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amandabethrose's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-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? No
3.75
I love a good dual narrative book, and the spin Khalia Moreau put on this style was fascinating. The story follows two sisters. One, Laine, is the only whole surviving member of her family. Her parents were killed in the same car accident that left her sister, Alyssa, severely disabled, unable to care for herself, and nearly unable to communicate save a few garbled words here and there. She is barely holding it together in the real world, struggling to pay bills, coordinate her sister's care, and preserve her own mental health. Alyssa is trapped in a fantasy world where she thinks herself the younger princess of a kingdom where her parents are trapped in the Dark Forest and danger from a shadowy villain lurks.
The fantasy elements felt almost childish at times, but childish in the way that felt realistic to the imagination of a nineteen year old girl trapped inside her mind. It was the kind of flowery, escapism that felt real. The magic of her world bled over just enough to make you wonder - was the 'real world' completely free from the mysterious and the magical after all?
My one caveat to this book is that there should absolutely be a trigger warning for sexual assault of a disabled character. It is non-graphic and tastefully written, but putting the pieces together was still shocking and felt very, very dark.
With that in mind, I did otherwise find the story to be captivating and I could see it being made into a really compelling film or short series. The alternating POV from reality and fantasy would make for some amazing visuals!
The fantasy elements felt almost childish at times, but childish in the way that felt realistic to the imagination of a nineteen year old girl trapped inside her mind. It was the kind of flowery, escapism that felt real. The magic of her world bled over just enough to make you wonder - was the 'real world' completely free from the mysterious and the magical after all?
My one caveat to this book is that there should absolutely be a trigger warning for sexual assault of a disabled character. It is non-graphic and tastefully written, but putting the pieces together was still shocking and felt very, very dark.
With that in mind, I did otherwise find the story to be captivating and I could see it being made into a really compelling film or short series. The alternating POV from reality and fantasy would make for some amazing visuals!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Rape, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death
2treads's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I really enjoyed this debut featuring sisters. The twining of a contemporary world with a fantastical one was also well done, especially the disability rep.
In both worlds we see Laine struggle to take care of her sister who has been severely injured/cursed after their parents are taken. She barely has time for herself or romance and feels guilty for even thinking that she could find someone for her own. On the flip side, Alyssa is concerned about how her condition is hampering Laine and only wantsto be able to communicate both her love, appreciation, and fear.
The way Moreau uses the parallels of the contemporary and fantasy worked really well as readers are able to draw connections between the worlds. The infusion of her cultural folklore also made this read even more enjoyable.
In both worlds we see Laine struggle to take care of her sister who has been severely injured/cursed after their parents are taken. She barely has time for herself or romance and feels guilty for even thinking that she could find someone for her own. On the flip side, Alyssa is concerned about how her condition is hampering Laine and only wantsto be able to communicate both her love, appreciation, and fear.
The way Moreau uses the parallels of the contemporary and fantasy worked really well as readers are able to draw connections between the worlds. The infusion of her cultural folklore also made this read even more enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Grief
Minor: Death and Death of parent
literaryintersections's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
This book is wild!!!! And unique and weird and I kinda loved it and kinda didn’t. It is just so strange and different and I needed to know what happened so badly. The two different realms/timelines/multiverses were so interesting and I loved how they mirrored each other. The sexual assault storyline was absolutely horrific. I have to admit the end wrecked me and I was legit sobbing.
I do appreciate that Moreau took from her real life experiences - especially with Alyssa’s experiences and accident. This story had so many beautiful parts and I’m still a little confused lol.
I do appreciate that Moreau took from her real life experiences - especially with Alyssa’s experiences and accident. This story had so many beautiful parts and I’m still a little confused lol.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Death of parent, and Sexual assault
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial
I think I would have preferred reading this via ebook or physical copy because Jasmin Walker and Marlo Su were great narrators but, I just think with first-person, present-tense writing, it personally works better for me as I read the ebook copy. Truly no disrespect to the narrators — I genuinely enjoyed their voices and narration! The way the POV was written just felt distracting sometimes. I almost wish the prose was just a bit more flowery if that makes sense.
Anyway, this was a curious new adult fantasy novel! The concept of two sisters one year post-trauma, and living in completely different realities, was quite fascinating. I did struggle with the voice/writing at times, like I mentioned above, but the plot was intriguing enough for me to follow. The worldbuilding felt a bit soft at times, with me not fully understanding how characters could jump between planes of reality. I wanted to comprehend the magic system and curses a bit more, but ultimately, I was pulled to the sisters' story in reclaiming their lives, and recovering after the events of a year ago (parents kidnapping and the curse enacted). I would love to hear ownvoices reviews about the representation of Alyssa as a disabled main character. I'm not entirely satisfied with the ending, so I'd love to hear more from my disabled friends on Alyssa's character and ending in particular.
Overall, I would try to read another book by Moreau, and I think it could be fruitful for her to try writing fantasy for younger readers too (many authors write across ages, and I think she could be one of them).
Thank you for Libro FM for the ALC - I'm sharing this honest review voluntarily.
cw: death of parents, sexual assault of a disabled person, anxiety, panic attack
I think I would have preferred reading this via ebook or physical copy because Jasmin Walker and Marlo Su were great narrators but, I just think with first-person, present-tense writing, it personally works better for me as I read the ebook copy. Truly no disrespect to the narrators — I genuinely enjoyed their voices and narration! The way the POV was written just felt distracting sometimes. I almost wish the prose was just a bit more flowery if that makes sense.
Anyway, this was a curious new adult fantasy novel! The concept of two sisters one year post-trauma, and living in completely different realities, was quite fascinating. I did struggle with the voice/writing at times, like I mentioned above, but the plot was intriguing enough for me to follow. The worldbuilding felt a bit soft at times, with me not fully understanding how characters could jump between planes of reality. I wanted to comprehend the magic system and curses a bit more, but ultimately, I was pulled to the sisters' story in reclaiming their lives, and recovering after the events of a year ago (parents kidnapping and the curse enacted). I would love to hear ownvoices reviews about the representation of Alyssa as a disabled main character. I'm not entirely satisfied with the ending, so I'd love to hear more from my disabled friends on Alyssa's character and ending in particular.
Overall, I would try to read another book by Moreau, and I think it could be fruitful for her to try writing fantasy for younger readers too (many authors write across ages, and I think she could be one of them).
Thank you for Libro FM for the ALC - I'm sharing this honest review voluntarily.
cw: death of parents, sexual assault of a disabled person, anxiety, panic attack
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Ableism, and Death
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