I received an advance review copy from Wednesday Books through Netgalley; all opinions are my own and honest.

This was a solid 4-star read until the last third or so, which surprised me mostly in good ways and left me eager to see how the rest of the series will develop.

Books like this are why I still read ARCs despite the many DNFs along the way — the chance to discover incredible stories (without too much influence from others' opinions because most others haven't read it yet) and help get them on the radar as much as possible.

FRTC.

content warnings: 

xenophobic & anti-immigrant & sexist remarks (challenged in-text), discussions of menstruation 

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CONVERSION: 12.1 / 15 = 4.5 stars

Prose: 5 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 8 / 10
Development / Flow: 9 / 10
Setting: 9 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 5 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: N/A
Originality / Trope Execution: 4 / 5
Rereadability: N/A
Memorability: 4 / 5