“This is a love story to its blade-dented bone.”

Going to do a very brief review of this one because I don't fully know how to put my thoughts into words.

I'm not the first and definitely won't be the last person to say that this book was masterfully crafted, from the world-building to the character work to the way the different themes are included and the use of first, second, & third person. There's so much this book did right and I don't want to go further without acknowledging that.

With that being said, I really disliked it.

I genuinely struggled with nearly every aspect of it. Sometimes, I felt like I was getting held away from the story and all I could see was the prose. I saw the talent in the writing, but I also didn't really connect with the writing style. The pacing felt off. The characters - though given a lot of character work - felt one-dimensional and empty to me.

As I'm saying all of this, I want to acknowledge that not every book is for everyone and I picked this one up because so many reviewers I respect love it. I totally get why! I also understand the different methods of storytelling implemented in this book and I'm in no way trying to insinuate that there was anything wrong with it.

It was just very wrong for me.

Overall, I see why this is as beloved as it is. I think it was incredibly impressive and I really, truly wish I could have liked it more.