5 out of 5 Hoagies
Published 2025-07-22
tag(s): #reviews #books
As I mentioned yesterday, I had a week-long vacation.
I contemplated taking two books with me, but decided against in the interest of leanness...and
I finished this one by Wednesday 🙃.
Yes, I had little to do a couple nights (by design), but also, the book was just great. I couldn't stop reading.
Summarized version: I liked the cover and it was cheap.
I was in the Littleton Barnes & Nobles, looking for Coraline by Neil Gaiman. Which I got, and read, but I completely forgot about it by now. I should probably re-read it (I do love, and remember, the amazing stop motion movie[1]).
Anyway, I was there at the store, and as it happens whenever I visit a library or bookstore, I feel like getting everything. This particular book caught my attention because of the cover:
And the title made me curious. It is not the type of thing I usually read.
No research about it, just a glance at the summary in the back, and I was like, "sure why
not". Turned out to be a great decision. Hooray for impulsive choices.[2]
There's a few storylines in two main locations: a village in the woods, and a swamp in which a
couple mythical creatures live.
The characters are two-dimensional - not totally flat, but not completely fleshed out. Which
works really well, because it is not a book about their day to day lives, but more of an
overarching story about what happens in like, "the end of era" in the grand scheme of
things.
It is more of a macro story, with some key events highlighted, if that makes sense?
I told Maria that one way to describe the book is "Tolkien for kids". There's some myths, centuries of previous history referenced, and a world with its own rules and terms. But it's not dense, thick and opaque. Some things are not fully explained, but in the interest of keeping the story moving.
Are the characters "simple"? Yes. BUT, they aren't "boring simple". They have some depth, just
the right amount so that their motivations make sense. Just enough that you care for them, and
their personalities are clear and distinct.
None of them (despite the title) are a clear protagonist, because their stories are
intertwined. The way this was done, made the world feel more alive, and complete.
Maybe for someone who reads "proper" 34984099 pages fantasy books, the story and world are too simplistic and not detailed enough. But for me, a total simpleton =D, it was just perfect.
Some passages toward the end felt rushed, and maybe played too much like I expected or
imagined. But since by then you are invested in the characters, it works OK.
It feels like a payoff rather than the book being predictable. And there were a couple
surprises, too.
I cried so much in some sections at the end. I finished the book and felt lighter. In a good way. It was a perfect journey.
5 out of 5 Hoagies