4.5 stars

Read for Indigathon 2020 - completing the challenge "Outside of the US"

CW: Child abuse

Wow. This book was so great. I loved the concept of monsters and angels in the world of Lucille and the book had me thoroughly engaged to discover who the monster was that Pet was hunting. Jam and Redemption's chemistry was great and I loved their friendship dynamic. They kept each other on their toes and it was awesome to read. This book was just remarkable and very memorable.

I would've liked more depth as it felt a little rushed but otherwise, those are just very minor critiques and I will be reading all of Emezi's work. As a reader who strays away from fantasy and magical books, this says a lot.

I also loved Jam and the subtle transness as she is a trans girl. It's so important to have trans characters to be the focus of the adventure rather than focus only on them being trans. I also liked that her selective mutism was never explained nor was it magically "cured".

Highly recommend but keep in mind the content warning for child abuse.