As I Dream of You: A Graphic Novel

by Jennifer Lee, LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)

Franny and Sam are each other’s entire world. So what do you do when your world ends? Frozen’s Jennifer Lee and Lunar New Year Love Story’s LeUyen Pham deliver a tour de force young adult romance with a supernatural twist.

Falling in love is supposed to hurt. That’s what Franny and Sam, two cynical teenagers raised on tales of heartbreak and loss, have come to understand. Yet when they fall for each other, they find the reality of love is something else it’s electrifying, all-encompassing, and easy. Theirs is a love that can conquer anything…perhaps even death.

But Franny and Sam’s quest to stay together—no matter the cost—soon blurs the line between reality and fantasy, and their shared dream threatens to turn into a nightmare.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Romance, Grief, Fantasy, Fiction, Comics

352 pages, Hardcover

Published May 5, 2026

About the author

Jennifer Lee is the Academy Award-winning writer and director of Disney's FROZEN and FROZEN II. She earned a Tony Award nomination for Best Book of a Musical for her stage adaptation of FROZEN. She co-wrote the screenplay for Oscar-nominated WRECK-IT RALPH, as well as the story for the Academy Award-winning ZOOTOPIA. She also executive produced the Academy Award-winning ENCANTO, Oscar-nominated RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, and MOANA 2. She has won two Children's and Family Emmy Awards for ZOOTOPIA+ and ONCE UPON A STUDIO.

AS I DREAM OF YOU is Lee's first graphic novel and the most personal story she's written, inspired by her own journey as a young woman when first love and first loss collided.

Lee and her family split their time between New York City and Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Gabby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel is from the director of Frozen, and the premise intrigued me. The artwork in this graphic novel was so gorgeous, I loved the way the colors and saturation kind of represented the mental health of the main characters. I do wish the romance was a little more developed in this, and the ending felt like it resolved rather quickly. But the concept in this one was very fascinating, and the artwork was stunning.

Also, this story felt so inspired by the tv show Supernatural in some ways, which was a huge plus. I mean the main character is named Sam, and he has long-ish brown hair, and his mother's name is Mary, and he spends a decent amount of time in this graphic novel looking up supernatural lore.

[Julie G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think my daughters and I will go out of our way to get our hands on anything LeUyen Pham illustrates. We’ve got a nice solid stack of her books here, and I’m starting to think she might be my new favorite living illustrator (aside from my own resident artist, of course).

This isn’t my favorite work of LeUyen Pham’s (at the moment it’s still Lunar New Year Love Story), but the illustrations in this one are stunners, for sure.

As to the story by Jennifer Lee: It felt a little unformed for me, in the first half, and I thought it might have benefitted from stronger editing. It also seemed a bit too similar to a story that has already been told, in a 1998 movie called “What Dreams May Come.” (Even right down to the references to Greek mythology).



Regardless, it’s a visually gorgeous graphic novel and the story is a reminder that the great complexities and mysteries of our eternal lives are often played out in brief incarnations that we dream are longer than they actually are.

I cried.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4.75

📖 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲:

➛ Graphic Novel
➛ Young Adult
➛ Grief
➛ Character Driven
➛ Orpheus & Eurydice Retelling

💭 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:

I really loved the artwork in this graphic novel. It was absolutely stunning. At times it felt so dreamy, and at others it felt nightmarish. The way it balanced those two moods perfectly was insane.
Ever since I switched from my Kindle to a tablet with color for graphic novels, it has been a complete game changer.
I didn't expect this story to be so deep.
It's a powerful and healing story about grief and finding the strength to let go in order to keep on living and moving forward. It explores those themes with so much heart and emotion.
The scene with Franny and her mom absolutely obliterated me.

💬 𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:

"His love was selfish. He cared more about having her than her having her life."

"The kind that lives like they're just trying to get it over with."

"It's just the hardest thing there is."
"What is?"
"Being left behind."

"Grief is selfish, it's hungry. But love ... real love ...goes beyond touches or promises. And it's not proven by holding on."

[Kalena ୨୧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

⋆.˚✮ 3 stars ✮˚.⋆

⤿ Thank you to First Second for the finished copy in exchange for an honest review!

this was a much more intense graphic novel then i was anticipating, even though i knew it was about grief i wasn't expecting it to explore this many topics in the realm of grief. overall, i think it did a good job of depicting this and depicting struggling with depression/grief/suicidal ideation but i wish there was even more to it. that's definitely hard to do in the format of a graphic novel but as a grad student in counseling, i think there was something left to be desired.

after the main character's girlfriend dies in a car accident, he struggles through trying to find her again as he sees her in dreams and some weird things start to happen. he sees visions of her in his position if he had died too (and there's a whole bunch of plot twists) and there's a lot of struggles depicted here. which is good! we need to address these things. but i felt honestly, there wasn't enough at the end showing support and what to actually do in these situations and i worry how that would imprint on young readers. there's definitely hope at the end, but not enough showing of how to lean on others, advice to get through these feelings, etc. i wish there had been, as it makes me wary to recommend it at least as someone going into counseling who knows the impact things like this can have.

i did enjoy the story though, it was cool to see a modern take on a classic greek myth and see the gorgeous illustrations in here. at times it veered more into horror and i liked that blend of genres quite a bit. i just don't often get super attached to graphic novels, as i am a character-driven story person, and there's just never enough time for me to fully connect to them. but that's totally a me thing, if you are interested in this and like graphic novels i would say give it a go!

↬ trigger warnings: death of loved ones, depictions of grief and depression, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt, animal death, car accident

[Steff Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dreams are just dreams...
...until they change your life.

I have a tendency to forget about the book synopsis when I pick up a book to read, something I think can be really rewarding in the end as it allows me to enter the book’s world with a mind somewhat free of expectation. Somewhat as a result of this, I began reading Jennifer Lee’s As I Dream of You a little uncertain of where the story would take me, where everything was headed. And I genuinely believe that this was one of the best ways for this book to be read.

It’s difficult to express how deeply I felt for this story, partially because there is such an incredibly phenomenal twist surprise that I just didn’t see coming. And this twist is truly what solidified not only how impressed I was with the book and story, but how impactful the story would be on my emotional state. I don’t personally think that I cry often while reading, but this story certainly had me crying.

The books all read like truths, which at first helped, because I needed something to hold onto. But as soon as I'd close a book, it would all fade.

There are things we experience in life that hit us all in different ways; love…grief…these are all inherently personal experiences. But there’s a common thread to it all that builds something beautiful in how we can all recognize the experiences of others in ourselves. I had no idea where this story was headed, but I loved every moment of reading it. Even the pieces that were hard for me to feel were exceptional, poignant, so very telling.

And I think we all need something to hold onto. And the fading away of something doesn’t necessarily mean we lose it entirely. It’s all still in there, with us…shaping our souls. Making us who we are. And that, without a doubt, is beautiful.

When we lose someone we are derailed. The future we expected is erased...
...leaving us shattered in its wake.

In truth, I owe my life to losing him, too. It made me who I am.

LeUyen Pham’s artwork is exceptional, really pulls you into the emotions of the story in a visceral way. I think there’s something really brilliant about how you can feel what’s going on simply through looking at the characters. While the story wouldn’t be incomplete without the artwork, I will say that this artwork brings so much more than your typical graphic novel.

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

[Minna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just want to start by saying the art was absolutely stunning in here, with so many dark moments that I appreciated, but the story itself had me a bit disappointed especially with the themes explored. I was hoping to be a bit more emotional, but didn't feel anything for the characters in this story 🥲

This graphic novel gave me You've Reached Sam vibes, while also intertwining the story of Eurydice and Orpheus. Both things that I thought would be a guaranteed recipe to cry, but ultimately just felt okay about it once I finished.

Thank you so much to the publisher for this finished copy!

[Elizabeth A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel has wonderfully moody illustrations that well capture the themes of love, loss, and grief. Was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this. To say more would spoil the ride.

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

LITERAL PERFECTION - I CRIED!

Jennifer Lee has woven a beautiful tale of grief and love in As I Dream of You. This is a haunting love story that takes the idea of “forever” and pushes it past the edge of reality. Franny and Sam start as two cynical teens who don’t believe in happy endings, until they fall for each other so hard it feels like they could conquer death itself. Jennifer Lee weaves romance with a supernatural twist, blurring the line between dream and nightmare as their obsession deepens. It’s tender, electrifying, and a little terrifying, with LeUyen Pham’s art dripping in emotion and atmosphere. If you love stories that explore the beauty and danger of love when it becomes all-consuming, this graphic novel will leave you breathless. I found myself CRYING as I read the last couple of pages because of how beautiful this story is. You definitely do not want to miss it!

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5 stars
The art? Gorgeous. The characters? Incredible. The story and plot twists? Genius. The exploration of grief and letting go? Breathtaking. The message of having so many things to live for? Inspiring. The ending? Heartbreaking (but perfect!)
I loved every single thing about this book, please do yourself a favor and go read it! Like, right now.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I went into As I Dream of You with maybe slightly too high of expectations. But it is, without a single doubt, the most beautiful book I've read in 2026.

What drew me to pick up this graphic novel, was admittedly, initially the stunning artwork. That said, the story also sounded like a good one: a loose contemporary retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth. Two teens in a mill town fall in love and get swept up in an intense relationship for a year before tragedy strikes. Life and death blur as Franny and Sam, the protagonists, desperately search for a way back to each other.

The artwork of As I Dream of You is as stunning and gorgeous as I expected. However, unfortunately, despite the heavy themes, the story itself was somewhat weak. While we get Franny and Sam's first meeting on page, we don't see their overall relationship until the inciting incident. Even though I felt some sympathy for them, they felt more like place fillers in the story rather than actual characters.

The plot dragged, then rushed to completion. The reveal was a good one and caught me by surprise. On the other hand, with the format of As I Dream of You, I realized you need to be paying attention. For a graphic novel, that can be difficult, since they are so quick to read. Only As I Dream of You, by the middle half, it's very confusing. The narrator is proved to be unreliable. Finally, some things did not quite make sense. Maybe I missed the clues in the artwork, but some elements felt pulled out of thin air.

Still, I enjoyed As I Dream of You, for what it was worth. The .5 is solely for the beautiful artwork.

[Zal · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC edition from a goodreads giveaway!

Wow! I thought I was going to give it 4/5 stars for most of it—the art is great, the design is cool and very legible, the characters were decent but not super unique individuals, and the pacing was nice and fast.

But that ending… I did not expect to find myself full-on ACTUAL FACTUAL crying. This graphic novel explored grief, love, and acceptance through Sam and Franny’s love story. The art was super pretty and I loved the way the artist played with colors. It FELT very dreamlike. The side characters were interesting and loveable, particularly Jimmy Gibson. I liked that the parents all had their own mini arcs too. It gave the story much more depth. I wish we saw a little more about Josh and Jared tho. Josh in particular felt kinda flat.

There was one thing that Sam did that bothered me (not apologizing and instead showing her something that was particular to him and not them or Franny). And idk if this is cuz it’s an arc, but the paper quality is pretty poor (see-thru at some points) and the printing had a number of smudges/errors that made streaks across the panels.

8/10!

The foreshadowing was excellent.

[Hailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a truly beautiful depiction of love, loss, grief, and continuing on even after we think we have no more to give. It brought me to tears at times and at other times lifted my spirits higher than I ever would have thought.

[Shadei ❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a touching story with beautiful illustrations ♡

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fanny and Sam have a “meet cute” when they physically run into each other at school. From there, bit by bit, they fall in love. They talk about forever, as each shares how life is for them. Sam is trying to find native chestnut trees. Fanny is wondering where her music will take her. She wants to go to college, but knows her mother can’t afford it.


It would not be giving it away to say that their love is shattered when their car strikes a stag. The one who survives keeps dreaming of the one who died. But it is not clear which is real and who is still alive.


Amazing illustrations. Surreal story. There is a lot of grief, and love, and teenage end-of-the-world-without-yous. It is a story that is trying very hard to tear your heart out, and stomp on it, as often as it can. I won’t say I cried, but I did eat up thes tory as quickly as I could to find out how it was going to end. As often happens, I thought I was just going to take a quick look at it, which developed into sitting down and reading the whole thing.


Good story. Well designed graphic novel. Good surprises. Nice way of looking at what death is, and where it all goes afterwards.


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book is going to be published on the 4th of May 2026.

[Victor The Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by the director and writer of the Disney animated film “Frozen”, “As I Dream” centers on the bond between high schoolers Sam and Franny after they first meet. We also learn each on their lives such as Sam who lives with his widowed dad and Franny who is an accomplished guitar player who lives with a somewhat neglectful mom. Atfer their meeting, we see their romance blossoming quickly into something deeper. However, an unforeseen event will put their story into a more darker and emotional journey that will go beyond reality.

It’s an emotionally gripping teen love story that tackles a handful of issues such as young love, personal struggles, death, grief and acceptance. It basically starts off as a growing romance between our two characters but it unexpectedly hits its big conflict quickly, and it becomes a very emotional and even frightening journey that becomes more on trying to bring that happiness back. The interesting things is that the story also echoes the themes found in the Greek story “Orpheus and Eurydice” and how the minor characters we meet later become a more important part of the story. Lee’s writing in the story is very well crafted despite being a bit scarce in all the vibrant and darkly art by Pham.

In the end, it’s a heartfelt and unique story about young romance that has a well grounded message of love conquers all.

A (100%/Outstanding)

[BookishVegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art is stunning. Such a lovely read on grief and loss. Graphic novels can be so healing. I absolutely recommend this to anyone wanting a heartfelt beautifully illustrated story. Thank you #Netgalley

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh. This shit made me ugly cry.

[kiki thelibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devastatingly beautiful in all the ways.

[Kermit the Frog · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read something happy and cute so I don’t know why I picked up an Orpheus & Eurydice retelling. Though to be fair, I did not really know what this story was going to be about, and I do love this Greek myth quite a lot. I feel as though there is a reason so many great artists have chosen this myth to be their muse. (Contemporarily speaking, we have musicals such as Moulin Rouge and Hadestown, songs like “Talk” by Hozier, movies such as Portrait of a Lady on Fire, etc.) An intrinsic part of the human experience is the inevitability of grief, and the implication that we cannot ever love fiercely in this life if we are unwilling to face it.

I was not trying to cry like this on a Thursday afternoon but Franny and Sam’s story really got to me. As I Dream of You demonstrates how love and grief inextricably go hand-in-hand, but are too often mistaken for one another. I had never really pondered that sort of distinction before, and this story highlights that distinction quite beautifully and quite profoundly. Grief seems to merely denote a physical separation from that which we love, and the painful buildup that occurs when that immense love no longer has a physical home to return to. Make no mistake, grief can be as mighty as the love it connotes; the stronger the love, it seems, the stronger the grief. The difference that this story seems to be highlighting, however, is that grief can destroy us if we let it sunder us from life itself. Love can never part us from life, for it is life incarnate. It can never leave us, no matter how far we travel, or what astral plane we project to in our dreams, or what side of the rainbow bridge we occupy.

Perhaps the ineffable beauty and richness in the marriage of love and grief is what keeps us so fixated on stories like that of Orpheus & Eurydice. In terms of this particular adaptation, As I Dream of You most certainly captures the purest colors of first love, and how true love is transformative in all its phases, from the brightness and transcendence of its genesis, to the depths of bereft despair it engenders in its absence.

In just a couple of hours, this book has brought all of these facets of humanity to mind as food for thought. This is a bit of a double edged sword; on the one hand it is so impressive that this story made me feel and think so much in such a short period, but on the other hand, the plot progressed so quickly that I never became fully attached to the story nor the characters, and they never reached a point of full dimension or development, especially for the larger ensemble. Still, I want to reread this at some point (definitely after I get the happy and cute read I’m looking for lol), because I’m sure there are so many rich metaphors and moments of foreshadowing I have yet to stumble upon. Chestnut trees, the plot twist, Bobby Gibson. All of them have some deeper interpretation that I’d like to ponder for a bit longer. (Not now though, I need to recover.)

[Riana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this was a tough but important read, and it hit me especially hard. I was not expecting the themes to include something I have been explicitly thinking about myself for a while, and the book kind of puts me to shame but for a good reason and with the best of intentions. I can't say I fully accept it at this moment but I acknowledge very deeply.

In regards to the story and artwork, both combine very beautifully and work together so well. There is some super intense grief explored throughout the story, addressing both romantic and familial relationships, as well as grieving over what could have been and what you thought would be your future. I wish Josh and Jared's story was explored a bit more, but I enjoyed their characters. There are also clear depictions of depression and suicide, but this story does reveal hope at the end of the tunnel. The heartfelt moments will make you cry as much as the dark and tense ones. There was also a character with aphasia in this story, and his character was both interesting and very impactful.

Then there was a twist that honestly confused me a ton at first, but I found that this book is a great reread that reveals multiple metaphors moving through the story at one time. You get some really intense foreshadowing, but then discover a complete shift in perspective that tells more than one story in a fairly innovative way. I had to reinterpret certain things mentioned earlier, but the old interpretation was still a fair one, it is just that the perspective shift allows for the opportunity of having multiple interpretations at the same time. I think it is possible to come back to this story several more times and maybe get something slightly different out of it.

It is going to be very hard for me to forget this book, but I am happy about it. I hope it sticks with me for a long time.

[Christina ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I Dream of You is a YA graphic novel that takes inspiration from the tragic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. It follows teens Franny and Sam, who form a connection with one another despite both having cynical views on love and relationships. They both have their own issues, such as Sam losing his mother at a young age, and Franny not having the best relationship with her mom. Despite all odds, the two are completely enamored with one another until one tragic night. Franny and Sam fight for their love even if they have to defy death itself.

This was a beautiful graphic novel and the art is simply incredible. It felt so immersive and felt like I was a part of their dreamy, whimsical world. It is a powerful and mesmerizing story that not only explores the grief of losing a love one but also the grief of a love story that did not have the chance to flourish. I also did not see the plot twist coming and thought it was well done. It made me tear up a little bit, and I highly recommend everyone checking this graphic out!

Christinas.Chapter
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[Hannah Pingel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I wasn't expecting this one. When I received it in the mail I could tell from Page 1 that this would wreck me emotionally, and I was right. The story centers around Sam and Franny, two teenagers who believe that their love will transcend the bonds of time. It is a beautiful story with gorgeous illustration and a gut-punching plot twist that explore love, heartache, grief, moving on, and is told in such a way that it helped me on my own healing journey from loss, too. It is also the type of story you will read over and over again to catch all of the details because of that enormous plot twist as well as the fact it's just such a good story. 11/10 recommend if you want your heart to be shattered and then put back together better than it was before.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sobbing at 6:30 in the morning after staying up all night to finish this masterpiece of a book. This book just hit me like a ton of bricks but in the best way possible. I’m truly shattered. I adore everything about this book. I didn’t expect it to be so intense. It’s just so good. It’s extremely emotional, but extremely magical at the same time. I really can’t even start to describe it. It’s just something you have to read yourself to understand. Grab this book for yourself asap. I can’t say anything else without spoiling it and the magic of the story won’t hit right if you have spoilers. Go in blind. You’ll thank me later.

[Lexy Twidell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Breathtakingly beautiful and haunting. Tragic. Creepy. Heartbreaking. Healing. LeUyen Pham's artwork is unmatched. The coloring in this was outstanding. The art truly brought the story to new heights and had me fixated on pages with no words as though I was reading a full page of description. I finished it and immediately flipped back through the entire thing for a second glimpse. Give this all the awards.

[Melanie (words.aremagic) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel was so good! It’s a retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice, and has all of the parts needed for a tragedy, but goes beyond that too. The fantastical elements of the dreams really added a mystical aspect to this tale. Then for it all to be flipped at the end was so unexpected and I throughly recommend you give As I Dream of You a read!

[Sarah Sexton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great! The use of color in this was amazing. It did a great job of portraying grief and uncertainty. I liked the different types of relationships that were highlighted as well.

I really can't stress enough how masterful the use of color to convey different environments and emotions was.

[Samantha Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so beautiful and so heartbreaking! I also love that it was written by a Broadway writer. I haven't read a graphic novel since middle school, so I was ready for this to feel childish. I was blown away! I will need a minute to come back from this one.

[kenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh... oH so it's sad girl hours.. cool cool.

[Michelle ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It's okay to imagine a good life."

This was heartbreakingly beautiful.

[Mimi Schweid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous art work and just a deep respect of Grief.