Reviews

Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater

sabrinamc's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

rosh's review against another edition

funny 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

4.75

emilydaisies's review against another edition

4.0

This was a quick, very sweet read. Loved the queer and gender-queer norm society. The main character is an angel who's gender involves a lot of "wheels and eyes" therefore the angels change their genders in the same was we change outfits.

khardan's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

msmori's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

5.0

darkskybooks's review against another edition

5.0

Yay, this was fun! Atwater truly channels Good Omens with a dash of Screwtape Letters, but with lower stakes. A masterful take on cozy religious satire. Cozy Fantasy is very much in vogue and it is easy to see why. Comforting but fun.

Small Miracles follows the attempts of the 'Fallen Angel of Petty Temptations' to tempt Holly Harker as a way of paying off his gambling debts to a former angelic comrade. There is a wonderful gentle humour to this, the silly score keeping, the petty interactions between different celestial beings, the day to day mundanity of school life. Everything plays off each other in a delightful manner with Gadriel's cynicism forming the root of it all.

This was definitely a worthy winner of SPFBO 8 and I am glad I discovered it through this competition.

chanelchapters's review against another edition

5.0

Good omens meets the good place.
I found this funny, moving and utterly delightful.
Yay for chocolate.

distilledreads's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

This was a fun, quick-paced, and generally lighthearted read. There is a subplot of grief that runs throughout, and hints of depression, but I like the way Atwater tackled a world in which fallen angels and guardian angels walk among us. It took me a beat to get into the book with the way the merit points were calculated, but once I warmed up to the characters, I enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek tone. There are footnotes throughout the book, which is not something I enjoy in fiction, so this also took me some time to adjust. Overall, however, it was a fun read. 

bellakat0828's review against another edition

4.0

This was such a lovely, cozy little book. The writing was witty, the romance was sweet, and the stakes were high without actually being high- there was a standoff but not a battle if that makes sense. it’s very similar to terry pratchett and neil gaimon’s good omens in a wonderful sense! the use of footnotes was so inventive, and made me want to experiment with them in my own writing- it was such a clever way to keep track of the lore and the points (earned or lost). in addition, i found the non-binary genderfluid representation to be spectacular. the angels’ (fallen and otherwise) ability to shrug on and off genders like old sweaters was so satisfying. i loved how uncontested it was by the mortals as well. it’s so refreshing to see queerness exist without a subplot of homophobia. in short, this is the perfect book to curl up and read on a rainy day. it’s got a bit of everything and is overall feel-good cozy.

another_avid_bookreader's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.0

A bit bumpy at times, but overall a charming and funny story, very much character driven with low stakes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol

Moderate: Death of parent