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blewballoon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The author's note at the end says this book was a place to put a lot of ideas that hadn't fit into other books, and it was written as a serial originally. In some ways I liked this, I enjoyed the creativity in creatures and settings, but in another way I also wasn't in the mood for it I think. The writing reminded me of Tress of the Emerald Sea a bit, but I think the setting was less cohesive and Summer had a bit less agency than Tress which made it harder for me to stay engaged. I think that makes sense, since Summer is a 12 year old girl while Tress is a young woman, and they are inspired by different tales (Chronicles of Narnia and Princess Bride). Overall I still really enjoyed this, but I took a lot longer to finish it than I expected. I would definitely recommend this for middle grade readers and for adults who are in the mood for a whimsical, youthful fantasy that twists some tropes around.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence
Minor: Mental illness, Blood, and Vomit