This was really fun. I thought Julia's narrative voice was good, and the frustrations of being a child who is tagging behind their parents, for better or worse. Or how much kids want to believe in their parents. 

I really thought the book was hinting that Julia's dad had

early set on dementia or was just a giant attention-seeker. like, when josh's parents said they had a cut, then he magically had one too.

Even though the subject matter is aliens this is also very relatable for readers who have family or friends deeply ingrained in conspiracy theories. 

Overall, I enjoyed reading this from beginning to end.

 Cute! I was pleasantly surprised the book addressed the “manic pixie girl” vibes and Paul’s limited view of Taiwan. He was overall pretty bratty but came around eventually. Everything doesn’t change overnight but Paul’s perspective does after a fun journey around Taiwan with a sweet girl. 

Peijing and her family were very accommodating. Usually, natives when they spot you lost somewhere are pretty helpful, but they were super nice! Depending on how cynical you are, this can feel farfetched or relatable.  

The sketchiness of the artwork adds personality to the story. But I most liked the background/landscape shots. They were simplified but beautiful. 

TW: brief suicide ideation, adult encouraging a minor to kill themselves (spoiler:

listen, Rei's silly behind was encouraging that too much! that was way too much detail telling Mira how to go about doing it. of course, maybe he was bluffing her all along, knowing she had the will to live but just felt defeated. but it was DICEY for a good minute, y'all.

Another cute volume. We get the slightest whiff of Rei's backstory and why he feels akin to Mira. It looks like he's paying it forward. We also meet his energetic childhood friend. And get the full scenario of how Mira came under Rei's tutelage. 

This story is very slow-moving, but I think its slice-of-life nature is the biggest appeal. That and the artwork. The aerocrayons and some of the other magical lore are very fun and creative. I hope to see more of it too.

It will probably be volumes before there's real progress on Mira's condition, and the plot knows that. But it wants the reader to enjoy the ride getting there.

Not going to lie it had me in the first half with all the bimbo talk and the eye-roll-worthy “not all blondes are stupid. I like books, kay.” I had to remind myself the target audience is younger kids.

But the latter half had a good message without being preachy. For example, many times people are only in love with the idea of a person, love isn’t always enough and relationships end, and people that love you don’t throw you away.

I think this captured middle school drama well and Grace’s feelings about her parents. The artwork was also super cute.

I enjoyed Adele as an addition to the team. She needed some genuine female friends.

no shade to the creators but this felt every bit like a mobile game. couldn't keep my interest

 I’m intrigued by the worldbuilding and just trying to figure out the overall plot. It’s dark and a little unsettling, but it has my interest. Suicidal ideation and a cult is a prominent portion of the book