This was a good story, I thoroughly enjoyed the first one and was craving to get back into this world. At times I found myself thinking that the storyline was boring and not much was going on, but I also think that was kind of the point. Effy has undergone many traumatizing experiences, and this is her and Preston's journey navigating the aftermath. I liked getting to see Preston's point of view. I just wish there was more to the overall plot. I really enjoyed my time in this world though.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

I’ll start this by saying I absolutely loved A Study in Drowning. It was one of my favorite books that I read last year. Not realizing she was writing a sequel, I took it as a standalone. After reading A Theory of Dreaming, I wish it had been. I was bored throughout. Where the first was dark and mysterious, and actually earned the term gothic, this was depressing and unfocused, not gothic in any sense of the word. The characters changed drastically from one book to the next, not even a whisper of their original selves. The storyline wasn’t engaging and I found myself powering through just to finish. Unfortunately this wasn’t the sequel I had hoped for.

I adored the first book and knew I would love the second, and indeed I did. A fantastic depiction of how mental illness and grief lives within us, how little magics can be made within ourselves. Highly recommended.

A Theory of Dreaming felt more like a fiction novel more than a fantasy novel. This did not feel like part of a duology. Preston and Elly have a very codependent relationship and most of this plot surrounded that codependency.

Some trigger warnings: this story contains depictions of alcohol, use of pills, and suicide.

This review feels harsh, but I really do enjoy Ava Reid’s writing and I believe she is very talented. I will continue to read everything she publishes!

Thank you NetGalley and to the publishers for this ARC!

“The real magic was never the men themselves. It was their stories.”

Ava Reid never ceases to amaze me with her ability to write dark and atmospheric stories, without being too graphic in her YA books. A Theory of Dreaming manages to keep that eerie charm of its predecessor, with the author's unique and almost poetic style making it even more engaging.
Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy it as much as the first one, and I think that was because it was too inconsistent plot-wise. Many scenes felt like filler, as if they didn't add much to the story itself, although they did help a lot to understand the main characters' healing process after the events of the first book.
However, I do recommend it for those who enjoyed A Study in Drowning. It's still a beautiful and flowery encore, which delves much deeper into the characters, although the plot isn't strong enough to save it.

“Whatever faults I might have— and I have plenty—just know that I think of you, always. My mind is never empty of you. Not in waking; not even in dreaming.”

Overall rating: 3 stars
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Pub Date Jul 29 2025

Thank you to the author, HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I enjoyed this story! It was a cute little YA adventure that would be fun on a vacation. Recommend for sure!

I loved this book just as much as I did the first one. I like the friendship and I like the companionship I love the mystery and the atmospheric elements. Ava’s writing is unmatched. Definitely read this in 2025!!!

I absolutely loved diving back into this world! Effy and Preston truly have my heart in book two, they are so wonderfully fleshed out. This was definitely Preston’s book, and his POV was everything I wanted. He’s the perfect swoon-worthy lover boy! The story beautifully explores Effy’s mental health and the journey of healing and overcoming struggles. I appreciated how the author balanced realistic, deeply emotional issues with the magical, atmospheric world, creating an immersive experience.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc

Ava Reid has some of the most lyrical writing there is. This book had mystery and intrigue, but I wanted more from this gothic fantasy. Its tone fell flat compared to A Study in Drowning and I personally wanted more from Effy in this book.
Preston is the main character in this, with Effy as support, and while I enjoyed the story it just didn’t grab me as much as the first book.
This book has some major trigger warnings (incest/r*pe, su*cide attempt) that should be viewed prior to reading.

At the halfway point in this book, it felt like it was dragging but I was still intrigued and wanted to continue. It began to pick up again around the 70% mark and held my interest.
While it is an interesting story, I wish it had tackled more of the loose ends from the first book. I also wish that this book was a little more open ended, like a gothic fantasy should be. Overall it was enjoyable, but I would have been okay with A Study in Drowning being a standalone.

A moody, atmospheric addition to the Study of Drowning universe. The opening immediately hooked me with a news article style recap of book one + lyrical prose that oozes a gothic chilling ambiance, making it easy to remember what happened in book 1.
I liked how the dark academia setting was a lot heavier in this one (I felt the anxiety of imposter syndrome all too well). I will say though, the main conflict felt a bit repetitive from book 1 which made the plot a bit underwhelming. Still, I liked following the characters through their arcs/ the beautiful writing & vibes.

4 stars! 🌊💖

“Nothing is ever lost, only changed, and grief is no more than the knowledge that a wilted flower cannot be made again to bloom.”

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for sending me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

What a great way to wrap up a magical, lovely tale between Effy and Preston. As a huge fan of asid I was not sure how I would feel about a sequel, but it was so refreshing to be a part of this world again and read from the perspective of my favorite characters.

In “A Theory Of Dreaming” Effy is finally able to attend the literature college, although not without criticism from her peers. Preston is suffering with his own personal battles, while facing harassment for being Argantian as the ongoing war has increased in severity. With the help of one of his teachers, he is pushed into a “dream world” that makes him question his own reality and those within it. How will our beloved couple overcome these hardships?

I found that this sequel focused more on Preston and his insights rather than Effy’s. He has been struggling with his own demons and anxieties and does not want to share his feelings with others in fear of putting too much emotional strain on them. Effy is having an exhausting battle with her own mental health that is especially heartbreaking as she cannot recognize the fact that she deserves love, and a promising future.

Loving someone with severe anxiety while suffering with your own, is such a hard task and I really appreciate the way Reid writes about this experience in such a sympathetic and understanding manner.

Although dark at times, the ending was a light at the end of the tunnel and felt like real closure for these two.

Que the happy tears 😭✨

This book legitimately healed something in me I didn't even realize was wounded.

A Theory of Dreaming picked up almost exactly where A Study in Drowning left off, and it was so nice not to feel like the story was backtracking to world build. It started at the same high ASiD ended with, and it kept that same momentum the entire time.

Following Preston as he struggled to differentiate between reality and fantasy was the best choice Ana Reid could have made for a sequel. Effy still gets her own POV, and she is in no way a background character, but Preston still had so much to learn about himself and the world. In that sense, I think this is a fantastic example of the New Adult genre.

A Theory of Dreaming really sheds light on the pain of growing up - the almost self directed betrayal of leaving childhood behind. There's only so much you can experience before the darkness of life creeps in, and when it does, no one knows what to do. Whether it's grief, love, loss, or just a general establishing between right and wrong, the person you become as you step into adulthood is crafted by the sacrifice of who you were in your childhood, and that's a journey Preston and Effy both go on in this novel.

It was agonizing to see Preston and Effy struggle and search for meaning while not leaning on the other. There were so many times I thought they would finally confide in the other, and it was maddening to see them choose differently. However, I think that again plays into the emotional depth of both of them and their growing up. Love is hard and weird and scary, and when you don't really know what it should be, you have no idea how to accept it. While Preston and Effy clearly love each other, it's extremely fragile to them both because neither knows what they're getting into. It was actually really beautiful to see them get it wrong and get it right.

In terms of story, Ava Reid is just so smart. I mean, really. Not only did this beautifully written book contain various journeys through self acceptance, change, love, self assurance, and more, the fantasy plot was also extremely engaging. It was a constant push and pull between real and potentially real, and the tension never once became stagnant despite there being no "big bad" in the story. And the war/discrimination story line that was explored with Preston! It was just brilliant.

A Theory of Dreaming really made me feel so much. It's a love letter to story. It's a self help book for readers who feel as lost as Effy and Preston in their pursuit of the world. It's an embrace for young adults who are looking around them and questioning if they have the strength to try to follow their dreams. It's a hand to hold for the grieving, and it's a nod of encouragement to those that have forged themselves back together again and again. It's an acknowledgement of strength and a daring request to keep going.

Though this book is "dark academia" or "romance" or "fantasy" or "fairytale", it's so much bigger than any of those. Reading A Theory of Dreaming was truly an experience, and I dare to say it has deeply affected me as a person. This was an incredible and beautiful read, and I am extremely grateful Ava Reid decided to finish Effy and Preston's stories.

Ava Reid is an auto-read author for me and I’ve loved their work tremendously. When I read Study in Dreaming I read it slowly, to really savor the beautiful work she’d built for Effy and Preston. Although I originally believed it to be a standalone, I was excited to see they’d written a sequel to spend more time in that space.

I think had I read Study in Dreaming more recently, I may have felt like A Theory in Dreaming was repetitive, but the expansion on revisited themes, when paired with an added perspective from Preston, there was just enough variation for A Theory in Dreaming to be its own book.

I don’t know that I’d recommend reading this as a duology, back to back. But if you’ve read A Study in Dreaming and are wistful about the feelings you had when reading it, this was a lovely addition. We get a great deal more color on Preston’s homelife and background, a fuller picture of what the war is costing him personally, and a really charming friendship with his dilettante roommate.

The whole novel was an entire vibe – it felt like a Pinterest board sprung to life– from the dreamscape to the dark academia settings. On that alone, I got so much joy from reading this novel.

I wish tremendously however that the relationship between Preston and Effy, two young main characters, hadn’t been wrapped up in the way it was – it felt age inappropriate, and like a poor choice given Effy’s ordeals of the novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the advance copy! I look forward to reading more of Reid's work!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I so badly wanted to love this book but I couldn’t find myself immersed into the world. Whereas A Study in Drowning was an absolute wonder of a read for me, the plot and characters ultimately fell flat in this sequel. Reid’s writing is still beautiful, if a bit too atmospheric at times, but the story feels like it’s barely moving and more so just existing. The new characters didn’t enrich the plot, and honestly I found Preston and Effy to be far more boring than their initial introductions. There are moments of true excitement in this book but they’re typically overshadowed by the way this book just insists upon itself. While not the worst sequel I’ve ever read, I’m not sure it is one I think needed to be written.

This book lived up to all my expectations and more. It was lyrical, the prose and storyline engaging, and I cannot recommend it enough. Ava Reid excels at writing, and I will be foaming at the mouth for every book of hers that comes out.

This book was an absolutely beautiful experience. When I finished book 1, I thought the story was complete, and I am so happy Reid did not agree. The sequel was just as haunting and ephemeral as the first. I felt completely immersed in both the waking and dreaming worlds. I was right there spiraling with Effie and Preston, the walls of reality were closing in on me, and I relished every moment of it. I found myself trying to read only a few chapters a day so the experience could last as long as possible.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for giving me this ARC of 'A theory of dreaming ' by Ava Reid.

This was an anticipated sequel of 'a study in drowning ' which I really enjoyed very much. The characters were flawed and realistic. The writing was lyrical and heart wrenching. Though, I believe this book needs some trigger warning, especially about the implied incest. The portrayal of mental health issues was so well done. The characters were multidimensional complex. Overall, I really enjoyed sobbing through this whole book.

I’d like to start off with some trigger warnings for this book and the content that will be discussed in this review. Ava Reid is known for delving deep into sensitive topics that may not be appropriate or safe for all to consume.
* Heavily implied sexual relationship between father / daughter
* Attempted s**cide via overd*se
* R*cism
* S*xism
* Mentions of abus*r

I went into this book with three goals: I wanted to see more of Preston’s character development, I needed more world building especially in terms of the Sleepers and the on-going war, and I wanted to find out more about the bells. All of these items were promised in the blurb so I had extremely high hopes for this book as many of these items were what I found lacking in the first installment of the series.

To begin, Preston, unfortunately is still, what I like to call, a soggy cardboard character. If you replaced him with a box, the story wouldn’t change. He felt flat and was often times hard to read because he was either worrying or livid and there was no in between for him. His whole character relied on emotional instability which was never really commented on or delved into. In relation to Effy, their relationship almost felt toxic because he was either indifferent towards her in that he hardly noticed her rapidly declining mental state or so overprotective of her he left no room for air. Overall, I don’t think his character and the trauma that he suffered was handled well in any aspect.

Effy wasn’t much better in this regard. Rightly so, she still deals with the terror left behind by the Fairy King but this also comes with a somewhat new development of feeling like an overwhelming burden to those around her. While this is a very real thing for people who suffer from mental illness, especially major depressive disorder, I felt like it wasn’t handled well or with the care and sensitivity that it should have. One second Preston is going through with this exhilarating but horribly stupid plan and in the same breath Effy is literally crashing out (for lack of a better word) over something completely unrelated and seemingly minuscule in the moment, which ended up minimizing her struggles in the reader’s eye. There was just so much going on in the book and the pacing was all off so you couldn’t appreciate what Reid was trying to do with the moment. The reader is given no time to digest or empathize with the characters and it makes them appear inauthentic and suspiciously like a checkbox made for dramatic effect.

In terms of the Sleepers, in which only one besides Myrddin is discussed in this sequel, the story mimicked the first in that Effy was actively working to dethrone another sleeper (which I applaud). For me, I don’t think there is ever an excuse to write inc*stual relationships in a Young Adult fantasy novel. Yes, the book ends on a good note in which these situations will no longer be covered up and victims may find justice but I think the same could have been accomplished with Angharad’s story all the same. It just felt so abrupt to be reading the Letters and you digest the meaning behind them and your stomach is turning and there is no escape, you can’t unread it. This would have been hard hitting and meaningful if it were meant for the right audience. However, this is not a book for Young Adults and shouldn’t be marketed as such. As a side note while we’re on the topic of Sleepers, I wasn’t particularly thrilled that all the history and magic behind the Sleepers boiled down to a single sentence the government slipped into an ancient text to uplift their war cause. It felt cheap.

To add cause to injury, the world building was flimsy at best, the magic system was non-existent (literally), the characterization had no development from the first book, and the overall writing and syntax were disjointed and confusing.

I can say I did enjoy Lotto, even though he was only a small percentage of the story. His comedic relief could have done so much more for the reader but he was unfortunately ill utilized. I also really appreciated the unfolding of Antonia’s story throughout the many texts and how important syntax can be in literary analysis. And most of all, I loved the ending. If there is one thing Ava Reid did well with this book it was write a good fulfilling ending. I’m happy to see these women get justice and the literature college and the two nations changing for the better. Overall, this book had some strong points that I really wish Reid had leaned into,. Honestly, I don’t think the magic did it any justice, it would have been a beautiful story all on its own but there was just too much crammed into a small format with little realization of any of the components. I think this will be the final book I read by this author.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the eARC. This review was voluntarily written and all opinions contained within this review are my own.

4 ⭐️ Thank you Harper Collin and NetGalley for this ARC!

Wow. This book brought the emotion and depth of this world to a new level. I cried reading Reid's portrayal of depression and escapism. It was lyrical but really brutally honest in a manner that was fitting for a YA book. I did struggle some truly connecting Preston's ARC to the overall world stage crisis and felt that needed a bit more fleshing out but it didn't detract from the journey the characters took. Overall- if you loved Preston and Effy in book 1, buckle up and pick this up this summer!

As I’ve said before (and will absolutely keep saying), Ava Reid is an auto-read for me. Full stop. A Theory of Dreaming was no exception. Her dreamy, poetic prose and lush, immersive worlds get me every single time. I’m not usually someone who can easily visualize what I’m reading — I don’t exactly “see” books like a movie in my head — my brain just doesn’t work that way. But this book (like most of her others) read like an actual dream: strange, beautiful, a little unsettling, and impossible to look away from.

And listen — I’m not particularly sentimental. (Feelings? Gross.) But this book found me at the exact right moment, when I was neck-deep in managing my own mental health while also holding space for someone I love navigating much bigger, scarier waters. That made Effy and Preston’s story hit extra hard. In this sequel, we get to see Preston’s darkness explored alongside Effy’s, and their messy, achingly tender, complicated love for each other absolutely wrecked me. It’s such a powerful reminder that real love — the kind that actually lasts — isn’t about perfection or pedestals. It’s about showing up with all your cracks and chaos and trusting the other person to stay anyway.

I also loved the structure of this book — slipping between lectures, letters, diary entries, and more. It gave me that delicious, academic, gothic vibe I crave, while the fantastical elements quietly reflected the dark, cruel currents running just under the surface. What’s the quote? “Knowledge is power, but power is rarely kind.” The plot did feel a bit repetitive as a sequel, but honestly, I didn’t mind. I’m here for the formula.

Returning to this world felt like visiting an old, beloved building — the kind where the wallpaper is peeling, the air smells of musty memories, and the drowning dreamworld is battling reality.

Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review