"It wasn't just about finding a world that would tolerate him. It was about imagining a world that loved him back."

For the dreamers who find both solace and escape in their imagination, for the people who have taken their struggles and turned them into a source of incredible strength: this one is for you.

Seriously, Reverie will be one of those books that sticks in my mind for years to come. Gorgeously written, imaginative, unapologetically queer, and absolutely astounding. Kane and the situations he navigates throughout the novel are not only presented with engaging clarity, they have the potential to speak to people on so many levels that I couldn't possibly list them all. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put this magical, touching book down until I completed its journey—I devoured (and cried through) it in one sitting.

A book I am infinitely glad exists in the world and highly recommended.

Reverie is one of those books that, if you really like the concept, you'll probably really like. It's very weird and creative. For me, it may have been a little *too* weird and out there. That doesn't mean that people won't love this book. It had some very strong points.

I really liked the characters. Kane is recovering from some serious memory loss, and he's trying to piece together what is and isn't true. In addition, he's gone through a lot of trauma and is potentially in trouble with the police. His sister is caring but a little nosy. As the story progresses, we meet other people who Kane has to either figure out whether to trust or not. Kane is confused, and as a reader, we are also taken along in the confusion.

Kane realizes that in his town, there are these waking dreams called reveries. They pull in other people that happen to be around. Most people don't realize that they're in these reveries, but a few people are lucid during them. They have some sort of responsibility to help the reveries get to their natural progression and come to its conclusion.

It was all a little too much for me. Kane had to piece together his missing memories, figure out who to trust, and figure out what he needed to do with these reveries. As a reader, it was a little overwhelming. That might not be the case for some people, who might find it incredibly imaginative and engaging, but it was a little too out there for me.

The book also had several loose ends. In the beginning of the book, the police were going after Kane, but I really didn't see how that got resolved (other than I know it must have). I also never knew why the reveries were going on in the first place. It seemed in the end, there was still a sense of danger, but the book reads like a stand-alone book.

If you're looking for a very different, imaginative book, Reverie might be right up your alley. It was just okay for me though.

Oh my goodness the description of this book was fabulous!! I was so excited for this one and wanted to love it so much. I think books like this about queer people are so, so important and I want to see more of them. Unfortunately, the writing and the plot fell a little short for me. The characters kind of melded together and weren’t really differentiated. There was definitely a lot of non stop action but I do wish the world building had been more clear.

I have a lot of mixed feelings on this book because, for me, the first half of the book was a complete drag and I almost DNF’d it. However, I found the second half of the book to be fast paced and entertaining. My other problems with this book come from the fact that I didn’t really care for or about our main character. Frankly, he was kind of mean and told a lot of lies that ended up making his situation worse when he could have just told the truth and things would have worked out so much better, but on a certain level I also felt for him and what he was going through.
What I did like were the side characters and the plot. I thought the story was really interesting and unique which I really appreciated. The concept of reveries was very cool and I really enjoyed reading about them. Also this was a diverse story with lots of LGBTQ+ representation.

Reverie has been on my shelves for a while now so I picked it up this week to read. I actually ended up reading a third of it in one sitting. I don’t know if that was in an effort to figure out what was going on, or whether I was fully interested. I liked Reverie, I liked the premise, but having just finished it, I’m left a bit wanting. I expected there to be more to it I think, and I was left a bit deflated when I got to the end. It was a good read but it had some issues.

Ryan La Sala's debut YA Fantasy is wildly imaginative and deeply immersive! It's just plain FUN.
REVERIE is a story that will stick with you long after the last page.

(This is my attempt at a spoiler-free review lol. Wish me luck lol) REVERIE is incredibly imaginative and the story pulls you in right away. From the opening pages, you can't help but love Kane (the protagonist) and sympathize with their plight. The mystery that's wrapped itself around Kane's life will have you chewing your nails completely off (so just don't even polish them) the entire read. I love the ultimate internal (and external) battles Kane has to face. Kane's journey is SO relatable, connecting to the deepest parts of what makes us human.

You will love Kane. You hear me? L O V E.

I also really love a strong sense of place and REVERIE just swept me away with its descriptive details. I can't help but marvel at how the author created such vividly real fantastical settings. *Officially applauding, now* The prose is absolutely stunning and the author's ability to put you right in Kane's head and heart is palpable. (I really love close POV.) I can personally attest that this is the kind of book you open to dip into and hours later you find yourself still reading!

Grab REVERIE, clear your schedule--you're in for a wild, unforgettable ride. And you can expect to come out the other side changed. <3

This book is lush, imaginative, and so very queer. It is a story all young members of the LGBT community would want to read, and it’s a breath of fresh air from the heteronormative stories clogging up the genre.

I was interested when I saw the cover, but I was sold when I read “Inception meets The Magicians.” I really enjoyed this one! I’d read more from this author.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the copy of this book for my honest review.

I liked Inception, I liked The Magicians. I was not a fan of Ryan La Sala’s Reverie. The description was intriguing enough, the police found Kane half-dead in a river and he has no memory of what happened. There are promises of dragging and danger and wildly imaginative plot elements.

But I didn’t see it. I stopped at a quarter of the way through Reverie and had to push myself to get there through the mundanity. La Sala’s writing is strong but the plot was weak and the characters could not hold my interest long enough for me to wait for monsters.

In that 25%, a single monster showed up. I never saw a subterranean temple or a Victorian home rife with scandal and sorcery. I did see a lot of sass.

Kane’s sass is really the only thing that kept me reading. He’s got an answer for everything whether or not he says it out loud.

Ultimately, I think the writing is enough to carry fans through the rest of the story where it wasn’t enough for me.

I honestly don’t even know where to begin with this review. This book was so beautifully original and unique. Reveries are daydreams that have become real, they suck people nearby into them. When this happens, most people are not lucid. They play along with their parts of the daydream without being aware. The Others are a group of teens who stay lucid in the Reveries. They keep the story going as smoothly as they can and then ‘unravel’ them so that everyone stays safe. Each of the Others has a power to help them. I thought this was so cool! It’s so incredibly original! And also huge props to La Sala for creating so many worlds within his story!
Also there’s so many queer characters!!! Love that. I always want as many queer characters as possible.

Something I really enjoyed about this novel was that the villain is a drag queen. She is a villain, but not because she’s queer or a drag queen, but because she’s a genuinely bad person. That was pretty cool. It works and isn’t offensive because the main character, Kane, is gay. While I sympathized with Kane because of how ostracized he was for being gay, I just really didn’t like him? His personality is just so unlikeable, which I feel is very unusual for a main character. He was just so angry and mean to everyone. He threatened to kill the Others so many times throughout the book. He’s probably why I didn’t give this book 5 stars. He annoyed me a lot.
All the other characters were so awesome though!! They are very three dimensional characters! I especially loved Sophia, Kane’s sister. I really enjoyed their relationship too. It felt like a very organic sibling relationship, which I feel like we don’t get in novels very often. Dean was adorable! I kinda wish we could have learned a little more about his background.

I felt like the action got to be a little too much towards the end. I found myself skimming it more than reading. After all the drama was resolved, though, I really enjoyed the ending. It felt really natural and peaceful, which was perfect for the tone of the story.

I liked the originality of this story, though I wish the main character could have been a tad more likeable. I recommend this for anyone who enjoys unique and magical stories!

Inception is one of my absolute favorite movies, so when I saw it listed as a comp title for this book, I really didn't need to read the rest of the blurb.

"Wildly imaginative" is a perfect description of this book.  Easily one of the most creative novels I've read this year.  Kane is confused and unable to remember much of the trauma he recently experienced.  He feels like a stranger in his own bedroom, and many of his personal items are a mystery to him.  I was all in and needed to know more.  Kane's quest to discover who he is takes the reader on an incredible, illusory journey through the fantasies/dreams/reveries of other people.  At times, you may not know what's real or make-believe.  Some of the characters have powers that come in handy when these reveries spiral out of control.  And there's also a sorceress-like drag queen with a killer wardrobe.  Can I just mention the creativity again?

Kane's character is a treasure, and even in his confusion, his sense of humor shines through.  His sister, Sophia, also has some memorable quips.  While I liked the other supporting characters, I wanted more information about them and how they'd come together.  By the end of the novel, I felt as if I barely knew them.  

With themes of sibling bonds and friendships, amazing representation, and vividly imaginative dream sequences, Reverie will leave you feeling like you just stepped off a bizarre carousel ride through a fantasy world.  And I enjoyed every minute of it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was so interested in Reverie from the moment I saw the cover, then I read the synopsis and I couldn’t wait to pick it up. I am so happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was as magical as I hoped it would be!

Reveries are basically someone’s dreams made into a reality. Each world is more extravagant and beautiful than the last. They all are completely different and have their own sets of rules. The author does a great job at explaining how everything works with in them. It can be a lot to take in at times, but it’s written in a way that is easy to understand. You never truly know what is going to happen while the characters are inside of these reveries so there are quite a few twists and turns along the way. I was on the edge of my seat for a majority of the book.

From the very beginning we are aware that the main character Kane has no memories from the past few months. So while he is learning all the ins and outs of reveries, so are we. I really loved learning about the magic system and the world right along side him.

This wasn’t a romance based fantasy, but the relationship between two of the characters was precious. I really loved chemistry they had. I do wish that we were able to see more of them all throughout the story though.

The only issue I had with this book was the way the reveries were unraveled. Since each world was so complex, I expected more from the unraveling. It just seemed a little bit too easy and convenient for my liking.

Overall, I really did like Reverie. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a fun and creative fantasy!

A magical book that will give you a hangover. Reverie is a book described as "Inception" meeting "The Magicians" in a wildly imaginative story about what happens when the secret worlds people hide within themselves come to light. These secret worlds that manifest into the real world portrays the inner most feelings and desires, pain and fears of an individual. To understand how it works, you'll have to read the book. (hehe)

So, what I really enjoyed about this book was the world building. It was full of imaginative creations and everything was so magical (well, it should be since it is kinda fuelled by magical energy). I mean, when there are so many different worlds that are reveries in a single book, you just can't help but feel the magic radiating from it. Once again, I can't expound more since it will lead to spoilers.

Besides that, I thought the character development was tied very well to the plot. They were all very suspenseful beckoning me to unravel the truth behind each character. I was also always on the edge of my seat expecting a plot twist at any moment because in this particular world building, plot twists were allowed to happen anytime when one of the characters made a bad decision (I don't know why it is always the main character that makes the mistakes in most stories though).

Next, let's talk about the writing style. I honestly thought it was good. It was simple and easy to understand which made the experience all the more of a smooth ride. I mean most fantasy books are pretty heavy, so this kind of writing style kinda balances it out.

Overall, it was a great book though some dialogues were pretty cliche. I would definitely recommend this book to others because I feel like it is one of those books that really brings you to a different world like a great escape.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Sourcebooks Fire through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for providing me with an arc to review!

This book was an absolute whirlwind. It had been awhile since I have devoured a book as quickly as I did Reverie. I found the writing to be beautiful and there were certain lines that just spoke to the queer experience so well. Also, to anyone who has any questions about how to write using singular they Ryan La Sala provides so easily for you. I enjoyed being able to learn things through Kane's eyes as processes and pieces together what his world looks like. What a beautiful debut!

“Dreams can be parasites we sacrifice ourselves too. Dreams can be monstrous, beautiful things incubated in misery and hatched by spite. Or dreams can be the artifacts we excavate to discover who we really are”

I honestly don’t know where to start with this book. It has a bit of everything… actually, a lot of everything. Contemporary fantasy. Action-adventure. Romance. YA friendship dramas. All through the unapologetically queer rainbow-tinted glasses… I mean, there is a drag queen sorceress as a central character.

I was instantly hooked into this book, from the first page of the opening chapter. Teenager Kane has woken after an accident, missing an enormous chunk of his memory, and a focus of the local police. He embarks on the adventure – with the often unwilling help of his protective sister Sophia – to piece together his missing past, and what he begins to uncover very quickly becomes very surreal as he meets the people known as the Others and learns where he fits into their lives.

This story really is an adventure, and through the reveries – the worlds created by people unaware of the fact that their daydreams have become very real – the reader is taken across multiple worlds on multiple planes of reality. The ensemble characters could have been explored a little more, I feel, but they still feel defined enough to have distinct personalities.

What brought my rating down slightly was my inability to fully picture some of the reveries, or rather, not having the time to have each new world feel real enough. That was just because once in the reveries, the book became so fast paced in true action-adventure style, that some aspects whizzed by. I think that this book could work really well as a screen adaptation for that reason!

“Just because something is imagined doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous”

Rating: 3.5/5, rounded to 4 stars

I loved the flamboyance and sheer queerness of this book and it was super imaginative and creative. This story is campy, over the top, and exactly what I was expecting from La Sala, knowing his twitter persona. It started very strong with a creepy mystery that immediately drew me in. When the nature of the weirdness became clearer I was a bit hesitant but still willing to go with it. Things quickly became very bizarre and surreal. The real world and imaginary worlds or reveries as they are called get all tangled up and mashed together and it’s difficult to unravel what is happening in the real world and what is happening in the imaginary ones. I’m still not sure about the real world consequences for things that happen in the reveries and I never quite wrapped my head around the whole concept. I have to admit I am imminently logical and look for explanations for everything and this book is the opposite of logical and straight forward.

Reverie is a really fun read with a gay main character whose super power is to shoot rainbows out of his fingers and a possibly villainous drag queen sorceress. It was a fun ride but I really wanted more in terms of explanation. I wanted to know how and why things were happening and the only answer I got was that it was magic and so no more explanation was needed. I wanted to know more about the reveries and how all of the people around them didn’t notice the weird things going on. Are they invisible until you’re inside them? How do people not just accidentally walk into a reverie? Near the end with multiple reveries happening at the same time as the real world it all got a bit confusing and messy. I think this story would be most appealing to readers who can just go with the flow and not ask questions about the mechanics. It’s obviously a magical world and the laws that apply to our world do not apply to this one. I think it’s a mistake to try to make it all make sense. It should be enjoyed for what it is which is a magical, queer romp unlike anything you’ve ever read before.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.

This book is fantasy at the best quality it can be. On top of that its QUEER friendly, not even just queer friendly but all over queer! This books takes readers on a journey that they wont forget. Creating a magical world with friendship, a thrilling plot, and great friendships! I LOVED it!

this was okay, the cover was absolutely beautiful and the author is charming. i wish i was more wowed but it didn’t have that wow factor moment.

This book had an inventive and unique premise that was sadly let down by a confusing magic system, an attempt to build several worlds and mini plots, and lackluster character development.

I think the biggest mistake of the book was letting our main character, Kane, kick off the story with an amnesia plot line. It required us follow along a gather clues about an already existing world and story from the perspective of a character that had no idea what was going on.

A major part of the book is spent inside of reveries which are manifestations of people's subconscious/dreams in the form of a story that has to be brought to a conclusion in order to "unraveled" by Kane and given back to the person it belongs to. Each reverie has its own setting, rules, and plot. Most of the action sequences take place inside of a reverie.

The reveries themselves are an interesting tool, but because they are so individual and complex, it was impossible to get a grip on the story. The combination of the reveries, amnesia, and lies from multiple characters made it difficult to anticipate anything or have any sort of expectations going forward. Ultimately, this aspect was the biggest contributor to my disappointment in this story.

My other issue is with the characters and their development. Kane has a friend group, but the memories of his friends are gone, meaning we get none of his feelings about them and have to learn about 4 different characters from the ground up. A character can't develop if there's no foundation. The love interest, Dean, had an interesting arc, but it began late in the story and felt rushed.

I also could not tell you anything about the motivation of the villain aside from her being power mad. She is a drag queen sorceress, but that seemed to be her only character trait.

A few positive aspects of this story - the sibling relationship between Kane and Sophia was genuine and heartfelt, but with a good amount of real conflict and sibling squabbles that any sibling could tell you about. Also, Kane is a gay teen that never really had a chance to be in the closet, leaving him feeling isolated in his school. These feelings were exacerbated by the lost memories of his friends, and his thoughts reflect that in a sincere way.

I absolutely loved the concept of this book! Living in a world where your dreams can be manifested into reality sounds like fun and games, but this story manages to show the stakes of it and makes it so unique. The relationships that develop in Reverie were so organic, and I was left wanting to see more of all of them. Although I wish some concepts that were introduced were touched upon more, everything that happened made for a very interesting plot.