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ella_011's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.25
ashction's review against another edition
5.0
This is probably more of a four-star read, generally speaking, but personally it was a five-star because once I started, I couldn't stop thinking about this book or get it out of my head. Like, I read it on my lunch break, and then came home and settled into it until I finished.
My biggest tip for reading this: let go of everything you know and accept the impossible. The unlikely and the improbable is what this novel thrives on, and if you spend time trying to rationalize the magic, then you're just not going to enjoy this. I can see why this was marketed as an Inception type of fiction; I wouldn't say that it's as open to interpretation, but there's just a certain level of "just watch and see" that remains at the forefront of the story. If you can let go of your logic, then I think you'll have a great time! (That being said, there are a couple of elements of the magic system that threw me - mostly Poesy's charm bracelets and the physical collection of Reveries, which NEVER gets explained as a concept outside of Poesy's purpose with them. But otherwise, I enjoyed the magic system and especially loved the way powers came from pain!)
I love the way this novel begins; it completely propels the narrative and your motivation as a reader. Meet Kane: he's got amnesia, he's in trouble, and he needs to fill in the blank spaces of his memory. The entire book only allows the reader to know what Kane knows, as he discovers things, which really works and makes the pages fly by! At times, some readers may find exposition coming in info-dumps; I think that depends on the reader. I don't know that there was a better way to do it narratively, honestly, with the structure of the book as is. It leaves the reader overwhelmed - just like Kane! - but the author also does a good job of reiterating small details and making you realize that that minor word or action or phrase is actually Kind Of A Big Deal.
That being said, the one thing I didn't really care for were the characters. I liked Dean and Adeline. Everyone else? I didn't dislike them, but also didn't really care. Kane is tricky as a protagonist for numerous reasons I won't spoil (aside from obviously being an unreliable narrator for 85% of the book), but my biggest issue was how fearful he was and how he constantly wanted to run. And I guess he kind of gets over that by the end, but I didn't feel like that shift in character was done quite right, which made it complicated for me to enjoy his ending. Aside from Dean and Adeline, I felt that the other characters remained stagnant. And if there was any growth, most of it was done through romantic relationships (spoiler: every major character gets paired off with another major character) and I didn't feel like that was necessarily useful or doing a service to these characters that had much bigger problems. The non-protagonist relationships kind of come out of left field, too; perhaps just more development would have made that more satisfying as a reader. Also, as much as I enjoyed Poesy, I kind of wish I knew more about their background past their motivations. On the bright side, this book is unapologetically queer. Queer kids need more stories like this.
I don't know if this is planned to be a series, but there is absolutely room for one. And a not-so-subtle hint that one could be written! I wouldn't be opposed to it - maybe in another sequel we can get more development since the world is stable now. One thing is certain though - Ryan La Sala has written a good book. I saw some reviews commenting about diction and dialogue falling flat. To each their own, but it felt like a great balance of poetic and complex language (given the nature of Reveries) and realistic teen behavior and dialogue. And frankly, for a debut author, I found the writing to be super impressive! If there is a sequel someday, I'll definitely be looking forward to it - or whater Ryan La Sala tackles next.
My biggest tip for reading this: let go of everything you know and accept the impossible. The unlikely and the improbable is what this novel thrives on, and if you spend time trying to rationalize the magic, then you're just not going to enjoy this. I can see why this was marketed as an Inception type of fiction; I wouldn't say that it's as open to interpretation, but there's just a certain level of "just watch and see" that remains at the forefront of the story. If you can let go of your logic, then I think you'll have a great time! (That being said, there are a couple of elements of the magic system that threw me - mostly Poesy's charm bracelets and the physical collection of Reveries, which NEVER gets explained as a concept outside of Poesy's purpose with them. But otherwise, I enjoyed the magic system and especially loved the way powers came from pain!)
I love the way this novel begins; it completely propels the narrative and your motivation as a reader. Meet Kane: he's got amnesia, he's in trouble, and he needs to fill in the blank spaces of his memory. The entire book only allows the reader to know what Kane knows, as he discovers things, which really works and makes the pages fly by! At times, some readers may find exposition coming in info-dumps; I think that depends on the reader. I don't know that there was a better way to do it narratively, honestly, with the structure of the book as is. It leaves the reader overwhelmed - just like Kane! - but the author also does a good job of reiterating small details and making you realize that that minor word or action or phrase is actually Kind Of A Big Deal.
That being said, the one thing I didn't really care for were the characters. I liked Dean and Adeline. Everyone else? I didn't dislike them, but also didn't really care. Kane is tricky as a protagonist for numerous reasons I won't spoil (aside from obviously being an unreliable narrator for 85% of the book), but my biggest issue was how fearful he was and how he constantly wanted to run. And I guess he kind of gets over that by the end, but I didn't feel like that shift in character was done quite right, which made it complicated for me to enjoy his ending. Aside from Dean and Adeline, I felt that the other characters remained stagnant. And if there was any growth, most of it was done through romantic relationships (spoiler: every major character gets paired off with another major character) and I didn't feel like that was necessarily useful or doing a service to these characters that had much bigger problems. The non-protagonist relationships kind of come out of left field, too; perhaps just more development would have made that more satisfying as a reader. Also, as much as I enjoyed Poesy, I kind of wish I knew more about their background past their motivations. On the bright side, this book is unapologetically queer. Queer kids need more stories like this.
I don't know if this is planned to be a series, but there is absolutely room for one. And a not-so-subtle hint that one could be written! I wouldn't be opposed to it - maybe in another sequel we can get more development since the world is stable now. One thing is certain though - Ryan La Sala has written a good book. I saw some reviews commenting about diction and dialogue falling flat. To each their own, but it felt like a great balance of poetic and complex language (given the nature of Reveries) and realistic teen behavior and dialogue. And frankly, for a debut author, I found the writing to be super impressive! If there is a sequel someday, I'll definitely be looking forward to it - or whater Ryan La Sala tackles next.
emmhardt's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Such a genuinely unique story! The shape of it felt so new and different to anything else I've read in the genre.
tenshiwing07's review against another edition
We start with the main character at a loss with injuries he has no memory of and a world that thinks he lost it for a while. Kane loosing his memories isn't simply amnesia though, it's darker than that.
The trio calling themselves The Others have everything to do with that and he works to get close to them and the truth. The drag queen Posey seem like the key to finding out what happened.
And the mysterious boy who appears the moment Kane needs him and disappears. It was very mysterious!
One thing I was a little disappointed about was that the friendships didn't have the depth I was hoping for, mainly because it's all from Kane's eyes and he has no memory of them, not the way they do of time with him. So their arcs were weaker and lacked development a bit of depth. so Elliott, Ursula, Adeline, and even his sister Sophia did not get as satisfying arcs (dimensional personality) but I stil liked them.
They don't have the relationship-building scenes like Kane and Dean have.
The trio calling themselves The Others have everything to do with that and he works to get close to them and the truth. The drag queen Posey seem like the key to finding out what happened.
And the mysterious boy who appears the moment Kane needs him and disappears. It was very mysterious!
One thing I was a little disappointed about was that the friendships didn't have the depth I was hoping for, mainly because it's all from Kane's eyes and he has no memory of them, not the way they do of time with him. So their arcs were weaker and lacked development a bit of depth. so Elliott, Ursula, Adeline, and even his sister Sophia did not get as satisfying arcs (dimensional personality) but I stil liked them.
They don't have the relationship-building scenes like Kane and Dean have.
hooshka's review against another edition
2.0
This rating is totally about my preferences. I just don't have an imagination/ability to picture worlds as I read, so this was too hard for me to follow.
Love the overall idea of the book though.
Love the overall idea of the book though.
eponineeurydice's review against another edition
4.0
Very weird (in a good way pretty much!), slow and with meh characters, but the writing was breathtaking and I love found family so! 3.75 stars!
sneeps's review against another edition
3.0
I had a good time with this one. I stayed up late to finish it, which has made my recollection of the end foggy, a disservice to myself and the book. I would criticize the ending for being a little confusing but that's my own fault so I'll say nothing.
This was a tropey ride I think, but they are tropes I'm not very familiar with/don't usually read, so it was just fun. I have never been a fan of the teens gaining mysterious powers trope in any medium (nothing against it, just never my thing (not counting the Gone series)), so this was fresh to me, though I know it's been done.
I really liked the idea of the reveries, and the idea of pocket dimensions and ~what is reality but our own perception???~ is very familiar to me, so I didn't find that confusing or unclear at all (some other reviews seem to be hung up on the mechanics here, but I thought it was all clearly laid out and well executed - picture the witches' lairs from Madoka).
One thing I was a little disappointed about was that the characters didn't really matter outside of Kane himself...they didn't seem to have arcs or strong personalities beyond what we initially see of them. This may tie into the theme somehow (another strike against me), and i don't think it's a huge deal necessarily --- this is Kane's story and his personal journey (what he learns though????), so Elliott not getting a satisfying arc (or dimensional personality) doesn't really matter to the story being told.
I regret that I really can't say more about theme or What The Point Is, but I can say it was enjoyable and sparked my imagination!
This was a tropey ride I think, but they are tropes I'm not very familiar with/don't usually read, so it was just fun. I have never been a fan of the teens gaining mysterious powers trope in any medium (nothing against it, just never my thing (not counting the Gone series)), so this was fresh to me, though I know it's been done.
I really liked the idea of the reveries, and the idea of pocket dimensions and ~what is reality but our own perception???~ is very familiar to me, so I didn't find that confusing or unclear at all (some other reviews seem to be hung up on the mechanics here, but I thought it was all clearly laid out and well executed - picture the witches' lairs from Madoka).
One thing I was a little disappointed about was that the characters didn't really matter outside of Kane himself...they didn't seem to have arcs or strong personalities beyond what we initially see of them. This may tie into the theme somehow (another strike against me), and i don't think it's a huge deal necessarily --- this is Kane's story and his personal journey (what he learns though????), so Elliott not getting a satisfying arc (or dimensional personality) doesn't really matter to the story being told.
I regret that I really can't say more about theme or What The Point Is, but I can say it was enjoyable and sparked my imagination!
hirvimaki's review against another edition
1.0
This was...painful. Cringe-worthy. The writing is sloppy. The plot...I assume there is one but I couldn't find it. Kane is unlikable. And for the love of Merlin, if you are going to base a story on a magical system, work out the details at least enough that readers aren't left guessing and guessing and guessing. It was a confusing mess, like someone threw up glitter.
ayudkin's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5