A review by eponineeurydice
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

4.0

This book is heartbreaking, beautiful, important and luminous. It follows a slightly magical and powerfully bonded family, kinda like Encanto. Some of the amazing themes explored in this book are love in all its forms, loss, feminism and neurodivergence. It is slightly mystical but also very real-hence, I guess, why it's labeled as magical realism. Do be aware of the TWs, most of all s*xual assault, as it is quite a dark read at times, and especially at a certain point towards the end. But I think it paints a much-needed picture of strong women, of which there is quite a lack of in YA. The only thing keeping me from rating it 5 stars was the ending, which was pretty open and vague, so if you don't like those... still read it but just be aware of that. It was just so authentic, so evocative and lyrical. I really really enjoyed it.