This book is definitely something that a younger Sam would have enjoyed way more than I could reading it now days. Just because my perception of the world has changed since High School.

This story has a very interesting concept and while it starts slow I do find myself wanting to learn more about the story of what happened to Cassandra's Mom, and what this magic system looks like. As well as getting to know more about the characters we see. But I feel like it falls short on so many fronts.

While this book talks a big game about feminism, it definitely doesn't feel intersectional. Especially when me hear what makes a sitter. "Who are the Sitters? Female. Young. Responsible. Highly Trained. Protective."
The fact that to be a sitter you are required to be female, rules out Cis-Men, and anyone assigned male at birth, and possibly Trans-Men.
Along with the very stereotypical traits of being Responsible and Protective. This book continues the expectations that Women are only of use when they are young, theoretically losing their powers as they grow older (leave child bearing age).

I also found myself gritting my teeth at the Mental Health depiction of Esme's Mom. This depiction felt like such a caricature of what Mental Illness is and doesn't work to normalize it in anyway.

Spoilers

Spoiler

Are we just going to throw Dion under the bus like that?
Like I get the fiction community has beef with Ginny Weasley getting brainwashed by Tom Riddle but like Dion gets a double hit.
He's left to take care of his sister who's basically the same age as him, gives him basically no respect has these magic powers she holds over his head and places their mother on a pedestal.

So when he is given the chance to theoretically get to know his dad, and then theoretically even more so bring him back into their lives he does so.
The story we see that lead up to this is muddled at best, and in reality we don't really hear how much Dion knew about what was going on.But Esme just chucks him to the side.

While Cassandra can just commit arson, and doesn't get a similar level of judgement.
It felt like there was very much a double standard going on in the judgement of characters in this book.