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laurenfro22's review
4.25
“Don’t science, magic, and religion all claim to reveal worlds of mystery and unexpected possibilities?” p53
plethora_of_ghosts's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
katieinca's review against another edition
4.0
A (mostly) sweet novella with fantastic 1940 San Francisco scenery. It really made me wish I had access to a time machine that would allow me to follow these characters to the World's Fair, or to Mona's 440 Club.
I sometimes find it hard to love a novella because things can feel abrupt, or like they're crying to be fleshed out instead of glossed past. I had that a little bit here, especially with the ending (so many parts of the ending). Some of the choices made in the Chinatown portrayal also gave me pause. But helping me feel a little more affectionate towards SF, my nearby famous city that I've never really loved, helped bump this from 3 stars to 4 for me.
I sometimes find it hard to love a novella because things can feel abrupt, or like they're crying to be fleshed out instead of glossed past. I had that a little bit here, especially with the ending (so many parts of the ending). Some of the choices made in the Chinatown portrayal also gave me pause. But helping me feel a little more affectionate towards SF, my nearby famous city that I've never really loved, helped bump this from 3 stars to 4 for me.
bblanka's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
dqrklightning's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-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
taranightreader's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
henri1's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
lunaballz's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVED this, so much more than I expected after my confusion with the first chapter. But the way it works into the explanation of the first chapter is so so amazingly done. The characters were super interesting, it was great watching their relationship develop and just them living their lives.
lenareadsstuff's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
A pretty cute novella – 1940's San Francisco is depicted with a lot of detail, and I really enjoyed the characters and their discussions around gender (expression) & sexuality. Other than that, I felt like nothing much was happening plot-wise up until the very end. Same goes for the fantasy aspect: magic's not really relevant most of the time (nor is it explained in any way).