Not gonna lie, I picked this one solely for the title and the cover art. There also seems to be a bit of a debate as to whether it’s YA or not. (My library did not but I can see the argument for it.) I almost gave up on this one. At about a third of the way in the story started to pick up and dig into the mystery of the missing child. Be prepared for a somewhat slow burn before it gets moving on the plot. 

It is set in a post-apocalyptic Scotland, but you only get hints at the big “catastrophe”. Huchu uses a lot of Scottish slang and a 14 year old protagonist that’s all fire and insolence. Ropa is crass but fiercely loyal to her family. As reluctant as she is to do favors for the dead for free, her sweet grandmother convinces her to do the right thing and search for little Ollie. 

I would classify this as a cozy paranormal mystery. The twists and reveals are par for the course in a cozy style narrative, as is the pacing. Overall, it’s a solid read, especially if you’re looking for something as a break between big/heavy topics (or reality).