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A review by incipientdreamer
If Found, Return to Hell by Em X. Liu
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
The living and the dead are all plagued by the same thing these days. Bureaucracy, and the banality of stupid men.
This was the cutest thing ever! Found family with some quirky humour mixed in, If Found, Return to Hell is my new fav comfort read. I want more of Em X. Liu's writing because it seems perfect for me. I picked up this novella after reading the author's upcoming The Death I Gave Him which could not be any more different than this, both in terms of plot and themes. Both books, however, managed to bewitch me with the wonderful writing, as well as the diverse range Liu seems to have. A debut author, but one I will be looking out for. This novella is the perfect blend of cozy fantasy, comedy, a slow-burn romance and found family. It's also not at twee at all for readers who don't like that in their cozy fantasy but succeeds in making your heart feel so very warm and full.
I read this after reading Isabel J. Kim's The Big Glass Box and the Boys Inside, both of which feature a bureaucratic magic company and the employee who works there. Both are pretty wholesome and cute but at the same time pretty different from each other. I liked Liu's novella more than Kim's short story, mainly because I appreciated the depth the longer length was able to pack in and deliver a more emotional story.
This was the cutest thing ever! Found family with some quirky humour mixed in, If Found, Return to Hell is my new fav comfort read. I want more of Em X. Liu's writing because it seems perfect for me. I picked up this novella after reading the author's upcoming The Death I Gave Him which could not be any more different than this, both in terms of plot and themes. Both books, however, managed to bewitch me with the wonderful writing, as well as the diverse range Liu seems to have. A debut author, but one I will be looking out for. This novella is the perfect blend of cozy fantasy, comedy, a slow-burn romance and found family. It's also not at twee at all for readers who don't like that in their cozy fantasy but succeeds in making your heart feel so very warm and full.
I read this after reading Isabel J. Kim's The Big Glass Box and the Boys Inside, both of which feature a bureaucratic magic company and the employee who works there. Both are pretty wholesome and cute but at the same time pretty different from each other. I liked Liu's novella more than Kim's short story, mainly because I appreciated the depth the longer length was able to pack in and deliver a more emotional story.