Loved the unsettling imagery around Pet, especially the descriptions of how it emanated threat without any physical change. Impressively balanced with its protective side, and how it needed help getting out of the painting in the beginning. That was a masterful way to allow Jam to see it as something approachable. Its transformation at the end gave me tingles as well.

Sometimes this utopia - especially its motto and how incredibly sensitive and patient Jam and Redemption are with each other, like trained therapists - struck me as over-idealised and made it hard for me to buy into the kids as real people. Could just be a depressing failure of my imagination though.  I am not entirely certain what the function of setting such a story in a utopia was though, unless a warning to stay vigilant even when you seem safe? Cool take on a utopia though, with the Angels and Monsters blurring the line between real and mythic. That, I took as a well-crafted warning against mythologising your heroes.

The subject matter went to dark places without flinching, but with great care, and delivered an incredibly nuanced take on vengeance (especially considering its branded middle grade). Thoughtful, bold, and loving.

My favourite quote was Pet's reply to Jam asking if it would rather be feared than oggled at: "It [fear] has its advantages when you are a thing that does not fit."