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laurareads87's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I recently came across this book and, having wanted to be a veterinarian and having loved James Herriot books as a young person, picked it up. I loved the concept -- veterinary students travelling to an alternate world and treating griffons, unicorns, and centaurs -- and appreciated the little nod to Herriot in the text (there are a few scenes that are definitely inspired by him -- centaur birthing scene! -- but the similarities stop there). I feel like the description of this book (as represented on Goodreads) did not really give me a good idea of what it was actually about: this is a book wherein the alternate world is under threat, and is less about "discovering the wonders of magic" than it is about a group thrown together trying to fend off a threat to their existence. There are things about this book that I liked, certainly -- I appreciated BJ as a protagonist and several of the Crossroads characters -- but I found the other veterinary student characters a bit flat, feel like I didn't learn much about core parts of the plot, and found some of the plot a bit ... cheesy. I also found the transitions a bit choppy (as in, the characters would be chatting and all of a sudden be in a completely different location: I'd have to go back and see if I missed something).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Gore, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Moderate: Grief, Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Alcohol
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