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A review by paperprivateer
The Alchemy of Letting Go by Amber Morrell
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I have mixed feelings about this one. It offers an interesting approach to grief and bringing the dead back to life, but it didn’t have the emotional weight I would expect from a book that covers those topics.
It’s tricky to combine magic with a character who loves science and the scientific method. Juniper eventually says it’s fine because magic is just a science we don’t understand, but some interactions between these two things are still a little weird sometimes. Overall, combining science and magic in a real-world setting is an interesting way to talk about grief and life, and I loved this interpretation of magic.
My main complaint with this book was it felt more shallow than it should have. It should have had a lot of emotional depth considering the amount of grief to the point where she’s trying to bring the dead back to life, or even with how she processes her magical powers, but it fell flat.
Juniper as a character is somewhat lacking. She loves science to the detriment of almost everything else. She does irresponsible and dangerous things in the name of science, but it seems like someone so in love with the scientific method would be a little more cautious about some of the things she does. There’s not much depth to her character other than us being constantly told that she loves science. I never felt her love for her sister or even that she missed her that much, even though we’re told she does because It’s necessary for that plot.
I did like the interpretation of how we and other people change and how our memories of the people we love may not capture everything about who that person is. Unfortunately, some of the implementation of this doesn’t work as well as it should have, as the explanation we’re given doesn’t match what’s actually happening (being vague to avoid spoilers, but it has to do with how Juniper realizes something is strange about her sister). The ending is unsatisfying because of how the main plot points are resolved and we’re supposed to accept that Juniper has gone through growth to accept this reality, but she hasn’t in the book's text.
Overall, this book has some beautiful elements and interesting ideas, but the execution was a little lacking in a way that took away from both the creative elements and my overall enjoyment of the book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review. The opinions are my own and were not influenced by receiving a copy.
It’s tricky to combine magic with a character who loves science and the scientific method. Juniper eventually says it’s fine because magic is just a science we don’t understand, but some interactions between these two things are still a little weird sometimes. Overall, combining science and magic in a real-world setting is an interesting way to talk about grief and life, and I loved this interpretation of magic.
My main complaint with this book was it felt more shallow than it should have. It should have had a lot of emotional depth considering the amount of grief to the point where she’s trying to bring the dead back to life, or even with how she processes her magical powers, but it fell flat.
Juniper as a character is somewhat lacking. She loves science to the detriment of almost everything else. She does irresponsible and dangerous things in the name of science, but it seems like someone so in love with the scientific method would be a little more cautious about some of the things she does. There’s not much depth to her character other than us being constantly told that she loves science. I never felt her love for her sister or even that she missed her that much, even though we’re told she does because It’s necessary for that plot.
I did like the interpretation of how we and other people change and how our memories of the people we love may not capture everything about who that person is. Unfortunately, some of the implementation of this doesn’t work as well as it should have, as the explanation we’re given doesn’t match what’s actually happening (being vague to avoid spoilers, but it has to do with how Juniper realizes something is strange about her sister). The ending is unsatisfying because of how the main plot points are resolved and we’re supposed to accept that Juniper has gone through growth to accept this reality, but she hasn’t in the book's text.
Overall, this book has some beautiful elements and interesting ideas, but the execution was a little lacking in a way that took away from both the creative elements and my overall enjoyment of the book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review. The opinions are my own and were not influenced by receiving a copy.