Representations: https://trello.com/c/kEopMhjU

Surprisingly dark, but a good story about just how screwed up it can get if only some people are magic.

I'm really loving this era of books that seem to be exploring the fact that people would be utter assholes if only some people were magical. This book is kinda about children being forced to be slaves, kidnapped from their families and sold as products. But as a children's book haha.

The BSL rep was also awesome but I wish a little bit more was done with it. It was quite hard to work out what was being signed, and what was being said. However, I absolutely love how the magical cure trope is done here, that's how the trope should be done! My anxiety went through the roof in that chapter lmao but it played out so damn well.

Leonie and Cress are fantastic characters though. Their growth throughout the book and how their characters change through the events is really well written. I especially love how Cress grew into, and above, her role as a match and how the dynamic between the 2 very subtly changes over the book. Leonie is one of the strongest female MCs I've read in a while - dealt a shit hand at life but determined and strong. She knows what she wants, but is too young and sheltered to fully know consequence or what her actions actually mean. The side characters are pretty good, but some of them certainly got a bit jumbled around in my head and I forgot who some people were, just because the side characters for the most part have such small and/or fleeting roles.

Plot-wise the book is mainly an adventure/escape. It's mostly linear, and a little predictable - but that doesn't detract from the story at all honestly. I really loved the magic system and how it all works, and I love how Leonie handles her magic.

Overall, yeah this is a fantastic book. It is pretty dark, but I know kid me would have loved this just as much as adult me does. Honestly could see this easily being a film or TV show, and it would work pretty well.