You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Maybe my hopes were too high, but... sigh. Def didn't love this, despite the SF setting and the queer storylines. It felt more didactic than character-driven, and the insta-love was hard to buy into.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The ending of this novella is what brought it all together for me. For the majority of the story I had been enjoying it fine, but I really liked how the conclusion came together (and how the magic became more of focus with that conclusion). After finishing the story, I was able to appreciate how it started even more.
Liked some of the plot and the characters, but a lot of the dialogue felt didactic / contrived. I am in two minds about how the fantasy element fit into the world, too. But I liked the use of pulps a lot.
A novella about a group of women who love women in 1940s San Francisco. They make art and have long conversations and support each other during a time when it wasn’t safe to be who they were in a public way. There is a fantastical element as well, as one of the women has an uncanny ability to fold time and space, which Klages works into the plot in much the same way she does other characters’ talents with painting, writing, or science. I loved that the magic was incorporated this way, as if it were just one more thing that made the group of friends special. My favorite part of the story, though, is one that isn’t even mentioned in the publisher’s blurb: the framing device. The novella begins in the future, when the last remaining member of the group is facing death. She goes on a little mission around the city, revisiting old haunts and retrieving a mysterious package from a long neglected basement, the import of which you won’t know until the end. I thought beginning in this way, with an old woman’s journey to her own past, was a lovely way to add suspense. The more I reflect on this one, the more I like it—it’s a warm hug of a book.
I enjoyed this book, and also it felt more like a sketch than a fully fledged book. It felt like the characters existed in service of the plot, and the plot existed in service of one magical structural element that became apparent to me early on.
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
mysterious
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
Lots of romance, a whiff of magic. More atmosphere than plot in this fantasy novella set in San Francisco in the 40's. A nice short read.
I really loved this story. The amount of effort the author made to paint a picture of 1940’s San Francisco is evident. I loved the authenticity of the characters as well.
The only disappointment to me was the ending. It felt rushed and like there should be more. I also think that the essence of magic should have been a bit more prominent. I love what the author did with magic, but it still felt like a bit much at the end compared to the rest of the story. I would love to read an extended version.
The only disappointment to me was the ending. It felt rushed and like there should be more. I also think that the essence of magic should have been a bit more prominent. I love what the author did with magic, but it still felt like a bit much at the end compared to the rest of the story. I would love to read an extended version.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated