I expected this to be a mystery, but it was not. It was mostly a bunch of disjointed events in Precious Ramotswe's life with a huge interlude about her dad's life. I think it was supposed to make her more relatable, but it felt like a child trying to tell you about their day. The little mysteries she solves were fun, and I felt like I learned a lot about daily life in Botswana.

I remember enjoying this as a teenager, but as an adult, not one bit. Zoe is too stupid and too whiny and too angsty, and I didn't care at all what happened to her. I was rooting for her to get shipped off to military school or something. It also took way too long to find out what happened the night Aimee died.

Because I am some sort of horrible book-pack-rat, I actually had two different editions of this book on my shelf. The other gave me the impression that Socrates was irritating with good intentions. This one had the full Phaedo, which leaves me, a modern human and atheist, thoroughly over Socrates. He spends a ridiculous amount of time concocting inane arguments for the existence and immortality of the soul and then goes on to describe what earth really looks like and what the afterlife really is. Exhausting.

This book wasn't bad like my usual two star review indicates, but it also wasn't good. With all the glowing reviews from authors I like, I was really excited to dive into this, especially because I am always trying to read more short stories. But these were just ideas hastily slapped onto paper. I liked the ideas (a teenage girl jealous of her friend for having not one, not two, but three animatronic Boyfriends; a daughter abandoned by her parents left to care for the fairy-esque summer people, a ghost story told on a spaceship hurtling towards an uncertain future, etc) but at the end of every story I felt no emotion stronger than "Ok, so what?"

Giant sea monsters? Incredibly ferocious and badass teenage girls? Futuristic pirates? An abundance of strong and flawed female characters? A lesbian romance? An honest reckoning of consent without any of the overdone rape attempt tropes? METRIC FUCKTONS OF EXCITING SEA BATTLES?

Look, if you don't want to read this book after all that, I really can't help you.

Can I just move to Denmark? This book makes me want to fill my house with candles and rustic furniture and drink coffee and mulled wine every day.

I liked this much more than the first. It is pretty cutesy, but had some good lines about life that rung true.

No spoilers, but I'm really glad I read this right before starting book 6. There are details in here that help make sense of that narrative.

I loved the as-close-to-tender-as-Atticus-and-Morrigan-can-get moments, and Hearne always has hilarious jokes. I loved that Atticus and Morrigan meet with two Norse gods (I promise no spoilers!) at a fancy restaurant, and Hearne takes care to describe every meal. It was also awesome to finally learn the story of how Atticus learned the recipe for his Immortali-tea.

This book has literally made me have heart eyes and I cried at how good at was.

Spoiler

When the dad goes onstage in a dress to support his son and Frances I just completely broke down. My heart is so full.