by Samantha Mabry

YA Fantasy, 2020 by Algonquin Young Readers, 288 Pages 

What I Didn’t Like:

• There’s a damsel in distress character in this one. That’s a trope I’m not a huge fan of. I wanted it to be twisted or played with a little to make it acceptable. That being said, if you don’t have a problem with this trope you probably won’t care. 
• I wanted more from the paranormal type events than I got. It felt a little slower than I was expecting, more of a contemporary feel than the fantasy it promised.
• Some unanswered questions. Not a problem, per se, but a content warning for those readers who like all the answers.

What I Did Like:

• The daughters are fantastic characters. All slightly different enough to stand alone but collectively a wonderful group. They’re strong and realistic in the best ways.
• The ending. I’m a fan of endings that linger, letting you think of characters living life after the book ends. This is one of those endings.
• The action scenes are well written. Emotions are clear and yet the action is clear too. So many authors can’t write both in a single scene but this author does a beautiful job.

Who Should Read This One:

• Family drama fans who like a little unexplained phenomena in their books. This is a great blend of mild paranormal with strong family dynamics.

My Rating: 4 Stars