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novella42's review
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Such a fun, weird, dark-yet-delightful book! I love baking bread and reading fantasy stories, and found this book to be hilarious and just the right amount of snarky. I usually avoid dark/horror themes but I love Kingfisher's style and take on mental health and relationships enough that I keep going back to read a lot of Kingfisher's other books in the Clocktower universe. I kept imagining this story taking place there, too. It's certainly dark enough for it, to the point where I kept feeling surprised that this is a young adult novel. But then Mona would do or say something and I'd have a little argument with myself that of course this is a young adult novel. If Hunger Games is Young Adult, than this can be too, and is a heck of a lot sweeter. (And not just because of all the scones and gingerbread.) I genuinely love Mona and all the people in her life. Kingfisher has a real talent for writing group dynamics and I think that shows here. I was surprised to learn in her afterword that she first wrote this in 2007, as many of the themes are especially relevant in the 2020s. I'd love to read another in a series, and I also think this makes a lovely standalone story too. Well done, Kingfisher!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Hate crime, Police brutality, Excrement, Murder, Violence, Grief, Vomit, Child death, Animal death, and Blood
Moderate: Ableism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, Body horror, Xenophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement
Minor: Genocide, Cannibalism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Medical content
kake's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Excrement, Grief, Mental illness, Vomit, Violence, Death, and Animal death
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