PLEASE, this was a fantastic sequel, I'm SO SO happy I got to read it! PRESTONNNNNN, YES, sir! This book was real, raw and broke me and I absolutely loved it. This was such a good sequel to the first book and I loved every moment of it. Ava, you are amazing.

An incredible follow up to A Study in Drowning. Ava Reid's a master at rich prose, and their ability to use description to evoke character emotion is a delight to read. This sequel stays true to the heart of ASID, while also expanding the world and perspective (I especially loved the inclusion of Preston's POV and the frustration/vulnerability that comes with others feeling like they can claim and label your identity). The book's exploration of grief and mental health really resonated with me, and I devoured this in a couple sittings.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this lovely book for my honest review.

This is the second book in the series and I am not sure if it is suffering from being book two or if book one was just that much better.

We are still in the academy and dealing with similar issues but with the knowledge we gained from book one.

The plot was compelling at times but not as gripping as book one.

The atmosphere and vibes from book one are still here which was wonderful.

If you loved book one as I did then I would definitely recommend this book. If you were on the fence with book one and hoping book two is better I would give this a pass.

I really, REALLY wanted to like this book. I felt very meh about book 1 but this one sounded so interesting I had to try it, and unfortunately I didn’t like it. I don’t think this authors writing is my cup of tea, which is fine. I understand why others enjoy these books, but they aren’t for me. Gorgeous covers though and all the best to the author! 💛

The story A Study in Drowning is one of a kind. I don't think I can tell you a book that has similar qualities like this one. It's that original. Ava Reid truly outdoes herself with every book she writes. I loved her book: A Study in Drowning, so I was super excited to learn that there was going to be a sequel. A Theory of Dreaming picks up right where A Study in Drowning ends. The writing in both books is phenomenal, and I was blown away with how beautiful the stories are. Effy and Preston's relationship is so pure and it was fascinating to see what would happen after the events of the last book. I am so glad I could get a second chance with these characters. It truly is so hard to dislike this book. The way Ava writes her stories is amazing. She makes everything sound so gorgeous and I'm so thankful I got to read this book early.

Ava Reid continues to excel at creating gorgeous moods and tender, damaged characters. I was glad to spend more time with Effy and Preston, even if this book felt more shapeless than I'd hoped. Reid addresses the underdeveloped racial prejudices from the first book, but never goes deeper than "a story told us we have always been at war and so we are." For a world where so much is built around fiction, that makes sense in theory, but everything about their country still felt slippery to me beyond the immediate interpersonal dynamics. Things like the journalists invading the campus were set up to build and ended up staying more or less at the same threat level throughout, and the pressures of the war itself all felt more surface than real. I think this duology works best on its atmosphere, and I'm more than happy to recommend it for that!

Effy did it! She is now the first female student in the literature college… but joining the all male school mid semester won’t be without its own challenges.

Can you hear the bells? Preston can. Preston has his own challenges to face and mystery to solve.

While this book is beautifully written & magical, it does deal with topics of depression and addiction.

A Theory in Dreaming was a great sequel to A Study in Drowning. This book will be published on August 5, 2025. Thank you Net Galley & Harper Collin’s publishing for letting me read this ARC ❤️

A Theory of Dreaming is a heart-wrenchingly beautiful sequel handcrafted to grab your soul and wring it dry for all its worth. Ava Reid creates something new out of something familiar as we delve into Preston's view of the aftermath of the first book. At times, this book is a hard pill to swallow. The themes and trials Effy and Preston go through are hard-hitting mental illnesses wrapped in a security blanket of unexplainable magic.
Overall, I loved it and can't wait to read what Reid creates for us next!

Thank you NetGalley, Ava Reid, and HarperCollins.

This book was amazing!!!!!!

And this was possibly the best book quote I have ever read,

"f you can learn to love that which despises you, that which terrifies you, you can dance on the shore and play in the waves again, like you did when you were young.
Before the ocean is friend or foe, it simply is. And so are you".

A quick read! Not quite as exciting as A Study in Drowning, but very much still enjoyable. I really liked to see how Effy and Preston’s relationship grew throughout this book! if you enjoyed the first book, you’ll enjoy this one too!

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

2.5

I’ve said it before in an update and I’ll say it again in the review, ASID should’ve been a stand-alone. This just wasn’t interesting to me in the slightest. The plot felt like a refurbished version of the plot from book one, and Effy was extremely unlikable for me. She was obnoxiously self loathing and everything was “woe is me, everyone hates me, I’m a burden to the world” yada yada.
I actually don’t have it in me to write a full blown review on this, I truly disliked it that much lol. I made it to 68% and had to skim the rest because it was so underwhelming. NOTHING exciting happened in the 68% that I read, and I didn’t care about what could’ve possibly happened in the last 32%.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the arc.

I absolutely adored A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid. From the moment I finished the first book, I was so immersed in the story and its characters that I knew a sequel, if ever written, would be just as captivating—and it certainly did not disappoint. The writing is stunning, and I was hooked from start to finish. Not once did I feel bored; every page was a perfect blend of intrigue and depth. Once again, Ava Reid delivers an extraordinary book that leaves you craving more. Truly a masterpiece.

A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Release date: August 5, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read an ARC of A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid.

A Theory of Dreaming picks up right after the events in A Study in Drowning. Effy and Preston have returned to school and are dealing with the fallout of everything that happened in the previous book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Just like its predecessor, it is a beautifully written, atmospheric novel. Effy and Preston’s struggle as they discover what happens when your dreams are ripped away from you and what happens when you begin to rely on them too much is heartbreaking and relatable. The real shining star of the entire book is Preston’s love for Effy, what it means to both of them, and how he comes to terms with the depth and strength of his love.

There is a little less magic than in the first book but the mysteries of the authors and Preston’s dreams are still intriguing. This book’s strengths lie in its character and how they learn and grow despite depression, prejudice, and war. This is a great sequel to A Study in Drowning and I know I will be thinking about it for quite a while.

⋆⋆⋆⋆½ — beautiful. ethereal. perfect. i could copy-paste the entire thesaurus in here, and yet it could never properly convey how utterly entrancing a theory of dreaming is. my favorite read of the year—i know it's january, but this is one of ten books i've read this year, so this title does actually mean something—and i will probably end the year with this as one of my top five reads. there's only two books on my yearly reading list that i feel could compete, one of them being ava reid's fable for the end of the world, and it barely counts if one of her own books is replacing the other.

reid's prose is to die for. she could be describing someone eating an apple, and it would sound like a fairy song. every sentence in this is magical and pulls at your heartstrings, especially if effy and preston are already some of your favorite characters, which they are for me. with a theory in dreaming, ava reid paints one of the most vivid, immersive fantasy worlds in young adult fiction to date, and maybe even fiction in general.

and the actual plot was fascinating. the sleepers and how the myth is woven into llyr's national identity, effy's dealings with the rest of the university and her mental state, and preston's "dreams," were all amazingly written—i love how reid tackles xenophobia, misogyny, and depression within her writing.

and i don't think i ever say this about sequels, but i feel that effy and preston as individuals and as partners were even more fleshed out in this than the first installment. effy, i think, did "less" in atid, especially compared to her arc in asid. however, her journey from being confident about being a literature student to becoming anxious/depressed due to the woman-hating environment she has to live in, being able to confront the people doubting her, and then heal both through her own capabilities and through preston's love for her was so impactful. i think she's even more amazing here than asid, and the feminist theme was so well executed. preston, also, is more well rounded in this because, well, he has a pov. i did love seeing him interact with his father and learn more about his background and what it's like being arganti at the university. again, reid's explorations of xenophobia and the immigrant experience are extremely well written. and effypreston's relationship in this was wow. their love for each other was alive and flying out of the pages. not in a snobbish, insufferable way that romantasy books tend to do now, but soft, quiet, and consistent. the little things preston does to show his care for effy is going to make my heart explode. anyway, i love effypreston even more in this than i did in asid, and i love how their journeys concluded.

Will admit when I read this I had forgotten most of the basis of the story because I read ASID a while ago. Nonetheless, this book was really great, I loved Preston’s character development and Effy’s mental turmoil and the rich language just added to the enjoyment. Overall a great book, and i’m sure I would have enjoyed it tenfold if I had remembered any of the original plot. 😅

A Theory of Dreaming was an adequate sequel, with components revolving around literature that I found interesting. The writing remains beautifully immersive, as Ava has this talent of expertly transporting the reader into foggy realms where magic and fairytales exist. But as far as the diction goes, the story moved slowly at times.

This may not be worth reading unless you’re a huge fan of Effy and Preston. They find themselves in a tough spot following the events of A Study in Drowning, practically put under a microscope by all of their peers. While Effy deals with loss, essentially, and a new reality of wakefulness, Preston grapples with vivid dreams that slowly become a haven for him, making them hard to let go of in the end.

I wanted to love this one as much as I did A Study in Drowning, but it lacked a lot of charm its predecessor had.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for an e-ARC of this book.

What an immersive and lush atmosphere Ava Reid has been able to create! I think this is definitely worth reading if you enjoyed A Study in Drowning and was such a solid sequel. This is following Effy and Preston's lives after the events of the first book and I feel it has a slightly darker tone as the characters are trying to deal with their trauma, but is still such an amazing read. The characters grow and change and I can see how some people might not enjoy the route the author chose to take, but I enjoyed it very much. Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"I think magic is just the truth that people believe."

This book was one of my most highly anticipated releases of the year and I'm so thankful to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Effy and Preston have their work cut out for them when they return from Hiraeth Manor. The scandal of uncovering a beloved tale's true authorship follows them around as they try to resume their classes and put together their thesis for presentation. Preston's dreams get more and more real as he collaborates with master Gosse, while Effy struggles with her thoughts and dreams while awake.

This is truly a masterful way to keep a story going through a sequel. 'A Theory of Dreaming' brings us back to the beautiful world that Ava Reid created and I can't say enough good things. I really hope everyone else who reads this book enjoys it as I have.

What a great addition to Effy and Preston's story. I really liked how all the literature tied together and the political themes in this book. I felt awful for Effy and how down she got in this book. Her whole view on the world shifted and just left her in a hard place. Also poor Preston and all the hate he dealt with and manipulation from Professor Gosse.... What an awful man him and the dean.

Also... Ava Reid.... are you a Swiftie..... I am seeing hints and it made me laugh.

Really mixed feelings on this one!

As always, Ava Reid proves to have mastered atmosphere—the language remains consistently beautiful and haunting throughout. The themes explored are captivating, and the discussions on magic and fairytales were beautiful and thought-provoking. However, the politics of this world occasionally left me scratching my head.

My second issue was with our main characters. They have moments of such relatability that kept me rooting for them, but they spend most of the book keeping secrets from each other, and that forms half the plot. The other half, however, was what kept me going: a fresh twist on the dark, intricate literary mystery that marked the first book.

Overall, I think this was a good conclusion to the duology, though it’s not without its flaws.