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alyssadorn's review against another edition
hopeful
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
3.75
3.75 ⭐️
This book was bizarre and cerebral and also so fun?? It has HEART. There’s so much pain and hope, despair and healing— some parts had me grinning and others had me crying. The genre mashup of fantasy (demon deals and violins that may or may not be magical) and sci fi (intergalactic war refugee and starship captain who relocates her family to a donut shop in the valley) was a really fun concept, but the worldbuilding was a bit messy, confusing, and unclear until just before halfway through — or maybe that’s when I just decided to suspend disbelief to the degree the characters did in accepting each other, alien or deals with a demon or what have you— and from there it was a fun and poignant read!
There are subtle, intelligent moments of humor (I mean, an alien being so impressed by an Olive Garden in Cerritos or karmic acts befalling people who are transphobic to Katrina being subtly and casually mentioned??? So good); the head-hopping was really well done; and the queer experience was depicted with vulnerability and authenticity. I really enjoyed not just seeing Katrina’s growth/healing and Shizuka’s (the Queen of Hell’s) surprisingly nurturing nature, but also Astrid’s motherly tendency to feed as a way to heal and Lucia’s experience with imposter syndrome and her father’s/grandfather’s careless misogyny and the magic she brought to repairing violins.
The personification of both instrument and music in a world depicted with magic and demons makes it hard to tell if the instrument is truly alive in this book, if the music truly transports players and listeners into a memory or state of feeling together. But after a while I found myself letting go and just enjoying as Shizuka and Katrina started to affect each other’s music and memories— as Katrina tries to protect her teacher from those memories and as her teacher learns how to support Katrina in her healing and growth and creative expansion. As even an AI person finds herself diving into memory or her own truth, drawn by Katrina’s music.
I was cheering Katrina on this entire book, and the integral hope and slight absurdity of some of the situations brought refreshing lightness to the dark themes explored and ensured the book never felt heavy. It’s a story of home, found family, familial love, legacy, food that feels like home, and healing. The characters a flawed and make mistakes but still clearly care for each other deeply.
Definitely check the CWs (sexual assault and rape— not graphic—, physical abuse by a parent, racism, transphobia, homophobia, misgendering, dead-naming)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Transphobia, and Homophobia
Moderate: War and Sexual assault
rainydaycookies's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia and Sexual assault
brynalexa's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
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? No
3.25
I couldn’t tell if the perspective switches in the middle of a conversation was brilliant or lazy. The mysterious way the author inserted little bits of information you need to fill the time and meaning gaps was exciting and had me guessing what the end would be. Because of that the ending fell short, although it involved many expected twists. Great characters!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria and Transphobia
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Racial slurs, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Racism, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, and Suicidal thoughts
rhi_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Mental illness, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Deadnaming, Child abuse, and Bullying
Minor: Violence and War
drtsh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Lesbophobia
oksanagold's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Self harm
kylosten's review against another edition
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Sexism, Deadnaming, and Toxic friendship
cnapple's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-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
3.5
Beautiful prose, rich characters and relationships, big ideas and a strong thesis. Falls somewhat flat in execution. The author didn't quite manage to sell her vision, relying to much on imagery and emotional impact.
Read this if you love poetic ruminations on food, culture, esoteric violin composers and the tragedy of societies impact on the marginalized. Avoid this if you're looking for a book that convincingly delivers any of the plot hooks in the dust jacket synopsis. Like Becky Chambers this is a narrative that relies heavily on vibes, and that's ok, sometimes good vibes are what you need in a novel. But be advised, while the overall tone is hopeful, the journey to that point contains some really grim and visceral scenes involving the experience of one of the main characters. If extreme homo/transphobia and sexual assault are not for you, neither may this novel be.
Read this if you love poetic ruminations on food, culture, esoteric violin composers and the tragedy of societies impact on the marginalized. Avoid this if you're looking for a book that convincingly delivers any of the plot hooks in the dust jacket synopsis. Like Becky Chambers this is a narrative that relies heavily on vibes, and that's ok, sometimes good vibes are what you need in a novel. But be advised, while the overall tone is hopeful, the journey to that point contains some really grim and visceral scenes involving the experience of one of the main characters. If extreme homo/transphobia and sexual assault are not for you, neither may this novel be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Homophobia, Transphobia, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Self harm
megs_bok's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Deadnaming, and Transphobia
narzibenoucdel's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Racism, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Outing, Transphobia, Dysphoria, Deadnaming, and Body shaming