I'd heard a lot about this book and went into it with kinda high expectations. I enjoy a good gothic setting, and my hold on it at the library came in at the perfect time of year! Unfortunately, those high expectations might have worked against it. I liked the prose, and I found Noemi to be a compelling and likeable main character. What I wasn't fond of, however, was the direction the plot took -

telepathic mushroom spores that an evil old man is harnessing to control his family is unique, I'll give it that, but I don't know if I'd say I enjoyed it as a plot twist

. I also didn't like how Noemi was set up as having all these ambitions in the beginning of the book,

but by the end that was forgotten in favor of a nothingburger of a romance

. Ultimately it's a three-star read for me - it kept me entertained but I doubt I'll ever re-read it.