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edrickashay's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
3.0
This random secondhand book find started out as an atmospheric, fun world with interesting characters - I was excited to see how they would all interact. Slowly over time, the book lost something. I think because that cast was so large, important relationship development didn’t happen, or happened “off screen”. This book couldn’t decide if it was focused on the place of work, or the relationships that manifested within that place. Still, this book isn’t one that’s meant to be taken too seriously.
If you’re looking for a fun summer read thats easy to digest and low stakes, or if you like books with large casts, this book is for you. If you’re a fan of simply pared down story telling and character relationships, you’ll still find some enjoyment but not a lot of payoff. I think perhaps I’m just not the target audience, which is okay!
Sidebar: as a tarot reader, I did find the specifics of the card readings and the perspective on tarot pretty accurate!
If you’re looking for a fun summer read thats easy to digest and low stakes, or if you like books with large casts, this book is for you. If you’re a fan of simply pared down story telling and character relationships, you’ll still find some enjoyment but not a lot of payoff. I think perhaps I’m just not the target audience, which is okay!
Sidebar: as a tarot reader, I did find the specifics of the card readings and the perspective on tarot pretty accurate!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
lisas_novel_idea's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
Author did a great shop treating tarot reading and clairvoyance respectfully, at least from my perspective. Same with Clive, another unique character.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual harassment
ambersbooksandbakes's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death, Racism, and Death of parent
courtsbooks's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Racial slurs, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying and Miscarriage
caprivoyant's review
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
As someone who works in the "woo-woo" field, I think my absolute favorite thing about this book was how Madame Burova was written: she is grounded, kind, and empathetic with a strong code of ethics that she sticks to with compassion. There are a lot of stereotypes floating out there about who psychics are as people (some of those stereotypes are spoken about in this book, actually) but this book did a fantastic job of *showing* someone who has honed this talent/skill and with this career as a real human worthy of respect. I really appreciated that. ♥
With that said, there were a number of times when I was reading the book when I stopped to think "Oh, I really hope this book had some sensitivity readers." Namely, with the representation of the Romany experience -- I'm still unsure if using racial slurs for Romany people 13x (plus a few Black racial slurs) was really necessary or how Romany people feel about being so tightly associated with the woo-woo world. That felt rather stereotypical as well. BUT! I'm a white person, so I wouldn't know whether that is truly harmful representation. I can only say that it felt rather unnecessary to me. So. Take that for what it's worth.
Story-wise, this one is a sweetie. It follows one girl's journey to learn more about herself and where she came from after the death of her parents and, of course, Madame Burova who's found herself at the center of this girl's discovery-journey. The book has a cozy-close-knit-community & feel-good vibes, so this one is great when you're in a bit of a funk and want to be guided out of it by someone who's also trying to sort through their own emotional funkiness. Or! If you want to just have a peek into what it feels like to have a supportive community. I think we all need that sometimes.
So! All in all? A super cute story that I hope beyond all hope got some feedback from real people represented in these pages.
With that said, there were a number of times when I was reading the book when I stopped to think "Oh, I really hope this book had some sensitivity readers." Namely, with the representation of the Romany experience -- I'm still unsure if using racial slurs for Romany people 13x (plus a few Black racial slurs) was really necessary or how Romany people feel about being so tightly associated with the woo-woo world. That felt rather stereotypical as well. BUT! I'm a white person, so I wouldn't know whether that is truly harmful representation. I can only say that it felt rather unnecessary to me. So. Take that for what it's worth.
Story-wise, this one is a sweetie. It follows one girl's journey to learn more about herself and where she came from after the death of her parents and, of course, Madame Burova who's found herself at the center of this girl's discovery-journey. The book has a cozy-close-knit-community & feel-good vibes, so this one is great when you're in a bit of a funk and want to be guided out of it by someone who's also trying to sort through their own emotional funkiness. Or! If you want to just have a peek into what it feels like to have a supportive community. I think we all need that sometimes.
So! All in all? A super cute story that I hope beyond all hope got some feedback from real people represented in these pages.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Racial slurs
Minor: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Pregnancy