This book flowed so naturally - the story unfolded in a way that felt like someone had sat you down and told you their family history. It was so real, and the consequences the characters faced were so believable and understandable. Such a gorgeous picture of the way a life unfolds. Also incredibly informative - I have never read about the Japanese occupation of Korea before, and I am now desperate to know more. 

I enjoyed this immensely. Should I have read it immediately after RWRB? Maybe not. But! I really liked that this wasn't a coming out story. It feels more rare to get a story about queer people who are comfortable in their queerness, but not necessarily comfortable in other aspects of their lives. I liked how flawed the characters were, I liked the found family, and I love trains, so honestly the setting really made this for me. I wasn't convinced by the sci-fi. It felt a little ambitious, and though it was consistent, it was a little far-fetched. That being said, I did appreciate that Mila was an engineer who was also obsessed with sci-fi theories and astrology - I liked when STEM is levelled with astrology and other "less serious" pursuits. Thank you Casey!!

Okay I don’t know what my expectations were going into this, but suffice it to say, it exceeded them. Why did I suddenly feel patriotic while reading this, my eyes tearing up at the end? You tell me. 

This was phenomenal! This is one of those books that you could label as mandatory reading for everybody. It was so poetic, so unique, and so informative. I love, love, love. Cried in multiple chapters, dog-earred many chapters. This is one that I'll be thinking about for the rest of my life.