I really enjoyed this book, but I had some issues with it.

- uneven pacing. There were several moments of action that had me hooked, but between them the story seemed to drag a little bit.
- the characters. While I did solidly like them by the halfway point, before that I was unsure. I thought Oliver was irritating and kind of a know-it-all. Normally I would comment on their naïve natures, but I can look past it because it's a middle grade story. But I did think it was strange how mature and intelligent they were at some points, because they were only twelve and thirteen, respectively.
- the ending. I liked how things were wrapped up, but I think it was somewhat abrupt. What happened to Alice? To her family? To Oliver? How did the second chance go? I have answers, but getting them gave me more questions.

Other than that, I think this was a wonderful book. It was a quick read and I absolutely loved the world of Ferenwood and Furthermore. The colors, the magic, and general vibes were so fun and great, and Tahereh was able to explain some things while leaving others an enigma.

If this was a series, I'd continue it. But since it's not, I'll settle for loving the story as it is.