essjay's Reviews (635)

Kinda mad that my oldest was like "oh, start here, you'll love this" when I know literally none of the existing storylines. Might come back after reading the earlier stuff, but also might not. 

This was a DELIGHT. I loved the story and the art and would absolutely read more in this world. 

The first time I read this book, I was 13 and it was a gift from my school's librarian (thanks, Mrs. W!). I read it A LOT and even re-drew some of the illustrations for my art class (but fuck you, Mr. K for never giving me above a B unless I added colour). 

A few years ago, my bestie (who is a librarian, go figure) came to visit and brought a fuckton of books for my kids.  This was one of them. My now 14y/o was 10 at the time and I was all "omg, can I read this to you?!" and they said yes. I read it aloud to them for a few nights and then the book disappeared. I tore the living room apart looking for the book and couldn't find it. After complaining about it having vanished, I asked the then 10y/o if they knew what had happened to it, and they admitted to taking it upstairs bc they didn't want to wait to find out what had happened. They sat at their bedroom door and read by the light in the hall WAY past their bedtime so they could finish it. I mentioned it to aforementioned bestie and she sent them a little flashlight so they could enjoy the illicit thrill of reading in bed after lights out (like we both had done at that age). 

Anyway, now that we're reading aloud every night again, they suggested we revisit this so that I could ACTUALLY finish reading it to them. 

There are parts of this book that still creep me the fuck out and I'm a grown-ass adult who doesn't need a nightlight anymore. 14y/o referred to it as "baby's first existential horror," which is a perfect descriptor and one I'm going to keep in my back pocket going forward. 

Why am I still obsessed with creeping dread? This book probably has a lot to do with it.

Maybe I shouldn't have read this aloud to the 14y/o bc we were both in tears at multiple points. 

I love Noah so much and wish I could just give him the biggest hug, call him by his real name, and tell him that he's not a monster. 

My 14y/o is on what I'll for now refer to as the AFAB enby to transmasc pipeline, and I'm so glad that a book like this exists for them. I'll definitely be reading it again soon, and I know that they'll probably be coming back to it over and over again. 

I love that this read like more like a memoir than a novel. I probably wouldn't have been super into Amber's music, but would have found her fascinating.  

I've been reading tarot for about 30y and this might be the first time I've felt like whoever wrote the fictional characters actually understood tarot. 

Will definitely be reading the next one once I clear some other stuff off my plate. 

I mean, it's exactly what it says on the tin. Needed something I didn't have to think too hard about, and this delivered. 

The cover and the blurb led me to believe this was going to be a fluffy paranormal romance, which...it definitely was not. I liked it just fine once I adjusted my expectations, and will probably eventually read the sequel. I'm not in any rush, tho. 

14y/o filled out the review rubric for me and gave it 4.375 which we are rounding up. 

Me: So?

14y/o: I REALLY liked the beginning and the middle, but the end didn't really do it for me. 

Me: Do you mean the last chapter, or...?

14y/o: No, the massive time jump. 

Me: Yeah, that makes sense, and I agree. 

14y/o: I just wanted more of the wonder of Belyyreka. 

So, yeah. Like most of the evens, this one is SO sad and then SO happy, and then so SAD again at the end. I think that's why I prefer them?

3.625 on the rubric, rounding up

I really enjoyed Hess' World Running Down a few years ago, and was already going to grab this ARC bc of the gloriously pastel cover, but then I saw his name, which sealed the deal. 

Key Lime Sky is a lot of fun, cozy-adjacent, and has some wonderful representation that doesn't feel forced (although there are a few bits that felt v explainy about the 'tism and gender identity [but that could also come from me being immersed in my own neurospicy and genderqueer bubble]). 

Some aspects of the explanation for the events didn't entirely make sense to me, but I did still have a great time with it, and will still be checking out Hess' future work. 

...I desperately wish they'd included that Alphabet Pie recipe, tho. You call this a cozy without a recipe at the end?!