Dreamweaving

by O.O. Sangoyomi

A high-stakes, dark academia fantasy perfect for fans of The Raven Cycle and Legendborn.

Deja Freeman comes from a long line of witches, each one ushered into the magical Web by a woman before her—only she was never woven in. After her mother’s death, Deja’s aunt sought to protect her from the complications of magic. But when Deja enrolls at the prestigious Tanglewood Preparatory School, her mom’s alma mater, she finds herself walking the same perilous path that got her mother murdered.

Straight-A student Tóbi Ẹkúndayọ̀ is Tanglewood’s most popular student and future valedictorian. The only thing she has left to accomplish is winning junior class president. But her life keeps throwing curveballs, including strange, disturbing dreams that Tanglewood’s newest student seems to share.

Each dream is a piece of a complicated puzzle, but one thing lies at the center: the mysterious disappearance of one of Tanglewood’s best students. Joined by a motley crew of friends, the girls must work together to untangle the school’s dark history before the administration, or something far more sinister, catches up with them.

Genres: Fantasy, Dark Academia, Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Witches, Academia

400 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication October 15, 2026

About the author

O.O. Sangoyomi is an award-winning author. Her debut novel Masquerade was a NAACP Image Award finalist and has been featured in media outlets such as People Magazine, PBS, and more. In 2025, she was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and an Ebony Power 100 honoree. She is a graduate of Princeton University, where she studied literature.

Her next novel, Dreamweaving, will be released October 2026.

Reviews

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading)]

I picked up Dreamweaving because of the Legendborn comparison, since it is one of my favorite series of all time, and I definitely see the similarities. Dreamweaving deals with racism and the magic system is also rooted in natural things, so if this interests you go right ahead you'll love this.
The book takes place in a boarding school so it has a dark academia feel, our main characters are both black women and I loved that. The friendship group was great, every character was wildly different and they felt very real.
The pacing is consistent, in its bones the story is a mystery, so I couldn't put it down and it was very fast paced.
It ends in a cliffhanger though, so beware of that, but I really liked it.

Thank you Netgalley and Page Street YA for the ARC!

[Francine]

I received an ARC from the publisher through Netgalley - opinions are always my own.

This was SUCH a stunning book and it caught me completely unawares. The characters start out deeply unlikeable, at least for someone like me who hasn't been a teenager in 15 years, but then they somehow grow on you and you end up loving them. This book reminded me of what it felt like to be that age. The deep rage, the anxiety, the pressure, the never feeling good enough - but also the deep connection with peers. There has never been a book that's done that for me before. It's an absolute masterwork.

The story follows five students at a very fancy and expensive prep school in the United States as they go through their high-pressure lives. Until, one day, a meteor shower and some strange magical events force them together. As the mystery unfolds and reveals uncomfortable truths about a Black girl who attended their school in the past, they become closer and grow to understand more about themselves and each other.

While there is definitely some magic woven into the plot, I wouldn't actually say this is a book about magic. It's a book about friendship, racism, misogyny and strength. It's a book about finding the strength in being weak with those who will love all versions of you, despite not being perfect.

This book not only grew on me, it attached itself to my soul. And it will never again let go. Dramatic? Perhaps, I like to be. But nevertheless true. Sangoyomi managed to write something that sent me through every single human emotion and I somehow ended up wanting even more. Absolutely fantastic.

[Ke’]

Slow start but once it picks up it zooms! Can’t say much as it doesn’t come out until later this year but WOW. Boarding school fantasy for ALL black girls! All the messages and the characters are so powerful. This read makes you FEEL seen in every way. Truly incredible and now I cannot wait until the second book! 😭

[Monique B.]

4.5 ⭐ - 😲 First of all, I was not expecting a CLIFFHANGER with this book. I need book two immediately!! The closer I got to the end I was like "nah, there has to be more than these 3 little pages left!" 😂 So, beware!

Dreamweaving definitely pulled me out of a slump. It reminded me so much of Legendborn after a few chapters, so of course I was all in! This is a perfect academia fantasy for the fall that's full of magic & a dark history of Tanglewood Prep School.

The mystery in this book kept me turning pages & second-guessing things as they unfolded. I loved the found family aspect of this book the most. 🥹 All of the characters were lovable & memorable in some way, shape or form. I definitely felt a rollercoaster of emotions while reading - I laughed, blushed, teared up & was even angry at some points.

There are so many things for you to annotate and highlight in this book, or at least I did. You should add this to your fall TBR!

Thank you Page Street YA & O.O. Sangoyomi for the free ARC of this book, all thoughts are my own! 🩷

[El Fish | libro.vermo]

The importance of friendship and supporting each other, the way we deal with anger, and the pressure we put on ourselves as well as the pressure put on us by others are just three of several strong themes for teens in this book. I enjoyed it as an adult but would be happy to give it to any teen in my life.

The fantasy element wasn't as big as I expected when I started. The book takes place at a boarding school in Connecticut and the world is very much the same as our world with only a couple exceptions. I liked that. It made the Weaving feel more real, more possible.

I loved every character so much. They're all fully fleshed out and interesting people. It was so easy to feel their emotions along with them. And I love how Tóbi, Deja, Fabien, Eden, and Monte started out as strangers (or rivals in the case of Tóbi and Monte) but came together because of the mystery at the heart of the story and ended up such great friends. Their little group was so sweet and I can't wait to see what they get up to in the next book!

Thanks very much to Page Street YA for the ARC.

[ajsheri :)]

This is definitely a book for black girls. While the mystery is a major focal point of this book, Dreamweaving covers many topics including racism, misogyny, substance abuse, magic, and the importance of friendship. I enjoyed my time reading this book and i’m excited to see what comes next for the series. Sangoyomi does a great job showing the different emotions and struggles of each character which makes the readers gain a better connection to them. The only thing not making this a 5 for me is i was hoping for more magic within the story than we got, while it was still present it wasn’t exactly what i had imagined.

Thank you O.O Sangoyomi and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book !

[KMart Books]

This was such a fun read that really reminded me of Legendborn. It has some very unique world-building and magic and I loved the mystery.

It has an ensemble cast, but Deja was my favorite. Her character arc is incredible. Seeing someone so cautious and solitary who never depends on others slowly let others into her life and lower her guard? So fantastic. I especially love the end of the book for her. The therapy conversation is so powerful.

This gave me strong Legendborn vibes but with a majority Black cast and I absolutely loved that. The characters are all layered and distinct and feel like real people, which made connecting with them easy. The mental health representation and the complicated grief woven through the story are handled with care.

It does read quite young. Younger than I was expecting, but it's such a perfect fall read and a really fun one at that!

Thanks so much to Toppling Stacks Tours the author for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

[Carly [A Beauty & Her Books]]

Of corse the book I pick to take me out of a slump ends on a freaking “to be continued” type ending 🫠

But this was SO GOOD! Yes, I do agree with others that it did take me a few chapters to get into it but gosh I really loved the premise and the characters so much

[Stacia | stacialovestoread]

A little slow on the take off, but once we go, we’re going! Deja is a fun FMC to live through — she has opinions and does not care how you feel about them, good, bad, or otherwise!

Tóbi’s eventually revealed backstory is so sad. I cried reading her part as the quintet laid in the snow. She deserves better.

The story itself was really tight, there wasn’t any thing brought up that was a wasted opportunity. I am excited to see how the duo closes. I definitely think one more chapter could have been good to close the book rather than out just ending so abruptly.

——
Thank you to Page Street Books for the eARC & the physical copy!

[Nìk]

Thank you to the Page Street Publishing for an ARC copy for an honest review.

I went into this expecting the fantasy to take center stage, but what I found was a mystery with fantasy woven throughout. Honestly, once I settled into that, I really enjoyed the ride.

Deja is hardheaded, guarded, and determined to do everything on her own, so watching her slowly open up to Tóbi and the rest of the group was one of my favorite parts of the story. And can we talk about Monty and Fabian? Every time they showed up, I knew I was about to laugh. They easily became my favorite side characters.

The real star of this book is the mystery. Between the shared dreams, her mom’s mysterious death, and all the secrets hiding within Tanglewood, I kept wanting to know what piece of the puzzle we’d uncover next. I also loved seeing Deja become more curious about her family’s weaving powers because it feels like we’re only scratching the surface of how her family and Tanglewood are connected.

The pacing never dragged, and by the end I had way more questions than answers. I’ll definitely be enrolling for next semester because I need to know what happens next.

If you love dark academia, found family, and stories where the mystery takes the lead while the fantasy slowly builds in the background, I think you’ll have a good time with this one.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded to 4

[Shelby]

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘠𝘈 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺!

If you're looking for a book about friendship, you've landed in the right place, as Sangoyomi does an incredible job at forging unexpected friendships between these five students. It's a sweet read on that front, but if you're going into it for the magic or mystery, you might find it falls flat, i.e. it wasn't as magic heavy or as shocking a revelation on the mystery front that I gathered it would be from the synopsis. There's people who will definitely be satisfied, but I went in expecting a high-stakes, mystical read and didn't quite come out with that.

[yazzyvb]

throughly enjoyed this! kept me wanting to read more and the found family trope in this book!! I LOVE THEM! the elements of the web were interesting (it being able to be used in small every day tasks if you wanted, but also the dreams.. the visions being able to guide you and show you things). the relationships between each of the characters growing and developing was lovely to read

[inquillery]

THE FOUND FAMILY IS SO PRECIOUS I LOVE THEM FOREVER

[Marina Marcello]

Dreamweaving is everything I love about dark academia! There’s enemies-to-lovers, there’s found family, there’s a flawed private school, and it all centers around a mystery! The angry and standoffish Deja is determined for her experience at Tanglewood to be nothing like her mother’s, and the reluctant friendships she accepts along the way make all the difference. Eden, Tóbi, Monte, and Fabien are a Breakfast Club type squad who seem like they would have nothing in common, but turns out they can all finally be themselves with each other.

Add to this story that it has magical realism in the form of The Web and a mysterious meteorite that seems to be the key to making a dangerous substance with connections to The Web, and this world has depth that might extend past Tanglewood, and we’re only at the beginning.

I particularly love that this story centers Black girls and women. It makes comments on privilege and prejudice, and flips much of the script by endowing many of the characters of color with wealth while setting some against backdrops of racism and the immigrant experience. These characters feel like a real cross-section of what might be found in a private school in Connecticut.

This book was definitely five stars, and I’m surprised Deja’s story seems meant to be continued—I was fully expecting a standalone, but that ending!!

[Prof. Christina]

Dreamweaving by O.O. Sangoyomi is a compelling, atmospheric read that blends dark academia, mystery, and fantasy with thoughtful explorations of misogyny, racism, identity, and the difficult choices people make when their options are far from simple.

Deja Freeman arrives at Tanglewood Preparatory School carrying more than the pressure of fitting in. She comes from a long line of witches, but unlike the women before her, she was never woven into the magical Web. After her mother’s death, Deja’s aunt tried to keep her safe from magic—and from the dangers that led to her mother’s demise. At Tanglewood, Deja begins to uncover how closely the school’s secrets may be tied to her family’s past.

Then there’s Tóbi Ẹkúndayọ̀: brilliant, ambitious, and seemingly on track to have everything she wants. But disturbing dreams begin to disrupt her carefully ordered life, and she discovers that Deja is experiencing them too. As the dreams point toward the disappearance of a promising student, the girls and their friends are drawn into a mystery that reaches deep into Tanglewood’s history. The suspense kept me curious about what was really happening—and about which characters could be trusted.

The characters are one of the book’s greatest strengths. They feel fully realized, with understandable motives and inner lives, so even when I didn’t agree with a character’s choices, I could see how they arrived at them. The story gives its characters room to wrestle with ambition, fear, loyalty, and identity, making their decisions feel consequential rather than convenient.

And the writing? Chef’s kiss. Sangoyomi’s prose is polished and inviting, with an ease that makes the book a pleasure to read while still giving its heavier themes space to land. The dark academic atmosphere and the school’s unsettling history create a strong backdrop for the mystery.

My one small caveat: I expected more magic. The premise—and comparisons to Legendborn—had me hoping for a more prominent magical element, and I would happily have spent more time exploring the Web and its possibilities. Still, the book’s strengths more than make up for that. Dreamweaving is an engaging, thoughtful fantasy with memorable characters, an absorbing mystery, and beautiful writing. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy dark academia, complicated choices, and stories that examine who gets power—and what it costs to claim it.

[Bee]

I think I won’t be the only one who reads Dreamweaving because it’s being compared to the Legendborn series which is a phenomenal series and I had high hopes for O. O. Sangoyomi’s latest book. Given I picked this back up again around one in the morning after going to bed because I wanted to finish it? We can safely say that the hopes I had for it were met because once I had started Dreamweaving I really didn’t want to put it down because there was so much happening that needed an answer to.

Now, this is where I have to caution people - if you sometimes struggle with multiple mini plots happening at once and can’t quite keep up? You may struggle with this because we have what can only be described as a motley crew of friends who each have their own issues and problems to resolve.

Each character has their own personality and they stand out from the page and give something to the friendship as it gradually evolves and strengthens throughout the story as they let their walls down and let one another in. This is especially true for two of my favourite characters, Deja who’s arrival as a transfer student begins the chain of events that make up Dreamweaving. She comes from a family of witches, but she’s been denied any true knowledge of what that form of magic is and hasn’t been welcomed into the group who practise the magic known as The Web. She’s a little bit of a loner, and has been weighed down by events beyond her control and I really wanted to give her a hug. Then there’s Tóbi Ẹkúndayọ̀ whose story will make you pause and again she deserves a hug and her parents to be told to take a long jump off a short pier because they’re appalling.

I loved this book - yes there’s a lot going on but I didn’t find it overwhelming and liked how it gave us insight to the kind of people these teens are - I would have liked to understand how the magic truly works but I think there must be a sequel coming (please?) because there’s still answers to be found. The story is packed with mystery, and we’re led on quite a merry dance as magic invades the lives of the teenagers as they navigate a school where you must excel and shine at all costs. I will be picking up O. O. Sangoyomi’s other book from 2024 and keeping an eye out for new releases from an author whose writing keeps you fully immersed in their world with great world-building and intriguing characters.

[Mystie]

If you have a found family group of friends, this book is about to make you miss them immensely. I called and messaged mine from college. There was no other choice for me. It was one of the main reasons I loved this book. So many wonderful memories were evoked. I remembered the safety, the trust, the way they had my back no matter what. This book will bring all those feelings to the forefront.

And I am still emotional over this found family unit…days later.

Anyway, onwards we go.

Okay, so Dreamweaving is told from two points of view.

There was Deja, whom I immediately adored because of her fiery nature. She was angry, had significant reason to be angry, and was ready to pour out her pain into the world. Her journey was at times tough to read, though. Her pain felt so substantial. But her arc? Perfection.

Then there was Tobi. Queen of flawlessness. If a flaw glanced her way, it would immediately solve itself. That is how put together Tobi comes off, initially. Her lists were legendary, and her life was organised in a way that made parts of me itch. As the book unfolded and you understood the why, though, my heart went out to her. She had so much to carry that really should not have been hers to bear.

The main plot revolves around five unique students attending Tanglewood Preparatory School. Tobi and Deja and the other three students differ greatly from one another. O.O. Sangoyomi does an excellent job of creating these five mini-worlds and backgrounds for each of these main characters. There is absolute clarity in who they are, their motivations, and in the end, the actions that help them support and care for team them.

And, while this book is about friendship and building genuine bonds, there was also a deep mystery to be solved, as well as one of the more interesting magical lores I have come across lately. No spoilers, but I think other readers will have as much fun as I did following the pieces that the author drops here and there, as well as the reveal of all that the magic in this book can do.

The world-building is fun, with no sluggish info-dumps. We also have main characters that fill your heart with all the emotions, alongside the kind of vibes that make sleep laughable. (Finished it in less than 24 hours).

My brain and heart devoured this book. To say I recommend it feels too simple. Instead, I NEED everyone to borrow or buy this book and make it the bestseller it deserves to be.

Please get it, read it, and go tell everyone you know how outstanding it is. Because imma need that book two sooner rather than later, given THAT ending!

[Cait]

*4.5* stars

Deja Freeman enrolls at Tanglewood Preparatory School, a New England prestigious academy that her mother also attended before her death. One day at Tanglewood Deja and a few other students see a meteor crash on campus that causes them all to see The Web. She has to learn how to put down her walls to decipher the meaning of her reoccurring visions and figure out why these students are having the same dreams she, the daughter of a weaver, is having.

The story is presented to us as as a web of characters, plot lines, and a little bit of a mystery that Deja and her friends try to solve. I thought it was so clever how there are so many instances and references to spiders/spiderwebs there are (literally and figuratively), even on the cover of the book.

The plot is strongly driven by the characters in the story and it really works here. They are written so in-depth and their platonic love creates a found family story is so wonderful.

Even though these characters are younger than me, I saw myself in each of the characters, from Deja's acknowledgement of her anger and emotional growth, to Tóbi's fear of failure and commitment to overachievement, and Eden making herself appear small towards strangers because of their automatic assumptions about her. Each of them are reserved in some way for their own reasons and past, but grow to be vulnerable with each other.

I can't wait for book two to learn more about the Web and how Deja grows into herself as she gets older.

Thank you to Page Street YA for an ARC of this story!

[Wild]

Dreamweaving by O.O. Sangoyomi is everything I want in a YA Dark Academia novel.

An elite boarding school where the world's wealthiest have attended for hundreds of years. You can easily feel the snobbery of the place and the overwhelming stress of being a student there too.

A small group of central characters whose diverse personalities are multi-layered and continue to reveal different layers throughout.

A multi-faceted plotline with two distinct threads. One serving as the catalyst for bringing the characters together, the other serving the development of the relationship between those characters.

Consistent pacing, an intriguing plotline that kept me fully engaged, and a touch of the supernatural sprinkled throughout.

This was a solid 5 star read for me which hooked me from the beginning and didn't let go until the end. When I say Let Go, I mean it. The end shocked me by how abruptly it cut off! There's so much unresolved I genuinely hope this is the first in a duology because I need to know what happens next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street YA for the e-arc All opinions are my own and freely given.

[Idris]

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me with a copy of this title in exchange for an.honest review.

This was a good book. It was not necessarily the book I thought I'd be getting based on the synopsis. It's not dark academia. It's maybe urban fantasy but this particular book is fairly light on the fantasy. Even the mystery is sort of background. Is contemporary fantasy a thing? If so, this certainly qualifies. It's like the Breakfast Club but everyone's Black and there's a smidgeon of magic. That isn't a complaint, more an observation.

This book is not plot-driven beyond the inciting incident. This is a book about a group of very different students being brought together by a magical (?) event and using the ensuing revelations to become best friends while overcoming their individual tribulations. There is also romance, most of which wasn't my thing but seemed well-paced. The characters were layered and complex. I liked just about everyone though I admit the male characters really started running together at some point.

It was an enjoyable read. I hope book two, should there be a book 2, is heavier on the fantasy elements since that's what drew me in.

[Angelbelle Reads]

Thank you Page Street for the gifted copy

After a meteorite lands in their school. A group of students begin having strange dreams. As they work together to figure out what the dreams are leading them to, they uncover a mysterious disappearance about a former student

✨Boarding school
💜YA fantasy
✨Found family
💜Magical realism

Ohhh em gee the promposal 🥹 my heart and my cheeks 🫶🏾 so freaking cute. Got me smiling again as I’m writing this lol

I so love this little motley crew and the way they went from strangers, acquaintances, and rivals to a solid friend group 🥰 When I say their different personalities had me giggling at their interactions

A couple of them need a bit of therapy but I mean who doesn’t 🤷🏾‍♀️ am I right 😂

I can’t wait to see what happens next and how even more things are connected

If you enjoy when an unlikely group is forced to work together and characters who make you feel their emotions then Dreamweaving needs to be on your tbr. And I’m talking top of the list 🤭

[Quaterria Brown]

What a remarkable book! This is high-stakes, dark academia fantasy at its finest.

Feeling pressured to follow in her mother’s footsteps, Deja Freeman is now a student at Tanglewood Prep and soon finds herself in the midst of an investigation with some of her classmates as they become connected through mysterious dreams that lead them to investigate the school’s enigmatic history.

This book was so captivating. The mystery gets you hooked but the other key parts of the storyline keeps you genuinely invested make you want to keep reading. I was enjoying this story so much that I could have easily been happy to read at least 200 more pages.

OMG! The way Deja found community amongst her new friends built on trust, love, and support was amazingly endearing. The way this group of friends each blossomed made them so much more likeable and was a highlight of the story.

O.O. Sangoyomi I need more like NOW. Please and thank you!!!

[ArtRogueMel]

NetGalley ARC
I enjoyed this story. It flowed well and was easy to follow. I am a fan of mysteries and this one had me on the edge of my seat intrigued by the clues and how it all affected the group. It felt like I was following the Scooby gang (genius edition) navigate school life, personal life and this magical mystery that brought them together in the first place.
I feel conflicted about the ending in two folds: first the mystery part and then also the end of the book itself.
I wanted it more! But yet I was also satisfied with how it unfolded.
If you are looking for a story full of mystery with sprinkles of paranormal activity, a slice of life story about two girls from different worlds navigating a prestigious school, struggling with family pressure and expectations and some high jinks they get into, friendships and butting romances, then this is a story for you!

[Feather]

This is the first book I've read by O.O. Sangoyomi, though I do own a copy of her debut book, Masquerade. Her covers never disappoint. It was slow in the beginning, but it picked up and had steady pacing for the remainder. The author did an amazing job with the characters. Each one had their own personality and voice. You could tell the difference which is always nice. Variety. Also chef's kiss to mystery and magic in one place. The world building was naturally told versus overflow of information which I appreciated. Can't wait to see what the sequel holds.
If you love Dark Academia, found family, and magic then this is the book for you.

[Ranisha Davis]

Ohhh this book was so good! I hadn’t read a book in 3 days in so long. I was truly locked in. What intrigued me the most was Deja’s character and how rebellious she was. Then as we got introduced to the to other characters I started to fall in love with them all! Especially Eden 🥹 I loved the black girl representation, the important parts about racism and how it sadly still exists, the Toni Morrison and Maya references. But my fave was the found family (friendship) aspect. The friends really came together and formed a family and it had my heart full the entire time. I feel like there is a part 2 coming and if so, I NEED!!!!

[Nicole Zelniker]

"Our anger tells us we were wronged somehow. Anger is justice, the part of us that knows we deserve better."

As gorgeous as its cover, DREAMWEAVING centers two Black girls who are discovering that, just maybe, they don't need to be so perfect all the time. With the help of an unlikely found family, Tóbi and Deja learn to put themselves first, to let other people in, and that, sometimes, it's okay to be angry. Perfect for fans of Liselle Sambury, Noelle Monét, and Kamilah Cole.

[That Book Betchhh]

Saying this book is simply PHENOMENAL, would be such a gross understatement. I loved every second of it, every detail big and small! A book filled with characters that truly have my heart forever!! 💜💜💜

(thank you again to @pagestreetya for the free book and the ability to read this book before release day) #oosangoyomi #dreamweaving #pagestreetya

⭐️DREAMWEAVING, out OCT 2026⭐️

[Victoria Carbol]

I can't recommend this enough! The mystery is captivating and the magic (if we're calling it that, iykyk) is unique and vibey, but what really shines is the found family dynamic. There's so much banter, growth, and healing--it's just so precious. My heart is warm.

[jo_withbooks]

I can't say much about this book because it comes out in a couple of months but it is amazing and everyone should read it!

also the ending?! O-M-G!

[Mana]

4.5 stars!