this was SO worth the hype

i’ve been waiting for this book since it first made be headlines with a record publishing deal. when i first got it in my hands, i wanted to devour all the 500+ pages as fast as i could. life and work got in the way, though, and i’m glad for that. i actually got to appreciate the story better this way, and it was super duper awesome.

not only is the world-building one of the best i’ve come across in YA fantasy, but everything the story stands for—its political message amid magic rituals and horned African felines—is timely and powerful. i’m neither American nor Black, but i could feel—and i’ve seen—what this book means to so many people.

i can’t wait to see what Tomi Adeyemi has in store for us ❤️

(sidenote: Zélie and Amari had way more chemistry than any of the het ships. not that i minded them, but just saying)