2022 EDIT: Well, I'm majorly embarrassed. By my original review and by my possibly high self who wrote it.
'Reverie' has an absolutely amazing premise, and it is unapologetically queer AF. The author had rainbow rivers of imagination, passion and ambition, there is no denying that.
But on the second read...from the first two pages, I knew it wasn't going to connect with me again, or make me feel in any way magical. Beforehand, I'd forgotten about nearly everything from the first read, and maybe that was for the best.
Kane, the amnesiac gay teen protagonist, has a younger sister, Sophia, and she is a colossal arsehole. In fact, EVERYONE is an arsehole. Cartoonishly so. Everyone is vindictive, mean, spiteful, deceitful, manipulative, thoughtless, selfish, self-absorbed, annoying, demanding, and beyond callous. And incredibly stupid. I know they're teenagers, but jeeeeezus!. And why do Kane's so-called loved ones keep throwing hard things at the traumatised, confused, amnesiac teen? Why do they expect so much out of Kane, a vulnerable victim? Do they want to keep him in the dark or don't they? Are they protecting him or aren't they? And why do they overreact and get violent towards him even when it's completely unnecessary? Who are these people? How are they friends? How and why do they possibly trust one another? I wouldn't want to spend five minutes in their company, much less read a whole 400 page book about them!
Kane himself isn't much better. One example of douchey-ness is blithely asserting that someone he barely knows isn't a virgin - he actually says "you're not a virgin" (page 119) to that person's face (it isn't better in context, and yes, the person is a girl). How the fuck would he know? And judgey much?
Poesy - reality-bending-and-thieving sorceress, teacup-and-ring witch, and drag extraordinaire - is still a memorable, exceptional villain. Though there is the issue of the only non-cis character in the story - who is never referred to as genderfluid or anything like that, but just a drag queen, whose pronouns in the third person narrative get changed at random - being the villain to begin with; even among the other, mostly queer cast.
To be honest, a lot of the time I couldn't tell who is meant to be a hero and who is meant to be evil, anyway; not because of any intrigue or the mystery element, but because, as I've stated, EVERYONE IS AN ARSEHOLE! They're horrible and I hate them. Their actions and motivations mostly make no sense, too. They're jarring and baffling, and widen the plot holes.
Kane's parents seem to be the only genuinely warm, caring, funny, and halfway decent people in the book, aside from being subjected to the typical parents-conveniently-absent-from-plot YA trope. But the author clearly didn't care about them much, and they're hardly present. They're not even plot devices, they're just there (or not, as is the case). Shame.
There are blatant plot and character contrivances in 'Reverie' as well, and the dialogue is unnatural, cold and full of infodumps. Therein contains the ever-so not-tired and why isn't this dead yet cliché of protagonist-just-happens-to-stumble-upon-and-overhear-and-eavesdrop-over-secretive-characters-at-the-exact-right-time-as-they-tell-each-other-what-they-should-already-know-but-give-away-plot-points-anyway-for-protagonist's/audience's-sake. Everything happens far too conveniently.
Also, for such a magical and creative book about LBGTQ teens being themselves and learning to love themselves in both awful reality and in imagined worlds, the tone is cutting, miserable and meanspirited. I blame the characters more than the mediocre writing attempt to create such lush, awesome worlds. I agree with some other reviewers that the worldbuilding could have used a little more work.
Read these Goodreads reviews that align with my further thoughts on 'Reverie': Click Here, Here, and Here.
While some ideas, elements and themes of 'Reverie' remain excellent, I'm almost tempted to strike out or delete the entirety of my first review. So cringe. But I'll leave it, out of honesty, and preserving the past to learn from mistakes to avoid repeating them in the future.
Seriously, was I high?
Final Score: 3/5
Original Review:
I won't say much about 'Reverie'. I can't, since that would spoil the magic for those who haven't read it.
It's...terrific. A luscious, creative, magical experience.
You'll wish you could live in it, and that it could be made into a movie, which would suit it perfectly.
'Reverie' is a fantasy novel where gay people are front and center and are the heroes. It's full of (active) imagination, mystery, angst, loneliness, teamwork, rainbows, different fantasy worlds, deconstructions of genre tropes, great twists and turns in every thrilling chapter, wants, hopes, dreams, animals, arts and crafts, sugary treats, and fantasy powers given to teenagers - who are insecure outsiders and/or are hiding their true selves in a broken, failed reality that doesn't love them for who they are.
Each character is fantastically realised, three dimensional, and a non-cliché; the world building (to every world that applies) is solid and gorgeously detailed; and even though fantasies and making up your own happy worlds are major themes in the book, the danger in these worlds - these reveries, or etheria - is real for our self conscious and lucid heroes.
It really is hard to believe that 'Reverie' is a debut novel. Ryan La Sala is king and queen combined.
This exciting, bold, daring and hugely creative treasure tome is like 'Inception' meets 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica', and it references 'Sailor Moon' and 'The Legend of Korra' (Roald Dahl's 'The Witches' is also a part of the story as a physical motif). Practically every fantasy trope is subverted and tweaked; used in a unique, pragmatic, dynamic, and even tragic way. And in fabulously gay ways.
And the shapeshifter/mentor/antagonist, the symbol of true expression and a mirror to the protagonist, is a proud drag queen.
'Reverie' - An LBGTQ and feminist fantasy pioneer. To say it is groundbreaking and a human, emotional triumph is an understatement. This big kaleidoscopic, astronomical icing cake of a book can be read in a day. The characters are not always likeable, and some relationships (main and on the side) aren't developed well or feel organic, but that's reality: Reality for imperfect teens in the imperfect real world and in multiple fantasy worlds of other people's making. For all the angst and mystery, the author makes sure to add in a sense of humour for catharsis as well.
Maybe together the small group of disadvantaged youths can help change reality so that some aspects of fantasy and wish fulfilment can come true, little by little, with or without magic.
Strongly, wholeheartedly recommended.
Final Score: 4/5
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