the first third of the book was super interesting and i wish the story stayed focused on the ghost and vampire realtor plot. however too many characters ended up being introduced, and the plot became way too convoluted and half-baked making it hard to follow along. i don't mind a book that's more vibes than plot (ily the starless sea) but this didn't even deliver on having an intriguing setting or characters with something to say. i also found the writing tedious and confusing, and i frequently had to re-read paragraphs to try and decipher which character was speaking.

and the whole concept of "the game" just. didn't make sense. when i finally got to the part where they were playing the game, i was mentally checked out of the book but i was too far in to DNF it, so maybe that's on me for not understanding whatever the game was supposed to be, but also maybe that's on blake for not grabbing my attention enough to make me care to understand.

in favor of the book, the cover design and illustrations inside are beautiful. i like the table of contents and the overall stylization going on. unfortunately i disliked the story so much that i will be passing on my copy of the book because i have no intention of rereading it or recommending it to others.