Writing this review breaks my heart. I absolutely love Shannon Hale, but this was not it.
For most of this, I was confused. The rules of the “magic” or world weren’t clear. Even when the big reveal happened, I was still confused. It got really frustrating and was my biggest complaint.
Normally, I find Shannon Hale’s writing magical and almost peaceful. This felt very chaotic and jumpy. Maybe that was on purpose, but it caused me so much anxiety\ and contributed to my confusion.
And Josie wasn’t a particularly likable character. Some people don’t need to like the main character. Generally, I do but I especially need to have some sort of connection to them. And none of the other characters felt real or flushed out. I did really like Mia and Josie’s relationship with her was a small redeeming thing for her.
This addressed some important topics-especially for older teenagers. I really liked that she talked about friendship break-ups and growing out of a friendship. This is a real thing and it doesn’t necessarily mean either person was bad or toxic. Sometimes things just change. However, like a lot of things in this book, it didn’t feel fully realized or developed. Just surface level.
While I was disappointed by this I am still a fan of Shannon Hale and will continue to read her books.
Thanks for reading!
Holly