I know it might sound like really faint praise, but this is a really nice book, despite having pretty high stakes. I thought I picked up a completely different book when I started reading this, so everything that happened came as a surprise. The things that I liked:
- The depiction of teenagers
- The depiction of a mother/son relationship in a fraught situation (it wasn't pleasant, but it was believable, at least to me)
- The writing style
- The structure of the book, especially the history sequences
- The atmosphere
- That there was no real romance-based drama in the story, in stead having the background relationship simply be a source of strength
- The take on stories having power

The one thing this didn't do was get under my skin in an emotional way, but everything else made up for that. ( )

Kind of 3 stars for execution of the plot: pretty straightforward problem, pretty straightforward and foreshadowed solution to which the protagonist was helped along by Jarrod, visions, his great-aunt showing him the path. Maybe a deliberate consequence of his story being told? Sort of makes me want a sequel.

4 stars for concept and feels. ( )

Lovely. Not QUITE as queer as I woulda liked! ( )

Okay, listen up kids. You need to stop comparing books and arguing which is better and which is worse. Every book is a gift in its own right, and comparing this novel to another very popular novel takes some of the magic away from this one.

Wonders of the Invisible World has a lot going on for it. It has a romance plot that is sweet but I kind of wish had been more of an emphasis. I felt like it occupied the majority of the first part of the novel, then kind of got pushed aside? It was still there, but I would have LOVED if it had been more of a focus. Make it a slower burn. Make it messier. Make it BEAUTIFUL. As it was, there were some great metaphors in here, with the love and the magic, but I won't talk about them because ~spoilers~ but I really want you to think about it as you read the book.

The magic plot was kind of confusing at times, but in a way that makes you want to keep reading. I thought, once again, that it could have been *more* but I still really enjoyed it for what it was. I especially appreciated the family history and how the echoes of the past affect the future.

Overall, this was a good book, and I really liked everything about it. I just think it could have pushed for more to become something especially special. ( )

What a marvelous story--a beautifully written, atmospheric fantasy set in rural Ohio that is also a coming-out and coming-of-age story. Really cool tale of a family curse affecting multiple generations, and how a young man has a spiritual awakening and comes into his own self. This one will linger with me for awhile, it's just really lovely. ( )