For anybody who could use a break.

It's always the short ones that leaves the biggest impressions. I didn't know what solar punk was but I'm digging it.

Sibling Dex's struggles are very familiar to me so reading the journey they went on was so comforting to me. To know that sometimes you just need to slow down and take a break (and maybe drop everything because you wanted to hear crickets chirp in the wilderness).

Plus, the worldbuilding was so unique to me. I loved every moment where they talked about the Parent Gods and Children. I'm such a sucker for those so it's an automatic love for me. With how beautifully it was written too? Five stars!

A nice short story that reminds us to take a break and enjoy life as it is.

I was reading in this in public so I had to hold myself back from crying a waterfall.

As a SEAsian myself, I can relate to the blatant misogyny, patriarchy and homophobia within the culture. It hurt so much when these vile things keep someone from something and someone you love.

Sutanto did a great job at making me love her characters, building their relationships with each other, and also crushing and bleeding out my heart. The ending was spectacularly done as well, leaving no untied ends. I genuinely love how beautifully she wrote the ending.

There was a small problem that confused me. Sutanto (through Iris) wrote how predatory it was for a 19-year-old James to be friends with 16-year-ikd Magnolia, but when Ellery admitted that she was in love with Magnolia at the same time frame, it was mostly brushed aside apart from Ellery saying that she didn't confess because she was 16. It's very odd.

It's a good story, though. It's difficult to find a balance when writing about heavy topics without sounding too preachy and out of touch but I think Sutanto handled it wonderfully (except for the age gap part).