Lucid Dreams

by Daphne Palasi Andreades

A surreal and intimate novel about a disillusioned artist who, plagued by mysterious visions, must navigate a series of personal and existential crises that upend their way of life, by the award-winning author of Brown Girls.

Fresh off the success of their first novel, a writer—intense, ambitious, and increasingly embittered by the purpose of art—struggles with feelings of despair. Despite achieving their childhood dream, they find themself dissatisfied and despondent in a post-pandemic world that feels violent and unstable.

Amidst this turmoil, and a looming deadline for their second book, the writer tries and fails to create. Instead, they begin to experience strange hallucinatory visions. Enigmatic letters and sketches appear, written in handwriting that isn’t their own, followed by sightings of a mysterious figure, which blur the line between the narrator’s fiction and lived reality.

These challenges—psychological, artistic, spiritual—and the secrets the writer harbors, alienate them from their loved ones, their art, and themself. Despite forays into learning a heritage language, Tagalog, traveling abroad, and changing their look, the visions persist—until one fateful event, which draws the writer and the mysterious figure together.

With her signature daring approach and evocative prose, Daphne Palasi Andreades explores immigration, modern womanhood, and the tension between art and commerce, in this wholly original novel. Lucid Dreams examines how we find purpose, the nature of change, and the courage it takes to be fully alive today.

Genres: Fantasy, Adult, Literary Fiction, Horror, Fiction, Contemporary

320 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication October 27, 2026

About the author

Daphne Palasi Andreades is the author of the debut novel, BROWN GIRLS, which was selected as a New York Times Editors' Choice, an Indies Next Pick, longlisted for The Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize, and shortlisted for the New American Voices Award. Daphne is a graduate of CUNY Baruch College and Columbia University’s MFA Fiction program, where she was awarded a Henfield Prize and a Creative Writing Teaching Fellowship. She is the recipient of a 2021 O.Henry Prize, and scholarships to the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, Martha’s Vineyard Institute for Creative Writing, where she won the Voices of Color Prize, and other honors. She is at work on several projects, including her second novel. She lives in New York City. Find her on Instagram and Twitter at @DaphnePalasiA.

Reviews

[Quilted.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s more of a surreal story than something plot heavy and it really focuses on one character’s inner spiral.It’s about a writer who just had success with their first novel basically living the dream they always wanted but instead of feeling fulfilled, they’re stuck feeling empty, bitter, and kind of lost. It’s set in this post pandemic world that feels unstable and heavy, which adds to that overall sense of unease. On top of that, they’re under pressure to write a second book and just can’t. Total creative block.Then things start getting weird. They begin having these strange visions, and stuff starts showing up letters and drawings in handwriting that isn’t theirs plus sightings of this mysterious figure. What I liked is how personal it feels. It’s not just about writer’s block it’s about identity, purpose, and feeling disconnected from your own life. The main character tries to fix things in different ways, like reconnecting with their roots, learning Tagalog, traveling, even changing their appearance, but nothing really makes the visions stop. It all builds up to this moment where everything kind of collides.Theme wise, it dives into a lot immigration, modern womanhood, the pressure to turn art into something “successful,” and what it even means to live a meaningful life. It’s definitely more on the thoughtful, artsy side, and not always easy, but it sticks with you.Overall, it’s a slow, surreal, slightly unsettling read that’s more about the internal journey than anything else. If you like books that are a little abstract and really dig into emotions and identity, this one’s worth it.

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the ARC!

In Andreades’ Lucid Dreams, a Filipino woman undergoes a surreal journey of self discovery, ebbing through crises and pivotal crossroads while attempting to complete a draft of her second novel. The new author’s writer’s block stems initially from societal expectations for a married woman of her age to bear children, which is something she is not certain she desires. As the story progresses, she debates her femininity and patriarchal conformity, combats the religious expectations from her in-laws, faces tragedy head-on, and grapples with the disconnect from her ethnic origins as a child of immigrant parents, who are also struggling.

Simultaneously, our protagonist is haunted by a man in a Victorian suit and his anatomical eye art, both her dreams and daily life plagued by his disruptive presence. Andreades brilliantly blurs the lines between “reality and fantasy,” mimicking what it means to be stuck in a lucid dream. There is a delicate unravelling of our protagonist as she discovers who she truly is. The writing accurately captures the truth of self discovery: it is challenging, overwhelming, discouraging, and ultimately the best thing for you. She takes her growth in phases, pacing herself, ensuring she is ready for a shift in her life.

It tackles a lot at once, piling on struggle after struggle, which initially feels burdensome. These are themes that are often individually centric rather than getting stacked and muddled together within one tale. Upon completion, however, an understanding can be reached: this is reality (despite the surreal aspects of the story itself, the general representation is rooted in truth). The overwhelming pileup of crises, both internal and external, is a jumbled mess, because that’s what happens in life. It is not always “one step at a time.” This style puts the reader directly in line with the protagonist. Following along as she discovers who she really is is a rewarding experience, even if it demands focus. It reaches an odd, yet satisfying conclusion that fits the overall vibe of the events that ensued throughout.

[Nocturne Pages · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lucid Dreams is a Literary Fiction novel by Daphne Palasi Andreades. It will be released on October 27th, 2026. So thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the early copy to read and review honestly! This book is heavy. Don't go expecting sunshines and rainbows. This woman explores everything about herself and THEN SOME. It explores important themes one needs to come to terms with and dissect in all of our lives, but especially as a woman. SPECIFICALLY specifically women who create. Very pandemic/fever dream oriented. Which, for me, I don't like revisiting that time but that's on ME not the story. The main character's headspace however, I found to be slightly  (okay, maybe very) hypocritical. I just didn't agree with some of her thoughts or beliefs and that made it hard to connect to her character. If you keep going, it tries to touch on all sides. Some you'll agree with, some you won't. You just gotta read and examine with a grain of sand. I wasn't expecting a certain aspect to be such a large part of this novel. It deals with a LOT of different themes and I feel as though with so many themes you're gonna step on some toes… or a lot of toes. The overall voice felt back and forth. All in all the word I would use is fragmented. But I am happy the Main Character took the time to find themselves. 2.75 ⭐ 

[Jazmyne Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Random House for allowing me to read this early!

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed myself. I'm a sucker for a good book cover and this one really drew me in. When I read the synopsis of the story I was intrigued at first and I was hooked after the first chapter. I finished this book in a day and a half. I truly enjoyed following the main characters journey for the entire book. This story is a coming of age story in my opinion. It was refreshing to read a story like about a young woman going into her 30s and still not quite having it all figured out. I related so much to the characters questions around having kids, the purpose of art and the performance of being a woman. I think this is great novel about what it means to use your voice and how that can benefit not just you but the community around you. There is so much layered in this book and sometimes that can be overwhelming but it didn't feel that way with this story. It all felt perfectly layered and gave me so much to think about. I really enjoyed the dreams and how they seemed to bread crumb the main character connecting to her ancestor.

[Katie Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this novel as an ARC from NetGalley. I am unpaid and all opinions are mine alone.

I found myself surprisingly enchanted by the main character of this book. She was spunky, provocative, and so insightful. I highlighted so many profound quotes.
While reading this book, I could not seem to tear myself away, which is unusual for me in most books that are not thrillers. I was drawn to the character, rooting her on and desperate to see where she ended up.
The ending of the book was an unexpected twist for me, but I found it heartwarming.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you netgalley for the ARC of this novel.

A very meta story of an authors journey of self discovery while trying to write their second novel. Really interesting read, aptly titled. I liked the inclusion of poetry and images. It took me a little while to “get it” but once I did I found it very magical. Would definitely recommend, especially to 30 somethings who are still trying to figure out who they are.

[Sam Hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

What was that??