So I only just learned this series existed like two weeks ago. Obviously I immediately placed a hold on Libby, but I didn’t have any idea what I was getting myself into. All I knew was that Maggie, one of my all time favorite authors, had written another series after the events of The Raven Cycle.

What I didn’t know was that this book would be so much more than just a cheap spinoff series, a cash grab if you will. I love Ronan and I adore Adam’s little cameos, but to be honest the stars of this show are Declan Lynch (overlooked and underrated no longer), Jordan Hennessy (canonic black bisexual woman anyone?). Maggie’s skills have always for me lain in her ability to create characters that linger with me long after I finish the book, and this new-ish cast is no different. Even Matthew, formerly two-dimensional dream object, gets his moment, as do the multitude of actually-super-evil-no-holds-barred baddies.

I loved this a lot and will be starting book 2 tomorrow

This is my favorite EmHen book to date. I am, it is safe to say, OBSESSED with Miles.

I love love love everything about this book. The relationship built realistically, the fake-dating trope was so much fun but not the basis for much miscommunication between the characters, and the cast of characters outside of Miles and Daphne were so well done. I really loved them and I really loved this story. I even liked the names Miles and Daphne!

1000/10, no notes.

I did learn things. But the author's tone seemed to me to be quite condescending, which was a real turn off. AND the author also used ample real world and theoretical historical figures as examples, and only a handful of dozens upon dozens of them were women. I really didn't feel welcome reading this book. It made me feel excluded.

This was the March book for one of my book clubs, and boy was it pertinent. Not knowing anything about it going in (I added it to my tbr because I saw someone reading it on the train and was intrigued), I was pleasantly surprised to find that at its heart this book was about two childhood friends. Their bond, as well as the dynamics between the haves and have-nots of Tehran, kept me engaged.

However, many aspects of the book left much to be desired. The writing style was flavorless and direct, and felt as though the author didn’t trust up to pick up information without being it force fed. Additionally the plot felt driven by one character’s insecurities and self-centeredness, which in my opinion seemed to trivialize all the conflict of the changing times in Iran.

I’m having a hard time expressing my feelings, but because of Elaheh’s privilege, naïveté, and ignorance; because of Homa’s (again, sorry if it’s spelled wrong) absence from the narrative for large swaths of the story; and because of the abrupt ending, this book didn’t end up feeling important, insightful, or interesting. Take this with a grain of salt, as I am a white-passing woman with very little knowledge of life or culture in Iran, but I left without any deeper understanding of the country, its people, womanhood, or friendship. It felt a little empty, honestly, like a pretty but hollow thing. I wish the author had chosen to let us sit in a moment or feeling rather than explaining explicitly and directly how the characters were feeling.

I knew it was going to be a mistake to finish reading this on the bus. I was right.

I love every single thing about this book. Every character has a home in my heart. This feels so important to me right now, with communities disintegrating and closing ranks. Thank you Frederik for putting this into the world.

CONTENT WARNINGS (may contain spoilers): ableism animal abuse bigotry child loss death domestic violence fat phobia grief homophobia self-harm violence

Did this book have interesting characters and a unique and evocative setting? Yes. Do I think that this book had a lot of very important things to say? Yes. Did I enjoy reading it at all? No. No I did not.

In the end, it was great to talk about this with my book club girlies, and I understand why it resonates with some people, but I found the lack of plot to be incredibly boring and the town and people to feel like caricatures rather than fully developed characters. Not for me!