Unfortunately I couldn’t take this book this seriously. What do you mean they have Band-Aids? Like the name brand of Band-Aid? TicTac??? Stop that! I’m not sure how a book can have anachronisms when it doesn’t have a set time period, but this one finds a way.

It’s not clear exactly what the target age demographic is for this book - it reads like a middle grade YA, but then all of a sudden is referencing BDSM so I’m not sure what that’s about. Would I have enjoyed this more in middle school? Probably? But the pacing, the over-explanation where it seems like the author doesn’t trust the reader to intuit or make connections on their own, the major tone shift at around 80% (to a tone and voice that I wish the whole book was written in), and the haphazard world building all frustrate current me, and I imagine would have frustrated 12-year-old me as well.

Love that her phone works in an alternate reality but apparently can’t make phone calls. Love that her name is Zinnia, and that every time I hear her nickname it sounds to me like zyn. LOVE the “they’re lesbians Harold” reference.

Don’t love that the narrators voice (in the text, not the audiobook) reminds me of Violet from Fourth Wing (derogatory). Don’t love the… world building who? Character development who? You can’t just be like “yep she’s dying that’s her whole personality.”

I mean you can. But you shouldn’t.

While I loved the style and atmosphere of the prose, I did think the ending was a bit rushed and tied up too neatly - all the tension that’s been building throughout the story just kind of dropped away, and I was legitimately startled when I reached the authors note page (reading on a kindle). That being said, I found the premise and writing very enjoyable, and would love to give other T. Kingfisher books a try in the hope that their plot pacing is a little bit less abrupt!