reading this was such a lovely experience. not in the way that i ended it happily, because i was screaming, but because it was so intricately constructed and created. i could feel how much research and detail went into each chapter and how purposeful each action was. i loved the little romeo and juliet details, which obviously were an important influence, but i loved the way it was clearly used as a jumping off point and not the end-all be-all. there were times when the writing was a bit stiff, but i overall was really impressed with this as a debut and can't wait for the second in the duology because that ending was BRUTAL and i found myself genuinely invested in the characters and their journeys.


also, please give marshall and benedikt a happy ending pls