Some really incredible poems in this one. Dealing with all manor of issues include race, rape, and sexuality, this really does have a lot in it. The poems all flow fantastically and really draw you in. I love it, can't wait to read it again. 

I sure do feel like I read a different book than everyone else. This book is baffling because there are moments where I was enjoying it followed by chapters and chapters where I wasn't. The ending alone is enough that I almost bumped this down to a 2.5. It left me confused about what the author was trying to say. I think there was far too much going on and that the ending took away when it should have built up. There's threads that dangle and make no sense. There is a level of melodrama that I cannot tell if it was intentional or not but the result is that I felt annoyed by the constant level of extra this book had to offer. If the writing was less beautiful I probably would have outright hated it. But the moments that were good were so very good that I can't completely hate everything about it. So I'll keep it at a solid 3. 

Ok so let me start by saying I sure didn't expect to cry about this particular book. The last  chapter really touched me, y'all. Overall this series is fun, if a little dark. I'd say it's for sure middle of the road for a middle grade novel, Sort of like a less depressing version of the Snicket books but with more magic. I am sad that we apparently aren't getting an Izzy and Ollie book because I really wanted them to get a little more character growth. I love them and I would have loved to have seen their depth. But I also think that it was time for the story to end. There were a few twists that I didn't think hit quiet as well as they could have but overall this is such a solid and fun story. 

This book could have been amazing. Weaving in and out of time, there's a lot happening and a lot of aspects that really could have been really fantastic if woven together better. The biggest problem I have with this book is that it wasn't able to hold my attention for any length of time. I kept reading and rereading passages. There were moments when I would start to get drawn in, only to loose focus again. I thought the story dragged a bit but mostly I just didn't love the characters and couldn't really connect to most of them. It's not the worst book I've read but it was not for me at all. 

Oh my gosh y'all. I know we've been waiting for this book for a very long time and I know saying "It was worth the wait" is cliché as all hell but! I am just so happy this book exists in the world. At once both so funny I almost dropped the book a few times and so deep and sad that I cried into its pages. There is so much hope and humor inside these pages. It feels like talking to a friend you haven't seen in awhile but still 100% gets you and you get them. I highly recommend this one.

I really loved the first probably half of this book and just liked the last half. I like the world building and I like the characters, although it seems strange that there are entire people who are important to the story but who we know almost nothing about. It's a great set up but it's also very long and the ending leaves lots of threads dangling. I know it is a series but there's just so much that didn't tie up and in a book as long as this one I had hoped to get a few more things cleared up. It's also very focused on "men and women" and on the one hand I love the struggle for equality, on the other hand we don't really know what it's like to be a trans/non-binary person in this world. It just sure is a lot with a lot still left unfinished.

I love a good surreal work of fiction and this book has that in spades. It reminds me of Dark Matter and The Starless Sea, with a world that is stunningly vivid and terrifying in equal measure. I honestly didn't know much about this book going in, only that three of my favorite authors were raving about it. I'm glad I didn't know much because diving into the world felt completely right for the setting. I'm hesitant to give away much in the review because I think the reading of the book is the best way to really understand it. I will say that the length is perfect and while it doesn't bother me that not everything is explained I anticipate that will be the biggest complaint. If you don't mind open ended conclusions to trippy novels, then I think this is a go to. My one sort of warning against it is that one of the "antagonists" (not the lead character's antagonist but certainly not a good person) is queer and none of the other characters are confirmed queer or straight. This is somewhat problematic but considering that romance is in no way the focus of this book I can't rule out the possibility of more of the characters being queer.

This novel has a lot in it. A lot of stories, a lot of plot, a lot of characters. Sometimes it became overwhelming but for the most part I enjoyed it. There were moments of hilarity and moments that twist your chest. So much of the book is about the complexity of others and the many strands of the story make a beautiful tapestry. I can see the hype for it. It's only getting this low of a rating because at times it did become incredibly difficult to juggle the many, many characters and stories.

This book, like T.H.U.G. and Dear Martin and All American Boys focuses heavily on police brutality and the murder of people of color by the police. This book feels extremely realistic and painful the way those books of a similar theme feel. This book adds a layer because the main character is queer, so there is also a strong focus on intersectionality that I don't see a lot of in similar books. There were times when the book dragged a little, where the plot didn't move as quickly as I would have liked. But overally, this is an absolutely remarkable book that I'm so glad exists in the world. I cannot wait to read this authors next book.

This is a pretty good book that I feel like handles the subject matter in a way that works really well for middle grade readers. I think it's not as well written or well developed as I wished it was and there were times when the storytelling felt jerky.  I still enjoyed it well enough I just didn't love it the way I've loved similar books.