Posssibly 4.5 stars, but I don't think that's a super meaningful distinction — especially for such a short read. The point is that this is classic Lemony Snicket while being something new (as the synopsis promises): fun and funny, incredibly insightful, a fascinating journey.

i like to begin the new year by rereading a top favorite, so 2020 is off to a good start.

this is still one of my favorite poetry collections; it soothes my hurt and nurtures my spark. the poems span the spectrum from a raging forest fire to cold coffee, galaxies being born to scraped knuckles to love notes scribbled on old receipts. it pays tribute to the love and the hate, the fury and the joy, those diametrically opposed yet wholly codependent facets of the human existence.

these poems feel like coming home.

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[2018 review]

Incredible. Every poem shines, vivid and relatable and inspirational. Lana has a wonderful writing voice and wields it expertly, a force of chaos and persistence and humanly flawed life. (Also, shoutout to Bethany — the book cover is gorgeous, perfectly fitting for its lovely contents.)

(NB: I've read probably the two most-debated reviews addressing questionable aspects of this book: Asma's and A Naga of the Nusantara's. Both are worthwhile reads that bring up valid points. I also acknowledge that as a Taiwanese-American reader I have blind spots and biases; my intention is not to speak over or invalidate anyone's thoughts or feelings. I only speak to my own experiences and opinions.)

While I appreciate the detailed and clearly-carefully-considered worldbuilding in concept, it's mainly conveyed through long-ish explanations somewhat slow down the pacing without (in my opinion) meaningfully contributing to atmospheric-ness. I'm fascinated by the magic system built in part on language proficiency and the sociopolitical system built on enclave membership and alliances. There are also lots of moving parts to keep track of so at times I was a bit confused and/or overwhelmed by everything going on, but on the whole it was an engaging adventure with intriguing characters.

That said, El is the only character who felt nuanced, though to be fair she's the narrator and was particularly vivid, with real character growth that felt more organic than contrived. I'm especially hoping to see more about El and her prophecy, especially since this first book literally begins and ends (and, arguably, revolves around)

Spoiler

Orion

. Though that character grew on me as they grew on El, I would love to see more about the others. Meanwhile, I found most of the interpersonal relationships reasonably evocative — I really look forward to seeing how the characters and relationships continue to develop in the next book!

>> 2020 Buddy read with Spira, Annie & Neena!

Honestly, I may have zoned out through quite a lot of this; I wasn't a huge fan of Doughty's voice (auditorily speaking), though I generally liked the overall content. It's somewhat aware of Western preconceptions and personal biases that affect the perception of other cultures' practices and beliefs, and clearly well-intentioned if imperfect in execution.

content warnings:

Spoiler

ableism & ableist language, classism, racism, homophobia, threat of being outed, loss of loved ones, grief, depressive episodes, infidelity, relationship with significant age gap (14 and 19), domestic violence, rape, incest, pedophilia, self-medication, self-harm, Holocaust mention

rep:

Spoiler

Chilean main cast & setting; multiracial MCs, first-gen and second-gen immigrant MCs, lesbian MC, Arabic MC, Jewish MC, MC with ADHD, secondary character with bipolar disorder

Rating translated novels is tricky since I have to treat the author and translator as one entity, being unable to distinguish their respective contributions to the novel as I experienced it. With that in mind, though, I didn't find any of the women or their backstories to be particularly compelling, though it's always eye-opening to read about experiences and beliefs so different from my own. The premise was mildly intriguing but serves more as a blurred backdrop than a unifying framework for the disjointed chapters. Still, I think it was the last chapter (plus the epilogue) that knocked this down to 2 stars: the presented themes that I didn't feel were conveyed throughout the novel, and my general confusion as to what all was going on.

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CONVERSION: 5.85 / 15 = 2 stars

Prose: 4 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 3 / 10
Emotional Impact: 4 / 10
Development / Flow: 2 / 10
Setting: 5 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 3 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 2 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 3 / 5
Memorability: 1 / 5

Though the premise is quite Night Circus-y, the setting and tone are fairly distinct. There were plenty of charming and/or heartbreaking moments, but the characters and their motivations, as well as the prose, all seemed a little too simplistic for my liking.

RTC

"Do you believe in the mystical, the fantastical, the improbable, or the impossible? Do you believe that things others dismiss as dreams and imagination actually exist? Do you believe in fairy tales?"

This book reminded me that sometimes my high expectations are somehow exceeded. It's a love letter to literature, an intelligent discussion on Time and Fate, a mix of whimsy and reality. It's an adventure, a romance, a collection of connected stories.

It's going straight on my Favorites shelf.

content warnings:

Spoiler

branding, bodily mutilation, mentions of child abuse, major character death(s), suicidal ideation

rep:

Spoiler

gay MC with anxiety, M/M main romance, bi/pan secondary character, minor past F/F and M/(bi/pan)F

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CONVERSION: 14.2 / 15 = 5 stars

Prose: 10 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 8 / 10
Emotional Impact: 9 / 10
Development / Flow: 10 / 10
Setting: 10 / 10

Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Intellectual Engagement: 5 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 5 / 5
Rereadability: 5 / 5
Memorability: 5 / 5