Reviews

I thought this was delightful. I loved the format of letters and email correspondence (and later a transcript) being the entirety of the novel. I loved the characters, I liked that the main character was socially anxious and OCD in a relatable way. I loved the mystery of the main character’s disappearance and how it was built up and the same for the questionable circumstances about the main characters sisters expedition. The mysteries were alluded to and like a slow burn revealed as the novel progressed. I didn’t want to put it down, and will definitely be reading the next installment!

feenixash's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

laurakershaw's review against another edition

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3.0

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

I enjoyed a lot of the world building aspects (it felt like another world that had a lot of indirect description and mystery to it) but it was really hard to believe the writing style of some of the letters. The overly complimentary tone between main characters was really distracting for me because I’ve never seen letters written in such a “I really loved to receive your letter, you are such a wonderful person and everything about you is beautiful” way. The parts I was most frustrated by was how much of it seemed to be that type of fluff - I think it could’ve been one book easily and when I got to the end there was barely a cliffhanger.

I wouldn’t read the second book most likely unless it’s also available on NetGalley (in which case I would pick it up to see the ending - I hate leaving things unfinished).

Still writing showed potential and the world was interesting so lowest I can give is 3/5

alyssamhull's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious 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

4.0

keri_barber's review against another edition

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4.0

It begins with a letter to Scholar Henerey Clel from E. Cidnosin and continues with more correspondence between siblings of the aforementioned characters, Sophy and Vyerin, who begin a "project" of compiled letters and other documents involving Henerey and E., themselves, and associates during the timeline of their evolving friendship, in an attempt to memorialize their lost siblings and understand what might have happened. Through numerous missives, deeper and more intimate relationships develop amongst the characters, and more details emerge, hoping to shed light on the mystery of their disappearance.

This was a very unique story told through documented letters, transcripts, and correspondence between multiple characters. It is written in a very scholarly manner with an air of constant learning and mystery. At times, I found myself skimming through the correspondence as it seemed so trivial and unimportant, but I understand the story is supposed to mirror personal correspondence letters. It was left on a cliffhanger, so the story is incomplete and leaves one feeling the loss of closure. It was frustrating, to say the least. Overall, it was an interesting read.

pupupuddlecat's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

strawberrymilky's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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