Found family, deep friendship ensemble cast set in a magical realism world. Great world-building, fantastic characters, traumatic background without being melodramatic. And few little guy characters. Love a little guy. Great series to sink one's teeth into. Extra spookiness and a truly horrifying villain. Love how the character's relationships developed in this one, both platonic and romantic.
Writing and characters were too clunky. Characters felt more like caricatures than actual people.
I've reread this at least once a year since 2009. I love this book so much. A one-hit wonder from the author and I wish I could read more. The character dynamic is nuanced and they're so devoted to each other.
I read this before covid. The author has a talent for making this subject funny and digestible.