English language
Published Nov. 14, 2022 by Random House Publishing Group.
But what a tedious book to read. The constant jumping between narrators and timelines, with a little cliffhanger at the end of almost every chapter was really not my thing. At the same time not much happens for most of the book. And most twists you could see coming right from the start. Only the last quarter picked up a little. The fall vibes are kind of nice throughout though.
Solid book! Practical magic vibes in a good way! Finished in a day.
There wasn't a lot of substance in this book until the final 10%. Other readers have said that they'd reread for the cozy fall vibes, and it is very slice of life, but I wish we learned more about the island and community for those slice of life moments. When the island of Saoirse became a narrator, it made me wish we had more of it's point of view, as a primary aspect of the story's narration is in regard to how much the island is its own separate entity and controls the magic, and the people of Saoirse as an extension.
The plot itself was interesting enough. I didn't think that the characters were very interesting, though Emery got more characterization near the end of the story as more past events were revealed. I was surprised by the ending, the twist that I had guessed (view spoiler) was …
There wasn't a lot of substance in this book until the final 10%. Other readers have said that they'd reread for the cozy fall vibes, and it is very slice of life, but I wish we learned more about the island and community for those slice of life moments. When the island of Saoirse became a narrator, it made me wish we had more of it's point of view, as a primary aspect of the story's narration is in regard to how much the island is its own separate entity and controls the magic, and the people of Saoirse as an extension.
The plot itself was interesting enough. I didn't think that the characters were very interesting, though Emery got more characterization near the end of the story as more past events were revealed. I was surprised by the ending, the twist that I had guessed (view spoiler) was flipped, and I actually liked that.
2.5/5 rounded down. Reflecting on this book is difficult because again, it had little to reflect on at all. I'd recommend for people who enjoy slow reads with a tiny bit (the tiniest bit) of magic, want to experience the small-town vibes, and have a really relaxed reading experience with some excitement at the end as payoff.
Very atmospheric, i loved the small island town setting, autumnal vibes all around, with a splash of witchy, an angsty romance, and a murder mistery all together
