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kbairbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I didn’t really like this book. It get too busy and too cluttered. The characters weren’t likeable and it kinda felt like nothing happened?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, and Medical content
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Sexual content
kirstenf's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Medical content, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Death
Minor: Racism and Violence
cuddlewithbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for providing me with an early audio copy of this book!
I adore this book. The narration by the two narrators was impeccable, they captured our two main characters as well as the other POVs in the book with such ease and grace. I was fully immersed in this story which was incredible retelling that I have never seen before - a blend of two different stories, one from Western culture and one from Eastern culture. It was so incredible to see the parts of Romeo and Juliet with parts of The Tale of Chang'e and Houyi. The story was strange with magic blending with the real world in such a visceral way but feeling as if the magic was not fully rooted in reality. It really felt like a myth coming to the real world.
It is not your typical narrative with multiple POVs to discuss how the parents and the antagonist were feeling at different times throughout the book. It wasn't necessarily straightforward but it added a magic to the story that was done so well.
The descriptions were beautiful and each scene had a purpose in explaining the characters, the predicament, or relating it to the myth that was certainly a part of their lives since birth.
Truly I am a sucker for anything about the moon and the descriptions of moonlight bringing colour back to Luna had me so hyped. And the descriptions of Luna's breath relieving Hunter of his pain were gorgrous.
Hunter's little brother Cody had me in the palm of his hand and each of the little parts of mythology coming to life were so fun to read about.
And yet, this book had a melancholy to it, written in the undercurrents of the story when not expressed outright. Even though I do not know the Tale of Chang'e and Houyi fully, I knew how it ended. And it made the trajectory of the story even more tragic.
If you are looking for a book that is strange in its execution but works well on so many levels, please try this out. I enjoyed listening to this book every second it was in my ear.
I adore this book. The narration by the two narrators was impeccable, they captured our two main characters as well as the other POVs in the book with such ease and grace. I was fully immersed in this story which was incredible retelling that I have never seen before - a blend of two different stories, one from Western culture and one from Eastern culture. It was so incredible to see the parts of Romeo and Juliet with parts of The Tale of Chang'e and Houyi. The story was strange with magic blending with the real world in such a visceral way but feeling as if the magic was not fully rooted in reality. It really felt like a myth coming to the real world.
It is not your typical narrative with multiple POVs to discuss how the parents and the antagonist were feeling at different times throughout the book. It wasn't necessarily straightforward but it added a magic to the story that was done so well.
The descriptions were beautiful and each scene had a purpose in explaining the characters, the predicament, or relating it to the myth that was certainly a part of their lives since birth.
Truly I am a sucker for anything about the moon and the descriptions of moonlight bringing colour back to Luna had me so hyped. And the descriptions of Luna's breath relieving Hunter of his pain were gorgrous.
Hunter's little brother Cody had me in the palm of his hand and each of the little parts of mythology coming to life were so fun to read about.
And yet, this book had a melancholy to it, written in the undercurrents of the story when not expressed outright. Even though I do not know the Tale of Chang'e and Houyi fully, I knew how it ended. And it made the trajectory of the story even more tragic.
If you are looking for a book that is strange in its execution but works well on so many levels, please try this out. I enjoyed listening to this book every second it was in my ear.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Racism and Medical content
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