Reviews are mixed on this book because it’s “too political”. But it is just so well written. Written with the compelling voice  Celeste Ng brings to every book, it will bring you right into the story. My heart broke for the losses faced by Bird and the rest of the world. She reveals the plot slowly, and never fully explains the “crisis” that led to PACT, and while some readers may find that frustrating and manipulative, it allows the reader to fully explore their own imagination as to what could be so terrible as to result in this dystopian world. And truthfully, reality is closer than we’d like to think. 

This was hard to follow at the beginning. Initially I didn’t realize I was reading a story within a story. That probably would have been more clear if I hadn’t been reading the audiobook. 

Overall the dual mystery was fun. It wasn’t particularly challenging to figure out, and I wasn’t particularly invested. But I did enjoy listening along. 

I don’t remember why I picked this book up, but I really had no  idea what to expect. Morrison really packed a lot of thought into a very short story. This book made me think about my own prejudices and why I made the assumptions that I do. Which is entirely the point. I’ll be thinking about this story for a long time

Fascinating. I knew very little about Josephine Baker, just that she was a dancer and had become a spy during WWII. But throughout this book I was constantly astonished at how she was willing to risk everything over and over for the country she loved. 

This book started out as a fluffy, slightly spicy, romance novel. But it turned into a story of a woman learning her value. Worth your time. 

I loved every second of this book. The message of empowering women was entirely unexpected and amazing. I will be thinking about this book for a long time. 

I wasn’t sure about this book. I know very little about the British royal family, and it doesn’t typically interest me. But this book was so vulnerable and touching. It feels like a lament from a man who has been wounded deeply and just wants to belong to someone. The trauma of being rejected by your family of origin is so painful, regardless of who you are, but I cannot imagine the loneliness that would come along with that pain when you’re a prince.