I received a free copy of this book through Amazon First Reads. This does not affect my rating or opinions.

Rating may change later, it's an ambivalent four stars (which I think is new for me!).

I suspect this book will go widely overlooked, and it deserves better because it is an incredible debut. While I would not recommend it for everyone, for the right reader this one will be magical.

The premise, the execution — minus a few things that I'll elaborate on in a bit — the clever turns of phrase and apt analogies, the mix of tender and heartbreaking and straight tense moments: this story is well-constructed, with enough mystery to keep you guessing without putting itself in the mystery genre; you won't be able to figure out Ursa's story based on the bits and pieces she tells Jo and Gabe, so you can feel their frustration. I had a great time reading about their nest hunting and kitten adventures and mini-roadtrips and rainy days in.

With the tranquil pacing (which is not to say that this book is boring! Just that the storylines and conflicts are mostly long-term, and there is lots of focus given to development, which I really liked) each character is given so much room to grow and learn and doubt, and it shows in their interactions with each other and the world. If you read the summary you probably picked up on the "found family" theme, which is so tenderly written. This is very much a character-driven novel, though the plot does have several noteworthy peaks. (No spoilers here!)

I really liked the characters, and I sympathized with them, and I loved their complexities, but somehow I had trouble really connecting with them. Maybe it's because the three main characters are all very guarded in different ways, or maybe it's the sometimes-too-clinical debates (which do represent both sides on issues like gun control, femininity, and mental health, though sometimes it felt skewed and/or a little shallow); there are also a few ethical situations that made me slightly uncomfortable. Part of it is definitely because I can't relate to their specific circumstances.

That said, I do think these highly personal topics could have been handled a little more sensitively. Jo mentions several times that she feels like "less of a woman" after her preventative surgeries, and sometimes it felt like Gabe's mental health conditions were listed rather than really developed (anxiety and depression and agoraphobia, and I believe Jo's anxiety is mentioned briefly in the beginning but never again). There is also a scene in which Jo essentially tells him to "just get over" his depression — which he refutes, but it does happen. And that's not to mention Ursa's clear symptoms of trauma. The ending feels slightly hand-wavey "love conquers all," which was disappointing considering all the thorough development that characterized the majority of the narrative. Please take care of your own mental health if you need to, while reading this book. 

Overall, though, I had no trouble getting or staying in the narrative, and I wanted so badly for things to go right for our heroes. (Believe in Ursa's quarks!) At its core this is a story about home and love and family and recovery, and it's a great one.