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walmartblairwaldorf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Murder, Xenophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Gore
halfelfschollar's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
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
This book made me feel a lot of things. I was in love with the characters from the get go. Something about them really draws you in. The more I read the more I became invested and the more I found myself feeling angry at the world around them. By the end of it I was prepared to fight someone to ensure they got a happy ending.
The setting is atmospheric and the Hala is fascinating, despite not being the greatest obstacle for the protagonists.
The setting is atmospheric and the Hala is fascinating, despite not being the greatest obstacle for the protagonists.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Antisemitism, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Gore
Moderate: Child death
isabelle13a's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
so beautiful. saft knows her characters inside and out, and does right by them -- acknowledging their flaws and shortcomings, and allowing us to love them all the more for it. uniquely written, deeply romantic, and poignant, this book is pure magic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry and Xenophobia
betweensomethousandpages's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Death, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Hate crime
annierose's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I'm surprised at how much I liked this little book. Going into it, I thought it would just be another YA fantasy and in a way it is – the main focus is the budding romance between the two protagonists, Margaret and Weston, and in places I found myself wishing some of the world building and magic system (or alchemy, in this case) would be a tad bit more detailed. Especially placing the book in a certain period felt a little difficult for me. Even though this is a fictional world I got a little confused when I discovered there were things like cars, radios, iceboxes, and condoms etc. in a setting I'd assumed to be Victorian-ish at first, but then, there was no mention of TVs and cellphones... so I'm still a little unclear in this aspect.
However, the slowburn, the pining and the playful banter hit the right spot for me and I found myself turning the pages, eager for more interactions between the two leads. Maggie and Wes do feel like real people with their desires and dreams and anxieties, so it's easy to get invested in their blooming relationships and their vastly different family dynamics. And despite the story including some more mature themes like xenophobia, religious bigotry, emotional abuse, and child abandonment that have the characters going through complex emotions, the sweet romance at the centre of it makes the story feel light-hearted and addictive to read. And sometimes that's all you need from a book.
However, the slowburn, the pining and the playful banter hit the right spot for me and I found myself turning the pages, eager for more interactions between the two leads. Maggie and Wes do feel like real people with their desires and dreams and anxieties, so it's easy to get invested in their blooming relationships and their vastly different family dynamics. And despite the story including some more mature themes like xenophobia, religious bigotry, emotional abuse, and child abandonment that have the characters going through complex emotions, the sweet romance at the centre of it makes the story feel light-hearted and addictive to read. And sometimes that's all you need from a book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Child abuse
Minor: Sexual content
gjkennedy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Very sweet (but not light lighthearted). This is the most I've liked a YA romance. They had great chemistry, I liked all the characters, could've very well done with more of them even though this book really was its own perfect length. Really sweet and fun. I will repeat the warning that this book is scarcely about the hunt and more about the romance, but I still found the magic really wonderful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, and Animal death
Moderate: Gore and Hate crime
Minor: Death
sallenreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved Allison Saft's debut, DOWN COMES THE NIGHT, and was hoping this would be just as good. Fortunately, it was, and I adored absolutely everything about this book.
Saft wove together so many different elements in this book, and they all worked so well together. Like her other book, this one has a romance between two outcasts at the heart of it, with a setting that could be its own character, and high stakes driving the plot forward. But it also grapples with topics like religion, xenophobia, and abuse. None of the aforementioned elements detracted from the others, or felt unnecessary; it all blended together very effectively to tell a complete story.
And speaking of our main characters, they each had their own traumas to work through, and helped each other while maintaining their independence. I also appreciated Wes for his excellent neurodivergent representation -- he read as having ADHD, and maybe dyslexia. As someone with ADHD, I felt it was handled very authentically, and my heart ached for him because I've gone through many of the emotions (failure, inadequacy, etc.) that he did.
Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Saft wove together so many different elements in this book, and they all worked so well together. Like her other book, this one has a romance between two outcasts at the heart of it, with a setting that could be its own character, and high stakes driving the plot forward. But it also grapples with topics like religion, xenophobia, and abuse. None of the aforementioned elements detracted from the others, or felt unnecessary; it all blended together very effectively to tell a complete story.
And speaking of our main characters, they each had their own traumas to work through, and helped each other while maintaining their independence. I also appreciated Wes for his excellent neurodivergent representation -- he read as having ADHD, and maybe dyslexia. As someone with ADHD, I felt it was handled very authentically, and my heart ached for him because I've gone through many of the emotions (failure, inadequacy, etc.) that he did.
Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, and Antisemitism
Minor: Alcohol, Hate crime, Grief, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Child death, and Cursing
smadoca's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual content and Violence
campisforever's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I’ve labeled this one with several content warnings. One of the major points of this book surrounds fantasy-setting correlates to antisemitism and xenophobia. The story centers on a hunt, thus the animal cruelty, and the plot deals with parental abandonment, gaslighting, emotional manipulation, etc. One MC experiences clearly described dissociative episodes as a result of trauma. The book is good, yes, but it does describe these things—including the hate crime, which only stops short of naming the actual slurs scrawled into a floor. One character in particular is a voice piece for bigoted, racist sentiments. Take care of yourselves, please.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Racism, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia
maliap's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-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? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Animal cruelty, Blood, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Animal death, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Sexual content