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A review by falsefangs
City of Masks by Mary Hoffman
5.0
According to a note i found in this book, i gave it 4,5/5 when i read this at the age of 12/13? I don't know why I was so ungracious, apart from a handful of points towards the end, this is an incredible book. I appreciate a (fantastical) take on history that shows the past as a time where people appreciate being alive and create and celebrate just as much as we do today.
Cried a total of three times.
Some notes on some characters:
Arianna: wanted to be her when i was 14. also, i think she's a great example of a well-written teenager.
Lucien: i am kind of wondering if this book is somehow ableist, now that I'm sitting here and thought i was going to refer to this character as an "interesting representation of fatal illness". idk. It's fantasy. I think the concept of surviving cancer by leaving one's universe of origin is very interesting, because in Mary Hoffman's story this kind of rebirth in a healthy, abled body brings with it having to grieve one's own death together with the loss of family, friends, home, safety. i'll have to come back to this point after reading "City of Flowers" (and maybe again after that, I will read 4-6 for the first time this year!!!!!!)
Luciens parents: the first time i cried reading this book was the part where Lucien reflects on the "new dad" he got to know after he fell ill, the dad that reads to him and tells stories
Rodolfo: the hawk-like wizard DILF JKR absolutely did not and could never write
William Dethridge: he asks for so little yet he deserves SO much (╯༼ ༎ຶ ᆺ ༎ຶ༽╰)
Silvia: absolutely love the "ending" she chose for herself, but I think i would not wholly be ok with it if i didn't know that she will still appear in the following books
Guido: i would absolutely NOT call what he does "failing upwards", but his little side-story satisfies me in the same way a good failing upwards-story does
Cried a total of three times.
Some notes on some characters:
Arianna: wanted to be her when i was 14. also, i think she's a great example of a well-written teenager.
Lucien: i am kind of wondering if this book is somehow ableist, now that I'm sitting here and thought i was going to refer to this character as an "interesting representation of fatal illness". idk. It's fantasy. I think the concept of surviving cancer by leaving one's universe of origin is very interesting, because in Mary Hoffman's story this kind of rebirth in a healthy, abled body brings with it having to grieve one's own death together with the loss of family, friends, home, safety. i'll have to come back to this point after reading "City of Flowers" (and maybe again after that, I will read 4-6 for the first time this year!!!!!!)
Luciens parents: the first time i cried reading this book was the part where Lucien reflects on the "new dad" he got to know after he fell ill, the dad that reads to him and tells stories
Rodolfo: the hawk-like wizard DILF JKR absolutely did not and could never write
William Dethridge: he asks for so little yet he deserves SO much (╯༼ ༎ຶ ᆺ ༎ຶ༽╰)
Silvia: absolutely love the "ending" she chose for herself, but I think i would not wholly be ok with it if i didn't know that she will still appear in the following books
Guido: i would absolutely NOT call what he does "failing upwards", but his little side-story satisfies me in the same way a good failing upwards-story does