haruarus's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
esai's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
luckykosmos's review
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This convinced me I love Liu's prose and how they structure a story, making me extremely excited for The Death I Gave Him. I thought this would be a more adventurous story going in, but I loved the ramshackle family that came together throughout, how what started as a workplace mystery turned into something more emotional. Would love to see more of this.
autumnaldusk's review
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
paracosmere's review
4.0
Such a warm, feel-good, found-family story. I enjoyed it very much that the fact that the author wrote it in second person present tense didn't bother me at all.
I loved the contrast between Shine and Wan Ran's personalities and every time the little devil called the former sunshine I just melt. They formed such a precious bond after not having someone by their side they could relate to, perhaps all their lives, given the nature of their upbringing. It's hilarious imagining their banters though. And then you had Wen who had the patience as endless as the hallways of Hell. Although he couldn't have been much older than those two, he took care of those boys really sweetly.
"If Found Return to Hell" is definitely a hug in a book.
I loved the contrast between Shine and Wan Ran's personalities and every time the little devil called the former sunshine I just melt. They formed such a precious bond after not having someone by their side they could relate to, perhaps all their lives, given the nature of their upbringing. It's hilarious imagining their banters though. And then you had Wen who had the patience as endless as the hallways of Hell. Although he couldn't have been much older than those two, he took care of those boys really sweetly.
"If Found Return to Hell" is definitely a hug in a book.
sahibooknerd's review against another edition
4.5
I mean did decide to buy this novella because it had some great reviews. But I really wasn’t expecting to love it so much instantly.
Turns out, it’s another wonderful example of what cozy fantasy is all about. The writing is evocative and charming, even though we are following our MC, who is an intern at a corporate wizarding call center, and is completely drained by the bureaucratic/ capitalistic nightmare that is her job. The story is told in second person and we don’t even get to know our protagonist’s name till almost the end but that doesn’t matter because one phone call changes the trajectory of their life and we are hooked. Then we get a delightful story of found family, love, possession, a demon prince from Hell and possibly some unexpected deal making - but who cares because I found myself swept away in the tenderness of the bonds that develop, and the kindness and compassion that our protagonist exemplifies in a world that probably doesn’t reward them for these qualities.
Overall, this maybe a completely different world and writing style, but this little novella gave me the same joy I have felt while reading the exploits of Murderbot. So if you want to read an unexpectedly sweet little novella about love and hope, in a possibly bleak world, go for it. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Turns out, it’s another wonderful example of what cozy fantasy is all about. The writing is evocative and charming, even though we are following our MC, who is an intern at a corporate wizarding call center, and is completely drained by the bureaucratic/ capitalistic nightmare that is her job. The story is told in second person and we don’t even get to know our protagonist’s name till almost the end but that doesn’t matter because one phone call changes the trajectory of their life and we are hooked. Then we get a delightful story of found family, love, possession, a demon prince from Hell and possibly some unexpected deal making - but who cares because I found myself swept away in the tenderness of the bonds that develop, and the kindness and compassion that our protagonist exemplifies in a world that probably doesn’t reward them for these qualities.
Overall, this maybe a completely different world and writing style, but this little novella gave me the same joy I have felt while reading the exploits of Murderbot. So if you want to read an unexpectedly sweet little novella about love and hope, in a possibly bleak world, go for it. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
joyelbe's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0