Item: Reverie
Rating: 5.00
Author: leahmichelle

by Ryan La Sala

A B&N’s YA Book Club Pick * Walmart Buzz Pick * Indie Next Pick * Book of the Month Club YA Box
A “joyously, riotously queer” (Kirkus) young adult fantasy from debut author Ryan La Sala, Reverie is a wildly imaginative story about dreams becoming reality, perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Laini Taylor.
A few weeks ago, Kane Montgomery was in an accident that robbed him of his memory. The only thing he knows for certain is that the police found him half-dead in the river. The world as he knows it feels different—reality seems different. And when strange things start happening around him, Kane isn’t sure where to turn.
And then three of his classmates show up, claiming to be his friends and the only people who can tell him what’s truly going on. Kane doesn’t know what to believe or who he can trust. But as he and the others are dragged into increasingly fantastical dream worlds drawn from imagination, it becomes clear that there is dark magic at work. Nothing in Kane’s life is an accident, and only he can keep the world itself from unraveling.
Reverie is an intricate and compelling LGBT young adult book about the secret worlds we hide within ourselves and what happens when they become real.
Praise for Reverie:
"This outstanding debut novel will light readers' imaginations on fire...Imaginative, bold, and full of queer representation, this is a must-purchase for YA collections."—School Library Journal *STARRED REVIEW*
“This fantasy offers readers something wonderfully new and engaging...a gem of a novel that is as affirming as it is entertaining."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“The story's many LGBTQ characters are prominently represented and powerfully nuanced."—Publishers Weekly
"A darkly imagined, riveting fantasy… thrilling."—Shelf Awareness
"Joyously, riotously queer... The themes of creating one's own reality and fighting against the rules imposed by the world you're born into will ring powerfully true for many young readers."—Kirkus Reviews

What an incredible novel! I couldn't get into this the first time I tried to read it - my mind was too busy to take it all in, but I merely set it aside until I was ready and today felt like a good, clear minded day to carry on with it! And boy am I glad I did, it's so imaginative and clever and I really, really enjoyed it.

I'm not gonna lie, part of the reason I bought this book was the cover, it's absolutely gorgeous and I really am the worst person for judging books by their covers. Or buying books because of their covers. Often times, I just see a nice cover, skim the blurb and go yup! I need this book in my life.

I loved the idea that reveries/dreams can come to life. It's absolutely terrifying, but if that happened to me they would just be about my ex. Or work. Or my ex AT MY WORK. Because that's the kind of weird shit I dream about. They aren't fantastical, they're just horribly boring.

But this was incredible. This was fantasy at its finest and what made it even better was how un-apologetically queer it was. It's everything I want in a queer fantasy and it's like Ryan La Sala just downloaded the most warped, incredible, amazing, enthralling plot into this book. It thrives with love and hope and it's so beautifully written. I'm in awe of Ryan's imagination and talent.

This was genuinely such a fun novel. Fantasy books need more drag queen villains, because they're amazing and more magic in general because AMAZING. I love, love, loved it!

Reverie

by Ryan La Sala

Reviewed by Leah on Aug 19, 2020

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