Scan barcode
avrija's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I’m quite surprised at how much I liked the main character, Linus. I’ve loved the descriptions of the children, their magical beings/powers, as some were quite unusual but written so well, I had a picture in mind for each of them.
I loved the Color play between Linus‘ life in the city and on the island and I love all the interactions between the characters.
Another thing was also, that Linus is just a regular guy. He’s not the usual kind of protagonist for a book that involves a romance as he’s not close to look like the beauty standards. He’s in his forties, works an office job, has some weight to his belly and thinning hair but he’s still loved by the characters and even involved in a romance, which I really liked.
The romance was quite cute, though it was definitely slowburn and mostly very subtle in the background. The focus wa snore on the interactions with all the characters and their dynamics while adding a dash of romance to it.
I also liked the commentary on bigotry and prejudice against the children as magical youth and the way in which DICOMY played a role.
All in all a great and lovely read for everyone that likes a quaint character study kind of book that has a big theme for found family.
Minor: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
jennxreviews's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
lindseyhall44's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Oh how I love love, and this book is chock full of it. There is romantic love, a familial love, a love of humanity, and a love of storytelling that make this novel all that it is. I cannot wait to read more from this author
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, and Death of parent
jessiesnoww's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Homophobia, Cannibalism, and Religious bigotry
Starts out slow but it’s worth it.frecklebrows's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
All in all was a fun little read but there were some stylistic parts and character choices that felt annoying and dragged on a little too long.
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, and Death of parent
abookofwildflowers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Body shaming and Child abuse
Minor: Death of parent
thesunthesunthesunthesun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.75
I am glad to say that it did not disappoint at all. This was absolutely adorable.
Was the plot predictable? yes, and delightfully so! You know the steps that a romcom must take, and you gleefully expect how and when we'll get to that part!
This book is (I say this with only adoration) all the good bits of a Christmas romcom, but now placed in a wonderful summer setting, and it has none of the excruciating miscommunications that otherwise appear in a romcom.
I thoroughly enjoyed this! The cast of characters were all nicely written, the plot was a fun "bureaucrat learns the
The writing style of the author lends itself perfectly for this story, the dialogue was very well done, and the scene descriptions were lovely. I started writing little pencil notes halfway through that only consisted of "yes! yes!!" and "it's cause you're so gay for him" whenever Linus thought about Arthur.
Even though I had to take a multi-month break halfway through the book, I could get right back in with minimal confusion. The pacing was ideal for this story as well.
All in all, this was SUCH a fun romp. I needed this book.
And yes, I did cry a little at the expected moments. I'm a simple man; my heartstrings are easily pulled.
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Xenophobia, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Deportation
Most of the xenophobia warnings pertain to people being bigoted about having a magic child orphanage near them. The abuse warnings is primarily due to the children having been through the wringer of society, so to speak. The fatphobia is mostly Linus himself and some other people making weird comments about him being fat, it's not too bad,mollies_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was just what I needed…
This was so light despite the heavy topic written between the lines. It was beautifully written and the reprisal of themes and quotes was done so authentically. I never felt bashed over the head with the message, although it was clear from the start. The character development and bond that gradually bloomed throughout the pages was truly magical. The humor and love that surrounded the hardness that these characters experienced made this a truly enjoyable reading experience. I was laughing, crying, kicking my feet, twirling my hair… just a completely visceral reading experience.
10/10 recommend.
Minor: Child abuse, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Murder
luise96's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Death of parent
jpolito's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Child abuse and Emotional abuse
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Classism