lets start with the positives: this art style is so cute??? it + the color palette is so chill and nice.
but the negatives (and oh god theyre some pretty serious negatives): this book is set in Israel (which is never mentioned in any blurb or promotion, and i believe that’s definitely on purpose). i would have had many more mixed feelings about reading this if i’d known that, given the tragedies happening in Palestine.
and i would feel differently if it had engaged critically with Israel, but it just… didn’t. i understand this is meant to be cozy, but you can touch on serious things briefly, that’s better than ignoring it completely.
i also wish this had discussed queerness and gender non-conformity in Israel more, rather than just glossing over it (mainly because i just recently read Finding Nevo by Nevo Zisin, which discusses in depth his experience of traveling to Israel for a year as a young adult and transitioning while there).
also Rotem is ableist to Ayala yet thats never discussed again, Rotem never apologizes, and they still get together. im tired of that shit.