3.5 It’s still Harry Potter so there’s a lot to love, but dear Harry seems to be developing a bit of a hero complex that had me 🙄 a lot. And some of the plot devices seem overly convenient, but honestly who am I to complain?

4.5 Wow. Just wow. Such a brief but powerful read, trim but dense with emotion and poignancy and naked truth. And to think it was published over 60 years ago! This was my first James Baldwin and it won’t be my last.

What a strange, delightful little book. I felt fully immersed in the world and mind of the protagonist and wound up really cheering for her and her unique way of seeing things by the end.

Totally mesmerizing. The story felt very authentic, like it came from a real place, which (as it turns out in the author’s note) it kind of did. The way the two storylines merged felt flawless and I actually like the way you knew from the beginning what was going on but you ever so slowly approached the truth of it, like a voyage in itself. The writing felt similar to the Perks of Being a Wallflower: frank, genuine, disarming, relatable. The premise, protagonist, and reading experience were all very memorable. I would read again and highly recommend.

3.5 As a once quiet bookish anxious kid myself, I could relate to and enjoyed a lot in this book and its main character. But I also had some issues with it that weren’t addressed and some parts felt contrived or too clean. But points for it being a younger ya, without a love story, and with great representation of diverse characters.