Scan barcode
luluwoohoo's reviews
472 reviews
By Any Other Name by Lauren Kate
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
By Any Other Name by Lauren Kate
☀️☀️🌤️
A rapid romance that opens a lot of promising doors but slams some of them closed much too quickly.
Firstly, I loved the premise here. The conflicts felt natural and significant from that alone, so I trusted that the execution would be an easy sell. Unfortunately I found the overall plot a bit lacking in places, mostly within the second half which skipped over several relevant scenes, rushed through others, and cut off before what was arguably the second most important scene of the book (obviously them getting together is #1, which was nice enough but equally rushed).
The romantic relationship was average at best and suffered because of the aforementioned length issue. I'm usually a big advocate for trimming unnecessary fat but boy did this book need an extra 100 pages to flesh out what we missed once they weren't fighting anymore, to build palpable chemistry and introduce each other to their lives. Just as Lanie's relationship with Ryan disappeared in a blink, her crush on Noah felt unrealistic and forced for the sake of the plot. Her behaviour throughout was unprofessional verging on cringe, but I did like the supporting characters much better.
This had so much potential to be a showstopper romance novel, but the lack of depth in the romance and the rushed third act spoiled what goodwill had been built beforehand.
☀️☀️🌤️
A rapid romance that opens a lot of promising doors but slams some of them closed much too quickly.
Firstly, I loved the premise here. The conflicts felt natural and significant from that alone, so I trusted that the execution would be an easy sell. Unfortunately I found the overall plot a bit lacking in places, mostly within the second half which skipped over several relevant scenes, rushed through others, and cut off before what was arguably the second most important scene of the book (obviously them getting together is #1, which was nice enough but equally rushed).
The romantic relationship was average at best and suffered because of the aforementioned length issue. I'm usually a big advocate for trimming unnecessary fat but boy did this book need an extra 100 pages to flesh out what we missed once they weren't fighting anymore, to build palpable chemistry and introduce each other to their lives. Just as Lanie's relationship with Ryan disappeared in a blink, her crush on Noah felt unrealistic and forced for the sake of the plot. Her behaviour throughout was unprofessional verging on cringe, but I did like the supporting characters much better.
This had so much potential to be a showstopper romance novel, but the lack of depth in the romance and the rushed third act spoiled what goodwill had been built beforehand.
"One day," she said, "in the comfort of your unknowable future, you'll look at this picture, and you'll be glad we took it today."
The City in Glass by Nghi Vo
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The City In Glass by Nghi Vo
☀️☀️☀️
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
This was a story so deeply entrenched in its own beauty that it failed to capture me beyond surface level appreciation. I am genuinely impressed by Vo's beautiful writing but there was just so much of it without anything actually happening plot-wise that I couldn't help but find myself skimming through and looking for the next story beat. I can't think of a better summary than "all vibes no plot", especially considering that the main hook of the blurb didn't come into play until the very last pages! I've seen comparisons to "This Is How You Lose The Time War" which I understand, but the relationship in this felt much barer and the pacing far slower, both of which worked against it for me.
The writing style and abstract time jumps all contributed to a feeling of disconnect with the subject matter. I appreciated Vitrine's love of her city but we only got a brief introduction to her time within it, and while her memories were nice, they were so separated from our situation that I wasn't wholly engaged with them. The Angel was a sympathetic character in some ways and I was most intrigued by his potential character arc, so the choice of ending was bittersweet for me.
I can see how many people love this book, but I needed a firmer plot structure to hold onto and without it I was a bit disappointed.
☀️☀️☀️
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
This was a story so deeply entrenched in its own beauty that it failed to capture me beyond surface level appreciation. I am genuinely impressed by Vo's beautiful writing but there was just so much of it without anything actually happening plot-wise that I couldn't help but find myself skimming through and looking for the next story beat. I can't think of a better summary than "all vibes no plot", especially considering that the main hook of the blurb didn't come into play until the very last pages! I've seen comparisons to "This Is How You Lose The Time War" which I understand, but the relationship in this felt much barer and the pacing far slower, both of which worked against it for me.
The writing style and abstract time jumps all contributed to a feeling of disconnect with the subject matter. I appreciated Vitrine's love of her city but we only got a brief introduction to her time within it, and while her memories were nice, they were so separated from our situation that I wasn't wholly engaged with them. The Angel was a sympathetic character in some ways and I was most intrigued by his potential character arc, so the choice of ending was bittersweet for me.
I can see how many people love this book, but I needed a firmer plot structure to hold onto and without it I was a bit disappointed.
"Because it was written at the beginning of their world that they could not die, every demon knew the trick of bringing themselves back from death. They might sight the far flags of death's pavilions, but they knew they were not welcome."
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
☀️☀️⛅
An elongated fantasy that relies too heavily on its solid concept and quirky writing style without delivering anything beyond the base standard.
I wanted to like this story but for several reasons I struggled to engage with it. Kristoff's writing style skews younger and employs humour (which often isn't that funny) to balance out the 'darkness' of the whole assassin school thing, but I found this juxtaposition jarring more than alleviating. The addition of footnotes really grated me because they seemed to be the only attempt at world building, which felt really lazy and often pulled me out of the story so much I had to stop reading them altogether. I will admit that some of the metaphors used were effective but overall there were far too many - the prose overall felt bloated and the dialogue sparse enough to be awkward.
The skill and edginess of the MC didn't align with reality most of the time, and Mia's interactions with her peers and educators often came across as nothing more than opportunities to prove how much of a badass she is. She ultimately felt like a compilation of what young teens might think is 'cool' - a sixteen year old killer who smokes and has an unexplained shadow power - but wasn't expanded beyond that. The focus on her physical 'enhancement' during school felt gross (we see you, male gaze) and the sex scenes were undeniably cringy. The supporting characters were at least identifiable, but once again they were painted as one dimensional and most behaved too immaturely to be believable.
The actual plot was remarkable simple and only once was I surprised by a turn of events. I wanted much more depth of character and legitimate world building for the page count but was left unengaged and wanting more. I don't plan to continue this series due to these issues, but I should acknowledge that I think my sixteen year old self probably would have enjoyed it much more.
☀️☀️⛅
An elongated fantasy that relies too heavily on its solid concept and quirky writing style without delivering anything beyond the base standard.
I wanted to like this story but for several reasons I struggled to engage with it. Kristoff's writing style skews younger and employs humour (which often isn't that funny) to balance out the 'darkness' of the whole assassin school thing, but I found this juxtaposition jarring more than alleviating. The addition of footnotes really grated me because they seemed to be the only attempt at world building, which felt really lazy and often pulled me out of the story so much I had to stop reading them altogether. I will admit that some of the metaphors used were effective but overall there were far too many - the prose overall felt bloated and the dialogue sparse enough to be awkward.
The skill and edginess of the MC didn't align with reality most of the time, and Mia's interactions with her peers and educators often came across as nothing more than opportunities to prove how much of a badass she is. She ultimately felt like a compilation of what young teens might think is 'cool' - a sixteen year old killer who smokes and has an unexplained shadow power - but wasn't expanded beyond that. The focus on her physical 'enhancement' during school felt gross (we see you, male gaze) and the sex scenes were undeniably cringy. The supporting characters were at least identifiable, but once again they were painted as one dimensional and most behaved too immaturely to be believable.
The actual plot was remarkable simple and only once was I surprised by a turn of events. I wanted much more depth of character and legitimate world building for the page count but was left unengaged and wanting more. I don't plan to continue this series due to these issues, but I should acknowledge that I think my sixteen year old self probably would have enjoyed it much more.
"The books we love, they love us back. And just as we mark our places in the pages, those pages leave their marks on us. I can see it in you, sure as you can see it in me. You're a daughter of words. A girl with a story to tell."
You're My Home by Katie Moore
challenging
hopeful
slow-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
1.75
You're My Home by Katie Moore
☀️🌤️
Happy Pride Month!
A cute concept is lost amongst bland writing, a complete lack of editing, and a poor understanding of young men's behaviour.
I love some fluff, but this is just ridiculous. The entire book reads like one comfort scene after another, with the drama in between feeling less and less authentic as the story drags on. Yet somehow there's almost no plot in almost 500 pages. It covers a decent time period of 5-6 years but should have focused on specific moments with time jumps rather than becoming so damn repetitive.
Zach starts out as a sweet and sympathetic character, and I appreciate the focus on less masculine men, but he's given almost no character growth and is infantilised from the get go. The focus on his size and the constant crying doesn't match up with the personality he could have developed with such a confident best friend.
Brady is too 'perfect' and too protective to the point of being toxic. Their initial friendship is sweet but becomes so codependent it's clawing to read. All of the support characters are one-dimensional and forgettable, painted in total shades of black and white.
I had several issues with basic understanding of young men too. A thirteen year old boy doesn't need help climbing onto a bar stool, nor would he crawl into a total strangers lap to cry. The boys' behaviour was potentially passable at first but never grew into anything age appropriate, so they were always presented as childlike in a mildly creepy way.
This had potential to be a sweet romance but that whole idea gets lost amongst the unnecessary melodrama and ignorant stereotypes.
☀️🌤️
Happy Pride Month!
A cute concept is lost amongst bland writing, a complete lack of editing, and a poor understanding of young men's behaviour.
I love some fluff, but this is just ridiculous. The entire book reads like one comfort scene after another, with the drama in between feeling less and less authentic as the story drags on. Yet somehow there's almost no plot in almost 500 pages. It covers a decent time period of 5-6 years but should have focused on specific moments with time jumps rather than becoming so damn repetitive.
Zach starts out as a sweet and sympathetic character, and I appreciate the focus on less masculine men, but he's given almost no character growth and is infantilised from the get go. The focus on his size and the constant crying doesn't match up with the personality he could have developed with such a confident best friend.
Brady is too 'perfect' and too protective to the point of being toxic. Their initial friendship is sweet but becomes so codependent it's clawing to read. All of the support characters are one-dimensional and forgettable, painted in total shades of black and white.
I had several issues with basic understanding of young men too. A thirteen year old boy doesn't need help climbing onto a bar stool, nor would he crawl into a total strangers lap to cry. The boys' behaviour was potentially passable at first but never grew into anything age appropriate, so they were always presented as childlike in a mildly creepy way.
This had potential to be a sweet romance but that whole idea gets lost amongst the unnecessary melodrama and ignorant stereotypes.
The Honeys by Ryan La Sala
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Honeys by Ryan La Sala
☀️☀️☀️
Happy Pride Month!
This slow burn horror/mystery had a lot of great elements that will stay memorable, but ultimately lacked something that could get me invested in the journey.
Firstly, La Sala's writing is lovely and atmospheric and definitely lends itself to these genres. At times I found the language choices a bit too *wink wink* for my tastes, but being YA I give it a pass. The few horror scenes in the novel were the most captivating with their visceral descriptions, though they were too sparse to pull the whole book up in quality.
Mars as a character was interesting to read about but was perhaps a bit two dimensional in the exploration of his gender fluidity - a huge conflict for the first two thirds of the book. This subplot is basically discarded at the climax which was disappointing. Mars' sense of self-preservation was good, as was the growth of his relationship with Wyatt.
The group of The Honeys as a concept was decent but the meandering vibes of the second act really didn't give us a good sense of their place in the story, which I'm guessing was intentional from the mystery standpoint but left me feeling multiple steps removed from the unfolding mystery. Once we were given the full truth at the end I found the 'surprise' disappointingly large in scale with quite a few plot holes revealed and never answered.
I enjoyed a lot of elements from this book but ultimately found myself detached from the drama and emotion too much to connect, and with an unsatisfactory ending I was left wanting more.
☀️☀️☀️
Happy Pride Month!
This slow burn horror/mystery had a lot of great elements that will stay memorable, but ultimately lacked something that could get me invested in the journey.
Firstly, La Sala's writing is lovely and atmospheric and definitely lends itself to these genres. At times I found the language choices a bit too *wink wink* for my tastes, but being YA I give it a pass. The few horror scenes in the novel were the most captivating with their visceral descriptions, though they were too sparse to pull the whole book up in quality.
Mars as a character was interesting to read about but was perhaps a bit two dimensional in the exploration of his gender fluidity - a huge conflict for the first two thirds of the book. This subplot is basically discarded at the climax which was disappointing. Mars' sense of self-preservation was good, as was the growth of his relationship with Wyatt.
The group of The Honeys as a concept was decent but the meandering vibes of the second act really didn't give us a good sense of their place in the story, which I'm guessing was intentional from the mystery standpoint but left me feeling multiple steps removed from the unfolding mystery. Once we were given the full truth at the end I found the 'surprise' disappointingly large in scale with quite a few plot holes revealed and never answered.
I enjoyed a lot of elements from this book but ultimately found myself detached from the drama and emotion too much to connect, and with an unsatisfactory ending I was left wanting more.
"Death isn't the end of a life, but the division of it. When someone dies, their soul scatters into all the things they've ever given away. Love. Bruises. Gifts. You struggle to piece together what's left - even the things that hurt - just to feel haunted."
In Memoriam by Alice Winn
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
In Memoriam by Alice Winn
☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅
Happy Pride Month!
Winn's deubt novel doesn't do much to shake up the formula of "gay men in war", but the heart and soul with which it's written ensured its place as a modern classic.
By taking something as impossibly large as the war and using it as the backdrop for a relationship so microcosmic and intimate, Winn balances these genres skillfully. She takes great care to describe the monotony and repetitiveness of the trenches, the horror and gore of No Man's Land, the surprising levity found in the prisoner-of-war camps. Each of these experiences deftly steer the main characters through inevitable highs and lows at different stages, and the structure throughout the second act works well to build tension in their separation as we wait for them to be reunited.
Both Sidney and Henry are delightfully complex and interesting characters to live inside of for a while. Their individual acknowledgement of loving each other so early on is beautifully reflected in the prose and contrasted by the dialogue, and we are hurried into the war with a pace that disappoints in the most appropriate way. With confessions left unsaid, each man changes under the stress and turmoil of war. I found myself consciously tracking their unbalanced personas throughout, hoping that they might level out in the end (if they both survived at all) I was rooting for this couple until the last page.
The explorations of grief, vanity and morality were handled well. I appreciated the conscious decision to acknowledge lesser known participants of the war through supporting characters (especially Devi) and the obvious care that was taken in researching them. My favourite juxtaposition was through the poetry - its glamorous and heroic portrayal of war, its uncompromising romanticism and its ease of communicating love. Mirroring the realities of life back against these verses added a layer of drama and poignancy that was gratifying.
This was undoubtedly a difficult read, but I'm so very glad I picked it up. It was emotional and powerful and horrible and wonderful and very much a powerhouse piece of literary fiction.
☀️☀️☀️☀️⛅
Happy Pride Month!
Winn's deubt novel doesn't do much to shake up the formula of "gay men in war", but the heart and soul with which it's written ensured its place as a modern classic.
By taking something as impossibly large as the war and using it as the backdrop for a relationship so microcosmic and intimate, Winn balances these genres skillfully. She takes great care to describe the monotony and repetitiveness of the trenches, the horror and gore of No Man's Land, the surprising levity found in the prisoner-of-war camps. Each of these experiences deftly steer the main characters through inevitable highs and lows at different stages, and the structure throughout the second act works well to build tension in their separation as we wait for them to be reunited.
Both Sidney and Henry are delightfully complex and interesting characters to live inside of for a while. Their individual acknowledgement of loving each other so early on is beautifully reflected in the prose and contrasted by the dialogue, and we are hurried into the war with a pace that disappoints in the most appropriate way. With confessions left unsaid, each man changes under the stress and turmoil of war. I found myself consciously tracking their unbalanced personas throughout, hoping that they might level out in the end (if they both survived at all) I was rooting for this couple until the last page.
The explorations of grief, vanity and morality were handled well. I appreciated the conscious decision to acknowledge lesser known participants of the war through supporting characters (especially Devi) and the obvious care that was taken in researching them. My favourite juxtaposition was through the poetry - its glamorous and heroic portrayal of war, its uncompromising romanticism and its ease of communicating love. Mirroring the realities of life back against these verses added a layer of drama and poignancy that was gratifying.
This was undoubtedly a difficult read, but I'm so very glad I picked it up. It was emotional and powerful and horrible and wonderful and very much a powerhouse piece of literary fiction.
"I'm sorry. This is not what I intended to say. What I meant to say is this: You'll write more poems. They are not lost. You are the poetry."
"The birds chattered merrily on the wet brown branches. Daffodils sunned out among the headstones. How alive it all seemed, and how gracious--to die in an era when your death brought you a brief moment at the centre of something. To be important, rather than one of millions."
Dick Fight Island, Vol. 2 by Reibun Ike
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Dick Fight Island volume 2 by Reibun Ike
☀️☀️☀️
Happy Pride Month!
Volume 2 was part flashback and part continuation of the story which I enjoyed. Getting more backstory on Harto and Matthew's relationship was great, as was seeing the other couples lives after the tournament.
The art was once again lovely with intricate detail throughout. I found the distinction between locations and scenes easier to follow in this volume.
The sex was just as ridiculous as the first volume, as was the humour - I laughed out loud several times, mostly at Matthew's reactions.
As I said for V1, this series is ridiculous in the best way. Entertaining, light and sexy.
☀️☀️☀️
Happy Pride Month!
Volume 2 was part flashback and part continuation of the story which I enjoyed. Getting more backstory on Harto and Matthew's relationship was great, as was seeing the other couples lives after the tournament.
The art was once again lovely with intricate detail throughout. I found the distinction between locations and scenes easier to follow in this volume.
The sex was just as ridiculous as the first volume, as was the humour - I laughed out loud several times, mostly at Matthew's reactions.
As I said for V1, this series is ridiculous in the best way. Entertaining, light and sexy.
Dick Fight Island, Vol. 1 by Reibun Ike
adventurous
funny
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Dick Fight Island Volu e 1 by Reibun Ike
☀️☀️☀️
Happy Pride Month!
I've finally had a chance to sit down and read the most unexpected item from my Sydney book haul back in April.
This manga is outrageous in its concept, and it completely commits: one man from each of the eight fictional islands compete in a tournament to become king, which solely involves making their opponent orgasm before them. It's literally dick fight island. What a time to be alive.
The art is beautifully done with intricate detail, though I will admit a few panels required a lot of inspection to figure out exactly what was going on within that level of detail, so it wasn't always totally effective. The dick protectors (?) were all interesting pieces of art that reflected their homes well and helped in keeping track of who was who.
The amount of characters to develop was a struggle within the small page count, which is a shame because I would have appreciated more backstory on each of the contestants and their islands unique cultural practices. The emotional and romantic relationships between a few of the characters were heartwarming but also could have been better with more time and pages.
Is it *good*? Not really. Was it a fun time? Sure. Will I read volume 2 immediately? You bet.
☀️☀️☀️
Happy Pride Month!
I've finally had a chance to sit down and read the most unexpected item from my Sydney book haul back in April.
This manga is outrageous in its concept, and it completely commits: one man from each of the eight fictional islands compete in a tournament to become king, which solely involves making their opponent orgasm before them. It's literally dick fight island. What a time to be alive.
The art is beautifully done with intricate detail, though I will admit a few panels required a lot of inspection to figure out exactly what was going on within that level of detail, so it wasn't always totally effective. The dick protectors (?) were all interesting pieces of art that reflected their homes well and helped in keeping track of who was who.
The amount of characters to develop was a struggle within the small page count, which is a shame because I would have appreciated more backstory on each of the contestants and their islands unique cultural practices. The emotional and romantic relationships between a few of the characters were heartwarming but also could have been better with more time and pages.
Is it *good*? Not really. Was it a fun time? Sure. Will I read volume 2 immediately? You bet.
"I don't get outsiders. How else would you show off manliness if not by putting your tight shapely ass on display?"
The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles (audiobook narrated by Cornell Collins)
☀️☀️☀️⛅
Happy Pride Month! This dark and humourous historical romance was an enjoyable palate cleanser of a book.
The opening scene of this book is harrowing, but Charles balances the dark gothic elements skillfully with humour and sexual tension. I found the mystery and the investigation intriguing, and the ending ultimately satisfying, though I would have appreciated a bit more detail on the magic system itself and how it operates.
Crane and Day are both interesting characters whose banter is enjoyable, especially when portrayed in audiobook form by Collins. I do wish their relationship was fleshed out a bit more, as the progression felt rushed. Merrick was an entertaining support character, but the others including the villain definitely could have used some more page time to help the reveal towards the end feel earned.
I had a good time listening to this and will endeavour to continue the trilogy - hopefully we get some more world building and relationship growth in the next installment.
☀️☀️☀️⛅
Happy Pride Month! This dark and humourous historical romance was an enjoyable palate cleanser of a book.
The opening scene of this book is harrowing, but Charles balances the dark gothic elements skillfully with humour and sexual tension. I found the mystery and the investigation intriguing, and the ending ultimately satisfying, though I would have appreciated a bit more detail on the magic system itself and how it operates.
Crane and Day are both interesting characters whose banter is enjoyable, especially when portrayed in audiobook form by Collins. I do wish their relationship was fleshed out a bit more, as the progression felt rushed. Merrick was an entertaining support character, but the others including the villain definitely could have used some more page time to help the reveal towards the end feel earned.
I had a good time listening to this and will endeavour to continue the trilogy - hopefully we get some more world building and relationship growth in the next installment.
"'I am in the process of nailing Mr Humphrey Griffin to the wall so thoroughly that future generations will mistake him for a tapestry. Currently, he is under the impression that his cooperation may incline me not to press for a lengthy prison sentence for embezzlement, malpractice, extortion, and perjury.'
'Will it?'
Crane smiled. "Not pleasantly, no, but it scarcely matters.'"
House of Frank by Kay Synclaire
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
House of Frank by Kay Synclaire
☀️☀️☀️
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
This cozy fantasy is reminiscent of many powerhouse storytellers like Diana Wynne Jones and TJ Klune, but it lacked a level of depth to earn a place alongside them.
The setting of this novel is lovingly described and has a quaint, magical feel. It really sets the tone for this quirky and relatively light-hearted tale.
I liked the choice of having our MC tell the story to her sister, but Saika's narrative voice got repetitive quite quickly. It also meant that Synclaire fell into the trap of 'telling' rather than 'showing' a bit too often, which weakened the story overall.
As a character Saika is a good vessel for exploring grief through, though she struggles to be likeable. Most of the supporting characters are unfortunately not drawn broadly enough to truly appreciate, because their backstories are all interesting enough to warrant more exploration; I think the book would have benefitted from editing out some of the members of Ash House to allow for focus on the remaining ones. I also struggled with the reveal of so many characters committing the same cursed act, which cheapened the effect for me.
I can see how this story will appeal broadly as a comfort read, and I did enjoy myself while reading it, but I couldn't help but see more potential in it than was ultimately achieved.
☀️☀️☀️
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
This cozy fantasy is reminiscent of many powerhouse storytellers like Diana Wynne Jones and TJ Klune, but it lacked a level of depth to earn a place alongside them.
The setting of this novel is lovingly described and has a quaint, magical feel. It really sets the tone for this quirky and relatively light-hearted tale.
I liked the choice of having our MC tell the story to her sister, but Saika's narrative voice got repetitive quite quickly. It also meant that Synclaire fell into the trap of 'telling' rather than 'showing' a bit too often, which weakened the story overall.
As a character Saika is a good vessel for exploring grief through, though she struggles to be likeable. Most of the supporting characters are unfortunately not drawn broadly enough to truly appreciate, because their backstories are all interesting enough to warrant more exploration; I think the book would have benefitted from editing out some of the members of Ash House to allow for focus on the remaining ones. I also struggled with the reveal of so many characters committing the same cursed act, which cheapened the effect for me.
I can see how this story will appeal broadly as a comfort read, and I did enjoy myself while reading it, but I couldn't help but see more potential in it than was ultimately achieved.
"You pick out the fine linens, Saika. You pick out the extravagant fabric, and you wear them. You buy the expensive tea or the book you've always wanted. You eat the pie you've always wanted to bake, because after knowing how precious life is, those little moments start to feel quite damn big."