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alexgo's Reviews (185)
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A beautiful story, walks through the lives of different people who are surprised by cats stealing their hearts, and restructuring their lives in different ways to take care of the cats - ways that turn out to be healthier for themselves, too.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Friends-to-lovers with an incredible depth to the family dynamics of each lover. I was impressed by the nuance of the family members and their love and cruelty, and the way dumb mistakes seem to run in the family! People would have easier lives if they would speak their truth sooner!!
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A beautiful book. Some details of the world are very slowly explained as they come up naturally for characters. An ending I imagine some may have foreseen, but one that made me incredibly sad. Be prepared for the loneliness at the end - Klara’s job is to protect her charge from loneliness, but who has the job of protecting Klara?
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very fun observations of the fourth wall, thematic narratives and finding the answer through good (nearly a spoiler) old-fashioned sleuthing, and a little bit of friendship
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A truly beautiful example of world building. The story is told in third person from the perspective of different characters each chapter, only explaining details of the world if someone else in the story doesn’t know, such as between those of different races (troll and human) or cultures. Nothing is explained to the reader directly, which was refreshing and interesting, definitely fun and kept me on my toes. I read this book after Waggoner’s second book, The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry, and I would recommend reading them in order instead. These books exist in the same universe but have very little in the way of overlapping characters, a few we knew closely in this book were distantly referenced in the Guide.
I loved the absolute normalcy of queerness, or bisexuality, in the culture of this book. People were and were expected to be interested in men and women, though they may have a preference for one over he other, and trolls declared their identity when they came of age (a mix between a gender role and a “job,” as a character explained it), or they were allowed to not declare at all, or switch between roles if they declared it so.
Often books where queerness is a norm describes it in such a way that makes it clear it is different than what is expected, even if it is supposed to be normal and unremarkable in the story, and this book made it absolutely normal and unremarkable. It was lovely to lose myself in this world.
I loved the absolute normalcy of queerness, or bisexuality, in the culture of this book. People were and were expected to be interested in men and women, though they may have a preference for one over he other, and trolls declared their identity when they came of age (a mix between a gender role and a “job,” as a character explained it), or they were allowed to not declare at all, or switch between roles if they declared it so.
Often books where queerness is a norm describes it in such a way that makes it clear it is different than what is expected, even if it is supposed to be normal and unremarkable in the story, and this book made it absolutely normal and unremarkable. It was lovely to lose myself in this world.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was the most fun I’ve had in a long time! Some very realistic U-Haul-ing women, one a half troll of the upper echelon and one a dirty trickster, solve multiple interwoven mysteries with some ladies of various backgrounds and one possessed mouse skeleton, who turns out to be QUITE a friend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicide, Violence, Vomit
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very compelling, full of twists. The narrative is shared between multiple characters, each with their own perspective, often directly in conflict with the perspectives of other characters. The book is told in past tense, and in multiple timelines overlapping between characters and chapters, but it was easy to follow. Even the “villain” has their own side, and they wrote it in their chapter as if it was fact. Very fun and special, the ways the queerness was written felt both gentle and absolutely bare naked exposed.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book tells the story of women across generations, slyly hinting at how they are connected until you’re ready to beg. I loved the hints, the invitations to figure out the mystery yourself. The order of the chapters looking back and coming forward to present day kept me on my toes, often ending a chapter curious and hungry for the answer I knew might come in the next few pages. What sticks with me is the way women tend to hide in plain sight, or rather, to be hidden.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced