Before We Wake

by Sophia Glock

With the dreaminess of Lore Olympus and the magic of The Girl from the Sea, here is an ethereal, paranormal romance that plays out between a waking life that feels muted and a world of lucid dreams that sparkles in full color.

Haunted by a recurring dream, Alicia borrows a book about lucid dreaming, and soon learns to take control of her sleeping life. She welcomes the arrival of her best friend's boyfriend in her dreamworld, and soon sparks start to fly. But then he admits, when they are both awake, that he remembers everything that happened while they were asleep. Suddenly, Alicia’s dream life has become as complicated as her waking one.

In this electrifying graphic novel, Glock whisks readers on a head‑spinning romantic dream odyssey, exploring the ways in which we hold ourselves back—and what it will take to let our wildest dreams come true.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult

288 pages, Paperback

Expected publication February 24, 2026

About the author

Sophia Glock is a cartoonist who lives and draws in Austin, Texas. She attended the College of William & Mary and the School of Visual Arts. Her work has been featured in the New Yorker, Buzzfeed, and Time Out New York. She talks to her sister every day.

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for early copy for review*

This coming-of-age graphic novel surprised me with how it touched me. Alicia, the main character, deals with a lot of strong feelings while still overcoming the death of her father. This story deals a lot with finding yourself after spending so much time hiding in the comforts of your friends. I liked how the dreams were in full color while the real world was more sepia tone. My one negative is that I was surprised that the characters were approaching senior year when I first started reading because the art style does make the characters appear younger.

[Steff Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before We Wake by Sophia Glock is the sort of book that almost speaks to me, but is just a smidge out of reach. The thing is, I had an absolute blast of a time following Alicia’s story but it was definitely a little odd at times. I sort of forgot, when I picked it up, that I’d requested it because there was a sort of magic involved in the romance. And it almost felt like the idea of this coming of age story about a girl whose loss of her father had isolated her to her best friend and what happened when that best friend went away for camp for the summer and she’s left to spend that time with the best friend’s boyfriend was supposed to be the main story and this lucid dreaming magic piece came out of nowhere.

Which is thoroughly unreasonable of me, given that I definitely read the description before I picked it up several weeks later having completely forgotten the premise.

But I do think this speaks to the fact that the lucid dreaming piece isn’t exactly this story’s strong suit. Instead, the strength lies in the connections that the main character has to her best friend, her mother, her best friend’s mother, and this boy that her best friend has been dating. Sure, there’s some grief that this character definitely needs to work through—but the true beauty of this book is the slice of life understanding for how we build connections and how we subsequently hold onto and accept those connections as we change and grow—while also accepting that growth and change.

I really loved reading this graphic novel. The story was so engaging to me and the artwork was beautiful—this is definitely something I could see myself recommending or even reading again. Even more, I could see a great movie made from this.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is hands down my favorite graphic novel of the year. This was right up my alley. It felt specially made for me. It’s exactly what I needed to read right now. I’m obsessed. I love anything that’s about dream worlds and this was like inception in a weird way.

It’s about this girl who can control her dreams and this guy keeps showing up in her dreams but he's like actually aware of it in real life too so she's avoiding him in real life but kissing him and doing all kinds of fun stuff with him in her dreams and it's so interesting. They're somehow sharing an unconsciousness. I wish I could do that. See people in my dreams and do whatever we want together and still be aware of it when we wake up. That way I could be happy without worrying about anything bad happening. It's oddly ironic that I started this book today. I finished it in one sitting, basically. I hardly ever finish a book in one day but it's just so good and making me really wish it was something you could do for real.

I love this book so much. 5 billion twinkly stars. ✨
Adding it to my list of 5 star favorites that impacted me. Also this might be the last book I finish this year.

Anyway, go read this book if you want to be taken out of reality for a while. It’s worth it.

[Chelsea]

Review to come February 10th, 2026

[K.C. Norton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comparing this to Lore Olympus is a wild choice, so let's pretend that never happened. The Girl from the Sea is a stretch but at least it's closer.

I didn't realize/remember that Sophia Glock was the creator or "Passport," but I recognized her art right away on the interior pages. I will say that both the art and narrative cohesion was stronger here, though it's a bit apples to oranges since Passport was a memoir. Still, the book touches on a lot of the same themes, like feeling out of place and having your life fractured into segments.

Even though it discusses sexuality and the end of high school, the characters felt very young, like late-middle-grade young, which isn't necessarily a bad thing depending on the reader, just something to note. Ali does attend a Catholic school so this makes sense in some ways, but I'm thinking back to when I was 17 and feeling a bit skeptical that this would have resonated with my particular experience. Obviously it's not the book or author's job to appeal to everyone, but that's part of why for me specifically this was an okay but didn't really resonate.

I wasn't hugely taken in by the romance, perhaps BECAUSE the readers felt so young and sheltered? On the other hand, I don't believe that this story is a romance at its heart despite the marketing. Ali is stuck, and in some ways she wants to be stuck, because she's so terrified of change. Following the death of her father, Ali tries to trap time by refusing to move forward, change her style, or acknowledge changes on a variety of levels. The main arc of the story is her choice to acknowledge that change is inevitable, and can be liberating when we escape the ruts we've fallen into. For me, this was the emotional core of the narrative. I did find the ending emotional, if a bit too rushed and immediately resolved. I would be more likely to recommend this to a young reader who is looking for stories about dealing with unprocessed loss and grief than for someone looking for a YA romance, which is one of the many reasons the comparing this to Lore Olympus feels like such a poor choice. (To be clear: I'm not rating the book based on its marketing, but I did request it based on its marketing, so I feel that it's worth noting.)

The dreamscape was beautifully illustrated, and I enjoyed the use of color. As a literary device, I think it could have been used more effectively, but it's a cool overall concept.

Basically, I just wanted more from the story: more depth, more exploration of the maybe-magic, more developed ideas rather than such a heavy reliance on YA tropes, more of a relationship between Quintin and Ali, and more... something with Marisa at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. My review is my own and being left voluntarily.

TW for the natural death of an animal.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we dream, is it real? Do we have control over our dreams?

Alicia’s father died when she was away at summer camp, and since then, her mother had to sell the family home, and they had to move into an apartment. The town is small, and Alica rides her bike by the old house, which keeps getting resold, as though it is an old car, getting passed around, as though it didn’t mean anything.

Alicia also keeps having a dream, where a house is in the distance, and she can never get closer to it.She starts to study how to control her dreams, and see if she canrewrite the dreamto be what she wants it to be. And then she brings in her best friend’s boyfriend. But, it’s all a dream, right? If she kisses him, it only happened in a dream, and only she would know.

And yet he knows too.

This is an interesting story, because the dream is in color, and the everyday life is in shades of gray. What happens is everyday life, boring, redundant, repetitive. And what happens as Alicia controls more and more of her dreamworld, she only wants to stay there.

Everyday life is a little boring, as it is supposed to be, because it is really the dream where everything is important. Nothing is ever explained. But, perhaps it doesn’t have to be.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is being published on the 24th of February 2026.

[Kelsie ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Little Brown Books for letting me read and review this book early. All thoughts are my own!

Before We Wake is a wonderful depiction of grief, especially grief in young people. Alicia is dealing with the unexpected death of her father and the guilt she feels around his passing. She’s seeking solitude and peace within her dreams, and she discovers that she can pull her friend Marisa’s boyfriend, Quintin into her dreams.

My love for books about grief grows with every new story I find, so I’m very pleased to add this one to my list. I found this story to be so moving and so real. I can relate to being that age and having to grieve someone you loved, so I definitely understand Alicia’s story. I also relate to codependency in friendship, so I enjoyed watching that plot aspect develop too.

The ending is my favorite part of this story! I was trying to predict how it would play out, and I’m so glad I was surprised. I adored this story.

This graphic novel is really touching, and I’m excited to purchase a copy when it comes out!!

[Haruka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read. I enjoy the story so much.
It about depression, grief that some people doesnt acknowledge it. Sometime they just think it is sadness but it is more than that. The story shows how worsening Alicia grief is that she couldn't even tell to her best friends nor even her mom since everyone has their own life to deal with. She shut everything up but when it was dream time she can let it out. The way she thinks that living in dream is so ideal cuz there was no need for any decision and consequences is something I understand so much.
This story is sooo beautiful. I love the ending that she can finally move on from her grief.
There are some part i wish explained more like how she can shared dreams. But the story itself is something i really enjoy reading.
.
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Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book for my honest review.

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before We Wake is a story that deals with changing as you're growing up amidst the grief of losing a parent. As more and more things change around her, Alicia starts lucid dreaming and gets caught up in her dream world. The story is told throughout the book in mostly colorless illustrations unless she's dreaming where the illustrations are filled with color. The contrast adds to Alicia's story, and I feel any teenager or adult could relate to this story in some way. This is my second Sophia Glock book, the other was Passport, and I really enjoy her storytelling.

[Kirbie D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before We Wake is the kind of graphic novel that lingers with you long after you’ve turned the final page. From the very first panel, I was completely drawn in not just by the story, but by the breathtaking artwork that feels as alive and emotional as the characters themselves.

What truly sets this book apart is how seamlessly the art and storytelling work together. The emotion isn’t just told; it’s felt. There were moments where I found myself pausing just to take in the imagery, letting it sink in before moving on.

I truly loved this book and how she found herself by the end!

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you netgalley for this graphic novel i will say i enjoyed the story and i like that this novel touched down on alot of important topics regarding growing up and navigating friendships and just life and it also touched down on grief which is also a very important topic that alot of people deal with.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

**NetGalley ARC

Okay, let me first start by saying that the last handful of pages had me fighting back tears. This is an incredible story about overcoming grief in adolescence, what it means to have friends, and what it means to find them. I loved the lucid dreaming and paranormal element that was tied into this. Brava, Ms. Glock! Highly recommend checking this one out!

[Stas · Rating 5 out of 5]

really beautiful graphic novel about growing up and grief and complicated friendships. I loved the art style and the way it differentiated between the dullness of real life and the vividness of the dream. I liked all the side characters and the little arcs many of them had. a sweet YA story with depth!

thanks netgalley for ARC access!

[Elia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowza, this little graphic novel packs a heck of a punch. Touching on themes of death, loneliness, first love, friendship, letting go and growing up, it is beautifully illustrated (with colorful dream sequences juxtaposed with sepia toned reality) and has a ton of heart.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alicia uses lucid dreams to cope with all the things she struggles with while awake. A good look at friendship, grief, and budding romance. Probably won't have mass appeal, but overall a good read.

I read an ARC from Edelweiss.