Has an interesting concept but the writing style/dialogue kept breaking me out of it. It just felt like I couldn't adjust to it. I know that this story is going to find its audience with a great setup and world, but it wasn't for me.

Was a big fan of Cornelia Funke as a kid so I was interested in seeing what her newer books offered. This one really didn't hook me in like the others, mainly because it tells more of a down to earth story than these immersive fantasies that I connected to more. I think it'll definitely have its readers among the intended audience but I'm just going to give it a pass.

Tried to give this book its due, but it felt like it was going to be a log, especially after reading some of the reviews. 

Really had to DNF a book club book but I really can't keep my focus on this one. I don't know if it's because there are other things I want to read at the time or I can't fully immerse myself here. The writing style is lovely and I like the intersectionality of an immigrant and trans story though.

Just wasn't feeling any motivation to finish this. Too many tropes I've seen before and not really used in new or interesting ways. Tamsin and Wren didn't have any chemistry that it's a wonder that they end up together.

I just slowly lost interest the longer I went on with this book. Sure, it was nice to see a story based on Polish folklore, but there was nothing really that engrossed me or made the characters that memorable. I'm usually a quick reader so if a book is taking me two months to read, it's clear that I really don't intend on finishing it.

I think, each time I picked up this book, I couldn't really find anything that was drawing me back to it. The story itself doesn't have a cohesive flow, appearing more like vignettes than a single narrative. The chapters are so fast paced that I feel like we never get a good look at who these characters are or let emotions sink in. There were moments where it was trying to have an impactful punch, but it wasn't set up in a way that lead to an emotionally satisfying ending. This feels like it would make a better manga than a prose narrative and, seeing that there is such a thing for this series, I may give that a shot instead of the books.

It was a little slow going with this one. There was some immersive, beautiful writing at times, but the story itself didn't captivate me. Once I found out that Sheetal wasn't even technically the one in competition, instead she's meant to inspire the one who is, the whole aspect fell apart to me. It makes our lead character feel so secondary, like she's relegated to the wings of her own story. 

Couldn't settle into this one. I didn't really connect with the writing style and I already felt like I knew where the story was going already fifty pages in. Interesting concept but I don't think it did much to set itself apart from others like it. 

The term

"bunny cunny"

gave me so much psychic damage that I had to put the book down and not look back. I'm all for lewd jokes and depraved humor, but this is a tad excessive even within the first couple of pages. Bawdiness without wit just makes for a terrible time.