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sammirosewater's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Child abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Bullying, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Mental illness
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse and Xenophobia
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Body shaming, Confinement, Fatphobia, Death of parent, and Racism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
A real life plane crash is discussed in one scene. There are a few uncomfortable jokes made about child characters.Not sure how to tag it, but the fact that the fantasy oppression narrative was partially inspired by the Sixties Scoop is very much something to be aware of.
scarredman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Suicide
nae20's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Wallace is a partner at a big-city law firm and not a great guy. When he drops dead in his office, he's in complete denial. He is taken by a reaper from his funeral and ends up at a tea shop in the woods - a waystation run by the ferryman who will shepherd him on to what's next, whenever he's ready. There, he gets the time to come to terms with what's happened. With the help of the strange and lovely inhabitants of the tea shop, Wallace finally figures out what life is all about.
This is a lovely story, by turns gut-wrenching and charming. I loved the character growth and the atmosphere. It is also quite sad. It deals with death - of a parent, a child, a pet, a partner - and the grief left behind when they go. In this world, we see the grief of both the deceased and the loved ones, and it can almost be overwhelming. This is somewhat balanced by the charm and humor inherent in Klune's writing. At the core, this is a love story. Wallace meets Hugo, the ferryman, and the two grow to care about each other over the course of the book. There were some aspect of the end that I didn't love, but they were not enough to change my opinion of the book.
All in all, a beautiful story about life, death, and what we leave behind.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing this digital ARC for review.
Moderate: Suicide and Child death
accovino's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Fatphobia and Body shaming
Minor: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide
theromanticace's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Fatphobia, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Suicide
rotatinglibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Fatphobia, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Child abuse
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Violence
Minor: Suicide
Disturbing images, monsters, prejudice, "See something say something" There is something about the way the magical youth are homed that reminds me of (indigenous) residential schools. I found the fatphobia extremely upsetting and ruined the overall mood of this book for me.