Book Review: Someone to Daydream About by Sydney Langford

[ID: an illustration of a pink haired white teen girl leaning towards a blonde Asian teen and making the ASL sign for “I love you”. A blue city skyline is behind them colored in shades of pink and purple. “Someone to Daydream About” is written in ombre cursive font in pink, purple, and white with “Sydney Langford” written in bold white. The book sits on a spread of loose book pages on a gray wooden floor with a piece of lace draped across the right side. Fake purple roses and dark pink flowers frame the left side of the photo. A postcard of an illustration of cherry trees in front of Seattle’s Space Needle sits to the right, a silver branch hair pin sits below the book, and a Shinee lightstick keychain in bright teal sits above the book.]

Happy Book Birthday to SOMEONE TO DAYDREAM ABOUT by Sydney Langford, a charming YA romcom with dyslexia and Deaf representation!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an early look at one of my most anticipated releases of 2026!

I loved Langford’s debut THE LOUDEST SILENCE so my expectations were sky high for their sophomore novel. I’m happy to say that SOMEONE TO DAYDREAM ABOUT was fun, heartfelt, and riveting!

Summary: Every teenager in America knows eighteen-year-old Felix Song, the lead singer of the most popular boy band since One Direction. Our main character, Natalie, thinks of him more as an annoying rich kid from her hometown than a heartthrob.

Natalie dreams of honoring her late dad’s legacy and making a positive impact on her beloved Deaf community by revamping her family’s run-down Deaf Center. The issue? She has no money. When Felix's little sister's hearing loss begins to accelerate, he gives Natalie a generous job offer that would help secure the Center’s future: but she must accompany him on tour this summer to teach him ASL.

What begins as a professional arrangement soon morphs into something more… Between relentless public scrutiny, contractual obligations, and meddling band members, Natalie must decide if their dreams can co-exist in the spotlight.

@LibraryOfDreaming’s thoughts: SOMEONE TO DAYDREAM ABOUT is funny and sweet, but it also handles serious topics with sensitivity. It deals with grief, ableism, class differences, toxic fandom, and the price of fame. I think another book would have skimmed over the challenges Natalie and Felix face, but this book does a great job in balancing romance with reality. This makes the characters feel even more real and poignant.

My one issue with SOMEONE TO DAYDREAM ABOUT is I felt like it didn’t give enough page time to Natalie’s conflict with her mom and her family issues. While her grief is well portrayed, it feels like that plot line got concluded in just one conversation. I wanted more!

I read this book while on vacation in Seattle to go to a Kpop concert and I couldn’t have picked a better combination! Langford’s love for music and Deaf culture shines through the pages. It’s also a fun travel book with glimpses of a variety of locations including Seattle, Miami, Boston, NYC, and more. It’s the perfect combination of wish fulfillment romcom and moving disability read. I had so much fun with this book and I can’t wait to see what Sydney Langford writes next!