It should be stated more which triggers a book has. CW for sexual assault, transphobia, homophobia, self harm, child abuse, and more that I'm sure I'm forgetting.

This book is creative, the prose is lovely, and it combines sci-fi, romance, and realistic fiction across a multitude of characters that each have something special about them. The themes of love, queer identity, family, passion, and more are constructed by a precise plot of all of the characters' emotions and histories. The plot's climax is beautiful, heartfelt, and brought me to tears.

There are so many things in the text a reader can connect to. Katrina's queer identity and her emotions relating to being accepted by society and the inner battle of being accepted by the self are written so compellingly. As a queer woman myself, her rage and fear and anxieties about being in public and receiving 'the look' hits too close to home. I adore how all of the characters are written, with their intricate relationships and the culmination of every action taken in the conclusion is absolutely breathtaking to read. I couldn't take my eyes from the pages for the final 20% of the book.

This book was initially a three star read. Nothing in particular jumped out to me until chapter 35. The combination of Aoki's musical prose and Katrina's performance was stunning. This is the part that brought me to tears. I had to go back and reread some parts, and then again after finishing the book I reread the entire chapter. It's so emotional and compelling and what solidified my final rating. Thank you to Ryka Aoki for making me cry. Goddamn.

4.5/5 stars, rounded down because I need to chew on this book a little longer. I highly recommend this book for readers looking for queer rep, writing from multiple character POVs, complex relationships, a truly creative and original story, and, of course, a happy ending full of hope and poetry.