I loved the writing in this! It went by a lot faster than I thought it would. The author manages to express complicated truths in only a sentence or a paragraph without those moments feeling out of place. It was hard to read at times because of some of the subject matter, but there is a sense of hope by the end. I really connected to the themes about sexuality and religion and complicated family relationships, but this book is about a lot of other things, like immigration and gentrification, that might connect with others who have different experience than me. I was really impressed with how thoughtfully and concisely the author dealt with all the topics and characters and will definitely read more from her in the future.

I really loved how this talked about race and class and privilege in a nuanced way without taking away anyone else's voice. A.S. King doesn't try to talk about these thing from the perspectives that she never personally experienced and may not fully understand. Instead she talks about these things from the perspectives of white people who have varying degrees and types of involvement in these issues. The author also discusses the generational divide and family and how it can define us, but we can also choose to define ourselves. It's a really hopeful novel about how we can change our path and even change the world if we work together and don't let our roots define us. Dig discusses all these themes through A.S. King's typical surrealism and a unique structure that adds to the themes of the book. Honestly, I could write a whole essay about how good this book is and why, but no one has time for that so I'll just say that this is a fantastically written and really important book so you should read it.

This took me by surprise with how good it was. I related to Brody a lot and the book did a good job of showing how you never really know what might be going on in someone else's life. I was also really emotionally invested in Brody's relationships with his family and friends.

I just realized I never reviewed this, but this book was so good! I really loved that it was so seductive without having any sexual content (not that there's anything wrong with sexual content). The aesthetic of this is just *chef's kiss*. The author also used a lot of symbolism and metaphor to show the main character's true self and her growth throughout the book. I found myself really thinking deeply about some of the themes and why the author shows them this way, but that level of deep thinking isn't necessary to understand the book. I think I could gain a lot from rereading this. The author does such a good job of discussing sexuality in a fantasy world in this book, as well. I can't wait to read what she publishes in the future!

This is the space opera I've been looking for. The writing is really engaging and fairly quick to get through for me, while still being poetic and complex at times. I loved the exploration of colonialism/ big empires taking over and the way we got to learn about this culture through the main character. I also really liked the characters. Everyone had depth and I loved the side characters. I could have been a little more invested in Mahit as a character, though that doesn't affect my rating. This wa so political and perfectly paced and I can't wait for the next one.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would! Apparently, I really like family drama.

I didn't love the fantasy plot of this, but I really liked the characters and atmosphere! I think this is great for teens or anyone looking for a diverse character driven fantasy with all the fall vibes.