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Dreamland
From New York Times bestselling author Olivie Blake comes a tantalizing story of power, seduction, and the omens you’ll ignore when everything you’ve dreamed of feels just within reach.
The headlines are calling it the "summer of exsanguination" in LA—girls are being murdered, the Santa Ana winds are blowing a strange energy into the city, and all signs point to fire season.
More pressing for Anya Morris, though, is the drudgery of living at home, working part time at the family store, and contending with her mother's disdain for the acting career Anya knows she's destined for but that feels more impossible by the day.
It’s in this suffocating late summer heat that Anya receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, an invitation to work for the de Witt family, one of LA’s most influential film dynasties. Soon, she’s spending her days and nights at their strange villa high in the Hollywood hills, where she meets Jude, a recluse who is both the family’s heir apparent and its most closely guarded secret.
There’s a magnetism to Jude that Anya cannot resist, despite warning signs that scream like sirens in the night. Because the villa holds generations of bloodstained history, and an occult family curse may even live within its walls—or within Jude himself.
In this city, everyone cuts a deal with the devil. When Anya comes face to face with a devil of her own, she’ll learn just how far she’s willing to go to get everything she’s ever wanted.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
The headlines are calling it the "summer of exsanguination" in LA—girls are being murdered, the Santa Ana winds are blowing a strange energy into the city, and all signs point to fire season.
More pressing for Anya Morris, though, is the drudgery of living at home, working part time at the family store, and contending with her mother's disdain for the acting career Anya knows she's destined for but that feels more impossible by the day.
It’s in this suffocating late summer heat that Anya receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, an invitation to work for the de Witt family, one of LA’s most influential film dynasties. Soon, she’s spending her days and nights at their strange villa high in the Hollywood hills, where she meets Jude, a recluse who is both the family’s heir apparent and its most closely guarded secret.
There’s a magnetism to Jude that Anya cannot resist, despite warning signs that scream like sirens in the night. Because the villa holds generations of bloodstained history, and an occult family curse may even live within its walls—or within Jude himself.
In this city, everyone cuts a deal with the devil. When Anya comes face to face with a devil of her own, she’ll learn just how far she’s willing to go to get everything she’s ever wanted.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 11, 2026
About the author
Olivie Blake
49 books17.7k followersOlivie Blake is the pseudonym of Alexene Farol Follmuth, a lover and writer of stories, many of which involve the fantastic, the paranormal, or the supernatural, but not always. More often, her works revolve around what it means to be human (or not), and the endlessly interesting complexities of life and love.
Olivie has penned several indie SFF projects, including the webtoon Clara and the Devil with illustrator Little Chmura and the viral Atlas series. As Follmuth, her young adult rom-com My Mechanical Romance releases May 2022.
Olivie lives in Los Angeles with her husband and new baby, where she is generally tolerated by her rescue pit bull.
Olivie has penned several indie SFF projects, including the webtoon Clara and the Devil with illustrator Little Chmura and the viral Atlas series. As Follmuth, her young adult rom-com My Mechanical Romance releases May 2022.
Olivie lives in Los Angeles with her husband and new baby, where she is generally tolerated by her rescue pit bull.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 452 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3 ⭐️
Gothic-horror novel about family secrets, unsolved murders, and ill-fated summer love.
Dreamland read like a fever dream! And everyone in it needs therapy, jail, or a mixture of both.
Amidst a mysterious serial killer on the loose, who mutilates young women and stages their bloodless bodies in macabre poses, the FMC, Anya, is hired to work inside the home of a VERY famous Hollywood family. But of course, not everything is as it seems. And the adult son of the family that she's been hired to look after…isn't exactly normal. Imagine getting run over by a bus and surviving levels of abnormality.
About Jude (the aforementioned adult son): he's a captive inside of his own mega-mansion with a demon inside his head. A demon with extreme bloodlust who regularly puts his host through immense harm.
As a character, Jude made for a compelling traumatized figure with monsters all around him. But as a love interest? There wasn't a hint of appeal in this character. He had matted hair, described as dirty. No social skills or friends to speak of. Did not have body autonomy…etc.
The romance was the weakest and most nonsensical part of the whole story. Anya described Jude as whiny, annoying, and profoundly unsexy one moment. And then randomly a switch was flipped with lines such as "I could fix him. I could make him domestic, docile, demure, hardly demonic at all," which came out of nowhere and made little sense—especially not with the ambitious, morally gray, and desperate-to-succeed-in-Hollywood way Anya was written.
Was I confused while reading? Yes.
Did everyone's actions make sense or feel reasonable? Absolutely not.
Did I enjoy this fever dream of a book? Hesitant, yes. Olivie Blake's strong prose, the ongoing mystery of demons and cultist rituals, and the question, 'Why doesn't Anya run as far away as possible from this insane household?! ' Did keep me coming back. However, the story felt disjointed. You'll get from A to Z, but it won't all make sense.
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC! All opinions are my own.🖤
Gothic-horror novel about family secrets, unsolved murders, and ill-fated summer love.
Dreamland read like a fever dream! And everyone in it needs therapy, jail, or a mixture of both.
Amidst a mysterious serial killer on the loose, who mutilates young women and stages their bloodless bodies in macabre poses, the FMC, Anya, is hired to work inside the home of a VERY famous Hollywood family. But of course, not everything is as it seems. And the adult son of the family that she's been hired to look after…isn't exactly normal. Imagine getting run over by a bus and surviving levels of abnormality.
About Jude (the aforementioned adult son): he's a captive inside of his own mega-mansion with a demon inside his head. A demon with extreme bloodlust who regularly puts his host through immense harm.
As a character, Jude made for a compelling traumatized figure with monsters all around him. But as a love interest? There wasn't a hint of appeal in this character. He had matted hair, described as dirty. No social skills or friends to speak of. Did not have body autonomy…etc.
The romance was the weakest and most nonsensical part of the whole story. Anya described Jude as whiny, annoying, and profoundly unsexy one moment. And then randomly a switch was flipped with lines such as "I could fix him. I could make him domestic, docile, demure, hardly demonic at all," which came out of nowhere and made little sense—especially not with the ambitious, morally gray, and desperate-to-succeed-in-Hollywood way Anya was written.
Was I confused while reading? Yes.
Did everyone's actions make sense or feel reasonable? Absolutely not.
Did I enjoy this fever dream of a book? Hesitant, yes. Olivie Blake's strong prose, the ongoing mystery of demons and cultist rituals, and the question, 'Why doesn't Anya run as far away as possible from this insane household?! ' Did keep me coming back. However, the story felt disjointed. You'll get from A to Z, but it won't all make sense.
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC! All opinions are my own.🖤
November 5, 2025
For me, Olivie Blake books hit, or they dont. This, unfortunately, didn't. It's way overwritten. This is for someone who isn't me.
August 12, 2026
breathed a sigh of relief that it's finally over. this book is so painfully uninspired, it actually sucked to read for a good majority. i feel like i know what she's trying to accomplish here, what threads the author is trying to pull, what narrative she's trying to create. it just falls apart so abysmally. there's at least three different paths this book veers off into that lead to nowhere.. which is like, okay maybe it was supposed to play a background role, but the constant empty tangents...all for a plot that's simultaneously predictable but also very?? messy??...and kinda awful, if i am being honest. the writing feels very overwritten too, or maybe it's just that this book doesn't call to be written in the way that it. is. written. there's no drive to the story, the misconstrued and hastily reconstructed narrative doesn't hold any weight to it, and i did not care about the romance. at all. it felt like a chore to read and was too par the course (derogatory) while also coming out of nowhere. i just felt exhausted reading this novel. anyway i mean, sure, what the hell. it's definitely a book. a very bland and ultimately pointless book, at that.
thank you to tor for the advance copy. (if you think this review is confusing, just wait until you read the book.)
thank you to tor for the advance copy. (if you think this review is confusing, just wait until you read the book.)
August 11, 2026
Slow-burn horror meets Hollywood glam in a novel about power, seduction, and what people will do to succeed. Dreamland follows a white-passing Filipino girl who wants to be an actress. She takes a job as a caretaker for the son of a powerful director in Hollywood, offered promises of opportunities to come. Except that the son is a grown man with something strange about him, the vibes in the family are weird, and girls keep dying in gruesome ways. This book experiments with narration styles in interesting ways and layers of darkness are uncovered as the story winds its way to a conclusion. The audio narration is excellent and different narrators effectively deliver the right vibes for different parts of the story. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Did Not Finish
August 10, 2026DNF at 20 pages because this is way too structureless
**thank you to Tor for the ARC copy**
**thank you to Tor for the ARC copy**
May 31, 2026
So Olivie Blake! So odd, but so intriguing! This was a good book, but this would be an even greater movie! If you know you know
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
7/14/26: This review (and many others) plus essays and booklists are now available on my blog!
In the dry, oppressive heat of the summer in LA girls are showing up dead, arranged into macabre displays that horrify and fascinate the public. However, Anya Morris–an aspiring actress made claustrophobic by her circumstances–is not focused on dead girls. Running on cunning and ambition, Anya receives a mysterious but promising opportunity to work for one of the industries most influential families. Beneath the veneer of Hollywood glamor though all is not well with the de Witt family, particularly their troubled son they keep hidden away whom Anya is tasked with watching over.
I'd like to start off with a quote from the acknowledgements because I think it's kind of iconic: "This book put me through a meat grinder; at this point, whether it’s any good is frankly none of my business."
Whether or not you like this book is heavily reliant on whether you like Olivie Blake's style, particularly her more experimental stuff like Alone With You in the Ether. For me, she is one of the only authors writing experimental stuff that actually works for me, and Dreamland was no different. I don't agree that this book is overwritten, in fact other than the beginning and some of Jude's segments I think it's pretty minimalist. There's an element of stream-of-consciousness to Blake's writing style, and I'm not usually a big fan of that but as I think I mentioned in my review for her book Gifted and Talented Blake's version of stream-of-consciousness is a lot closer to how my brain works than most other versions, which is probably not true for everyone.
Plot wise, this book is weird as hell. Maybe a little fever dream-y, but not in a way that takes away from the stakes which is a big pet peeve of mine. Jude's segments aren't my favorite part of the book, but they still have real stakes and tension because it's unclear how much of the events of Jude's dreams are reflected in the actions his body is taking in reality. When Jude hurts someone in a dream, there are still stakes for the reader because he might actually also be hurting someone outside of the dream, so there's a real sense of consequences and the events of the dream aren't just being used for drama or shock value (The God of Endings similarly does this well). Also, I like the weird messed-up little romance! I don't care that it's weird and angsty and melodramatic, because it's fun and you can understand that for Anya it functions both as a relationship with more depth than she can achieve with anyone else since all of their cards are on the table and as a form of self-destruction because the constant game she has to play to get ahead has really dissolved her sense of self. It's not a murder mystery (thank god), it's a dramatic gothic thriller that isn't going to pander to the reader and make it easy for them. Regardless of whether I understood everything, I was engaged the whole time.
That being said, there were definitely things that went over my head. Or should I say...Ova my head...haha.....Point being that I still don't know who Ova is. I don't know if she's real or if she's a demon or a ghost or if she's just another character referred to by multiple names. I don't know if I'm supposed to know who she is, but I don't. I also think having two characters who are mother and daughter both be named Emmanuelle when we're already dealing with kind of a weird family tree with three generations was unnecessarily confusing, though maybe intentionally. I'm not mad about it, but it was distracting because I was sitting there like "Is there some incest going on here or am I just confused?" By all means, let me know if you have concrete answers.
Dreamland is a challenging book, but it's also propulsive, unique, weird, and in my opinion worth doing the work for if you're up to it! I always look forward to seeing what Olivie Blake comes up with, because somehow I know whatever he next book is I'll never see it coming.
Thank you to Olivie Blake and Tor Books (my beloved) for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
In the dry, oppressive heat of the summer in LA girls are showing up dead, arranged into macabre displays that horrify and fascinate the public. However, Anya Morris–an aspiring actress made claustrophobic by her circumstances–is not focused on dead girls. Running on cunning and ambition, Anya receives a mysterious but promising opportunity to work for one of the industries most influential families. Beneath the veneer of Hollywood glamor though all is not well with the de Witt family, particularly their troubled son they keep hidden away whom Anya is tasked with watching over.
I'd like to start off with a quote from the acknowledgements because I think it's kind of iconic: "This book put me through a meat grinder; at this point, whether it’s any good is frankly none of my business."
Whether or not you like this book is heavily reliant on whether you like Olivie Blake's style, particularly her more experimental stuff like Alone With You in the Ether. For me, she is one of the only authors writing experimental stuff that actually works for me, and Dreamland was no different. I don't agree that this book is overwritten, in fact other than the beginning and some of Jude's segments I think it's pretty minimalist. There's an element of stream-of-consciousness to Blake's writing style, and I'm not usually a big fan of that but as I think I mentioned in my review for her book Gifted and Talented Blake's version of stream-of-consciousness is a lot closer to how my brain works than most other versions, which is probably not true for everyone.
Plot wise, this book is weird as hell. Maybe a little fever dream-y, but not in a way that takes away from the stakes which is a big pet peeve of mine. Jude's segments aren't my favorite part of the book, but they still have real stakes and tension because it's unclear how much of the events of Jude's dreams are reflected in the actions his body is taking in reality. When Jude hurts someone in a dream, there are still stakes for the reader because he might actually also be hurting someone outside of the dream, so there's a real sense of consequences and the events of the dream aren't just being used for drama or shock value (The God of Endings similarly does this well). Also, I like the weird messed-up little romance! I don't care that it's weird and angsty and melodramatic, because it's fun and you can understand that for Anya it functions both as a relationship with more depth than she can achieve with anyone else since all of their cards are on the table and as a form of self-destruction because the constant game she has to play to get ahead has really dissolved her sense of self. It's not a murder mystery (thank god), it's a dramatic gothic thriller that isn't going to pander to the reader and make it easy for them. Regardless of whether I understood everything, I was engaged the whole time.
That being said, there were definitely things that went over my head. Or should I say...Ova my head...haha.....Point being that I still don't know who Ova is. I don't know if she's real or if she's a demon or a ghost or if she's just another character referred to by multiple names. I don't know if I'm supposed to know who she is, but I don't. I also think having two characters who are mother and daughter both be named Emmanuelle when we're already dealing with kind of a weird family tree with three generations was unnecessarily confusing, though maybe intentionally. I'm not mad about it, but it was distracting because I was sitting there like "Is there some incest going on here or am I just confused?" By all means, let me know if you have concrete answers.
Dreamland is a challenging book, but it's also propulsive, unique, weird, and in my opinion worth doing the work for if you're up to it! I always look forward to seeing what Olivie Blake comes up with, because somehow I know whatever he next book is I'll never see it coming.
Thank you to Olivie Blake and Tor Books (my beloved) for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
August 13, 2026
4.5 RTC I have read three Olivie Blake books and I have loved every single one. She’s absolutely an acquired taste but I am fully obsessed. This is, in my opinion, a perfect example of a modern Gothic novel.
August 11, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 | 4.25 stars rounded down
This grisly, gothic, fever dream of a book will almost certainly be incredibly polarizing, but I couldn’t get enough.
Dreamland follows Anya, a 20-something-year-old actress in LA, as she considers which line she'll cross to achieve her dreams - while reckoning with her idenitity as a white-passing mixed race woman in Hollywood.
This story leans into the question: "What if every single character is the most irredeeemable version of themselves?" Olivie Blake is so brilliant at writing charcters that are profoundly unlikable but impossible to look away from, and that is really epitomized in this book. I especially enjoyed how very compelling character studies are juxtaposed with poignant themes of the immigrant experience in America, racial identity, and the fetishization of East Asian women.
I loved how the structure of the book itself mimicked the raw footage of a film, with choppy, nightmarish, and confusing scenes routinely being interspersed with more coherent ones - only adding to the cinematic feel. Like all Blake books, the prose is beautiful and immersive.
Thank you so much to Tor for the advance copy!
This grisly, gothic, fever dream of a book will almost certainly be incredibly polarizing, but I couldn’t get enough.
Dreamland follows Anya, a 20-something-year-old actress in LA, as she considers which line she'll cross to achieve her dreams - while reckoning with her idenitity as a white-passing mixed race woman in Hollywood.
This story leans into the question: "What if every single character is the most irredeeemable version of themselves?" Olivie Blake is so brilliant at writing charcters that are profoundly unlikable but impossible to look away from, and that is really epitomized in this book. I especially enjoyed how very compelling character studies are juxtaposed with poignant themes of the immigrant experience in America, racial identity, and the fetishization of East Asian women.
I loved how the structure of the book itself mimicked the raw footage of a film, with choppy, nightmarish, and confusing scenes routinely being interspersed with more coherent ones - only adding to the cinematic feel. Like all Blake books, the prose is beautiful and immersive.
Thank you so much to Tor for the advance copy!
June 30, 2026
(ARC) 4.75⭐️ I’ve found the next book that’s going to be VERY divisive. I already know people are either going to love it or absolutely hate it. I just happen to be firmly on the side of I LOVED THIS.
That said… I reallllllllly enjoy books that are disorienting and confusing as hell. This book is weird and so different, which just happens to work for me.
I also read her graphic novel right before this one & I think that helped put me on the same wavelength as the author. So my only suggestion would be to read her GN first…not because it’s necessary, but because I think it enhanced the experience for me.
This whole book felt like a bizarre fever dream, and the audiobook was FANTASTIC. I absolutely ate it up. Next.
That said… I reallllllllly enjoy books that are disorienting and confusing as hell. This book is weird and so different, which just happens to work for me.
I also read her graphic novel right before this one & I think that helped put me on the same wavelength as the author. So my only suggestion would be to read her GN first…not because it’s necessary, but because I think it enhanced the experience for me.
This whole book felt like a bizarre fever dream, and the audiobook was FANTASTIC. I absolutely ate it up. Next.
April 9, 2026
Absolutely not. I really think this is the last shot i’m giving Olivie Blake because this was really not good.
I think if you are incredibly intellectual like I know and can tell Blake is, then you might enjoy this. But, for the average reader who doesn’t want to analyze themes, this is a huge pass.
I’m actually so disappointed too because I thought, that if any Blake book was going to be 5 stars, it was going to be this one. I adore Hollywood centered stories and starlet and fame drama. Add a little bit of thriller on top and murders and this was a PERFECT recipe for me. And she had me in the first half she really did. But then it just got….weird….and confusing and Blake does the thing she usually does where she turns something simple and good into something incredibly convoluted and bad.
I was really liking the characters at first too, but those were ruined as well with choices and with the way the plot played out.
This was incredibly disappointing and I think I’ve read one to may bad Blake books. I’m done.
A generous 2/5.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I think if you are incredibly intellectual like I know and can tell Blake is, then you might enjoy this. But, for the average reader who doesn’t want to analyze themes, this is a huge pass.
I’m actually so disappointed too because I thought, that if any Blake book was going to be 5 stars, it was going to be this one. I adore Hollywood centered stories and starlet and fame drama. Add a little bit of thriller on top and murders and this was a PERFECT recipe for me. And she had me in the first half she really did. But then it just got….weird….and confusing and Blake does the thing she usually does where she turns something simple and good into something incredibly convoluted and bad.
I was really liking the characters at first too, but those were ruined as well with choices and with the way the plot played out.
This was incredibly disappointing and I think I’ve read one to may bad Blake books. I’m done.
A generous 2/5.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 31, 2025
Olivie Blake continuously impresses me with her ability to write uniquely themed and well executed stories. Dreamland is haunting, thrilling, and intoxicatingly grotesque. I couldn’t put it down. If you’re a fan of her books like I am, this one does NOT disappoint.
There’s this underlying question poised– can you survive the cost of your wildest dream? I could see this movie play out in my head which is exactly how she has it written to be (you’ll get it once you read it).
It’s a bit ambiguous at times but I think the ending perfectly encapsulated the frustration of not knowing all the details to every gothic story told and why we can’t know. I can’t wait to have the physical copy sit on my shelf!
There’s this underlying question poised– can you survive the cost of your wildest dream? I could see this movie play out in my head which is exactly how she has it written to be (you’ll get it once you read it).
It’s a bit ambiguous at times but I think the ending perfectly encapsulated the frustration of not knowing all the details to every gothic story told and why we can’t know. I can’t wait to have the physical copy sit on my shelf!
July 6, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5
Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of Dreamland by Olivie Blake in exchange for an honest review.
Dreamland follows Anya, an aspiring actress chasing her Hollywood dreams. When she’s pulled into the orbit of the wealthy and mysterious de Witt family, she quickly realizes that beneath all the glamour lies something much darker. As strange events and brutal murders begin to unravel around her, Anya is forced to confront the unsettling truth behind the life she’s always wanted.
This book was…weird. 😅 In the best and worst ways. It felt like a fever dream from beginning to end, and there were definitely moments where I had no idea what was going on. The writing is pretty good and atmospheric, but the unconventional storytelling made it hard for me to stay fully connected at times.
I definitely had moments where I was asking myself, What is happening right now? but I never felt like giving up on it. I wanted answers, and the mystery kept me listening. The ending was wild and messy, but it matched the rest of the book. I didn’t really connect with the characters, though I think that was kind of the point
The audiobook narrators did a great job bringing the eerie, dreamlike atmosphere to life and made the experience more immersive.
Overall, this wasn’t a favorite for me, but I can definitely appreciate how unique and ambitious it was.
Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of Dreamland by Olivie Blake in exchange for an honest review.
Dreamland follows Anya, an aspiring actress chasing her Hollywood dreams. When she’s pulled into the orbit of the wealthy and mysterious de Witt family, she quickly realizes that beneath all the glamour lies something much darker. As strange events and brutal murders begin to unravel around her, Anya is forced to confront the unsettling truth behind the life she’s always wanted.
This book was…weird. 😅 In the best and worst ways. It felt like a fever dream from beginning to end, and there were definitely moments where I had no idea what was going on. The writing is pretty good and atmospheric, but the unconventional storytelling made it hard for me to stay fully connected at times.
I definitely had moments where I was asking myself, What is happening right now? but I never felt like giving up on it. I wanted answers, and the mystery kept me listening. The ending was wild and messy, but it matched the rest of the book. I didn’t really connect with the characters, though I think that was kind of the point
The audiobook narrators did a great job bringing the eerie, dreamlike atmosphere to life and made the experience more immersive.
Overall, this wasn’t a favorite for me, but I can definitely appreciate how unique and ambitious it was.
November 10, 2025
i usually love olivie but this book was a mess, i wish i knew what was going on for the most part!! there were some good moments of writing, but overall it was way too confusing, and i didn’t really care about the characters either
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to Raincoast books + Tor books for the paperback arc and Macmillan audio for the alc 🫶
3.5⭐️
💭: Honestly, this is one of the strangest books I’ve read and I’m still trying to figure out exactly how I feel about it 😂. It was kind of a weird fever dream haze but I needed to know what was going to happen. I’m not even 100% sure I figured it all out to be honest but I just enjoyed the journey. There is a serial ☠️ wreaking havoc, “demonic possession”, psychosis, and a toxic love story. It also explores fame in Hollywood, misogyny and violence against women. It’s also told almost through a film perspective at times which was interesting. Overall, I was definitely entertained! If you’re looking for something unique and different, you may enjoy this one!
🎧: The audiobook features 7 narrators and it was really well done! The different voices, the accents, the emotions, and the way the script dialogue was read was all fantastic! Would definitely recommend the audio if you want to check this one out.
3.5⭐️
💭: Honestly, this is one of the strangest books I’ve read and I’m still trying to figure out exactly how I feel about it 😂. It was kind of a weird fever dream haze but I needed to know what was going to happen. I’m not even 100% sure I figured it all out to be honest but I just enjoyed the journey. There is a serial ☠️ wreaking havoc, “demonic possession”, psychosis, and a toxic love story. It also explores fame in Hollywood, misogyny and violence against women. It’s also told almost through a film perspective at times which was interesting. Overall, I was definitely entertained! If you’re looking for something unique and different, you may enjoy this one!
🎧: The audiobook features 7 narrators and it was really well done! The different voices, the accents, the emotions, and the way the script dialogue was read was all fantastic! Would definitely recommend the audio if you want to check this one out.
August 15, 2026
I love Olivie Blake's chaotic writing style which is on full display in Dreamland. Once I finished Dreamland, a fever dream of a book, I took a look at other reviews, and most called it exactly that, a fever dream. I had the advance listener copy with a full cast narration and it was fantastic. I was completely immersed in this story. It was absolutely wild and unexpected and I loved it. Olivie Blake's writing is clearly not for everyone, but it is absolutely for me. 4.25 stars. Thank you so much to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for my advance listener copy.
July 29, 2026
4/5⭐️ Here's the thing: Dreamland is a weird fever dream written with confusing points of view, stream of consciousness, elements of screen play, and level of pretentiousness that Blake's books tend to have. I don't think the average reader looking for a quick thrill or a straightforward writing style is going to particularly enjoy this. Based off of some of the reviews I was seeing, I was prepared to feel the same.
However, I should have known that Blake's style always scratches an itch in my brain. Her character's are the right brand of unlikable to keep me invested, her writing is always so atmospheric it can transport me there, and this truly played out like a fever dream of a movie in my head. Her work always comes with a layer of social commentary woven into the story seamlessly. I'm not even sure I fully understood the whole ending but I enjoyed the ride to get there. I think Dreamland would make a fantastic movie as well.
I think if you vibed with the writing in One For My Enemy and Masters of Death then you'd probably like this one too! If you're a Blake fan for Alone With You in the Ether and Girl Dinner then maybe not, as the writing is this was much more experimental than those books, but still worth a try! If you haven't read one of her books before...this maybe isn't the place to start.
Thank you Tor for the ARC! All thoughts are my own!
However, I should have known that Blake's style always scratches an itch in my brain. Her character's are the right brand of unlikable to keep me invested, her writing is always so atmospheric it can transport me there, and this truly played out like a fever dream of a movie in my head. Her work always comes with a layer of social commentary woven into the story seamlessly. I'm not even sure I fully understood the whole ending but I enjoyed the ride to get there. I think Dreamland would make a fantastic movie as well.
I think if you vibed with the writing in One For My Enemy and Masters of Death then you'd probably like this one too! If you're a Blake fan for Alone With You in the Ether and Girl Dinner then maybe not, as the writing is this was much more experimental than those books, but still worth a try! If you haven't read one of her books before...this maybe isn't the place to start.
Thank you Tor for the ARC! All thoughts are my own!
June 30, 2026
I had SUCH a hard time settling on a rating for this one. The first half was trending toward a 5-star read, but the back half lost the plot.
As an Olivie-stan and true crime girlie, Dreamland was one of my most anticipated releases of 2026. The book is loosely based on the infamous "Black Dahlia" case - the unsolved 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short, an aspiring actress whose severed body was found in a vacant Los Angeles lot.
Our protagonist, Anya Morris, is a young aspiring actress who completely lacks self-preservation. She's willing to do whatever it takes to break into Hollywood’s inner circle. Opportunity arises when she encounters the de Witts, one of Hollywood’s most powerful dynasties. Emmanuelle de Witt hires Anya to keep an eye on Jude, the family’s reclusive heir who suffers from mysterious health issues. Seeing this as both a financial lifeline and a career steppingstone, Anya agrees despite a sea of glaring red flags. Once inside the estate, she begins uncovering generation-old secrets. The lines between reality and the occult blur, leaving it unclear whether she’s dealing with humans or actual monsters.
The book functions as a heavy, satirical play on the rich and famous, posing the ultimate question: How much would you give up to get what you've always wanted?
The story is told through three perspectives: Anya, Jude, and various screenwriting snippets.
• Anya’s POV was funny and easy to follow.
• Jude’s POV sometimes got confusing due to his constant inner turmoil and competing inner voices.
• The screenwriting snippets felt campy but largely unnecessary.
Olivie Blake is a character-driven writer known for her dense, stream-of-consciousness prose, which is fully on display here. Unfortunately, too many underdeveloped storylines and thoughts were just completely abandoned. It really felt like it needed another round of editing.
Audiobook Note: The audio production was fantastic! The full cast narration gave the entire experience a brilliant, cinematic feel.
Thank you to Tor for providing an early copy for review! All opinions are my own.
As an Olivie-stan and true crime girlie, Dreamland was one of my most anticipated releases of 2026. The book is loosely based on the infamous "Black Dahlia" case - the unsolved 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short, an aspiring actress whose severed body was found in a vacant Los Angeles lot.
Our protagonist, Anya Morris, is a young aspiring actress who completely lacks self-preservation. She's willing to do whatever it takes to break into Hollywood’s inner circle. Opportunity arises when she encounters the de Witts, one of Hollywood’s most powerful dynasties. Emmanuelle de Witt hires Anya to keep an eye on Jude, the family’s reclusive heir who suffers from mysterious health issues. Seeing this as both a financial lifeline and a career steppingstone, Anya agrees despite a sea of glaring red flags. Once inside the estate, she begins uncovering generation-old secrets. The lines between reality and the occult blur, leaving it unclear whether she’s dealing with humans or actual monsters.
The book functions as a heavy, satirical play on the rich and famous, posing the ultimate question: How much would you give up to get what you've always wanted?
The story is told through three perspectives: Anya, Jude, and various screenwriting snippets.
• Anya’s POV was funny and easy to follow.
• Jude’s POV sometimes got confusing due to his constant inner turmoil and competing inner voices.
• The screenwriting snippets felt campy but largely unnecessary.
Olivie Blake is a character-driven writer known for her dense, stream-of-consciousness prose, which is fully on display here. Unfortunately, too many underdeveloped storylines and thoughts were just completely abandoned. It really felt like it needed another round of editing.
Audiobook Note: The audio production was fantastic! The full cast narration gave the entire experience a brilliant, cinematic feel.
Thank you to Tor for providing an early copy for review! All opinions are my own.
August 13, 2026
Full review to come, but dang, I really don't know how I feel about this one yet.
July 2, 2026
Dreamland is a blend of horror, dark fantasy, and psychological trauma that turns Hollywood into a landscape where dreams become a dangerous currency. Beneath this glamour lies something insatiable, creating an atmosphere that grows more ominous with every chapter. Our protagonist Anya's ambitions feel painfully human. She wants her chance to becomes someone more than the version of herself her family and the world expects, and that desire makes every questionable decision seem somewhat reasonable, even when the warning signs are in her face. Blake excels at exploring the uneasy space where longing becomes knowing self-destruction, asking how much of ourselves we may be willing to surrender for the glimmering promise of a different life. Rather than relying on conventional horror, Dreamland unsettles through symbolism and a festering sense that reality is slipping out of reach. The de Witt estate feels alive, carrying the weight of generations of secrets inside its crumbling façade, while the relationship between Anya and Jude pulses with attraction and also, unease. Jude himself is an entire red flag, but Anya seems to love carnivals? The result is a story that feels very "dreamland" in structure and atmosphere, rewarding readers who enjoy ambiguity and layered interpretation. A lot more is going on than meets the eye. Blake also threads thoughtful commentary throughout the novel, touching on class, power, inherited privilege, identity, and the machinery of fame all while maintaining the emotional core of the story. Dreamland is a rather haunting novel that invites readers to question the price of ambition and whether aspirations are truly worth chasing. Thank you to Tor Books for getting me an advanced copy for review. You can pick this up August 11th, 2026 wherever you buy your books!
May 22, 2026
A purposefully disorientating, absolutely weird and trippy read; yet I admittedly found myself freely going along for the wild, wacky ride.
Dreamland follows actress Anya’s desperate endeavour to get a foothold within the LA film industry. Fortuitously, her prayers are answered in the form of the rich and famous de Witt’s, who entice her into taking on a rather odd work opportunity. Thus, Anya becomes closely embroiled in the superficial glamour, eerie sycophancy and demonic magnetism that surrounds the de Witt family; all the while as the Santa Ana winds carry the sinister stench of brutal serial murder of young women. Slowly, Anya discovers the underlying rot to a world she once deeply craved to be part of, leading to unsavoury truths, buried secrets, and a question lingering permanently on her lips:
‘Could I survive this?’
Blake implements an experimental narrative structure, flitting between Anya’s perspective, Jude de Witt’s disjointed and disturbing narrative, and a rather theatrical screenplay style. I can appreciate the attempt to create a cinematically dynamic and dramatic form of storytelling; however, it could also get a little frustrating, bordering on confusing, so I’m glad the disorientating acid trip was broken up into periods of lucidity.
That said, I do think the plot was well executed and intriguing, with a lingering uncanny and eerie to the de Witts that builds well. The end portion of the book got truly weird, trippy and messy, but was fun to read and had a befitting conclusion. Some character portrayals felt bordering on caricatures, but I think this was done in a deliberately self-aware way. For me, I wouldn’t say the main protagonists were likeable, but made sense for the story, and I did like Anya’s dynamic with some of the side characters. The romance subplot was okay, kinda dramatic and intense, but it worked reasonably well within the context of the characters.
Overall, I think the stylistic choice to narration can be somewhat frustrating and takes time to get used to, but generally this was a pretty entertaining and solid read plot-wise. I enjoyed the creepy, gory and gross elements as well as the unravelling strangeness and mystery of the de Witt family.
Thanks Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the eARC in exchange for honest review; it was quite the interesting read.
Dreamland follows actress Anya’s desperate endeavour to get a foothold within the LA film industry. Fortuitously, her prayers are answered in the form of the rich and famous de Witt’s, who entice her into taking on a rather odd work opportunity. Thus, Anya becomes closely embroiled in the superficial glamour, eerie sycophancy and demonic magnetism that surrounds the de Witt family; all the while as the Santa Ana winds carry the sinister stench of brutal serial murder of young women. Slowly, Anya discovers the underlying rot to a world she once deeply craved to be part of, leading to unsavoury truths, buried secrets, and a question lingering permanently on her lips:
‘Could I survive this?’
Blake implements an experimental narrative structure, flitting between Anya’s perspective, Jude de Witt’s disjointed and disturbing narrative, and a rather theatrical screenplay style. I can appreciate the attempt to create a cinematically dynamic and dramatic form of storytelling; however, it could also get a little frustrating, bordering on confusing, so I’m glad the disorientating acid trip was broken up into periods of lucidity.
That said, I do think the plot was well executed and intriguing, with a lingering uncanny and eerie to the de Witts that builds well. The end portion of the book got truly weird, trippy and messy, but was fun to read and had a befitting conclusion. Some character portrayals felt bordering on caricatures, but I think this was done in a deliberately self-aware way. For me, I wouldn’t say the main protagonists were likeable, but made sense for the story, and I did like Anya’s dynamic with some of the side characters. The romance subplot was okay, kinda dramatic and intense, but it worked reasonably well within the context of the characters.
Overall, I think the stylistic choice to narration can be somewhat frustrating and takes time to get used to, but generally this was a pretty entertaining and solid read plot-wise. I enjoyed the creepy, gory and gross elements as well as the unravelling strangeness and mystery of the de Witt family.
Thanks Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the eARC in exchange for honest review; it was quite the interesting read.
June 21, 2026
Review to come upon release. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.
3.5 stars rounded up
3.5 stars rounded up
August 5, 2026
hey so...what the fuck was this book? (affectionate!! SO AFFECTIONATE!! I LOVED IT??)
audiobook was amazing
full rtc
----
see my bookstagram post for this book!
Thank you to @torbooks and @macmillan.audio #macaudio2026 for the advanced copies!
After I finished this, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it... but after sitting with it I’m pretty sure I loved it. I wish I could wipe my memory and read this book again!! Olivie Blake’s writing always works so well for me and the audiobook of this was phenomenal! I love a full cast and each of the narrators was perfect in their roles.
As someone who dreamt of being an actress (why are there so many theatre kids on bookstagram lol), I loved this story and the exploration of “what would you do to make your dreams come true?” and also: could you survive it (something that’s chorused throughout the book). I love how weird it got and there were so many times the plot went somewhere so different than where I was expecting. Olivie Blake does a great job at building an atmosphere and this book was just such an immersive, interesting experience that I didn’t want to end!!
I feel like the less you know about this book before reading it, the better— but I highly recommend this one (on audiobook for full effect). I do think this will be a divisive read...one of those if you love it you LOVE it, like The Atlas Six and I’m so curious to see how everyone feels about it!!
audiobook was amazing
full rtc
----
see my bookstagram post for this book!
Thank you to @torbooks and @macmillan.audio #macaudio2026 for the advanced copies!
After I finished this, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it... but after sitting with it I’m pretty sure I loved it. I wish I could wipe my memory and read this book again!! Olivie Blake’s writing always works so well for me and the audiobook of this was phenomenal! I love a full cast and each of the narrators was perfect in their roles.
As someone who dreamt of being an actress (why are there so many theatre kids on bookstagram lol), I loved this story and the exploration of “what would you do to make your dreams come true?” and also: could you survive it (something that’s chorused throughout the book). I love how weird it got and there were so many times the plot went somewhere so different than where I was expecting. Olivie Blake does a great job at building an atmosphere and this book was just such an immersive, interesting experience that I didn’t want to end!!
I feel like the less you know about this book before reading it, the better— but I highly recommend this one (on audiobook for full effect). I do think this will be a divisive read...one of those if you love it you LOVE it, like The Atlas Six and I’m so curious to see how everyone feels about it!!
July 30, 2026
I’m gonna have to sit on this for a hot minute, it was weird and over dramatic but I think I had fun with it. Definitely more so than Girl Dinner.
June 20, 2026
2⭐️ prose
5⭐️Audio
I think I’m officially done trying with Olivie Blake books, unfortunately. The descriptions always intrigue me, but the execution has let me down over and over again.
I’ve read and loved plenty of books that were “out there,” but in those cases it never felt forced. The story simply evolved that way. With Blake, it often feels like she sets out with the intention of being as esoteric as possible, throwing in everything but the kitchen sink, and it leaves the book without a clear central identity—or really any identity at all. When that feels like the goal from the start, it just doesn’t land for me, and this book is a perfect example of that.
It felt scattered, overstuffed, and full of plot holes. More than once, I seriously considered DNFing, which is not something I do often. So why the 3⭐️? The audiobook.
I’m grateful to have received both the eARC from Tor Publishing Group and the ALC from Macmillan Audio. The moment I saw the audio become available, I jumped on it because I was struggling so much to get through the book with just my eyeballs. And honestly, I’m glad I did, because I wanted to give credit where it was due.
The audio production was incredibly well done. The multicast—Chloe Nõsan, Ferdelle Capistrano, Maggie Thompson, Max Meyers, Mia Wurgaft, and Steve West—all did a fantastic job, even if I couldn’t always tell who was who while reading. What stood out most to me was the sound engineering, which elevated certain moments exactly when it needed to. Reading along with the audio made for a fully immersive experience, and the voice talent absolutely carried me through.
So this book may absolutely work for someone else. But it doesn’t work for me.
5⭐️Audio
I think I’m officially done trying with Olivie Blake books, unfortunately. The descriptions always intrigue me, but the execution has let me down over and over again.
I’ve read and loved plenty of books that were “out there,” but in those cases it never felt forced. The story simply evolved that way. With Blake, it often feels like she sets out with the intention of being as esoteric as possible, throwing in everything but the kitchen sink, and it leaves the book without a clear central identity—or really any identity at all. When that feels like the goal from the start, it just doesn’t land for me, and this book is a perfect example of that.
It felt scattered, overstuffed, and full of plot holes. More than once, I seriously considered DNFing, which is not something I do often. So why the 3⭐️? The audiobook.
I’m grateful to have received both the eARC from Tor Publishing Group and the ALC from Macmillan Audio. The moment I saw the audio become available, I jumped on it because I was struggling so much to get through the book with just my eyeballs. And honestly, I’m glad I did, because I wanted to give credit where it was due.
The audio production was incredibly well done. The multicast—Chloe Nõsan, Ferdelle Capistrano, Maggie Thompson, Max Meyers, Mia Wurgaft, and Steve West—all did a fantastic job, even if I couldn’t always tell who was who while reading. What stood out most to me was the sound engineering, which elevated certain moments exactly when it needed to. Reading along with the audio made for a fully immersive experience, and the voice talent absolutely carried me through.
So this book may absolutely work for someone else. But it doesn’t work for me.
August 14, 2026
listen, I’m not gonna sit here and pretend I understood what was happening throughout most of this book, because I didn’t, but did I have an excellent time? absolutely 🙂↕️
I swear, each book I read from Olivie just gets weirder and weirder and IM SO HERE FOR IT. I love whatever is wrong with her.
this was spooky, creepy, interesting, showed the backstage of what happens behind closed door in Hollywood and what people are willing to do to gain fame or stay relevant.
this is not your regular thriller. we have demons and the devil so I feel like it could be triggering for some. I’m not gonna lie, listening to this gave me goosebumps a couple of times 😅
Olivie is not an author for everybody, she’s definitely an acquired taste but I love her and I’m gonna keep reading her books because they always suck me in.
this, girl dinner and alone with you in the ether on top!!! for me of course 😌
thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this free ACL 🫶🏻
I swear, each book I read from Olivie just gets weirder and weirder and IM SO HERE FOR IT. I love whatever is wrong with her.
this was spooky, creepy, interesting, showed the backstage of what happens behind closed door in Hollywood and what people are willing to do to gain fame or stay relevant.
this is not your regular thriller. we have demons and the devil so I feel like it could be triggering for some. I’m not gonna lie, listening to this gave me goosebumps a couple of times 😅
Olivie is not an author for everybody, she’s definitely an acquired taste but I love her and I’m gonna keep reading her books because they always suck me in.
this, girl dinner and alone with you in the ether on top!!! for me of course 😌
thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this free ACL 🫶🏻
May 24, 2026
I am so glad to be done with this book. I understand what the author wanted to say, but it’s so overwritten that it was a slog to get through. so much was said to move very little plot forward all to a very unsatisfying and unoriginal reveal. it wasn’t even a reveal because all the explanations were obvious in the first few chapters if you’re ever read or watched any media about the nepotism and vanity in Hollywood.
I wish we heard way less about the de Witts and way more about Tita Linda and Grandma…but maybe that’s the point? ugh, but I don’t care what the point was. it was boring and I’m glad to be done.
I wish we heard way less about the de Witts and way more about Tita Linda and Grandma…but maybe that’s the point? ugh, but I don’t care what the point was. it was boring and I’m glad to be done.
tbr-madison-kait-book-club
August 7, 2026Madison Kait's August 2026 Book Club Pick ౨ৎ
another olivie blake to add to my collection, thank you queen💥💳
another olivie blake to add to my collection, thank you queen💥💳
July 26, 2026
4/5 Stars | Even Weirder than I Imagined
What I liked: I generally don't love horror or gore, but man can Olivie Blake make me interested in a story. It was so weird, and I say that so respectfully. I will say that you should go into it expecting vibes and prose, as you should with any Olivie Blake read. If you're comfortable picking up a book, having no idea what's going on but also being horrified and weirded out in equal measure as well as some unfinished plotlines, I think this may be the book for you. I've been reading some odd stuff lately, but not "Hollywood serial killer with a demon" odd. I read this with my eyeballs, and from some of my mutual's experiences, I would say eyeball read is the way to go. You skip back and forth between two different points of view, along with some incredibly on theme script-style bits that I don't think will translate as well to audiobook. I think this was a fascinating story where everyone is unreliable, including the narrator, and the idea that people can retell their story if they're the author. I will be thinking about this one for a while.
What I didn't like: Again, I generally don't love horror or gore, but man can Olivie Blake make me interested in a story. I also want to say this was my fault entirely for reading 2/3 of the description before reading, but I do not care for a devil/demon story. In summation, my dislikes have everything to do with personal preference and nothing to do with anything else. (except I still want to know why the pigeon was supposed to ?????) I think this was a fascinating read that so many horror readers are going to DEVOUR.
Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this read!
What I liked: I generally don't love horror or gore, but man can Olivie Blake make me interested in a story. It was so weird, and I say that so respectfully. I will say that you should go into it expecting vibes and prose, as you should with any Olivie Blake read. If you're comfortable picking up a book, having no idea what's going on but also being horrified and weirded out in equal measure as well as some unfinished plotlines, I think this may be the book for you. I've been reading some odd stuff lately, but not "Hollywood serial killer with a demon" odd. I read this with my eyeballs, and from some of my mutual's experiences, I would say eyeball read is the way to go. You skip back and forth between two different points of view, along with some incredibly on theme script-style bits that I don't think will translate as well to audiobook. I think this was a fascinating story where everyone is unreliable, including the narrator, and the idea that people can retell their story if they're the author. I will be thinking about this one for a while.
What I didn't like: Again, I generally don't love horror or gore, but man can Olivie Blake make me interested in a story. I also want to say this was my fault entirely for reading 2/3 of the description before reading, but I do not care for a devil/demon story. In summation, my dislikes have everything to do with personal preference and nothing to do with anything else. (except I still want to know why the pigeon was supposed to ?????) I think this was a fascinating read that so many horror readers are going to DEVOUR.
Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this read!
August 10, 2026
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Where do I even start? Y'all know I do one word reviews of my books and the one that instantly came to mind was PERFECTION.
Other words? Immaculate, incredible, phenomenal, exquisite. Truly, no notes. Chef’s kiss. This book was fantastic! My favorite Olivie Blake and that's saying something because I simply ADORED Gifted and Talented! GAH! I feel so blessed to have read these two back to back and honestly, Olivie Blake is quickly becoming one of my absolute favorite authors. She has definitely achieved "auto-buy" status in my book!
*Dreamland* is Olivie Blake at her absolute best. This book was strange, clever, gorgeous, unsettling, romantic, wildly unhinged, and completely impossible to put down. I was obsessed with all of it, even when I had no idea what the heck was going on (which happened more than once lol)
I finished it and immediately messaged my book club host to say it needs to be a book club choice ASAP. Absolute perfection. A++. The audio was full cast and wildly incredible. I truly can't hype this enough!! I loved how there was a "narrator" voice for like the director, it reminded me of "the voice of God" in Gifted and Talented, Brilliant! Olivie Blake is a genius in our midst!
Where do I even start? Y'all know I do one word reviews of my books and the one that instantly came to mind was PERFECTION.
Other words? Immaculate, incredible, phenomenal, exquisite. Truly, no notes. Chef’s kiss. This book was fantastic! My favorite Olivie Blake and that's saying something because I simply ADORED Gifted and Talented! GAH! I feel so blessed to have read these two back to back and honestly, Olivie Blake is quickly becoming one of my absolute favorite authors. She has definitely achieved "auto-buy" status in my book!
*Dreamland* is Olivie Blake at her absolute best. This book was strange, clever, gorgeous, unsettling, romantic, wildly unhinged, and completely impossible to put down. I was obsessed with all of it, even when I had no idea what the heck was going on (which happened more than once lol)
I finished it and immediately messaged my book club host to say it needs to be a book club choice ASAP. Absolute perfection. A++. The audio was full cast and wildly incredible. I truly can't hype this enough!! I loved how there was a "narrator" voice for like the director, it reminded me of "the voice of God" in Gifted and Talented, Brilliant! Olivie Blake is a genius in our midst!
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