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A review by aliciasrealm
Once There Was by Kiyash Monsef
4.5
Once There Was is a magical story with themes of grief, family, and friendship, that weaves in legends of mythical creatures such as griffins, manticores, and unicorns.
Marjan is a great protagonist and I liked her a lot. Though she is a high school sophomore she navigates life following her father's death with impressive maturity. Marjan's expression of her grief manifests more as anger than sadness and it was heartbreaking to finally understand why she feels that way.
The premise is intriguing, and while investigating her father's murder Marjan uncovers secrets and gets tangled up with a shady organization. Marjan's work introduces her to people with questionable motives, and at times she must ally with people she can't trust.
Friendship plays an important role, with some new friends who help Marjan cope with the discovery of her father's legacy as well as school friends who offer her some normalcy. The story also touches on Marjan's complicated feelings surrounding her Iranian American heritage.
In between Marjan's POV chapters, there are stories about legendary creatures like the nine tailed fox and unicorns, stories that weave beautifully into her narrative. I enjoyed the different creatures that she encounters throughout the story.
Overall, this story has more of a darker tone and, despite some lighter moments, it's not a cozy read. As Marjan takes over veterinarian duties, she cares for mythical creatures that are injured, mistreated, or in distress. There are dangerous and sometimes deadly situations. I appreciated that there were real stakes which made me all the more invested in this story.
The target age range seems to be somewhere between Upper Middle Grade and Young Adult, but even as a reader in my thirties I loved this story!
Marjan is a great protagonist and I liked her a lot. Though she is a high school sophomore she navigates life following her father's death with impressive maturity. Marjan's expression of her grief manifests more as anger than sadness and it was heartbreaking to finally understand why she feels that way.
The premise is intriguing, and while investigating her father's murder Marjan uncovers secrets and gets tangled up with a shady organization. Marjan's work introduces her to people with questionable motives, and at times she must ally with people she can't trust.
Friendship plays an important role, with some new friends who help Marjan cope with the discovery of her father's legacy as well as school friends who offer her some normalcy. The story also touches on Marjan's complicated feelings surrounding her Iranian American heritage.
In between Marjan's POV chapters, there are stories about legendary creatures like the nine tailed fox and unicorns, stories that weave beautifully into her narrative. I enjoyed the different creatures that she encounters throughout the story.
Overall, this story has more of a darker tone and, despite some lighter moments, it's not a cozy read. As Marjan takes over veterinarian duties, she cares for mythical creatures that are injured, mistreated, or in distress. There are dangerous and sometimes deadly situations. I appreciated that there were real stakes which made me all the more invested in this story.
The target age range seems to be somewhere between Upper Middle Grade and Young Adult, but even as a reader in my thirties I loved this story!