I understood going in that this was a bit of a farce--making fun of the whole "Chosen One" plot and mixing elements from several modern series using the trope, most notably Harry Potter. Most of these "borrowed" pieces were entertaining, but the silly spells annoyed me to no end. Every time one was used I was pulled out of the plot. The rest of the story moves so well, but that felt a little like beating a dead horse as things went on. It was just too much.

The relationship between Simon and Baz was very well done, in true Rainbow Rowell fashion. I enjoyed the character interaction throughout. I also enjoyed the usage of multiple POVs. This brought a lot of extra to the story.

I enjoyed the read and found humor in the construction, but it wasn't as impactful as her other novels; nor was it a full exploration of the magical elements of the story. This is primarily a character study--which I enjoyed, but wasn't fully fulfilled by.