchanted teacup, are so vivid I felt like she was standing in the room with me while I read. Other parts, specifically some of the magic, felt a little under-developed.
I think this book could have been longer in order to fully flesh-out the world-building around the reveries. I have to say though I followed the events of the story pretty well, there were some gaps in the magic system that felt glossed over by La Sala. There’s a reason that so many immense fantasies end up being either massive tomes or part of a series, and that’s because so much additional explanation needs to be established to the reader in order for them to be fully immersed. It’s a lot of upfront work that if done well has an amazing payoff. I feel like especially as a debut, this was a great start towards that.
As for the negative reviews, I can understand some of the complaints. I listened to the audiobook, and I found it fully engaging and not confusing at all. So maybe the people who couldn’t get into the book would enjoy that more? The narrator was great, he really captured the cadence of Kane and brought out some of the dry humor I’ve come to appreciate from La Sala’s books. This obviously isn’t going to be a universal crowd-pleaser, but I think there’s enough ingenuity and pure creativity present to where I’d definitely be interested in revisiting this world should the author ever decide to write a sequel!
I’m only reading this now, about a year after publication, because I just finished Be Dazzled by this author. Some of the same themes are present in both: a struggle with acceptance and belonging, an excess of embellishment & flair, an abundance of gayness—but the story itself is a departure for La Sala. Even if you weren’t a huge fan of or haven’t read Reverie, I’d give Be Dazzled a shot if a queer YA romance set in the world of competitive cosplay sounds like something you’d be interested in! It’s coming out January 5th, 2021.
How do I even begin to explain what happens in this book? In the very beginning I had no idea what was happening, which makes sense because the main character, Kane Montgomery, has amnesia after being part of a strange accident involving a fire and a (possible) death. Knowing Kane doesn’t remember anything doesn’t make this portion any less frustrating, but it’s something you just have to work through in order for things to make sense later.
Eventually through a combination of sleuthing and eerie recollections, Kane is able to piece together parts of his fractured memory. He knows three of his classmates, Ursula, Adeline and Elliot are involved, but he’s just not sure how. But as time goes on the world Kane thinks he knows begins to unravel, and he has to accept the help of others that he may not be able to fully trust.
Reverie is a fun YA fantasy romp that’s quick-moving and utterly imaginative. I give major props to Ryan La Sala for coming up with this twisting, nightmarish dreamscape. Some aspects, like the triumph that is Posey and her enchanted teacup, are so vivid I felt like she was standing in the room with me while I read. Other parts, specifically some of the magic, felt a little under-developed.
I think this book could have been longer in order to fully flesh-out the world-building around the reveries. I have to say though I followed the events of the story pretty well, there were some gaps in the magic system that felt glossed over by La Sala. There’s a reason that so many immense fantasies end up being either massive tomes or part of a series, and that’s because so much additional explanation needs to be established to the reader in order for them to be fully immersed. It’s a lot of upfront work that if done well has an amazing payoff. I feel like especially as a debut, this was a great start towards that.
As for the negative reviews, I can understand some of the complaints. I listened to the audiobook, and I found it fully engaging and not confusing at all. So maybe the people who couldn’t get into the book would enjoy that more? The narrator was great, he really captured the cadence of Kane and brought out some of the dry humor I’ve come to appreciate from La Sala’s books. This obviously isn’t going to be a universal crowd-pleaser, but I think there’s enough ingenuity and pure creativity present to where I’d definitely be interested in revisiting this world should the author ever decide to write a sequel!
I’m only reading this now, about a year after publication, because I just finished Be Dazzled by this author. Some of the same themes are present in both: a struggle with acceptance and belonging, an excess of embellishment & flair, an abundance of gayness—but the story itself is a departure for La Sala. Even if you weren’t a huge fan of or haven’t read Reverie, I’d give Be Dazzled a shot if a queer YA romance set in the world of competitive cosplay sounds like something you’d be interested in! It’s coming out January 5th, 2021.
Want to read
September 17, 2019did somebody say "better wigs"
and "queen sorceress "
and "lgbtq"
and do judge a book by its cover?
and "queen sorceress "
and "lgbtq"
and do judge a book by its cover?
June 9, 2020
Well, I hate to say this but Reverie is a bit of a mess. It's sad because Ryan La Sala seems great online and is adorable in general. However none of that can make up for this poorly put together teen novel. All the right elements exist here, and then some, including: a clueless and unreliable lead boy, a strong villain, a cast of supporting characters, a unique concept, lots of action, sibling in peril, magic, etc. And yet it's put together in such a haphazard way that there's no coherency, consistency, or clear goal even as we approach the end.
Amnesia as a Plot Device
The most convenient way to create mystery, allure, and fool your reader is by giving your main character amnesia. It can work, but it's rare for it to be done in a really clever way. Most often the use of amnesia indicates weak plot or writing. Reverie seems to have lots of plot, and sort of does; but it's so hard to follow at times. I felt like I might as well have had amnesia about what I'd read before each time I sat down to give Reverie reading time.
Even more disappointing is that our MC learns aspects to his life, prior to the amnesia, by overhearing a conversation that he 'conveniently' trips over between his friends. La Sala uses a weak plot device and then pairs it up with my least favourite aspect to most stories, convenience. If you had to put your character in just the right place, for no real reason (ie: they literally stumble into a hallway and hear a conversation), then you've likely not given conceivable motive for them to be there. I usually attribute it to lazy writing; but in this case I think it's just immature writing.
Characters
On first glance our cast of characters seems pretty good. We have our gay lead teen boy, his annoying younger sister, some parents (that are of course a non-factor, because what parents would be concerned about their kid that just woke up with amnesia after a large incident... let's not even get into this ridiculous teen troupe...), a villain, a female best friend, a couple other friends to make up the little team, and of course, a (gay) love interest. Sounds not bad... expect that none of these characters (expect maybe the sister) really have any actual personality. A hint to La Sala and other writers; if you want the reader to believe that someone is acting or given powers opposite of their 'normal' nature, you have to first let them see and understand their 'normal' nature! One line about how someone is kind, hates illusions, or wishes they didn't have certain memories is just not going to get the reader there. The average reader wants depth, emotion, and understanding of these people. Sadly we don't get that here.
Unraveling the Story
In order to really do a mystery back story well a writer has to be skilled at unraveling and revealing the story to their reader. This is La Sala's debut novel, so some allowances might be given, but not enough to make this novel feel anything less than a knotted mess. Between not really understanding what a reverie is (or how they come to exist) and constantly feeling like I was missing something critical to really follow the story; there was no chance of me unraveling this complex and disorienting plot. Additionally a reveal near the end felt random, inconceivable and really highlighted that the rules of reveries, this 'magic' or power, and just general physics of this world was never well explained. If you are going to have something surprising happen then it needs to feel like it was there all along. Instead I realized I clearly misunderstood some aspect of reveries. Even after contemplating this miss for a day I still can't figure out how the reveal is even possible! It's very mind boggling and doesn't make for a 'fun' time on the readers behalf.
Overall
La Sala has the right idea when it comes to setting up a complex, intricate, interesting teen novel. All the elements are there but each of them needs some major refinement. From setting the rules of the magic/power in the story, to expanding on characterization, to making the scenarios feel realistic to this fantasy world (a version of our own). If a reader isn't convinced that something is possible, or at least an intriguing idea, then they will not buy into the premise of the story; and with no buy-in you might as well have blank pages.
All that said: with a killer editor, some stronger plot lines and explanations, and maybe some really harsh beta readers I think La Sala has the base components to be a good writer. I did after all finish the book (even if I was frustrated nearly the entire time by what I didn't understand). With more time and refinement La Sala could be a real powerhouse for LGBTQ+ teen literature. He maybe just needs to grow up a little, get some more experience under his belt (I always recommend short stories as they have to be simpler but clever), and find a way to bring his story all together.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Amnesia as a Plot Device
The most convenient way to create mystery, allure, and fool your reader is by giving your main character amnesia. It can work, but it's rare for it to be done in a really clever way. Most often the use of amnesia indicates weak plot or writing. Reverie seems to have lots of plot, and sort of does; but it's so hard to follow at times. I felt like I might as well have had amnesia about what I'd read before each time I sat down to give Reverie reading time.
Even more disappointing is that our MC learns aspects to his life, prior to the amnesia, by overhearing a conversation that he 'conveniently' trips over between his friends. La Sala uses a weak plot device and then pairs it up with my least favourite aspect to most stories, convenience. If you had to put your character in just the right place, for no real reason (ie: they literally stumble into a hallway and hear a conversation), then you've likely not given conceivable motive for them to be there. I usually attribute it to lazy writing; but in this case I think it's just immature writing.
Characters
On first glance our cast of characters seems pretty good. We have our gay lead teen boy, his annoying younger sister, some parents (that are of course a non-factor, because what parents would be concerned about their kid that just woke up with amnesia after a large incident... let's not even get into this ridiculous teen troupe...), a villain, a female best friend, a couple other friends to make up the little team, and of course, a (gay) love interest. Sounds not bad... expect that none of these characters (expect maybe the sister) really have any actual personality. A hint to La Sala and other writers; if you want the reader to believe that someone is acting or given powers opposite of their 'normal' nature, you have to first let them see and understand their 'normal' nature! One line about how someone is kind, hates illusions, or wishes they didn't have certain memories is just not going to get the reader there. The average reader wants depth, emotion, and understanding of these people. Sadly we don't get that here.
Unraveling the Story
In order to really do a mystery back story well a writer has to be skilled at unraveling and revealing the story to their reader. This is La Sala's debut novel, so some allowances might be given, but not enough to make this novel feel anything less than a knotted mess. Between not really understanding what a reverie is (or how they come to exist) and constantly feeling like I was missing something critical to really follow the story; there was no chance of me unraveling this complex and disorienting plot. Additionally a reveal near the end felt random, inconceivable and really highlighted that the rules of reveries, this 'magic' or power, and just general physics of this world was never well explained. If you are going to have something surprising happen then it needs to feel like it was there all along. Instead I realized I clearly misunderstood some aspect of reveries. Even after contemplating this miss for a day I still can't figure out how the reveal is even possible! It's very mind boggling and doesn't make for a 'fun' time on the readers behalf.
Overall
La Sala has the right idea when it comes to setting up a complex, intricate, interesting teen novel. All the elements are there but each of them needs some major refinement. From setting the rules of the magic/power in the story, to expanding on characterization, to making the scenarios feel realistic to this fantasy world (a version of our own). If a reader isn't convinced that something is possible, or at least an intriguing idea, then they will not buy into the premise of the story; and with no buy-in you might as well have blank pages.
All that said: with a killer editor, some stronger plot lines and explanations, and maybe some really harsh beta readers I think La Sala has the base components to be a good writer. I did after all finish the book (even if I was frustrated nearly the entire time by what I didn't understand). With more time and refinement La Sala could be a real powerhouse for LGBTQ+ teen literature. He maybe just needs to grow up a little, get some more experience under his belt (I always recommend short stories as they have to be simpler but clever), and find a way to bring his story all together.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
November 23, 2022
This book was fab in all of it’s LGBTQ+ glory, but I just think my brain doesn’t function in a way to fully understand what was going on for about 90% of it. I was very confused but still had fun, which I think justifies 3 stars?
December 11, 2019
This book was the embodiment of a rainbow
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Plot: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4.5/5
Reverie was one of the most imaginative, chaotic and unique novels I've ever read. It was a wild, wild roller coaster ride of a book but also one that I feel will resonate with many readers and I enjoyed it very much.
"We are all people between worlds."
The protagonist was Kane Montgomery, a boy who woke up half-dead in a river nearby a burnt down mill with no memory of how it happened or most of his life before. However, slowly by surely he began to put the puzzle pieces together by finding his friends from before the accident and uncovering the sinister truth of what really happened.
Kane and his friends (who called themselves 'the Others') all had various superpowers and they used these to control and unravel 'reveries' wherever they arose. Reveries were manifestations of a person's deepest hopes, fears and dreams that leaked into reality and ensnared anyone in the vicinity of their source. They normally came with an elaborate plot that the people caught inside would unconsciously act out but the Others all possessed the ability to remain lucid in a reverie and could make sure it stayed safe and didn't go out of control.
"Sealed off things that steep too long in the human mind are doomed to grow bitter"
The reveries were all well fleshed out and intriguing and the author integrated these magical micro worlds into the real world very skillfully. I thought it was an extremely creative magic system but I would have liked it to be more explained as there are still aspects of reveries that I don't understand like the triggers, limits and rules of them. Also, I don't think Kane and his friends' purpose was well explained because most of the time, they seemed to make the reveries more dangerous than they were supposed to be.
Kane was caring, thoughtful and funny but his accident and the consequent amnesia made him feel like an outsider from himself. Also, his uncertainty in who to trust made him push away those trying to help him and he ended up feeling alone. He was the only openly gay person in his school and he keenly felt the pressure of people's judgement upon him, always feeling out of place.
However, as Kane discovered details about his life the reader did too, making his confusion really relatable. He rediscovered his previous friends and it was lovely to see how, after a bit of miscommunication, he started to rebuild his relationships with them once more. His whole character arc was about self-discovery, about giving himself a second chance and using it to save the world.
"Dreams can be the artifacts we excavate to discover who we really are"
The other characters were all nicely layered as well. I loved Ursula's calm yet strong nature and Adeline's steely no-nonsense attitude. Dean had a mysterious, aloof exterior but was actually really adorable and I'm glad that him and Kane had each other. I wish we got to see their relationship develop more. I also liked how Kane's relationship with his younger sister was portrayed. It was turbulent at times but during hardships their unconditional love and support shone through. The villain of the story was a drag queen sorceress called Poesy who, as the book states many times, was 'power personified'. While her motivations and decisions were very questionable she was a sassy, trinket gathering villain who was hard to always hate.
At its core, beneath the chaos and rainbows, Reverie was a story about how people, especially those ostracized by society, create refuges in their own minds and what happens when these go out of control. With its heartfelt LGBTQ+ representation, beautiful prose and loveable characters, Reverie is most certainly a worthwhile read. I had a few issues with the magic system but it was overall an enjoyable story.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinion expressed are my own.
December 22, 2020
this review is now available on my blog!
this has a lot of good ideas, such as the concept of a "reverie", a dream-like state that can pull people into it and have devastating consequences. unfortunately, i think the book failed to deliver on its promise.
kane made some stupid, illogical decisions such as trusting/not trusting certain people that made absolutely no sense and were clearly there only for the furthering of the plot. the plot itself was veryslow-going at first, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but even when it picked up it felt oddly disjointed, like an inexperienced knitter dropping stitches all the time.
the romance was same gender (m/m) which was nice, but the trajectory was very predictable. the characters were also not particularly interesting.
basically, a solid 3 star book: interesting premise, failed execution.
this has a lot of good ideas, such as the concept of a "reverie", a dream-like state that can pull people into it and have devastating consequences. unfortunately, i think the book failed to deliver on its promise.
kane made some stupid, illogical decisions such as trusting/not trusting certain people that made absolutely no sense and were clearly there only for the furthering of the plot. the plot itself was veryslow-going at first, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but even when it picked up it felt oddly disjointed, like an inexperienced knitter dropping stitches all the time.
the romance was same gender (m/m) which was nice, but the trajectory was very predictable. the characters were also not particularly interesting.
basically, a solid 3 star book: interesting premise, failed execution.
September 10, 2021
“That’s the thing about a big imagination. It’s hard to belong anywhere when you can always imagine something better.”
Definitely worth the read. Either I don't read enough ya fantasy anymore, or this was really unique, but I had so much fun. ✨
My imagination could finally fly, fly to the sky and to other dimensions.
“Witches interest me,” Dr. Poesy said. “If you look at most female archetypes—the mother, the virgin, the whore—their power comes from their relation to men. But not the Witch. The Witch derives her power from nature. She calls forth her dreams with spells and incantations. With poetry. And I think that’s why we are frightened of them. What’s scarier to the world of men than a woman limited only by her imagination?”
Also, I desperately want a paperback, but it's out of stock everywhere.
April 9, 2020
Yeah no ma'am.
This felt so underdeveloped and it was trying to be unique and offer something new to fantasy, but it was just confusing. The characters weren't fleshed out well at all and just yikes, I'm glad it's over.
This felt so underdeveloped and it was trying to be unique and offer something new to fantasy, but it was just confusing. The characters weren't fleshed out well at all and just yikes, I'm glad it's over.
September 6, 2019
This may have been the most campy and ridiculous story I've ever read (in the best way possible), but I loved Ryan La Sala's debut fantasy novel,
Reverie
! It was such an original story that gave me Inception and X-Men vibes and I was immediately put in a trance by the story.
Reverie
will be released December 3, 2019—thank you Sourcebooks Fire for my review copy in exchange for an honest review.
This young adult novel focuses on high school teenager Kane Montgomery and how he maneuvers through his high school after a car accident has left him with amnesia. Kane can remember who he is, but is having trouble remembering how to navigate through school, who his friends are, and what his hobbies include. It's hard enough being gay in his small town—bullied by the jocks during class and feeling like an outcast—let alone having complete amnesia. Kane starts noticing peculiarities in his day-to-day that are just not adding up. I will not explain what these peculiarities are, because that's the fun part! Kane starts realizing that he's part of a group called The Others and this group battles together to protect innocent people from these fantasies that turn into alternate realities, called reveries.
Think like Inception, but people aren't sleeping.
In these reveries, The Others unravel the situation in order to protect everyone involved—just because they are fantasies come to life, you could still be in danger. While Kane starts uncovering the mystery of his suspicious accident, he also tries to figure out who's a friend, and who's a foe.
Without going into further detail, I just want to say I'm OBSESSED with Reverie and I want to know more about how Ryan La Sala came up with this imaginative story. I was glued to the pages, flipping effortlessly while I ignored work responsibilities and life. I am NOT a fantasy reader by any means, so this four-star review is quite actually surprising for me. I loved every character, even the drag queen sorceress—WHICH I WILL NOT GIVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT—FIND OUT YASELF! I really was engulfed by this story, and allowed for my inner fantasy nerd to take over. I will be talking about Reverie for awhile.
This young adult novel focuses on high school teenager Kane Montgomery and how he maneuvers through his high school after a car accident has left him with amnesia. Kane can remember who he is, but is having trouble remembering how to navigate through school, who his friends are, and what his hobbies include. It's hard enough being gay in his small town—bullied by the jocks during class and feeling like an outcast—let alone having complete amnesia. Kane starts noticing peculiarities in his day-to-day that are just not adding up. I will not explain what these peculiarities are, because that's the fun part! Kane starts realizing that he's part of a group called The Others and this group battles together to protect innocent people from these fantasies that turn into alternate realities, called reveries.
Think like Inception, but people aren't sleeping.
In these reveries, The Others unravel the situation in order to protect everyone involved—just because they are fantasies come to life, you could still be in danger. While Kane starts uncovering the mystery of his suspicious accident, he also tries to figure out who's a friend, and who's a foe.
Without going into further detail, I just want to say I'm OBSESSED with Reverie and I want to know more about how Ryan La Sala came up with this imaginative story. I was glued to the pages, flipping effortlessly while I ignored work responsibilities and life. I am NOT a fantasy reader by any means, so this four-star review is quite actually surprising for me. I loved every character, even the drag queen sorceress—WHICH I WILL NOT GIVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT—FIND OUT YASELF! I really was engulfed by this story, and allowed for my inner fantasy nerd to take over. I will be talking about Reverie for awhile.
Read
May 24, 2020
January 30, 2020
Reverie is a story about the importance that dreams and fantasy have in people's lives, and how balancing them with reality is just as necessary. It's a story that gets on a deep level why the idea of escaping to a kinder world is so tempting to queer teenagers, but one that is also about learning to not run away from reality.
I think it's important to state that a significant part of my problems with this book come from me wanting it to be something different than what it was. At first, I thought that Reverie was all flash and no substance, but I was wrong, because it can clearly drive a point home when it wants to. It's just than more often than not, it seems to not want to, and I kept hoping it would.
So many topics, so many ideas are just touched upon, and I highlighted many parts, always hoping that I would get more about self-inserts, who gets to tell stories, belonging and not-belonging in reality, the reality of the unreal - specifically from a queer PoV, because all these things are important to me and I would love a book to actually go there. This isn't that book, and I've always been more for the introspective kind of weird (for a queer book that is introspective and talks about not losing yourself into fantasies in a similar yet completely different way, I recommend The Gallery of Unfinished Girls by Lauren Karcz).
But this is weird, don't doubt that for a minute. After all, it is about an amnesiac teenage boy and the powerful drag queen sorceress who is attempting to unravel the reality of Connecticut. Just not the kind of weird I like the most, and I didn't fully get what this book actually wanted to be. For a story about something as intimate as dreams and fantasies, the unusually distant third person narration was a really unusual choice, and one I didn't particularly like. Its penchant for telling and summarizing things (Kane did this and Kane did that and sense of passage of time, I don't know her), which might have worked in another context, didn't help here.
And apart from the angle about the meaning of dreams, I just don't think this is a particularly good story. The side characters are kind of stereotypes - lovable for the most part, yes, but they still didn't feel like they were people, especially the love interest - and the way this book starts with an amnesiac character rediscovering his friends muddled things instead of helping. I thought that being (re)introduced to these characters along with Kane would help me get to know their history, but I couldn't even get a grasp on how much Kane remembered at different points of the story, much less on the characters themselves. All the friendships, sibling bonds and relationships felt shallow as a result.
What I liked about the characters was the casual queerness. There are two side f/f couple (the subplot about the two elderly women in love is the sweetest part of this book), and what stood out the most was the character of Dr. Posey. She is fascinating and completely unlike every other antagonist you'll ever read about, the out-of-the-box heart of this unconventional book, and can I just say how great it is to read queer people's takes on the feminine gay villain trope? A homophobic archetype that readers were meant to be disgusted by, or laugh at, becomes someone that is meant to be admired and feared at the same time, powerful and dangerous.
Ultimately, Reverie wasn't really for me, but I think there's still a lot to appreciate about it, and I'm so glad that a YA book that is as unapologetically weird and gay as this one got published.
I think it's important to state that a significant part of my problems with this book come from me wanting it to be something different than what it was. At first, I thought that Reverie was all flash and no substance, but I was wrong, because it can clearly drive a point home when it wants to. It's just than more often than not, it seems to not want to, and I kept hoping it would.
So many topics, so many ideas are just touched upon, and I highlighted many parts, always hoping that I would get more about self-inserts, who gets to tell stories, belonging and not-belonging in reality, the reality of the unreal - specifically from a queer PoV, because all these things are important to me and I would love a book to actually go there. This isn't that book, and I've always been more for the introspective kind of weird (for a queer book that is introspective and talks about not losing yourself into fantasies in a similar yet completely different way, I recommend The Gallery of Unfinished Girls by Lauren Karcz).
But this is weird, don't doubt that for a minute. After all, it is about an amnesiac teenage boy and the powerful drag queen sorceress who is attempting to unravel the reality of Connecticut. Just not the kind of weird I like the most, and I didn't fully get what this book actually wanted to be. For a story about something as intimate as dreams and fantasies, the unusually distant third person narration was a really unusual choice, and one I didn't particularly like. Its penchant for telling and summarizing things (Kane did this and Kane did that and sense of passage of time, I don't know her), which might have worked in another context, didn't help here.
And apart from the angle about the meaning of dreams, I just don't think this is a particularly good story. The side characters are kind of stereotypes - lovable for the most part, yes, but they still didn't feel like they were people, especially the love interest - and the way this book starts with an amnesiac character rediscovering his friends muddled things instead of helping. I thought that being (re)introduced to these characters along with Kane would help me get to know their history, but I couldn't even get a grasp on how much Kane remembered at different points of the story, much less on the characters themselves. All the friendships, sibling bonds and relationships felt shallow as a result.
What I liked about the characters was the casual queerness. There are two side f/f couple (the subplot about the two elderly women in love is the sweetest part of this book), and what stood out the most was the character of Dr. Posey. She is fascinating and completely unlike every other antagonist you'll ever read about, the out-of-the-box heart of this unconventional book, and can I just say how great it is to read queer people's takes on the feminine gay villain trope? A homophobic archetype that readers were meant to be disgusted by, or laugh at, becomes someone that is meant to be admired and feared at the same time, powerful and dangerous.
Ultimately, Reverie wasn't really for me, but I think there's still a lot to appreciate about it, and I'm so glad that a YA book that is as unapologetically weird and gay as this one got published.
July 22, 2019
Whew, this was very very gay. It's like a magical drag queen vomited rainbows and cupcakes all over this book. And you know what? It was absolutely fantastic. Reverie has been one of my most anticipated reads ever since I first heard about it and it did not disappoint. It was beautiful and magical and not like anything I've read so far.
I really felt for Kane as he tried to put his life back together after a strange accident. He's lost a lot of memories and everything feels strange. I was right there with him as he uncovered every last bit of the truth and it left me sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time. I also loved the romance, though I felt a bit disconnected from it because of how it starts. I can't say more without spoiling, you'll have to read the book. Mhuahaha.
In short, Reverie is an amazing story that you absolutely have to check out when it finally releases.
I really felt for Kane as he tried to put his life back together after a strange accident. He's lost a lot of memories and everything feels strange. I was right there with him as he uncovered every last bit of the truth and it left me sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time. I also loved the romance, though I felt a bit disconnected from it because of how it starts. I can't say more without spoiling, you'll have to read the book. Mhuahaha.
In short, Reverie is an amazing story that you absolutely have to check out when it finally releases.
February 13, 2020
What's this, a new YA fantasy that was wholly disappointing? Colour me surprised! In all seriousness, this book has restored a bit of my hope in YA fantasy. No sign of a love triangle, no unadvertised romance that takes over the plot, I can hardly believe my eyes.
I did find myself a bit confused as to how the Reveries worked, but that was pretty much the only thing that was lacking for me.
I did find myself a bit confused as to how the Reveries worked, but that was pretty much the only thing that was lacking for me.
December 4, 2019
The act of crushing a dream can’t be minimised. At best, it’s mean. At worst, it’s murder.I need to stop getting sucked into book hype vortexes. I keep expecting too much and winding up disappointed, unsure if the let down is real or a result of the height of the pedestal I placed the book upon before I read the first sentence.
“Reveries are what happens when a person’s imagined world becomes real. They’re like miniature realities, with their own plots and rules and perils.”I absolutely adored the concept of Reverie and I love the design of the cover. I liked a lot of the sequences in the book, even though they felt disjointed at times, and thought the individual reveries I visited were very imaginative. So, what went wrong?
My main problem with this book was its characters. I never connected with any of them and, because of that, I wasn’t emotionally invested in what happened to them. I wanted to laugh with them, cry with them and be concerned for them, but I walked alongside them numb.
“You’re more powerful than you know.”I would have loved to have loved or hated various characters but in all honesty there are still two characters that remain interchangeable to me. I know both of their names but throughout the book, unless I was reading a description of one of them, I couldn’t remember which one they were.
“Every reverie has a plot. If you don’t follow the rules of the reverie, you risk triggering a plot twist, and plot twists can be pretty deadly for people trapped inside reveries.”There were so many elements I loved: a drag queen sorceress with her teacup, a character that has a much loved copy of Roald Dahl’s The Witches, pain transformed into power, subtitles appearing in a reverie whenever another language is spoken, and creations like a “gigantic nightmare horse-spider”. It should have all come together for me but it didn’t, and I’m gutted.
I’ve seen some glowing reviews of this book and I’m having major book envy; I wish I’d experienced the book the way they did. I’d encourage you to read some 5 star reviews. I hope you love it as much as they did.
Content warnings include .
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read this book.
June 15, 2021
I thought this was imaginative and had strongly realized characters.
I'm surprised by the low average rating. I can only guess, based on reviews and some general (i.e. not particularly aimed at this book) discussions I've seen here and on other social media, that the current trend or reader preference is toward having more idealized, likable, and admirable characters, and that many people were put off by how realistically flawed and often selfish and petty and dishonest almost everyone was. Personally I thought it made a nice change of tone. Maybe the world would be in better shape if more people who weren't heroic or smart made some effort to save it.
I'm surprised by the low average rating. I can only guess, based on reviews and some general (i.e. not particularly aimed at this book) discussions I've seen here and on other social media, that the current trend or reader preference is toward having more idealized, likable, and admirable characters, and that many people were put off by how realistically flawed and often selfish and petty and dishonest almost everyone was. Personally I thought it made a nice change of tone. Maybe the world would be in better shape if more people who weren't heroic or smart made some effort to save it.
December 24, 2019
This book is so amazing, really. Not enough words to describe the amazingness of it all.
So many queer characters. The main character's power is shooting rainbow etheral from his hands. That's awesome! And his nemesis is a drag queen. And his love interest. OMG I loved that book!!
The reveries are little universes within themselves, with a mind of their own. Don't try to challenge it (and Kane is sooooo good at that *facepalm*).
Seriously, this book breathes rainbows and queerness, and it's FANTASTIC.
Can't wait to see what Ryan writes next.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
So many queer characters. The main character's power is shooting rainbow etheral from his hands. That's awesome! And his nemesis is a drag queen. And his love interest. OMG I loved that book!!
The reveries are little universes within themselves, with a mind of their own. Don't try to challenge it (and Kane is sooooo good at that *facepalm*).
Seriously, this book breathes rainbows and queerness, and it's FANTASTIC.
Can't wait to see what Ryan writes next.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Fire for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
February 9, 2020
I forced myself through 60% of this book and finally gave up. I hated it. The writing was bad, the world building did not exist and made no sense. The main character had no personality trait besides gay. There’s so many better books out there with gay representation and this is a horrible example of one.
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