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rhiannonafternoon's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Homophobia, Hate crime, and Sexism
Minor: Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault
ruthlessreads's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
3.5
I finished this book because I really wanted to know how the story ended but I found a lot of the plot points pretty heavily contrived & very drawn out. The main characters were interesting with a compelling back story, thoughtful internal life, and complicated social relationships. But a lot of the side characters, even those that were supposed to be/feel more important, still didn't get fleshed out in a way that I felt like they deserved. I loved the historical references and some of the language used, as well as the way the author wove the injustices of the era & place into the story. I thought it was really cleverly done & that historical aspect really helped sell the plot of the story. I liked the main character, Luna/Rose, very much and would love to read more about her adventures & life in Kansas City. Overall, I liked this book but felt that it could've been shorter and the characters could've been fully written out more than they were. I'd definitely read more by this author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual harassment, Racism, Police brutality, Classism, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Misogyny
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Addiction, and Cursing
Minor: Sexual content
mjwhitlock18's review
emotional
slow-paced
3.5
Historical magical realism inspired by Mexican folklore, set in Kansas City during prohibition. A female bootlegger hiding her magical abilities, her heritage, (and usually her feelings) dreams of owning a jazz club, but has to contend with sexism, bigotry, and local gangsters while protecting her family and growing her business.
This book starts off slow and has some extraneous parts that lend to that feeling; I had a hard time getting truly immersed and entranced with the story. But it is easy to like and root for these characters. It portrays the experience of children of immigrants and I appreciate the queer representation as well. I like that we get to follow Luna’s journey of coming into her magic as well as her identity overall. I like the character of Heck Kessler, even if he fits stereotypes in a few areas; he was just enjoyable and relatable and loveable.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperVoyager for this eARC to read and review! To be published Sep 2022
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Hate crime, Racism, Antisemitism, Violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Miscarriage and Alcohol
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