The main reason I picked up this book was because I ended up really enjoying Saft’s previous novel. Even though it wasn’t perfect, it was extremely atmospheric, and I felt myself almost swallowed whole by it while I was listening to it.

To an extent, the same happened here. Saft is honestly fantastic at setting the scene and making the reader feel as if they were actually there. I felt the pressing isolation of Margaret, trapped in her too large house that was falling to pieces around her. I felt the press of crowds at the various events surrounding the fox hunt, and how they felt differently depending on if we were reading from Wes’s point of view or Margaret’s. Even during the fox hunt, enough time was spent on description, that you could feel the branches of the forest scratching your face as Wes and Margaret raced after the fox.

This book is honestly heavily character focused, and this may not work for everyone. I found myself feeling for Margaret quickly, even though it took her a long time to become less barbed to Wes and others around her that didn’t deserve her ire. Wes took a bit longer to grow on me, solely because I was sometimes put off by his flirting (mainly with others who weren’t Margaret). Overall, while I did end up liking their relationship, I do wish a bit less time had been spent on Wes x this other side character, because it was time he could’ve spent talking with and growing a bond with Margaret. It was just tough to read, because it never felt like a love triangle (it never really felt like this other girl was a final option), but it did actively take time away from the things I did enjoy about the book nevertheless. I understand its role, especially to lead to certain things happening, but I still wasn’t a fan.

This book is also heavy-handed when it comes to religion, and I could’ve used a bit less of it. It didn’t really actively bug me, but I’m just not a religious person and don’t really enjoy it in fiction (unless it deals with many deities). Luckily, it was mainly focused on the clash between them and how it resulted in the marginalization of Wes and Margaret in specific ways. I did enjoy seeing this facet of religion and how it was used there, with the two finding some comfort in each other through their shared pain.

Overall, I ended up enjoying this about as much as Saft’s other book, which was both great and a little disappointing. I had hoped the book overall would’ve had me love it entirely, but some things just didn’t entirely work for me. In the end, though, I did enjoy my time with the book, and will be keeping an eye out for future releases by Saft!