A review by eceleste
The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

 i began this book with a little trepedation because i wasn't initially a fan of the diary-esque writing style, but i quickly got over that and found that this was good! I teared up a lot at the end — as family books always tend to make me do — and I particularly liked the relationship between monica and her grandmother, especially since we saw it from both sides. I also loved how monica's digital desire for connection mirrored louise's analogue one — how they were sort of almost foils in this way. however there were some points where i thought that the data privacy discussions and subplots were a little random and tangential. 
another thought i had while reading was about where i draw the line between magical realism and fantasy. i think this story really wants to be more magical realism but by naming the practice of reforging it becomes closer to fantasy — by making magic something named it becomes a little less natural to me. 

thanks to harper and netgalley for the arc!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail

The grandmother's Alzheimers is a major part of the story