i don't even know what to say.

this is that book that is hard to put down once you decide to read it. when you classify what constitutes to be a best read, one may consider the fluidity of narration, the uniqueness of each characters, which reflects their humane decisions (also how realistic the themes and consequences in the world it's being set to), the pace, and the length, and i can say that a long petal of the sea gracefully crosses every consideration there is.

i've always looked out for a type of novel that is completely planned out, that every scene captures the severity of the story, and that every character's decision resonates to what is being asked them by the situation. and this delivered and gave that. all the characters bear realistic attributions, with their personalities being completely situational (and this highlights their complexity) due to the raging environment the story is set in.

this book is so grounded to what it's saying without being too verbose or info-dumpy. it's not pretentious. at all. and i love it.