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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I thought this was a lovely story. I don’t know much (or anything) about the history of San Fransisco, but this felt very realistic and well-researched.
Some of the aspects about homophobia were hard to read, but realistic, and dealt with well. At first I wasn’t sure about the inclusion of magic in this - it didn’t quite seem to fit at the start, but I really liked how it was used in the end.
Some of the aspects about homophobia were hard to read, but realistic, and dealt with well. At first I wasn’t sure about the inclusion of magic in this - it didn’t quite seem to fit at the start, but I really liked how it was used in the end.
Trigger Warnings for: Racism and racial slurs against Asians, extreme homophobia, sexual assault, parental abuse, domestic abuse, death, suicide
3.75 Stars
This is a very atmospheric historical romance centering around two women in San Francisco in 1940. The first part takes place in the modern day and sets up questions for the reader to ponder as the story progresses. I have to say, the cover is absolutely perfect for this story. It's quiet and romantic and gay and clearly done in the style of Haskel's paintings.
I did love the beginning, meeting Helen as a 100 year old Asian immigrant in the modern day who was clearly up to something but as the reader we weren't sure what yet. Finding out at the end is rather satisfying, even if I have some issues with the actual ending. The pay-off of starting in the present and going back to the past to uncover the secrets was very good.
The bulk of the story is about the romance between Haskel and Emily and the struggles of being two women in love in 1940. Helen makes a few appearances here and there but if it weren't for the opening of this story I don't think she'd stand out much. Their other three friends are cardboard cut-outs of people and really only there to be plot devices. So the characters, aside from Haskel and Emily, are a bit weak, unfortunately. Haskel and Emily's romance did also start a bit quickly but I ended up enjoying it.
This story is very, very difficult to read at times. It deals with a lot of heavy topics, as mentioned in the trigger warnings included above. It brings up the "three garments" rule where women are required by law to wear three "female" garments or else they can be imprisoned for "lewd" conduct, which was sadly a law at the time. So we do see how these women struggled to be themselves in a society that hated them so much. We see Helen, an Asian woman, having to work at a club of sorts that plays up "yellow" jokes but is one of the only places that will hire her as a dancer. We see Haskel, survivor of abuse from her mother, struggle under an abusive marriage. There's a lot of heavy, depressing topics here, and yet somehow it is still beautiful and romantic and quiet.
Now one of my major issues is that this is billed as a fantasy. It is just barely a fantasy. This is mostly historical fiction. There is magic but it is basically only used as a plot device at the very, very end of the story and feels like it came out of nowhere. I would have preferred if it had been woven in throughout the story more so it didn't feel like it came completely out of left field. Especially because I was sitting and waiting for when the fantasy elements would happen. Ultimately the magic is pretty much there to do one very specific thing, and while that thing is romantic and beautiful it also felt incredibly drastic to me. Even as I was marveling at the beauty of it, I was also questioning if it was really the right answer. Sure there were reasons established for why it was done but it still felt fairly extreme.
So overall, a good story that I did enjoy but probably would have enjoyed more if I went in with different expectations. I'd still recommend it.
3.75 Stars
This is a very atmospheric historical romance centering around two women in San Francisco in 1940. The first part takes place in the modern day and sets up questions for the reader to ponder as the story progresses. I have to say, the cover is absolutely perfect for this story. It's quiet and romantic and gay and clearly done in the style of Haskel's paintings.
I did love the beginning, meeting Helen as a 100 year old Asian immigrant in the modern day who was clearly up to something but as the reader we weren't sure what yet. Finding out at the end is rather satisfying, even if I have some issues with the actual ending. The pay-off of starting in the present and going back to the past to uncover the secrets was very good.
The bulk of the story is about the romance between Haskel and Emily and the struggles of being two women in love in 1940. Helen makes a few appearances here and there but if it weren't for the opening of this story I don't think she'd stand out much. Their other three friends are cardboard cut-outs of people and really only there to be plot devices. So the characters, aside from Haskel and Emily, are a bit weak, unfortunately. Haskel and Emily's romance did also start a bit quickly but I ended up enjoying it.
This story is very, very difficult to read at times. It deals with a lot of heavy topics, as mentioned in the trigger warnings included above. It brings up the "three garments" rule where women are required by law to wear three "female" garments or else they can be imprisoned for "lewd" conduct, which was sadly a law at the time. So we do see how these women struggled to be themselves in a society that hated them so much. We see Helen, an Asian woman, having to work at a club of sorts that plays up "yellow" jokes but is one of the only places that will hire her as a dancer. We see Haskel, survivor of abuse from her mother, struggle under an abusive marriage. There's a lot of heavy, depressing topics here, and yet somehow it is still beautiful and romantic and quiet.
Now one of my major issues is that this is billed as a fantasy. It is just barely a fantasy. This is mostly historical fiction. There is magic but it is basically only used as a plot device at the very, very end of the story and feels like it came out of nowhere. I would have preferred if it had been woven in throughout the story more so it didn't feel like it came completely out of left field. Especially because I was sitting and waiting for when the fantasy elements would happen. Ultimately the magic is pretty much there to do one very specific thing, and while that thing is romantic and beautiful it also felt incredibly drastic to me. Even as I was marveling at the beauty of it, I was also questioning if it was really the right answer. Sure there were reasons established for why it was done but it still felt fairly extreme.
So overall, a good story that I did enjoy but probably would have enjoyed more if I went in with different expectations. I'd still recommend it.
A beautiful little novella. Magic realism twisted with a pastel delicacy of San Francisco of 1940. I wanted more of these characters, place, and time.
emotional
hopeful
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:
Complicated
i wanted more of it!!
Enjoyable novella with queer characters getting romantic in historical San Francisco with a tiny bit of magic.
"I love you," she said. "I'd follow you to the end of the world. Any world."
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
fast-paced