This book was not at all what I was expecting, and I loved it. Stead's voice is so lovely and nostalgic. I loved the theme of friendship and transition in this little book, and the magical elements made it all the more whimsical and heart wrenching. If you'd like a magical little novel about fading friendships and new friends and growing up, this is the novel for you! (Bonus points if you love A Wrinkle in Time.)

This was so cute! It was such a tender little story about stepping out and meeting new people and actually /making/ friends, and how hard and terrifying that can be. I relate so much to Virgil's fear, and Valencia's determination to swear off friends forever. The way everyone's narratives weave together was so fun to read, but I did feel as though some things were left too unresolved, especially with the bully character. Why did we even get his point of view at all? I was expecting him to be given a character arc, but he didn't change at all. It was just about Virgil standing up to him, which was fine, but him getting a point of view set the expectation that there would be something more.

I did like how in the end, everything wasn't picture perfect. There were some areas I felt needed to be resolved more, but Virgil's persistent fear and other elements of the ending were very realistic and, though I would have /liked/ more, it made sense that it ended how it did.

If you want a cute little story about friendship and adventure (Kaori will forever be my favorite. What an icon.), try this book! Bonus points for a great audio book!

This. was. adorable. Jensen was so so cute. I'm also pretty sure he had ADHD but it wasn't explicitly stated. That bOIIIII. His cluelessness about his situation, and his pure genuine desire to just be a part of something and have fun with his friends--just. My whole heart. I loved Awkward, and I loved this.

Conclusion? Read every book Svetlana Chmakova writes next!

I adore Wendy Xu's art style. This book was so gorgeous and beautiful. The water and the little island and the character designs--all of it was so good! I also loved how Sophie's anxiety was shown. It felt very visceral and real, and was just a great visual for intrusive thoughts and how powerful they can be. If you want a cute, cozy little read with lots of magic and ocean aesthetics, look no further!

The moral of the story is: if you make a really bad life decision, just take a nap after. That'll definitely solve all your problems.