amore mio

probably more like a 3.5 because it was a slightly disappointing, predictable end but my good hets really ended up doing that!

i really don’t think this was my kind of book which is disappointing but i can understand why other readers have connected with it

Probably more like a 3.5 but I think this was my least favourite Wayward Children book.

The premise was pretty neat but it just felt like it was missing something.

In the end, we're all the same. We return to the dirt we came from, no matter if it was mud or gold."

The Rest Is Silence is named after a Hamlet quote which should give you a pretty big clue as to which Shakespeare play is being queered up here, or alternatively, Chii Rempel really went "Hamlet, but make it gay."

As this is essentially a queer inspired rehashing of Hamlet (with a gay Hamlet - called Xander - and a bi/queer/undefined Horatio - called Xavier) it is unfortunately subject to the

Spoiler

bury your gays trope

.

This is by no means a perfect book. It's absolutely rife with editing/SPAG issues, sometimes even the author gets confused between Xavier and Xander which really doesn't help the reader (surely they could've chosen names that weren't quite so similar) and in parts the story actually dragged a little BUT it was actually pretty cute, totally OTT/extra but in a fun way and was a mostly sweet, easy read (you know, apart from that ending).

“So I grew up feeling somehow that men just are, while women have to work at it.”

content warning: t slur

this book was an interesting examination of masculinity but surprisingly was only exploring men and women even though the author was very open throughout about being gender non-conforming. it would’ve been great if more than two genders were discussed and the book was a little less dry but overall it was thought-provoking.

Do you notice the symbolism? The colors we chose are yin and yang. They represent beginnings—including Christenings and weddings—and endings, such as funerals. Black and white also are opponents in a chess game. Fitting, given what will occur shortly.

OH. MY. GOD.
This book.
What a ride.