Published: 2025
Series: N/A
Genres: Graphic Novel, Romance, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Young Adult, Contemporary
Grade Levels: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Content Warnings: None
Goodreads Link: Dreamover
Publisher’s Summary:
In this captivating debut YA graphic novel, two best friends becoming more than friends feels like a dream come true. But when one sleepover literally turns into a dream, will they ever want to wake up again? “I wish we could stay here forever.”
Amber and Nico would make an odd couple. She’s a headstrong goofball with a temper. He’s a shy, self-conscious emo boy. But they’ve been best friends since third grade and are both very good at video games, and she can’t hide her feelings for him any longer. During the end of their eighth-grade class beach trip, she confesses her undying love to him. To no one’s surprise except hers, the feeling is mutual! Thus begins a glorious, blissful summer of first love.
But life gets complicated once high school starts. Amber and Nico are faced with their toughest challenges yet: getting to school by 7:25 A.M. every day, dealing with bullies, and juggling their relationship, friendships, and homework. Things start to spiral out of control, causing Amber and Nico to cling to each other and neglect their friends. Soon, they find themselves stressed, depressed, and friendless. Amber wishes she could run away with Nico and escape the never-ending nightmare of high school.
One night, as they play video games together, Amber gets her wish: She and Nico mysteriously fall into a shared lucid dream where anything they imagine becomes possible and endless adventure awaits. Will they run away together forever or choose to return to the real world?
Review:
Dreamover is a very quick graphic novel about a first romantic relationship between longtime friends, Amber and Nico. On the end-of-year eighth grade field trip to a boardwalk and beach, Amber and Nico separate from their friends and spend the day together. Towards the end of the day, they each confess their romantic feelings for one another and begin a relationship. As high school begins, the two grow even closer, which creates tension in their friend group. Since Amber and Nico are so often together, their other friends continually feel left out. Then, Amber stays over at Nico’s house (it’s all PG and parent-sanctioned), and the two enter a dream together. Their fantastical adventure is at first incredibly fun, but the experience reveals a growing distance between them: Nico regrets not including their friends more, and Amber just wants to spend time with Nico.
I didn’t fully “get” the dream sequence which takes up the middle third of the book. It’s cute and fantastical, for sure, but I don’t know that it was fully necessary to take such a turn into the unrealistic. It was an important experience for the relationship as it revealed key differences in how the two felt about their romance and allowed them both an opportunity to speak freely. The issue of a first love relationship straining friendships is a great topic for YA books, though, and I would recommend it to young people in similar situations with the caveat that the middle of the book gets a little weird.
Dreamover is a very simple read. I would say about 20% of the panels have either minimal language or no language at all, so it could work well for students who are struggling readers. I am certainly not an art critic, but the illustrations were appealing to me. Of particular note is Diaz’s ability to convey complicated emotions through facial expressions, especially for Nico, who struggles to communicate with Amber at times. Learning about social cues and gestures like that could be excellent for young people.
