A fantastical spin on the King Midas myth, this was a very enjoyable novel. The story was interesting, and if I’d had the time, I’m sure I would’ve flown right through it.

I liked the characters, but unfortunately there wasn’t much to any of them. Wil, Loom, and Zay had intriguing backstories, but beyond that they felt rather plain. The same could be said about Wil’s family, although I did love Gerdie. He’s a sweet, awkward alchemist bean that pushed through so much and deserves better; also, he uses braces to move because he’s unsteady after surviving a severe sickness, so that added depth to his character. I liked the queen, and she seemed like she was wild before the story, but sadly, we didn’t get to see that part of her. It’s worth noting that she had some form of OCD, as it mentions that she counts compulsively. Other favorite characters include Ada, a toddler that does nothing except eat fruit and generally be adorable, and Espel, the feisty Southern princess.

I wasn’t a fan of Wil and Loom’s budding romance. First, I didn’t really care about him due to his one-dimensional personality. Second, he’s married but still flirts with and occasionally kisses Wil?! I’ll pass. Side note: Espel and Masalee should be queer, please, thanks. Nothing is present or hinted at, but as I like to say, make it gay™️. 😉

The world-building also felt a bit lax. It was a mix of traditional fantasy and new technology, which was admittedly interesting but left at surface level. There was a lot of focus on the looming war between the (very original) Northern and Southern Isles, but almost nothing about the Eastern and Western Isles or any other parts of the world there may be. It felt a little bit like the war was exaggerated in order to avoid more world-building? I’m not sure, that’s just my opinion, don’t quote me on that. The gist of it is, I would’ve liked more details about the world these characters lived in, beyond the two warring countries. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I know it seems like I have a lot of complaints, but the truth is, for the most part this is a unique fantasy nearly as amazing as the cover. While the ending wasn’t exactly a cliffhanger, it’s definitely left me intrigued. I can’t wait to read the sequel!

4.5 stars

Despite having mixed feelings on the first three Twisted Tales novels, I’ve committed myself to reading each installment. My memory of previous books resembles Swiss cheese, as it’s been a decent amount of time since I read them. What I do remember is that, though each one was enjoyable to some degree, each also lacked or warped key elements from the Disney films they’re based on. In my eyes, this made them recognizable but weak retellings. However, Reflection was a strong, incredible story, and it’s undoubtedly my favorite in the series thus far.

Lim did a remarkable job balancing movie content with her own ideas. The story begins when Mulan causes the avalanche that defeats most of the Huns, but instead of taking Shan-Yu’s blow and being revealed as a woman, Shang was struck. His wound is fatal, and the only possible way Mulan can save him is to travel to Diyu, the Chinese underworld. There she makes a deal with King Yama — find Shang’s spirit and get both of them out by sunrise, or they’re both trapped.

I recognized several scenes and quotes on page that are also in the movie, and that was one of my favorite aspects of this novel. In between these iconic moments, Lim’s knowledge of Chinese mythology is apparent, as is her imagination and attention to detail. Mulan and Shang face literal and figurative demons as they travel through Diyu, and the combination of impeccable pacing and vivid world-building had me speeding through chapters.

My other favorite part of the novel, without a doubt, was the romance. I doubt anyone that’s seen Mulan doesn’t love Mulan and Shang’s relationship. Over the course of the story, Shang starts to trust Ping and see him as a friend. That dynamic is tested in the depths of Diyu, particularly when Mulan tells Shang who she truly is. I loved seeing them come together in various circumstances, and in the second half, their romantic tension was honestly fabulous. Lim managed to enhance something I already loved, so props to her.

I also liked that this story, being told on page rather than on screen, really let us into Mulan’s head. It’s already apparent in the movie that Mulan is mentally at war with herself, but here, readers can better experience her conflicting emotions. To me, this made her struggle with honor, family, and identity much more personal and realistic. (This paragraph was the hardest to write in the review. I hope it makes sense.)

Sadly, everyone’s favorite sassy miniature dragon is largely absent from the novel. In Mushu’s place is the Shang family guardian, ShiShi, a fierce lion with a big ego and an even bigger heart. While it did take a few chapters for him to grow on me, he absolutely did. I firmly believe that no one can top Mushu in either dialogue or antics, and I stand by that belief. But I appreciate ShiShi, both for his character and what he brought to this new version of a nostalgic story.

If I loved this story so much, why didn’t I give it five stars? Well, primarily, I hoped for more from the ending. Although it was definitely satisfying and put a smile on my face, I would’ve liked it if it referenced the movie, even slightly. I would’ve liked to see the meeting with the Emperor and Mulan’s return home, as well as maybe a smidgen more about her new romance with Shang. I know many retellings don’t follow the original so closely, but these stories are intended to be spin-offs of the Disney films. And a hopeless romantic wants what a hopeless romantic wants. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Despite that, Reflection was a wonderful retelling, and it’s currently my favorite Twisted Tales installment. Lim did a brilliant job combining the characters and dynamics I know and love with a fun, new storyline and intriguing mythology. I’m now very eager to read her upcoming fantasy, and see what she’s done with a story entirely her own. Hopefully it, like this one, is a book worth fighting for. (Sorry not sorry. I had to reference a song somehow.)

Representation:
• I think everyone knows that the entire cast is Chinese, but I’ll say it anyway. For consistency.

4.5 stars

Part of Your World is now my favorite novel in the Twisted Tales series, with Reflection coming in as a close second. I was a bit wary going in, as The Little Mermaid was my favorite Disney movie growing up and Braswell’s previous contributions to the series have been of varying quality. What I think made this one stand out is the fact that, instead of changing something that happened during the original movie, Braswell changed the ending and focused on what happened next.

Set five years after Ariel’s battle with Ursula in a world where the sea witch won and married Eric, leaving Ariel the voiceless new queen of Atlantica, the story was a fun, wild ride. Admittedly, I found the first few chapters dull, and I wasn’t instantly hooked on the idea of it being told through multiple perspectives. I wanted to get to Ariel’s chapters, to the action, the “good stuff”. But once I got close to and surpassed the hundred page mark, I was convinced that multiple POVs was a good idea and didn’t want to stop reading. Every narrator hooked me. Every chapter increased my interest or had me asking more questions.

I truly believe the characters in this novel had so much more depth and better development arcs than they ever did in the Disney movie. It was fascinating, to me, to see Ariel’s progression from the innocent, impulsive, naïve girl I knew and loved to this considerate, matured, powerful queen. She didn’t want the role, but accepted it gracefully upon returning to Atlantica and being made queen as punishment by her six older sisters. Five years of ruling mute made Ariel more resilient and self-aware, and now I only love her more.

I also appreciated that Braswell wrote Eric in a way that gave him a personality beyond just being a Disney prince™️. He believed in his people and he fought for what he believed in. Sometimes he was snarky, and anytime he was around Ariel, he was a complete dork. Book Eric > movie Eric.

That also applies to his butler, Grimsby. My memory of him is a bit fuzzy, but if I remember correctly, young Liv wasn’t a huge fan. Here, though, his softer side was much more apparent, and it fleshed him out. As for the other side characters, I loved seeing Flounder, Sebastian, and Scuttle again, with their endearing, slightly over-exaggerated personalities. Braswell also introduced a couple of new side characters — Argent, a sweet older woman; Jona, a fierce young seagull; Vareet, a timid little maid. Each one contributed to the story in ways I didn’t expect, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ultimately cared for them.

Ariel’s sisters were still the shallow girls we see in the movie, and hardly played a role in the story. Their eagerness to take advantage of royalty’s perks without ever actually helping rule the kingdom grated on my nerves, and the only one to even remotely develop was Attina, the oldest. She occasionally offered advice on various matters, and did side with Ariel in the very end. Despite these details, I wasn’t impressed with Attina or any of the other sisters. But who cares about them when the youngest is the real star here? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I liked the way Braswell balanced time spent in Atlantica vs Tirulia, Eric’s coastal kingdom. In the movie, there isn’t much time to focus on either culture. Here, as the story progresses, through Ariel’s musings about how her home under the sea is close-minded and old-fashioned, her telling Eric about it and in return learning about the land above, we learn about both worlds. It was very well-done.

My favorite part of the novel, though, was Ariel and Eric’s relationship. There was so much tension and just the right amount of angst; I loved it so much. I understand why the romance had to be drawn out. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise and might seem rushed. But here I was anyway, in all my hopeless romantic glory, ridiculously eager for them to kiss. Sebastian said it first: “KISS DA GIRL”. I wholeheartedly agree. I’m shameless.

So why not a full five star rating? Well, much like with Reflection, I would’ve loved to see the ending expanded upon, even a little more. Ariel and Eric finally get their happily ever after, and then it’s over. Ariel wanted more and now I do, too. But this isn’t just me being desperate. I truly think the story could’ve been further enriched by an additional chapter or two of Ariel exploring her new responsibilities, in water and on land. Braswell even teased the possibility of Eric becoming mer for a short period of time, to discover Ariel’s homeland. When that turned out to only be a tease, I was more than a little displeased. Petition for there to be a sequel specifically about Eric exploring Atlantica, and bringing Ariel up to Tirulia with him when his mer time is up. Make it fun and silly and soft, please, thank you.

Despite that, I was mostly satisfied with the ending. The final battle with Ursula and the intensity of tying up other loose ends was completely engrossing. In the last hundred pages, I felt all sorts of emotions and, even as the clock hit one a.m. and beyond, I couldn’t make myself stop. I had to know what happened. The route Braswell chose isn’t at all what I expected, so props to her for that.

Ultimately, Part of Your World was an incredibly fun, unique read. I believe it really stood out from other installments in the Twisted Tales series, and it’s definitely earned a place on my favorites shelf. This was such a nostalgic read, and now I’m supremely tempted to go watch the Disney movie for the first time in who knows how many years. And while I’m skeptical about the idea of a live-action version, I’m excited to see how Halle Bailey portrays this classic character.

CW: blood

While I didn’t enjoy Mirror, Mirror as much as some of the Twisted Tales novels that came before it, I still found this to be a fun, quick read.

The characters felt much more developed than they were in the original Disney film. Henri, the prince, not only had a name this time around, but had a personality beyond simply being a Disney prince™️. Snow White, though still the innocent girl I remember her being, was a couple of years older and much fiercer. Even the seven dwarfs, who unfortunately didn’t get as much attention as I would’ve liked, were inexplicably charming.

Ingrid, rightfully nicknamed the Evil Queen, also got more development in this novel. In the film, as I recall, she was simply obsessed with being the fairest in the land. But here, despicable as she was, she had a name, a backstory, emotions. Between the flashbacks scattered throughout the story and her own present-time narrative, she had more depth as both a character and as an antagonist.

Snow and Henri’s slow-burn romance was delightful. I was curious to see how Calonita handled it, as the original film and so many other older Disney stories suffer from insta-love narratives, and I wasn’t disappointed. Snow’s quest to reclaim the throne was rightfully prioritized while their relationship simmered in the background, growing over mutual goals, shy glances, and bold tales.

The second half of the story did, admittedly, feel incredibly similar to a typical YA rebellion plot, but I’m not bothered. Every so often, one comes across a book that isn’t the most original but is simply fun to read; for me, this novel was like that.

Unfortunately, this story did also have its share of flaws. One thing I noticed while reading is that, though the story did hook me, I didn’t feel the same sense of urgency to discover what happened next, as I did in previous Twisted Tales installments. In those cases, I would finish a chapter and want to continue, reluctant to pause for any reason. This time around, I was interested, but also had no problem pausing to spend the rest of the morning playing The Sims 4.

I also believe that the inclusion of the prologue was detrimental. Not only did it confuse me when I first started it reading, it lessened the impact of the final chapters, as the scene described in the prologue is reused, almost word for word, later on. The only real difference was that it was in context, properly placed in the story. Most of the time I have nothing against prologues, whether they’re included or not. And while I wouldn’t consider it a spoiler, as this specific event is referenced in the novel’s tagline, it did somewhat detach me from the story. Instead of feeling shocked or concerned, I remained mostly neutral.

My primary issue, however, was with the pacing. Over the past couple of years, I’ve realized that with shorter novels, pacing can be quite tricky. If a story progresses too quickly, it’s rushed; if it doesn’t progress quickly enough, it drags. In this instance, I feel like Calonita took too long to reach the story’s climax. Planning for the big finale didn’t truly begin until I was about seventy-five pages away from the end, and the actual showdown was handled in the final fifty. After all of the obstacles Snow White and company overcame, after seeing just how ruthless Ingrid could be, the end felt a bit anticlimactic. I know I shouldn’t compare this novel with the last two I’ve read, as each was written by a different person, but in each of them, the final hundred or so pages were wild and made my heart pound before tying everything up in a nice bow. I’d hoped for that to be the case in this novel as well, but in that, I was disappointed.

However, the very end was done well. In both Reflection and Part of Your World, I was happy with the story’s end but hungry for more details. But here, while I certainly wouldn’t mind more information regarding both the royalty and the romance, I was satisfied with how Calonita concluded the story.

All in all, Mirror, Mirror had its shortcomings, but it was a fun story regardless. I’m glad I read it, and I look forward to seeing Calonita’s take on Frozen in the upcoming retelling, Conceal, Don’t Feel. It’s one of my favorite animated movies released in the last decade, so I’m eager to pick up the related novel as soon after its release as possible.

CW: abuse, death of a parent, grief, murder

DNF at page 292 / 57%.

I was looking forward to reading Furyborn and finally experiencing the story that captivated so many other readers. But here I am, eleven days later, and I barely made it past the halfway point. I’m pretty sure I’m in the middle of my first reading slump and...it sucks.

Honestly, if I was in a better position, both mentally and with reading, I think I would’ve enjoyed it. The story was intriguing. I loved Rielle, Audric, and Ludivine. Eliana, Remy, and Navi were growing on me. The magic system and world-building were well-crafted, even through the narration that spanned roughly a thousand years. The romantic tension in one of the narratives was fun to read. My two biggest issues were the somewhat cliché feel of Eliana’s chapters and the repetition of Rielle’s.

Despite all of those enjoyable elements, I was just...tired of reading this novel. After so long in the same world, reading so little, getting through this often felt like a chore. Maybe if Reading Rush didn’t start tomorrow, I’d push through. But it does start tomorrow, and I’m hoping it will shove me out of whatever slump funk I’m in currently.

I do plan to pick up other work by Legrand, but unfortunately, Furyborn is getting shelved.

Representation:
• Some prominent characters are of color.
• I think Rielle is bisexual. Or maybe it’s Eliana. Both? I can’t remember. Sorry about that.

CW: death of a parent, kidnapping, death, blood, violence

This was a few pages shorter but I liked it more. I learned more character names and I appreciated that more things actually happened in this issue. There were even a couple of mildly funny moments. I ended up continuing simply because it was available to check out from my library, and hey, it’s one more book on my reading challenge. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Maybe if I keep going I’ll end up enjoying these, although I’m not sure how that will work. As I write this, my library has ebook editions of issues 1-2 and 5-16. I have no idea why 3-4 aren’t included, but I think they’re kind of important. Whether or not I continue will be determined later.

** Thank you Penguin Teen for the early copy!! This doesn't affect my review. **

So. Where to start with this book?

I liked it, but it wasn't amazing. It was fun to read and I enjoyed making connections to Mulan throughout the story. It was a quick read, something I'm sure I would've read in a day if I'd had more time.

But otherwise I'm kind of indifferent. It's not an extremely memorable story.

I liked the feudal Japan setting, and the cultural information scattered throughout. This was my first experience with anything feudal outside of history class.

In my opinion, the story was kind of slow. Not a whole lot happened. I don't mind slow stories, and this one was interesting, but there wasn't enough action to suit me. I mean, samurai, Mulan... you'd think that would make for an action-packed story, right?

And honestly, the characters weren't that memorable either. I liked them, and their varying friendships, and their banter. But each individual just seemed plain. Mariko was an admirably strong heroine, but didn't really have any traits that set her apart.

I'm not sure how I feel about the romance. It seemed to come out of nowhere. Am I supposed to be rooting for it, or..?

And then the ending. After a consistently slower story, the end was suddenly intense and full of action. It was a bit confusing, if I'm being honest. I saw about half of the twists coming and was surprised by the other half. And if the last two chapters or so were taken out, I'm not sure this would even need a sequel. As it is, I'm curious about the sequel. I know nothing about it, but I'll likely give it a try.

I know I was critical of this book, but I did like it. For me, it was more of a fun read than anything else. It had its problems but it was enjoyable, and that's really all there is to it. :)

Also, the lake scene was the best part. If only there was a musical number by Ōkami somewhere within the book. We were close! "As swift as the wind [...] as fierce as the fire [...]" There's a connection there, right? ("With all the force of a great typhoon. […] Mysterious as the dark side of the moon!")

I'll stop now. I'm probably grasping at strings anyway. XD

EDIT, 5/20: Disregard the Mulan references in this review. I read other reviews and thought back on it, and there are only similarities. It's not a retelling. My mistake.

I loved Light Filters In when I read it earlier this year, and was excited and surprised when I happened upon a copy of When the World Didn’t End hidden in a display at my secondhand bookstore. I hadn’t realized Kaufman was publishing a second collection, and I couldn’t wait to devour it.

Kaufman is excellent at writing about difficult topics in a beautiful yet eloquent and down-to-earth way. Several poems throughout this collection really resonated with me, and as per usual when reading poetry of any sort, I sped through this. However, in my opinion, this one wasn’t on the same level as her debut. I felt that some of her poems didn’t really make sense, that the words didn’t really go together. There were a few pieces that didn’t feel like poems at all, but diary entries or rambling text messages. Maybe that was intentional, or maybe I missed an important point or hidden message.

Despite that, though, I enjoyed this poetry collection, and I hope to see more from Kaufman in the future.

CW: mental illness, suicidal ideation, self harm, disordered eating, sexual assault (taken from the author’s note)

I received Archie of Outlandish for Beach Blanket Book Club, a summer event hosted by Girls Life Magazine. I’d never heard of the book prior to pulling my slightly damaged copy out of the box, but was intrigued by the unique, whimsical, romantic premise and the promised emphasis on mental health. Unfortunately, this story didn’t live up to my expectations.

I had four main issues. First, the story read as if intended for a young audience, despite featuring a newly 20-year-old protagonist and a 21-year-old love interest. The writing was very simple, and while that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, in this case, it negated the story’s charm. The dialogue was often cheesy and felt forced, and from time to time switched to something still modern, but inexplicably formal. This made most conversations cringeworthy.

Secondly, all of the characters were rather plain. While each significant character had a personality and some sort of backstory, they felt shallow. No one truly had flaws or made mistakes. The drama felt impersonal, as did most other elements.

Third, the story as a whole was quite fast-paced. Though the two main characters did keep in touch for a short period of time after their initial meeting, the brunt of their relationship occurred after they were reunited, in a single week. Their separation after the fact led to some angst, largely due to ridiculous miscommunication. Instead of talking it out, they tiptoed around the problem, not wanting to hurt or offend the other person. A lot of eye rolling occurred on my end. Once they did make up, the romance continued to escalate, skipping leisurely or even moderate development and going straight to the next big step. And no, I don’t mean sex.

Similarly, in the second half of the story, Archie writes a children’s book and pursues publication. I admit, I know next to nothing about the publishing process. However, this part of the plot seemed to happen rather quickly. Not only does Archie’s agent come to his house to look at his work, but he’s signed, gets a deal, and has the book published, all in the same year. Not even a full year. Am I clueless, or is this idealistic?

Lastly, I never got attached to any character or invested in any part of the story. Sure, the combination of large text, short chapters, and interspersed illustrations made the book super quick and easy to read. I read the last 180 pages in a single afternoon. But I never picked this book up because I truly wanted to know what happened. I picked it up because I convinced myself not to turn on The Sims 4 or rewatch the new Aladdin as soon as the credits rolled. I picked it up just to be reading, and finished it sooner rather than later.

Another fairly crucial element, particularly in the second half of the book, was faith. Archie consistently prayed to God for guidance, and there was a decent amount of discussion about how God had a plan for everyone. I have nothing against Kraft for including this in her story, or anyone in real life who has these beliefs. The inclusion of faith isn’t a negative element; however, religion in non-fantasy books isn’t usually my cup of tea.

One bright spot among everything questionable was Outlandish itself. It was a quirky, quaint coastal town and summer tourist hotspot. With a family of magicians, fine dining, and unique architecture and landmarks, it was an undeniably fun setting to picture as the story unfolded. There’s even a map in the front of the book.

I wish I had more positive things to say about Archie of Outlandish, but unfortunately, this book simply didn’t work for me. I’d recommend it to those looking for a quick, lighthearted read, though if I’m being quite honest, it wouldn’t be at the top of my recommendations list.

CW: parental death (regarding the love interest), grief

I loved Warcross when I read it two years ago, and was excited to dive into Wildcard, even though it had been sitting on my shelf for a year. Unfortunately, all of the best parts of Warcross were absent in Wildcard, and instead of an enjoyable sequel, I got a messy, hard to follow story that probably could’ve used another round of editing.

Let me preface my criticism by saying that there were two elements of the novel that I did truly enjoy: the return of the Phoenix Riders and the introduction of Jax. The former contributed not only to some important and impressive scenes, but to a much-needed lighthearted dynamic; the latter added a somewhat cliché but still intriguing subplot.

On an unrelated note, I have to give Lu props for writing such a gripping story. Despite my mixed feelings on the finished product, I didn’t want to stop reading. I had to force myself to stop between chapters, and last night, against my better judgement, I was up until 2 a.m. to finish the book. There are plenty of instances in which I desperately want to continue reading a book, but I stop because I’m tired or trying to be responsible. But, on occasion, there are instances in which I know time is passing and I should be sleeping, but I need to know what happens next. Wildcard is a great example of the second situation.

My biggest issue was with the story progression. Although most of the plot happened in just over a week, the entire thing felt rather slow-paced. And while there was a decent number of plot twists, after the first couple, it became more difficult to keep track of the details. By the time I reached the last hundred pages, the story had become so convoluted, I only understood a fraction of what was occurring and what was at stake.

The most disappointing part of this book, in my opinion, was the characters themselves. Emika and Hideo had so much personality in Warcross, but in Wildcard...they felt like shells of who they were before. She wasn’t the clever, daring hacker; he wasn’t the charming, if a bit stereotypical, rich boy. Instead, she was moping about what she’d lost while he lived in some bubble of rage-fueled determination. It was kind of sad to see how they deteriorated between book one and book two.

I remember loving their developing romance in the first book, but here, the most we get is Emika mourning what she temporarily had. That could’ve been good motivation for her actions later on, but all that came of it was passiveness. Things were complicated further when Emika and Hideo meet to discuss her findings and make plans, and a random burst of passion leads to what I can only assume is sex, or something close to it. For the rest of the book this is ignored, only for there to be a teasing line about their possibly rekindled relationship in an article snippet at the very end. All of this felt hot and cold, something included to satisfy readers that was forgotten about after the fact. I wish Lu had defined this better; even a little bit more focus could’ve made a huge difference.

Something else disappointing was the absence of Warcross itself. Even though the novel was set during the championships, leading up to the closing match and ceremony, we didn’t get any actual game scenes — unless you count a one-on-one with Emika and someone else in the Dark World, a virtual hub for criminals and gamblers. Two proper games took place over the course of the story, but one was ignored, a backdrop for Emika’s sleuthing, and the other turned into the final showdown before it could even begin. Warcross was fun, competitive, and incredibly creative, a focal point of the first novel that I absolutely loved. To see it pushed aside, well...it sucked. To see Lu instead focus so heavily on the ways technology can be misused and the morals surrounding that issue was like adding salt to the wound. Something so fun replaced by something so flat.

To be completely honest, Marie Lu doesn’t seem to be very skilled at writing conclusions. Admittedly, it’s been several years since I read the Legend trilogy, and about a year since I finished off The Young Elites. But in each of those situations as well as this one, the ending I was presented with wasn’t really satisfying. I’m completely okay with authors not doing what I expect; sometimes it ends up being better than anything I could’ve put together myself. With Wildcard, though, the ending felt kind of plain. There was hardly any emotion in it, and the things, the characters I cared most about got the least amount of page time.

So why didn’t I give the book a lower rating? Because, to put it simply, I had fun reading it. Sure, once I finished it and thought about what I’d read, I noticed a lot of flaws. But I enjoyed the feeling of racing through chapters to find out what comes next, and that’s what I got from Wildcard.

All in all, Wildcard was a mess and not at all the sequel or the conclusion I was hoping for. But there were a couple of redeemable elements, and I’m tentatively anticipating Lu’s upcoming novels.

Representation:
• Emika is Chinese-American.
• Hideo is Japanese.
• Asher is in a wheelchair.
• Roshan and Tremaine are queer.
• There are multiple side characters of color and one nonbinary side character that uses they/them.

CW: blood, violence, suicide, death/murder, child experimentation