Why do you fight for a world that does not fight for you? Why do you fight to save a reality that fails so many, so often?

I spent a good portion of 2019 trying to actively read more own voices and more queer books, especially books with queer male leads that are actually written by men. I follow Ryan La Sala on Twitter and adore him, and am thankful to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Reverie

Ryan La Sala

Published Date: December 3, 2019
Read Date: November 2019
Format: e-book galley
Genre: urban fantasy, YA, LGBQT+
Rating: 3.5/5 Moose

Synopsis

Waking up with amnesia has to be one of the most terrifying things you can experience. Waking up knowing that you were half-dead in a river, inches from a major accident, and you remember nothing? That’s absolutely terrifying.

Kane Montgomery remembers absolutely nothing.

That’s not quite true, but outside of his family and being an outsider, he doesn’t remember much. So it’s a bit weird when people start claiming they’re his friends. And when his therapist turns out to be a drag queen who uses magic, he realizes maybe his life isn’t as normal as he thinks it is.

Rants, Raves, and Reviews

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it as much as I wanted. And I am wondering if the book had been described as “hey you remember how annoyed you were that it wasn’t okay in Persona to romance someone of the same sex, but it is okay to romance adults as a teenager? This book is Persona but gay” if I would have been able to wrap my head around it more?

Our main character is Kane, who I overall liked. His sense of isolation, not knowing who to trust…all of this I am all about. But all these characters get introduced (Ursula, Adeline, Dean, and Elliot) and none of them ever come across as trustworthy? I mean I get that we aren’t supposed to really trust anyone, and that Kane is an unreliable narrator. But really, overall the book just….feels like an overly complex book with shallow characters? Like the magic system is just overly complex, but the characters just don’t seem to develop much. I almost would have loved it if we had seen more than Kane’s point of view? And it may have helped with explaining the Reveries a little better. I mean, the definition of a Reverie is essentially a daydream, so it shouldn’t be that overly complicated. And because the reveries were complicated, the plot just got even more confusing. There is something about magic systems in YA books that I am just not jiving with anymore.

Final Moments

If you’re looking for a more in-your-face queer book with magic, give this book a shot. And by in-your-face, I mean the main character’s super powers are literally rainbows shooting out of his hands? It wasn’t quite for me obviously, but I am excited to see where La Sala is going in the future.