This was one of my most-anticipated reads of 2019 and it did not disappoint, becoming one of my top reads this year. It is also a difficult book to review and articulate what I liked (especially without revealing the plot!). Morgenstern has such a way with words, creating an ethereal, poetic world that you will not want to leave when the book is done. Her characters all have their quirks but in a way that makes them feel realistic.

The book alternates between little vignettes of stories that do not seem to connect and a more linear plot line following graduate student Zachary Ezra Rawlins. Zachary discovers a mysterious book, leading him to two people and a mysterious world. You begin the book much like Zachary, enjoying the stories but not really seeing how it all connects (but don’t worry, it does come together in the most magical way possible). I cared so much about all of the characters throughout and loved seeing the bits of the puzzle come together. It is one of those stories that I have continued to think about after it was over.

This book is not quite fantasy, not quite reality. It is a love letter to books, video games, mysterious societies, myths, and storytelling.