Emily

Peak lesbian pinning. I didn't always know what was happening, but the words were so pretty I didn't care

The characters really shine in this. The side characters are vibrant and capture your heart. Chloe and Shara aren't perfect and they actively make mistakes throughout the book, but they learn and grow in a way that feels earned. The dynamics between Rory, Smith, and Chloe and their varying motivations for pursuing the letters were interesting to watch play out and unwind. I do wish the elements of faith were explored in more depth, but the bits we do get were nuanced and intriguing. Fun, quirky, queer romcom!! 

It was slow to start, really took awhile to get into it, but once it picked up it picked up and I speed through the last ~60%. The ending was a little predictable but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the journey to get there. Like I sensed how the train was going to crash, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from it as it did. The one thing that did shock me was the note in the final pages when it is hinted that James might have faked his death and then the book just ENDED??? I did not see that coming and I thought about that for awhile after . The female characters were a little underdeveloped and mostly just served as archetypes to aid the main character, which was not great. I felt like there was untapped potential with all 3 of them that just fell a bit flat. I wanted to know more about Wren's emotions following Richard's death, Meredith's true feelings towards the men in her life and how she is treated, and where Filippa's loyalty to the group comes from (what made her out of all of them continue to visit Oliver?). These things are all hinted at, but never focused on for longer than a paragraph and I wanted more.
But the story had beautiful writing and was enjoyable to read - the dark academia vibes, the queer tension, the immoral character choices, the dramatic final act, it was great. There are so many beautiful quotes that can be pulled out of it. I do think I would've enjoyed it more if I was more familiar with Shakespeare, but I still had a good time reading about these Shakespeare-obsessed students.

Beautiful and atmospheric, this book really pulls you into the world. Jean is a badass, fierce woman who fiercely protects those around her. I appreciated the way her loneliness was explored - it was there, but it didn't make her “broken”. I love the found family in Anneke and Laurie. These two are key players in raising Jean to be the woman she is!
It's a refreshing folklore retelling, in that the author used her unsettled feelings after reading the story as a jumping off point. She used the story as a way to explore love and freedom. 

As they say, men are afraid women will laugh at them, women are afraid men will kill them”