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sunnydale's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
medium-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
4.5
I read this book exactly when I needed to. Grief is explored in a meaningful way, but is never gratuitous or burdensome, so I found it restorative as I processed the loss of a family member. The narrative voice is warm and inviting, and I felt genuine affection for the characters.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and War
Ellie has experienced racism, but she does not describe previous experiences in detail. Subjects like violence and danger are appropriate to a middle grade novel. Death and grief are discussed at length.emily_mh's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was such a delight to read!! It really reminded me of the game Night in the Woods. I adored the author’s writing style; the dialogue gave off a real arthouse film vibe which was really unique. But also, she effortlessly wove together so many strands of story and character, but all in the direction of telling a murder mystery?? Masterfully done!! The plot was also well-paced and held my attention throughout. Ellie was a wonderful main character: she was clever, determined, and thought outside the box, so it was really refreshing to read from her POV. Jay as a side character was so much fun, and the friendship between the him and Ellie was joyful. Finally, the illustrations in the chapter headings were absolutely gorgeous, and I loved how they ended up weaving in with Ellie’s storyline.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Body horror, Racism, Violence, Grief, and Car accident
Minor: Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Major content warnings for death of a pet and loss of a loved one. Minor content warnings for drowning, climate change/global warming, drought, insects, mass murder, and divorce.
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