A review by starrysteph
Otherworldly by F.T. Lukens

adventurous hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Otherworldly was sweet & cozy – a bit too light on the character development and story for me to fully enjoy it, but a fun snowy romance all the same.

Ellery is seventeen years old, and most of their teenage-hood has been spent in never-ending winter. Their farming family swears that gods and goddesses are real, praying for answers and relief, but Ellery doesn’t buy into anything supernatural. So they head to the city where there’s still some money to be made, live with their cousin and her girlfriend, and work at a local diner.

And then? They run into Knox, a familiar from the world of the dead. He hasn’t heard from his queen in years, and when his latest contract ends he runs instead of returning, smashing right into Ellery. 

Knox wants to stay, and Ellery wants a stop to this winter. So they strike a bargain … but start to spark feelings for each other despite the ending of the contract getting ever closer.

Ellery & Knox are very sweet - Ellery is cynical and grumpy and Knox is easily delighted by anything human - but I didn’t really feel like we got to experience them growing. Most chapters just had a simple conflict that was resolved, then rinse and repeat for the next day. I didn’t quite feel like there was a great overarching development for either one. I’m also always a little skeptical of YA romances where one being is thousands of years old. Knox acts young here, and his memory is wiped of the human world (just the human world) each time he travels back and forth, but he is an ancient magical being.

I also felt like we were told Ellery’s relationship with their parents / family on the farm was complicated, but we didn’t quite see that in action except for one phone call near the end of the book which honestly seemed out of character for their mother.

I really appreciate that Ellery is nonbinary and just exists as nonbinary. This isn’t a discover-your-identity book and there’s no transphobia or queerphobia of any kind. It’s lovely to create that space.

I also really enjoyed the supporting characters Charley (Ellery’s cousin) and her girlfriend Zada. They seemed a bit more grounded to me – they had some great dialogue, were very supportive, and in general had a lovely & healthy relationship. 

Overall it was a cute read, and I think it will happily find a home with young readers who are ready to slip into a cozy fantastical world - and experience a first-love romance. 

CW: death, blood, violence, grief

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(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)