Jessica

Delightful.

Echos of Sally Rooney. Lyrical writing. Yearning. Angst. Heartbreak.

Eh. Trite. Did not really work for me. Short though. So I finished it.

Beautiful writing. This was a complicated book. I will be thinking about it for a long time.

Martial rape was not illegal in all 50 states until 1993. Like most books on narrow topics, I often feel like the books should just be shorter. I feel like they would get read by a wider audience. This one is no exception.

Maybe it is reading it in proximity to so much Morrison, but while there were flashes of beauty and there is no question about the brilliance, this was a more difficult read for me. The highly phonetic Black vernacular was uncomfortable to read. I have no doubt is entirely historical, but it still was difficult. And the story itself also was difficult. Again looking at it through such a thoroughly modern lens, but it is hard to be okay with spousal abuse. I struggled with it. Glad I have read it, but I just really have a lot of ambivalence around it. Will need to read -- and learn -- more.

Very very nice YA fantasy.

A little more retreading of book one that I like in a sequel, but that is always a really hard balance. Still adorable and very fun to read.