A touch of Artemis Fowl, a smidgen of Men in Black, and a whole lot of Black girl magic. Amari was a wonderful character to see develop as she endlessly tries to defy and work against the systems against her to prove her worth. Alston does a wonderful job of showcasing real life issues and struggles through a fantastical lens without making it too complex for younger readers. I enjoyed the imagination behind every facet of this world that, while not groundbreaking or entirely innovative, it's still a lot of fun and entertaining. I especially liked seeing each Department of the Bureau and how each one functions and the different qualities of those that work under them.

Amari's spirit and determination make it so easy to root for her and you know I was cheering her on whenever she went against her bullies or fought against those that were so quick to cast her aside. Her journey speaks to so many who face injustice solely because of who they are or what they look like and hopefully will inspire them to carry the same kind of resilience and courage.

There were some moments where the book skidded a bit only to accelerate a few moments later. I would have loved to see more of the All Souls Festival and maybe have a more drawn out climax that didn't end as abruptly as did, but, as it is, I was still fairly satisfied.

Also, I don't know why, but I was somehow convinced that Elsie would be the traitor, probably because she was spending a good bit of time away from Amari so we were never fully in the know of what she was doing. But, seeing it all in hindsight, it is fairly obvious from a few scenes that it was Dylan all along. I'm so sorry I doubted you, you amazing dragon nerd.