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dogoodwithbooks 's review for:
A Magical Girl Retires
by Park Seolyeon
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I thought this would be a book I'd end up liking, but unfortunately that was not the case.
While I liked Seolyeon's efforts to address themes of mental health, violence against women, and the impacts of climate change on our world, there were some things about the book that ultimately fell flat. There is some character development in our nameless narrator, but for the other characters that are featured in the book, they all seem rather static with no other plotlines of their own (especially in the case of Roa, who is supposed to be the narrator's "love interest") with the slight exception of Lee Mirae. Additionally, the plot holes and inconsistencies were so noticeable that I spent pages wondering how they just went unnoticed. Finally, while there was potential near the ending of the book, the actual ending was just a giant let down considering all the character work and plot events that happened that led up to the finale.
While I liked Seolyeon's efforts to address themes of mental health, violence against women, and the impacts of climate change on our world, there were some things about the book that ultimately fell flat. There is some character development in our nameless narrator, but for the other characters that are featured in the book, they all seem rather static with no other plotlines of their own (especially in the case of Roa, who is supposed to be the narrator's "love interest") with the slight exception of Lee Mirae. Additionally, the plot holes and inconsistencies were so noticeable that I spent pages wondering how they just went unnoticed. Finally, while there was potential near the ending of the book, the actual ending was just a giant let down considering all the character work and plot events that happened that led up to the finale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, Grief
Minor: Car accident, Death of parent