I was a little surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. I know it's been getting praise, but I never expect much from anything labeled YA. I would recommend that you lower your expectations as well because while this is a good read, it has flaws. I was able to look past them and just enjoy the ride. 

The book is kind of short for the type of world it's set in. The enchanted buildings and objects are fascinating. However, I wish there had been more of them. Just think, what if Harry Potter had been only two, less than 400 page books... the world wouldn't feel as magical.

On a positive note, I liked the historical-ish WWI setting. Then, being shown that from a journalism perspective felt unique. I don't know of any other fantasy where a war correspondent is the protagonist. 

It ends in a cliffhanger, but that can be forgiven since it's a duology and the sequel comes out in December. Since this is a new release, I can respect the turnaround. 

I would recommend this to urban fantasy fans. Or people who like epistolary novels. It isn't completely written in letter form, but the act of letter writing is heavily featured.