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polypropylena's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Torture, Violence, and Abandonment
adrirowe77's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Hate crime and Violence
fionaburford's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I found this book a bit grating and trite. It had a plot that I thought I would enjoy but I didn't.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, and Violence
avrija's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-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
4.75
This was an awesome book, lovely and memorable characters.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
mollies_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
Wish you were here?
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Murder
bisexualwentworth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Extremely mixed feelings.
I definitely get why this book speaks to so many people and why it feels so comforting to them. The vibes are indeed very cozy, and the kids are great. Linus's arc was fine. Not the most satisfying for me personally, but I can see it being incredibly relatable to many readers. In particular, I think that Klune handled Linus's internalized fatphobia pretty well, and the treatment of his fatness by other characters was refreshing. Lucy was my favorite of the kids for sure, and I also enjoyed both of the silly ladies immensely. Any time we focused on the kids and their interests and hobbies, I was having a good time. Some of the bureaucracy stuff worked for me, too, as did aspects of the romance.
The biggest issue with this book is a lack of real, deep, thoughtful worldbuilding. We have no idea why things are the way that they are. There is a magical underclass, but why are they the underclass? What sociopolitical happenings created this regime? What justifications were used by those in power? We really only see the world through the eyes of 1) bureaucracy and 2) the main characters in this book, which means that the scope is small and it should be able to work with limited worldbuilding. Unfortunately, Klune writes in a lot of wider-reaching implications that made it impossible for me not to ask questions, and this is the sort of world where everything falls apart if you poke it a little bit.
TJ Klune has stated that he was "inspired by residential schools" (among other influences) in the writing of this book. I find that incredibly weird of him. Any reading of the children as indigenous-coded immediately further highlights the way that they are used to further the character development of the white protagonist. It also shows a shocking lack of care on the part of the author. If he wanted to use such a horrifying aspect of real-world history to inform some of his worldbuilding choices, then he should have actually committed to confronting those horrors, but he does not, and several parts of the book left a bad taste in my mouth.
Another sign of this book's poor worldbuilding is the total lack of thought put into ways that world history and culture might look different given the presence of magical creatures. You mean to tell me that no magical being has written a hit song? That no US presidents were elected based on their policy regarding magical people? As if. Maybe this vaguery would have worked if the world itself were clearly different from our own, but it wasn't. Don McLean's "American Pie" canonically exists, as do multiple other real-world songs and figures, and absolutely nothing about them is different. Lazy! So lazy! If you're writing fantasy oppression, you HAVE to think through your metaphors and how your marginalized fantasy people interact with the world as a whole. You HAVE to. And it feels like TJ Klune just had no interest in interacting with or developing his own world beyond the main characters and their direct experiences, and I think that's a real shame.
Overall, the parts that worked for me worked really well, and I genuinely enjoyed reading most of this book, but the utter thoughtlessness of the worldbuilding and influences cannot be overstated.
I definitely get why this book speaks to so many people and why it feels so comforting to them. The vibes are indeed very cozy, and the kids are great. Linus's arc was fine. Not the most satisfying for me personally, but I can see it being incredibly relatable to many readers. In particular, I think that Klune handled Linus's internalized fatphobia pretty well, and the treatment of his fatness by other characters was refreshing. Lucy was my favorite of the kids for sure, and I also enjoyed both of the silly ladies immensely. Any time we focused on the kids and their interests and hobbies, I was having a good time. Some of the bureaucracy stuff worked for me, too, as did aspects of the romance.
The biggest issue with this book is a lack of real, deep, thoughtful worldbuilding. We have no idea why things are the way that they are. There is a magical underclass, but why are they the underclass? What sociopolitical happenings created this regime? What justifications were used by those in power? We really only see the world through the eyes of 1) bureaucracy and 2) the main characters in this book, which means that the scope is small and it should be able to work with limited worldbuilding. Unfortunately, Klune writes in a lot of wider-reaching implications that made it impossible for me not to ask questions, and this is the sort of world where everything falls apart if you poke it a little bit.
TJ Klune has stated that he was "inspired by residential schools" (among other influences) in the writing of this book. I find that incredibly weird of him. Any reading of the children as indigenous-coded immediately further highlights the way that they are used to further the character development of the white protagonist. It also shows a shocking lack of care on the part of the author. If he wanted to use such a horrifying aspect of real-world history to inform some of his worldbuilding choices, then he should have actually committed to confronting those horrors, but he does not, and several parts of the book left a bad taste in my mouth.
Another sign of this book's poor worldbuilding is the total lack of thought put into ways that world history and culture might look different given the presence of magical creatures. You mean to tell me that no magical being has written a hit song? That no US presidents were elected based on their policy regarding magical people? As if. Maybe this vaguery would have worked if the world itself were clearly different from our own, but it wasn't. Don McLean's "American Pie" canonically exists, as do multiple other real-world songs and figures, and absolutely nothing about them is different. Lazy! So lazy! If you're writing fantasy oppression, you HAVE to think through your metaphors and how your marginalized fantasy people interact with the world as a whole. You HAVE to. And it feels like TJ Klune just had no interest in interacting with or developing his own world beyond the main characters and their direct experiences, and I think that's a real shame.
Overall, the parts that worked for me worked really well, and I genuinely enjoyed reading most of this book, but the utter thoughtlessness of the worldbuilding and influences cannot be overstated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Bullying, Fatphobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Confinement and Violence
kat_smith24's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Fatphobia, and Xenophobia
Minor: Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
kmsander4's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
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? Yes
4.5
This story is unlike any other you'll ever read. It's mythical and fantastical while being firmly planted in our reality. It's about magical creatures and it's about every day people. Those that are different and outcasts. Ones who don't belong and ones who find their family along the way.
It's a tale about love and acceptance but also hatred and prejudice. The metaphors are abundant but every single one hits perfectly.
I cannot wait to pick up the next book in this series and dive back into this incredibly rich and beautifully bright world and the characters that inhabit it.
It's a tale about love and acceptance but also hatred and prejudice. The metaphors are abundant but every single one hits perfectly.
I cannot wait to pick up the next book in this series and dive back into this incredibly rich and beautifully bright world and the characters that inhabit it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Abandonment
gemloukay's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
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
5.0
Linus Baker is a Case Worker for the Department of Magical Youth, whose job it is to inspect the Orphanages where they often live. When he gets sent on a special assignment by Extremely Upper Management, he finds himself on an island with some very special and potentially very dangerous youngsters, and the master of their home, Arthur Pernassus. But as he gets to know them all, he must decide between his head and his heart.
A beautiful story, full of hope and plenty of heart. I adored both the story and the characters, and can’t wait to read the sequel.
A beautiful story, full of hope and plenty of heart. I adored both the story and the characters, and can’t wait to read the sequel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Abandonment
Minor: Violence
tatjanasbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, and Physical abuse
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury