The Crossing

The Crossing is a perfect blend of sci-fi and fantasy. Laurie Janey is a marvelous world builder, and I imagine Rheta to be something like the most lush, beautiful national park I've ever been to dialed up to eleven. One of my favorite things about the world of The Crossing is that it contains a lot of the same flora, fauna, and objects we are familiar with here on Earth, but Janey has given them different names. It was easy to parse the meaning of the words, which added to the feeling of Rheta being an alien planet in another reality without the confusion of complicated science jargon that often alienates people from science-fiction. 

The friendships between Berro, Virda, Jex, and Fessi were so endearing and it's easy to tell this is a very close and loving group of friends. Fessi is my favorite, I loved the chapters that centered on her because they provided a glimpse into her fascinating mind.
Virda is massively obsessed with tree climbing to the point that I almost felt like I knew what it would be like to be her friend in real life: She's a good, loyal friend, you love her and you're glad she has a hobby she loves, but also you kind of wonder if the tree obsession is entirely healthy. Jex is just a sleepy little puppy dog. Let's just give him a pat on the head. Overall, I felt that the characters were pretty well fleshed out and fun to hang out with. 

Berro's internal struggles with how he felt about Imparter Undra, his mother's death, and the role he played in the studies of the crossings were realistic and hard to read because it was so sad to see how he dealt with all of it as a wholly unequipped introvert who just wanted to help the teacher he idolizes study realities and go home. 

The Crossing had some serious, dramatic moments that were expertly entwined with others that were sweet and wholesome. I didn't expect something so dark to also feel so cozy, and I am extremely here for it.