It's amazing how time and a different frame of mind can change your outlook. I tried to read this book some time ago (I believe some time in 2017) and couldn't get past page 30. I didn't give the book a star-rating at that point, but I did explain on GR why I was DNFing the book and how I just didn't think this author was going to be for me.

Now, I will still stand by some of the things I wrote then. I do think this book takes awhile to get going, and I didn't becoming invested until about 50-75 pages in, which is quite awhile when you're talking about a book that is only 270 pages long. Her style is heavily metaphorical, and even though I tend to enjoy magical realism, I feel like her writing might put off some readers who need more of a grounded style to their stories.

However, once I got invested in these characters, I was really invested. I was able to connect to Samir and Miel in a way that I didn't connect to any of the characters in Wild Beauty. There was more of a storyline in this book that was grounded in something I could identify as being the world we live in, while still maintaining that fairy-tale quality I love to see in magical realism.

My favorite scene occurs near the end of the book between Samir and his mother, when they talk about his struggles with his identity. It warmed my heart. It was so beautiful in it's simplicity.

I do have one more of this author's books (The Weight of Feathers) and I am much more excited to pick it up now that I've read this book. I've always felt like I should love her books, because her talent is obvious, so I'm so happy I gave this book another shot and ended up loving it.