Take a photo of a barcode or cover
I partially listened to the first one on audiobook so that might be why I liked this more. The first half is really slow going and could definitely be condensed. This is a feel good book where good conquers all. It is a cozy, sweet fantasy that hits on morality and nature versus nurture. It is not the most profound book, but it is very sweet.
* please disregard grammatical errors due to voice texting. Thanks.
Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexism
Minor: Transphobia
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Outing, Dysphoria, War, Deportation
I’m so distraught about the state of humanity in the US right now. This book tells me to remain hopeful and believe in the righteousness and goodness of people who will stand in solidarity with us. With elections only a couple of weeks away and the MAGA party (I refuse to call them Republicans) setting up to destroy and rebuild the country in its pre-Civil War image, hope is a hard resource to find right now. The most I hope for is that this author is right - that we have the right to hope that our citizenship will be defended and allowed to live in peace with the full authority to exist as we are - someday.
Graphic: Ableism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
It's been a very difficult few years, as so many politicians, authors, etc have been extremely vocal about their disdain for specific members of the LGBT+ community. And I really felt like Klune was fed up and ready to use his skills as a writer to express this. That's what this book is. The politics are heavy, the analogy to real life is no longer charmingly blurred, and Klune does not mince words. I can understand why some people might find this repetitive and too in your face, but as someone who has watched friends suffer and fear for their own safety, some even having to leave their homes due to discriminatory laws- I didn't think it was over the top at all.
I laughed, I cried, and in the end, I'm left with the hope that change can happen if we fight for it. The children were just as delightful as the first book and their growth was realistic and sweet. There wasn't much romance in this one, but the little bits we did get were sappy and adorable.
It's a difficult read, which I didn't expect prior to starting. But I hope people will still give it a shot, because it's good. We need books like this. And I'm so happy it was Klune who took on the challenge.
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Sexism, Abandonment, Colonisation
This book caused me a lot of stress. All kinds of hate (xenophobia, transphobia, homophobia, and more) play a large role. It mirrored the current world and political climate too well to remain a cozy read. Thankfully the book ended in a heartwarming way.
At first I wondered if characters from the island and especially Arthur weren't acting too antigonistically at times. However, throughout the story I changed my mind. Why should they walk on eggshells when the government officials treats them without respect and hide behind rules and laws they themselves made up.
I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 due to lack of immersion. I feel bad about it, but there were many times where I didn't feel immersed. Often the characters said something which fit the situation a bit too well based on who they were without any big consequences. It made me think of the characters as puppets performing a play. I think it's also because the villains were very flat and unwilling to change. Though strong for this story, I prefer books with more nuance.
Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Transphobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Religious bigotry
Minor: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting
Graphic: Child abuse, Xenophobia
Minor: Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexism, Death of parent