I enjoyed a lot of the elements of this book, but they felt rather clumsily put together. I kept finding myself feeling like I was reading an entirely different novel as I went through the chapters. Usually it's a good thing, to feel like you know the book you're reading and then be utterly surprised when everything changes, but here it felt confusing and disorienting. I really liked the characters and the LGBT+ representation within the plot. The romance was sweet but felt rushed and undeveloped.

This sucker is WILD. Imagine if an acid trip could write a book, but got bonked on the head halfway through and couldn't remember what it had already done. That's Reverie.

I had high hopes for this one after reading the description butI found it falling a bit flat. It is such an interesting idea for a story- a secret group of teens that are able to remain lucid during dreams that border on reality and imaginings. The main character is very difficult to get to know and although the other teens in the group are supposed to be close friends with him and each other, that did not seem at all convincing. I felt confused during the first half of the book while the main character tried to regain his memories & understand what exactly his secret group was all about and where he stood in it. I didn't get to really know any of the characters like I wanted to. Hardly anything about family for either of them, not much of a backstory. The book as a whole reads more like a first draft than a complete novel. It just didn't grab my attention but possibly would be more interesting for junior high aged readers.

I had trouble getting into the writing style and character development in this book. It is a story of a young gay boy who is trying to piece back together his lost memories. The story would be great for younger readers, but maybe not a great fit for the YA category.

This was really interesting read. I thought the concept of imaginary worlds come to life. I really like the diverseness of this book. The cover is beautiful as well.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book!*

Kane has had a terrible accident, yet he cannot remember anything. Police suspect that he deliberately crashed the car in order to commit suicide. Kane is sure that he would never had done it. When he encounters his supposedly appointed gender-fluid psychiatrist for an examination, he learns that things are even more mysterious and magical than he first thought...

This, according to the blurb, mix of Inception and the Magicians did disappoint because it wasn't half as good as either Inception or the Magicians. I think my high hopes are part of this mediocre review. I was not expecting a book for 14 yo but YA or adult fantasy. Well. Maybe I would've liked this better had I been a decade younger.

2,5 stars because it was partly entertaining

The review will be posted on Goodreads and my blog on December 7, 2019
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If the Matrix existed at a modern Hogwarts ... The Reverie is what might be written about it. I loved this book and if you enjoy YA novels about magic, friends with the added touch of an evil Drag Queen who's trying to destroy the world... well, then this is the perfect book for you.

The book opens with Kane Montgomery dealing with the aftermath of a violent incident he has no memory of. The police are still questioning him, his sister Sophie doesn't seem to trust him and Kane can't remember even the most simple things about his life. 

When Kane goes back to school, he begins to realize that everything around him isn't what it seems. There's the magnetic boy with the seafoam eyes who no one else seems to know. There's a Drag Queen Sorceress who claims to be attempting to help Kane. There are The Others who say they are Kane's friends even though he can't remember them.

It turns out that the world isn't what Kane thinks... at all. There is magic in the world and part of that manifests itself in reveries. People's subconscious minds weave together dream-like worlds that have a plot that must play out. Normal people are drawn into the reveries and become characters in elaborate stories. The problem is that reveries can be dangerous if lucid people don't go along with the plot... the reveries have to reach their natural conclusion.

Kane was part of a team that used to try and eradicate reveries by letting them play out and then using their magical skills to unravel them. Then the others tried to hurt Kane and stole his memories. Kane doesn't know who to believe, or who he trusts or what role he plays in a world full of reveries.

This is an adventure story about a world that has been touched by magic. It has a little bit of romance, a lot of heroes fighting monsters and some delightful twists and turns.

I was so bummed when I had to miss the Friday of BookExpo because I had broken my ankle the previous morning leaving our hotel. I literally have the best co-bloggers because they surprised me by snagging a copy of Reverie that is one of my anticipated reads for 2020. Ryan La Sala a debut author, did not disappoint. This book was everything I hope for it to be and more. I don't know about everyone else but I am obsessed with the cover and I think it captures the vibes of Reverie relativity well. Side Note: Ursula would have this cover with a burning passion, why you may ask? Well you'll have to read to find out. But I hope Ursula isn't too disappointed in the cover.

I'm still trying to find the correct words to describe this book, because I don't think that the words I write down will even do it an ounce of justice. Reverie is unlike any book I have read before, and I have read a lot of books. Ryan La Sala’s debut fantasy is an #OwnVoices novel about Kane, a gay teen living in Connecticut who is trying to piece his life back together after loosing most of his memories. Only, Kane loosing his memories isn't simply amnesia as everyone thinks and there are darker things at play.

"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."


What are Reveries you ask? Reveries are basically someone's dreams, nightmare or inner fantasy that becomes a reality that sucks in the people around it. Each Reverie has its own unique plot to follow and if you don't follow them they become extremely dangerous and unstable. There is a set of rules and they must be followed, at all costs. The only way to unravel a Reverie is by resolving the conflict. But what happens what the evil maniacal drag queen sorceress gets a hold of the Reveries? Well, lets just say it isn't pleasant.

I liked Kane from the start of the novel. Part of me felt bad for him. Kane explains early on in the book that he was outed at a young age and because of that he was always distant from his peers and other people his age. Has some memories start coming back and her begins to learn new things, he finds out that the people who were suppose to have his back: Ursula, Adeline and Elliot betrayed him by wiping his memories and all but setting him up to be found at the scene of his "accident." You can imagine how much that betrayal probably hurt. Kane and his friends are part of a group called The Others and they deal with Reveries. (But that is all I am going to tell you because I don't want to spoil the book for those who plan on reading!)

I want to take a moment to say that even though Posey is the villain in this novel I LOVED her character with all my heart. Posey is the villainous drag queen that we have heard all about. Sassy, eccentric and ruthless there was part of me that couldn't hate her even though I probably should have.

I loved every moment of this book and the intricate and creative worlds Ryan was able to create. As I said earlier, this book is everything I hoped for plus more and I super eager to see what Ryan has in store for his readers next. Reverie is a not to be missed novel of 2020 and Ryan is an author who should be on your radar.

I think Reverie is great for young readers and it's one I want to see in school libraries. The MC is a young gay boy who isn't sexualized on page (looking at you, women-who-write-m/m-YA); his experience of queerness felt deep and true and I think it'll resonate with teenagers. The idea of the "reverie" is conceptually very compelling, Sala's prose is absolutely gorgeous, and the action-packed book will keep readers turning pages.

This is not a story that I feel blends the line between YA and Adult; it's not really for older readers, and that's okay. I almost think it would have been better as a Middle Grade book, and I can see 12- and 13-year-olds reading it more than older teens. The reason: The character development isn't especially deep. This isn't an issue for Middle Grade books, but makes the book less compelling for readers like me, who value characterization above everything else. It often felt like plot points were dictated more by the author's pre-determined outline than the result of meaningful character development. For example: In the beginning, when the MC Kane meets Dr. Poesy, Kane decides to trust Dr. Poesy against all evidence that he should because it helps the plot get from Point A to Point B faster. In another scene, Kane's sister is mad at him for no reason that I understand beyond that it was convenient for the plot.

Kane's friend group relies on high school stereotypes—the cheerleader, the outcast, etc. This is a technique I don't personally enjoy. Kane at one point mentions his high school feels like something from a TV show because it's such a cliche; I think even as a teenager I wouldn't have enjoyed that line, because I was fascinated by the ways in which my real life high school was nothing at all like TV.

In fact, a lot of the book felt like the author was imagining his story for a screen rather than as a literary experience. One time, in order to show us Kane's inner emotions, Sala describes Kane writing in a journal and furiously underlining two key words—exactly like a movie cliche, where we learn what is really bothering a character through their external actions, because the camera has no way inside their head. The cool thing about books is that they can dive deeper! This book does not.

I realize my review might sound very negative. Reverie is not for most adult readers. However, it's fun and will likely appeal to younger readers. It's Sala's debut and I'm excited to see future, stronger works from him.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Kane's whole world is turned upside down by a mysterious accident that leaves him missing memories. Nothing is what he thinks it should be, or what it seems. Kane is a loner, who has always felt he didn't fit in. When he discovers he is actually the leader of a secret group called the Others, a group with mystical powers, what he thought he knew about reality and lucidity is forever changed. Does he trust the Others, or Poesy, the drag queen mentor? Who is Dean, and why is he so mysterious? And most of all, how is he able to navigate the Reveries?

I found this book to be a creative tour de force. Though Kane wasn't always a likeable protagonist, I enjoyed how this book is different from any other I've read before.. It challenged the mind, but moved smoothly enough to keep me interested. I wanted to know what would happen, and who Kane would trust. The descriptions were interesting and vibrant, and I felt the dialogue fit in with how teens actually talk. That's a tricky thing to do. All in all, definitely a must read!

This book had a lot of potential but I found it to be a bit tropey. The drag queen villainess also didn’t inherently sit well with me. I can’t decide if I’m bothered by that or not.

I’m the same way, I did enjoy Ryan’s characters overall, and thought the story was fun even if the writing was uneven in places. For a debut effort, this book was good, not great, but certainly good.

I’ll be interested to see what they have to offer in the future.

This was such a great read! I loved being a part of Kane's journey to discovering the truth of the world he lives in. The story was slow at first, but it picked up and I couldn't put the book down! If you like exploring the dreamworld and how it affects reality, then this book is for you!

*I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review*

I really enjoyed this book! It tells the story of Kane as he recovers from an accident that may not have been an accident and the loss of his memories. The writing style is very good and appropriate to the book. I think the major success of this book is the world-building. It is very inventive and I like the way magic is characterized in this book as a natural force. All the main characters are interesting and while not always completely developed, enough so that they don't feel like caricatures.

My biggest complaint is that a lot of time is spent in the reveries, which is fun and action-packed, but leaves a lot of ~real world~ exposition not explored and leads to what seems like a resolution at the end that just happens. For example, Dean lives at an apartment at the Complex, but I thought the Complex was a historic site...what is the Complex? Did I miss something? What is going on with Adeline and Sophia? Were they a thing before Adeline wiped her memories? It's seems to hint that, but things from only Kane's perspective are so convoluted (for good reason) a lot of things are never very clear. And perhaps that is on purpose, but it wasn't something I liked as the reader.

Overall a fun book and I'd be interested to read another if this is meant to be a series.

This one felt fresh and unique and I cannot recommend it enough!
I loved how the author managed to cram so many things into this book! It let the book be a dystopian, a fantasy, a sci-fi, and so much more, while it was all set in the real world. I find that absolutely fascinating.
I'm really looking forward to reading more from this author!

From the description, I was really excited to read this book. Everything about the premise made it seem like it would be right up my alley: a fantasy where dreams are coming to life and a fabulous drag queen! It took me awhile to really get into the book, it seemed like it just took a long time for the plot to develop. Kane, the main character, was difficult to like, and I found that some of his actions weren't really explained. I also thought that the other characters were interesting, but it didn't seem like they were really all that attached to each other, so it was hard to picture them really working together. There were a lot of tropes used in the book, and parts where it seemed like it was supposed to be funny, but really it just felt kind of flat to me. Overall, I probably wouldn't have finished the book if it wasn't for the fact that I'd feel guilty for not finishing. I might put it out on my classroom shelf, but I wouldn't recommend it as one of my top fantasy or LGBTQ picks.

So, the synopsis describes it as Inception mixed with The Magicians which I sort of agree. But it’s also like if Miss Peregrine had a baby with an episode of Ru Paul’s Drag Race (both the presence of queens and the infinite supply of shady entertainment it provides). Throw in some teenage angst, a little bit of a Carry On feel and a buttload of glitter and you kind of have Reverie. Honestly it is comparable to none that I have previously read.

The main character is a teenager named Kane who was in his own words outed at a young age. He has his issues and definitely cops flak from so many people about his sexuality. I feel like, however, he endures it all to save those around him who haven’t yet told their loved ones about their orientation. He is strong and sassy with a kind of tough outer shell, but also caring and a little squishy in the middle. Basically, he will do anything for anyone so long as they treat him with respect. If you don’t, he will shoot fantastic rainbows out of his hands to put you in your rightful place.

The secondary cast involves a group of friends who have proclaimed themselves ‘The Others’ because of their various differences from the rest of society. The have their own role to play within the world of Reverie directly relating to the reveries themselves. Although I was initially suspicious of their motives, most turned out to be good eggs (or did they?). Of these I think my favourite was probably Adeline in all her know-it-all glory, but the others don’t fall far behind. Just a word of advice, look out for Helena, she’ll mess you up.

So, what are reveries you ask. Basically, they are a kind of interdimensional portal into someone’s dreams and when let to play out can either lead to bliss or ruinous damnation. They come directly from certain people and engulf everyone and everything around them. Also, they have varying circumstances and settings which really draw the reader in.

As you would know if you have read the synopsis, the villain is an evil drag queen sorceress who is intent on stealing all the power for herself. I mean what girl doesn’t love having all the power of the universe at her fingertips, amirite? I absolutely positively LOVED any time this queen came onto the scene. She is a trinket licking, wig wearing, fabulously sarcastic manipulative old (kind of) wench of a character.

All the worldbuilding is expertly pieced together with Reality scenes flawlessly blending into those of the reverie. When worlds collide, they seamlessly connect to bring the reader all the fantastical joy of even the most highly touted fantasy. One could easily escape through these portals into the souls of their owners, simply to be forced back into the real world scenarios of Connecticut, USA.

On the surface, it is a shiny, glitter and sarcasm filled romp that is all about taking names and saving the world while looking fabulous doing it. Underneath however, it contains an eye-opening commentary into how the world views those of an orientation other than heterosexual. Kane is ostracised for being gay by literally every single boy on the football team. A cute little lesbian is assumed to want to run away with the prince because well, all women love men, right? All through Reverie references are made about characters being less than others because they are gay, with a certain character even remarking he would be dead in his homeland. While this could have been confronting and really bring down the entire vibe of the novel, La Sala inserts these political statements with such genius and timing that the narrative as a whole remains upbeat but also makes the reader assess their own views on these critical issues.

So, it comes down to this. Reverie was fantastical and flamboyant, drawing in the reader with its wit and sarcasm along with its expertly built mish mash of the real and the imagined. The characters are fully developed, making the reader involuntarily fall in love with all their facets and flaws. With its rich scenery and undertones of current commentary, La Sala brings the whole thing together into one shining opus (or glittery Fabergé egg if that’s your thing) of a novel that is guaranteed to warm even the coldest of hearts.

As someone who daydreams constantly this was the perfect book to jump into with all of its twists and turns and a few nightmares too!

“Reverie” finds Kane trying to put the pieces together following his accident that left him without his memory and when he finds himself a new counselor who is a bit more eccentric than he expected he stumbles into a world where dreams known as reveries take on a life of their own and it’s up to Kane and a few unlikely allies to stop them before they spill over into the waking world.

This book was a lot of fun I was afraid at first that it might be confusing as we have a few genre swapped plots mixed in that our heroes have to face but you’re able to catch on quickly and once you do it’s exciting to see where the next reverie will take them. It does get a bit cliche with the info dump monologues by the villains but it gives you just enough insight as to the how and the why so I won’t complain too much.

My biggest struggle was the main character I feel like it took way too long for me to come around to liking him and though I’m happy most of my issues were resolved and he was actively called out on them by the others, for a good portion of my read I found myself wishing for this same story to be told from the POV of any of the others. It was also my biggest problem trying to figure out how any of them were friends with him and again I know that there was this big event that left him without the knowledge of who these people were and what they had been through but with how he treated them I don’t think I would have tried as hard to fix the relationships like they did.

This is a really fun read and I’d be interested to see if there’s any more because right now it seems like it’s a stand alone but there’s still room for more which would be nice to see especially if the epilogue was any indication of how the group dynamic could be.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

I wanted to love this one so badly. The cover is stunning and the premise sounded amazing. I loved the premise of the plot and the unique magic system. The writing was just missing something.

The beginning presented us with a boy who couldn't even remember who he was and I was completed sucked in. The initial intrigue quickly dwindled as things got complicated, quickly. I spent the first 25% of the book confused out of my mind. A lot of things were happening and there really weren't any answers. When the answers started pouring in, they just didn't seem to fit. The relationship with his friends just didn't feel real to me and I wasn't won over to the idea of them as a unit that can't live without each other. They didn't seem to have his best interest at heart. They were very important players in the events that happened and yet I don't know anything about them. We get the most details about Ursula and yet she is still a mystery to me. The most we know about their personalities is linked with their powers.

The relationships in this one were just a big problem for me. In the beginning, we see an amazing relationship with his sister. But it quickly unravels and they become almost enemies. They seem inseparable at the beginning and yet he throws her to the side the second he can. He spends most of the book using her, which doesn't fit the initial picture of them we get. We see little to no relationship with his parents and only have one conversation with his mother, which tells us nothing. I'm also confused as to why he threw his sister to the side and put all of his faith and trust in Poesy. This breaks from the amazing relationship we see at the start. Yes, he just went through something traumatic and is looking for answers, but pushing the safety and familiarity of his sister away for a stranger doesn't make any sense.

There's a lot of questions left at the end as well. What happened to the police investigation? Is the mill standing now? Do the reveries stop after the events that happened?

I really wanted to love this one. It has a drag queen sorceress for crying out loud. But this one fell really flat for me. I felt like it was a lot of beautiful words and flashy actions, missing a foundation to flesh out and build the story to let it stand on its own.

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