Shine Abraham
If you strip it down of it's fantastical setting and elements, this is a story about a diverse group of people, unhappy/unsatisfied with their past lives, determined to change their future, coming together by chance (or magic in this case), working together to build a safe and cozy space, being part of a community and making lifelong relationships. As somebody new to the fantasy genre, I enjoyed it a lot with it's slow pace, cozy setting, story and characters, but can't shake the feeling that it's essentially ‘Hallmark-esque' with a fantasy setting and alluding to representation just to hit all the check boxes.
When reading the first few chapters, I felt I may not enjoy it. The narration was moving fast and I didn't feel connected to the writing style or the characters. I figured maybe it appeals to a younger/hip crowd who are used to this style. But I persevered to understand why everyone keeps recommending this to me and as the story progressed with the main character (June) stealing her dead friend's masterpiece, editing it, claiming it as her own and consequently enjoying the level of success she always dreamed of, I saw a gradual shift in the style and experience. As June's life changes from being a struggling/unsuccessful author to being a sudden literary celebrity coming into her element, I could see the narration getting more detailed. Was this change intentional to reflect the change in June's state of mind or am I reading too much into it?
The book cynically touches on a lot of themes currently relevant in our society from a narcissist's perspective, like diversity, representation, privilege, racism, stereotypes, ‘alternative facts', social media discourse, loneliness, mental health. I enjoyed the inner machinations of the book publishing industry, and was quite content with the heady mix of suspense that the main character navigates. What I wasn't prepared for was, the pivot towards psychological thriller towards the end, which felt quite forced and rushed. All in all, an enjoyable airport thriller to breeze through in a few hours.
