I finished this one yesterday and it was lovely, so sad, but ended on such a hopeful note 😭 I don’t read anywhere near as much fantasy as I used to and I think this was a good one to ease myself back in (not that I have active plans to read lots more this year), as it was more fairytale-based/set partly in the real world, so there wasn’t much world-building to keep straight in my head! I loved that the author shone a light on loneliness and bullying among kids/teenagers, and I hadn’t realised until the note at the end that Japan is one of the lowest ranked countries when it comes to mental health among young people. It addresses some difficult topics like terminal illness, abuse, loss of a sibling, grief, bullying, suicidal thoughts, and while it never feels like the author is making light of these topics, she does manage to keep a whimsical tone throughout. Very much enjoyed