I enjoyed this! I'm an extant McElroy fan and someone who arguably sort of already knows how to do a podcast, but reading this still gave me a few tips and reassured me that I'm doing okay. It is written in an amusing way but it is first and foremost informative. I'd recommend it to someone looking to start a podcast (or improve their podcasting skills). Someone with no interest in podcasting but just a fan of listening to McElroy shows might not enjoy this--it is not a memoir or anything, it is truly a podcast how-to manual. (Which is what it's advertised as, to be clear.)

I really enjoyed this #OwnVoices historical fiction! I haven't read any other books for young readers about hoboes specifically and I as an adult think hobo code is so interesting and I think kids will too. I did know a bit more about the Indian boarding schools but I think this look at one hits a little different--it's set later in time than some other Indian boarding school books, after some reforms have been made, and you get the sense that the schools are still racist but that things are somewhat better and also that the students and their cultures are persevering.

As other reviewers have noted I did feel like the last bit was a bit rushed and a bit too reliant on coincidences? But I think younger readers will be happy with the resolution, and Cal's a great narrator. A great one for kids who like historical fiction that gets into the gritty details of daily life in different eras, and for learning more about Creek Indians and other Native American tribes.

This is a sweet teen romcom. I have a weird fondness for YA books from the POV of Popular Girls so I enjoyed that aspect of it, and understood how that played into the love triangle. I also thought Lara questioning her sexuality and temporarily deciding she's straight because her experience didn't perfectly line up with some of her queer peers is something that felt realistic and that I think will be valuable for a lot of teens (and beyond) to read. (Also brief but explicit canon aro-ace representation which again, is validating to see.)

Ultimately it did feel a bit like the main romance here was between Lara and her own self-discovery as opposed to between Lara and Chase or Lara and Jasmine, but honestly that's fine with me. I think a lot of teen readers will be cool with this.

god why do I get into these YA fantasy brick epic sagas!! I picked this up and read a few pages and was like "literally who...?" and had to spend like half an hour on fan wikis to get back up to speed. (Sure in an ideal world I could re-read the series but likeeeeeeeee c'mon, I got stuff to do, other books to read and forget)

Anyway once I got over that perpetual grievance I was just like



Once I remembered who these characters were: I loved them!! I struggled with them!

Spoiler

I delighted when they all got their happy endings!! I stan Nina's new trans prince!!!! Yassss!!!

And of course....I loved that it's blatantly setting itself up for another spinoff series, which I will absolutely read, after reading a wiki summary to remind myself what happened in Rule of Wolves.

DNF--I got about 75 pages into this and I was just like "yeah yeah I get it, these oppressed warrior women are going to rise up and destroy their patriarchal oppressors and reclaim their demon blood, and honestly good for them." And I had a bunch of holds come in that I was actively excited about, and I realized: oh yeah I don't have to finish this if I don't want to! Sounds fake but is true!!

That said I feel like I read enough to get the gist to recommend to teen readers looking for fantasy/dystopian books. I think it's a fine choice for fans of like Red Queen, Children of Blood and Bone, Cinderella is Dead, etc. Like a Handmaids Tale Jr but with an African mythology inspiration multiplied by Dauntless Faction from Divergent. Lots of teens want that! I just wasn't in the mood!

I feel so #blessed and also wise and correct to have my tastes line up so nicely with those of Lindy West, who is so smart and hilarious. I laughed out loud MANY times at this, even at reviews of movies I hadn't seen. And I loved her intro where she talked about finishing this book during the pandemic and thinking about it standing in for a movie night with friends since we can't have those right now. I want to be friends with Lindy West and watch a dumb action movie with her, and I want her to review all of the Fast and Furious franchise.

I love you Nora Roberts. I love your 1992 interpretation of the Satanic Panic. I love your World Famous Young Feminist Sculptor heroine. I even love your stupid cop love interest unfortunately.

https://www.frowl.org/worstbestsellers/episode-169-divine-evil/

Delightful, satisfying fluff!! Just what I've come to expect from a Julie Murphy book, plus I love any ~behind the scenes of reality television story. Chef's kiss!

aaaaaaaaaaaaa!

also props to Scott Westerfeld for skillfully embedding reminders of past books into this one...I felt like I could follow it nicely without having to turn to a wiki every few minutes even though it's been awhile since I read the previous books. I really admire how prescient his writing is and yet how relatably teenage his characters are!

Hmm. This is definitely a book that I've been thinking about since I read it. I have an ongoing struggle with "magical realism" (I'm putting that in quotes because this book's own blurb calls it magical realism but I know that there is a school of thought that says only Latinx writing should be considered magical realism), anyway, like I tend to get a little stuck on what's literally supposed to be happening if the fantasy elements are meant to just be symbolic or whatever. Like I have a degree in English and I'm still just like "yeah but what HAPPENED."

Like, and I don't think this is a spoiler because it's again the literal main premise of the book, if these characters are stealing gold and using alchemy to then drink the life force of their peers...like I get it as a commentary about competitiveness and ambition but then what does that mean for sort of the central problem of the novel?

Spoiler

That is to say, when Shruti kills herself because Neil took too much gold from her, what exactly is this a metaphor for? Is it meant to be rape? Or just too much competition? But Neil wasn't even like really competitive with her, not the way Anita was? Or just...I don't know.

The parts I liked the best were Neil's historical research into the Gold Rush and the hidden history of South Asian immigrants.

The parts I liked the least were Neil's relationship with Anita...like IDK it had real vibes of like "area man earns girl next door's affections (?) by being nice-ish." ??? I would have been interested to read some parts from Anita's POV.

Anyway...an interesting read that kept me engaged but also ??? And like I wish it had leaned fully into the alchemy aspect. Why can't it just be serious adult fiction that has actual alchemy instead of ~magical realism alchemy flavor~???