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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
ya fantasy book with great complex friendship storylines
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
**Received as ARC from a conference visit
The characters were lovely and it was nice to see a positive LGBTQ+ story instead of one forever rooted in trauma, but the plot felt a bit haphazard to my preference. And the MC shooting ethereal rainbow flame light from their hands? That felt contrived, but I see what the author was trying to do with it - making being a gay teen a superpower instead of a negative aspect of their life in a small town.
The characters were lovely and it was nice to see a positive LGBTQ+ story instead of one forever rooted in trauma, but the plot felt a bit haphazard to my preference. And the MC shooting ethereal rainbow flame light from their hands? That felt contrived, but I see what the author was trying to do with it - making being a gay teen a superpower instead of a negative aspect of their life in a small town.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Interesting concept of magic and powers given by magic. Queer rep in this. Found family vibes.
4½/5
Kane has a gap in his memory. What happened? Why does he have burns on his head? Why do some strangers not seem like strangers?
Saying much more would introduce spoilers. This is a hugely imaginative fantasy with great writing and world-building. The major characters are well thought-out and very distinct. My only quibble is the protagonist, whose decisions sometimes feel forced to drive the plot.
Kane has a gap in his memory. What happened? Why does he have burns on his head? Why do some strangers not seem like strangers?
Saying much more would introduce spoilers. This is a hugely imaginative fantasy with great writing and world-building. The major characters are well thought-out and very distinct. My only quibble is the protagonist, whose decisions sometimes feel forced to drive the plot.
I read an article about Reverie and what it means to Ryan La Sala. He started writing it when he was in high school, when queer stories were absent from so much of the media available to him. He figured the likelihood that Reverie would ever be published was slim to none, so he held nothing back and filled it with every strange and fantastic idea he had. Instead of waiting around for someone to write the story he wanted, La Sala created it himself. I love that this is the origin story of the book.
One of Ryan La Sala’s inspirations was Kingdom Hearts, a video game in which you travel to all sorts of different worlds. Before I knew this, and from the beginning of the book, I was reminded of the Persona video game series. In the Persona games, the MC and his friends are sucked into strange dream-like worlds that reflect the innermost desires of people, very much like Reveries.
As much as I like the concept of Reverie (and would absolutely play it if it was a video game), and as much as I love chaos, it was maybe a bit too chaotic for me. I got a bit lost during action scenes and I’m still a little unsure what actually happened during the events of the final action scene.
I liked Kane (the MC) and his friends, but I wish they’d been a little more fleshed out. There were a couple things about the characters that were stated as important facts but not really explored. I wanted to know why those facts are facts, especially because they are so important to the story. Because the characters weren’t very deep, I didn’t form any real attachment, positive or negative, to any of them. I started to feel something for Dean towards the end, but by that point it was a bit too late.
Despite my issues with it, I did have some fun with Reverie and I love what it represents to Ryan La Sala. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Michael Crouch, was excellent. I don’t know how old he was at the time of recording, but he sounded like a teen and it was perfect for this YA book.
That book was fantastic! The world, the magic, the characters.... I love it. The way these powers and these reveries worked is so interesting, especially because they were so plausible for their real life source: escapism. Also, I kept imagining the visual effects of reveries and powers and the characters, and now I want to see it on screen haha
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars.
Fantastic world building.
Leaves several unanswered questions for a stand alone book.
Fantastic world building.
Leaves several unanswered questions for a stand alone book.