Hardcover, 336 pages
Published July 21, 2020 by Forge Books.
I enjoyed this a lot. Well-plotted and a good page-turner. Not heavy, but some difficult family issues were tackled in an interesting way. The switching POVs was handled well -- I don't always care for that; can seem like a short attention span problem. This was fairly seamless.
And the magical component is so gentle, taken for granted by the characters, that it's hardly noticeable. But in some ways, that's pretty true, isn't it?
One of the most heartwarming books I’ve read in years!
The way the author weaves the characters lives together, and turns what from the outside looks like simple southern superstition into a real, well-kept secret of magic in the south is beautiful. The two main characters have their own small form of magic that they’ve known their whole lives, and as the story forms you find out about some others having some magic of their own.
When I say magic I don’t mean the kind in a fantasy book, but closer to the real life magic of visiting a beautiful and very old forest. The contemplation of the possibility that maybe the people who grow up near some place so magical could have a deeper connection, and could maybe tap into that magic themselves.
The contrast between Blue and Sarah Grace brings intense perspective to the story. …
One of the most heartwarming books I’ve read in years!
The way the author weaves the characters lives together, and turns what from the outside looks like simple southern superstition into a real, well-kept secret of magic in the south is beautiful. The two main characters have their own small form of magic that they’ve known their whole lives, and as the story forms you find out about some others having some magic of their own.
When I say magic I don’t mean the kind in a fantasy book, but closer to the real life magic of visiting a beautiful and very old forest. The contemplation of the possibility that maybe the people who grow up near some place so magical could have a deeper connection, and could maybe tap into that magic themselves.
The contrast between Blue and Sarah Grace brings intense perspective to the story. Blue being from a family with such a terrible reputation, and Sarah Grace from one marked “perfect,” with bad blood between the two in generations past. It’s evident that Blue and Sarah Grace are fated to take on important roles in each other’s lives, and it’s nice to see that develop.
It’s fun to try and puzzle out what the bigger picture is and how the things connect, but once the puzzle is fully formed, I don’t think I could have ever accurately predicted how everything would fit together seamlessly.
