Thank you to Kelly Link, Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Random House, and Netgalley for this free advanced reader copy of "The Book of Love: A Novel" for an honest review.

This was my very first Kelly Link read, but recommended by so many familiar names, I couldn't help but take the plunge. The Book of Love is a dark fantasy novel set in the current day, in a town called Love's End, where magic has suddenly sprung afoot in the reappearance (/resurrection) of three missing children who are brought back but must take part in an esoteric and unrevealing game to win themselves the chance to stay alive.

The characters in this book feel so real—in their strengths and growths, but especially their humanity, complexity, and flaws. I fell a little in love with all the characters in it, even the ones you aren't supposed to like, and I was interested in all of their lives off the page, both before and after the novel takes place. I am definitely looking forward to more books by Kelly Link (and maybe even crossing my fingers for a sequel).