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emily_mh's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
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
4.25
I really liked that instead of getting a super-charged MC who was born special and destined to save the world, we got Eva: an MC who has to work for whatever capabilities she has. It made for a much more satisfying story. Nothing was convenient, and so Eva’s achievements actually FELT like achievements; the payoff was rewarding. It also enabled Abe to showcase the magic system much more naturally and fully, as Eva has to try all kinds of spells and their combinations to compensate for her smaller supply of magic. Abe thoroughly impressed me with her creativity in this!
Eva Evergreen gets comped with Kiki’s Delivery Service and it is clear why. Both share great similarity in both premise and plot. But this is to this book’s credit, as it takes all the best parts of Kiki’s Delivery Service and makes them its own. Witch’s quest? Yes, but add in another layer of difficulty in Eva’s limited powers. Cute animal companion? Check, but now we have an adorable flamefox whose tail can ignite. Wholesome friendships? Sure thing, but let’s make sure all of Eva’s friends are well-rounded characters with compelling motivations. Gutsy, driven MC? Of course, but let’s show her character journey from a timid girl with no self-confidence to an assured semi-magical witch.
I loved how cosy this book was. Granted, you have the studio Ghibli vibes, but this book also nailed the balance between high stakes for the characters, low stakes for the reader. The slow-paced, almost slice-of-life plot helped the cosiness along, too.
There were some downsides here. The writing could have been improved somewhat, as it was sometimes repetitive, and the rhyming spells read like first drafts instead of final copies. Also, Eva’s capabilities with magic sometimes came off as inconsistent. But none of this would stop me from recommending this book to you. I am thoroughly looking forward to the sequel.
Rep: Japanese-coded MC and SCs
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Child abuse
Moderate: family estrangement, fainting, missing loved one Minor: earthquake, tornado, adverse weather, loss of a loved one, disownmentmonniebiloney's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
If Kiki's Delivery Service is your favorite ghibli movie, read this. This is a better book then the novel 'kikis delivery service' (which the film was based on) as well, so skip that and just read this.
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism and Death of parent
I put minor Albesim, cuz I think the way the Main Characters magic is treeted, really makes it feel like a disability and the way it's handled could make some people uncomfortable.
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