Reread August 2023

Took me less than a year to reread this. Utterly fantastic, can't say enough wonderful things. It makes me cry so much and I adore it beyond reason. I still think this is more of an adult book than YA.

***
Original Review

I mean what can I say except this was fantastic. Definitely one of my top books of all time. Sobbed through the whole thing. It's so sad. But also some people are so nice. And I could just die right now. The whole time reading it I kept thinking that this is my only chance to read this for the first time (there will be many rereads) and now I'm so sad it's over.

Positives: The book is well researched (to my untrained eye). Rebecca is a wonderful main character. All the relationships have so much depth and nuance. It's tragically sad in both big ways and small ways. I cried because of tragedy; I cried because of happiness; I cried because of the smallest things that hurt my soul. I'm not really sure I ever stopped crying. The writing is amazing. She does such a fantastic job capturing trauma in all the small ways it manifests, as well as the large. It feels real. It hurts my soul.

Critiques: Could've used more Snoopy. It ended.

Read this. Is this a better book than Long May She Reign? Jury's still out, but this a top book for me. I can't recommend this enough. I can't recommend the whole Echo Company series enough. I can't recommend Ellen Emerson White enough. Read it.

(Tagged YA? That seems to be the general consensus, but the protagonist is 22 and just got home from war. I'd put this closer to new adult, if that was a thing.)