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emily_mh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
THIS WAS INCREDIBLE!!! Definitely one of my favourite reads of this year so far. It was so enjoyable that I hated putting it down. I was so obsessed with the world Alston created; he made me desperately want a job at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs (specifically in the Department of Hidden Spaces)!! The pacing was impeccable. All the characters were fantastic, but I especially LOVED Amari as our main character and her narrative voice. I cannot wait to pick up the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Kidnapping, Abandonment, Racism, and Classism
Minor: Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Child death, Murder, Ableism, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Infidelity, Slavery, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Child abuse
Graphic warning for missing loved one. Moderate warning for imprisonment. Minor warnings for divorce, plane crash, mass death, explosion, loss of loved one.bexi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Racism, Classism, Confinement, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent, Blood, and Slavery
kinshasa's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
This is one of my favorite books of 2021 so far for a good reason! This was so solid for a middle grade book. I haven’t read many from that age range, but this almost read like a YA with no romance to me. Amari was an amazing, strong-willed female lead that was able to grow into herself by the end of the story. I honestly didn’t see the plot twist with Dylan being a villain coming. That twist made a really good ending where everything built up and had me at the edge of my seat for the last 20 pages. The plot was predictable, but that’s to be expected from a middle grade book. Read this book!!! It will take you for a ride that you won’t want to end. 4.5/5.
Second re-read in 2023 - This was a just as good the second time around! It's been a minute since I read it so the plot twist still took me by surprise. I also was able to reflect on more of the moments between characters and pick up on things I missed the first time. I also really loved the growth that Amari went through by the end and the moments between Amari and her mom were really sweet. It was good to read a book with younger characters where the parent is present and has a strong bond with the child and not an absent parent/parent only used as a plot device. I'm so excited to read the sequel, and I'm going to change my rating to 5.
Second re-read in 2023 - This was a just as good the second time around! It's been a minute since I read it so the plot twist still took me by surprise. I also was able to reflect on more of the moments between characters and pick up on things I missed the first time. I also really loved the growth that Amari went through by the end and the moments between Amari and her mom were really sweet. It was good to read a book with younger characters where the parent is present and has a strong bond with the child and not an absent parent/parent only used as a plot device. I'm so excited to read the sequel, and I'm going to change my rating to 5.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood
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