Scan barcode
wilybooklover's review
4.0
The writing in this was absolutely gorgeous. So lyrical — poetic, almost — and atmospheric. I highly recommend reading this in autumn because it has perfect spooky, gothic vibes. Margaret and Wes's slow-burn romance was so romantic and tender and full of pining. They both felt like fully fleshed-out characters with realistic flaws and issues. I also enjoyed that they were both poor; usually fantasy romances will have at least one of the pair be royalty or aristocratic or blindingly rich, and that was refreshingly not the case here.
This is a very character-driven and introspective book, and while I loved that aspect, I do wish there had been a little bit more focus on the hala and the hunt. It's mostly squashed into the last 10% and it felt a bit anticlimactic and rushed given the build-up of the previous 90% of the book.
The worldbuilding was also a little bit shaky for me. It's very clearly based on 1920s New England with direct parallels in terms of religion, ethnicity, real-world events and tensions, etc. but then there are some more modern concepts and theories mentioned as well. I know it's fantasy but I think it was too close to the real world to work in terms of cohesion. I think it would have flowed better for me if the world had been a bit more distinctly its own thing or if there were a few more magical/fantastical elements outside of the alchemy and the hala.
Overall, though, this was a lovely heartfelt fantasy romance with some deftly explored themes of loneliness, persecution, trauma, and religion.
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Blood, Bullying, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Animal death
Moderate: Ableism, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Classism, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
miseryb32's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Animal death
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Death, and Hate crime
u_0's review against another edition
Moderate: Abandonment, Racism, Bullying, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Mental illness, and Religious bigotry
rachelditty's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Some quotes I liked:
"Sometimes, it's hard to believe this house ever held more than one person," (1:33:38).
"Her hand, warm and roughened from work, fits into his like a gramophone needle in the grooves of a record," (8:54:50).
"Or did you always love the memory of him more than you loved the reality of me?" (14:14:54).
"Growing up with you, it felt like starving," (14:15:12).
Graphic: Racism, Hate crime, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal cruelty, Child death, Classism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Death of parent
lucy_is_reading's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Hate crime, Antisemitism, Abandonment, Death of parent, Gun violence, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, and Death
ciwanski's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Slow burn enemies to lovers, and the writing of them falling in love with each other was so sweet it actually made my stomach hurt.
Unfortunately the third act fell a little flat to me. There was so much hype throughout the book about the hunt that when we actually got to that point it felt anticlimactic. I just wish there was more of a lesson learned instead of just a point reiterated? If that makes sense? Like I craved a moment of wonder and clarity for the characters, but instead it all felt a little rushed and vague and more focused on the romance than the plot of anything else to be honest.
I was also kind of confused on the world building? Very obvious Christian vs Jewish bigotry (just under different names) but then I was so confused on how modern of a world it was? Like there were cars and radios and 1920s style and ways of life but more modern language and behaviors? Definitely Irish/English vibes in there too. Interesting choices.
A fun and easy read though!
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Bullying, Abandonment, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, and Classism
froggydanny's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Hate crime, Animal death, Religious bigotry, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Bullying
guessgreenleaf's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Xenophobia, Sexual content, Violence, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Abandonment
Minor: Alcohol, Child death, and Death of parent
owl_eerie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I'm not sure I jive with the author's writing style (a simile or 3 in every paragraph...) but her character work was good. My only real complaint was the lack of grounding in the setting--It was very obviously Jewish/Protestant/Irish Catholic religious strife planted in a post WW1 America, shifted out of plane. Would have enjoyed it to take a firmer step further from known history instead of just... changing names but keeping things like microphones.
Listen to the audiobook; I kind of liked Wes's bad NY/Boston accent.
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Animal death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Antisemitism, and Bullying
Moderate: Grief, Xenophobia, and Gore
Minor: Hate crime
akemi_sato's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Gore, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Bullying
Minor: Child death