1,562 Books
See allA Magical Girl Retires somehow mixes ridiculousness and relatability in a very balanced way and makes it entertaining with bits of practical wisdom. I didn't know what to expect but this was definitely not it and that is a good surprise. The only thing I can comment about is the pacing is very manhwa-ish rather than novella-ish.
This is more than just about the rape kit. It's about the flaws in the system and the misogyny that seemingly never stops from people from the top, even until the present. It's also about women's' perseverance in fighting for what they believe in (the author - in my making sure that the right person is credited and made known for the advancement in forensic technology, Marty Goddard - in making the rape kit in the first place and forgoing acknowledgement to make sure it gets introduced, and the other women mentioned in the book who tried to make changes to better help the victims).
Things I liked: The setting: Fantasy-based Vietnam where women hold power? Of course that would be a hook.
Things I didn't like: E...everything else
Sometimes I say that 100 pages isn't enough because I usually want more of the story. This isn't the case for this book. Everything felt rushed. I don't feel particularly attached to Thanh so therefore I'm not exactly rooting for her. Her character felt bland and even annoying at times. Having more of a background on her and her experiences might have changed things. The healthy romance in this didn't really make sense and, boy, that was fast. And the toxic romance was kinda highlighted more
‘All I ever wanted was to be loved, and now you’ve shown me that to be loved is to be broken. What is inside me?’
I started with the loaning the audiobook but 10% in I figured this was better read, rather than listened. And I instantly bought the Kindle edition.
Beautiful writing. Lucifer's birth, coming-of-age, and eventual corruption were also beautifully depicted. Great characterizations for everyone. Loved Rosier in this. Already bought Horns for Hell for Rosier (I'm not getting my hopes up based from the things I've seen), so this is definitely the first of many works that I'll read by the author.