3.5 stars Thank you Penguin for this ARC
Interesting premise, and I enjoy most of the story but slow pacing and a lack of development makes it a hard book to love.
I was so intrigued by the premise and so excited to read it, but the story is so different from the blurb and how it is being marketed. That's not to say I hated it, but if you expect a pizza and you get a hamburger it isn't necessarily bad, but still a disappointment.
What I did like
The premise is interesting, and magic to symbolize immigration and grief is a cool concept. I also like how hate is depicted, as well as racism. I did manage to make it through the story, and I did enjoy some of the writing and fantasy aspects. Everything surrounding grief and moving were my most enjoyable moments in the story.
Everything else
It just felt like most of the book I was waiting for something to happen. And then it feels like nothing really develops or changes. There are only a few scant occurences of magic happening on page, and honestly for a fantasy book there really isn't any fantasy. The fantasy element of the tree and leaf could have easily been taken out, and nothing major would have changed about the story. (Yes some stuff would change, but hugely it is not strong enough to warrant it) I know the leaves and tree are supposed to symbolize immigrants, and the urge to protect your children from the world at large and keep them a part of the community. The book would have benefited more from losing the magical aspects and instead just focusing more on those pieces. It almost felt like the fantasy element was an afterthought.
The characters are difficult to become attached to, there isn't much to any of them and none of them go through a lot of growth.
There really isn't any chemistry in any relationship. Yasmine and Rafay never feel like they have feelings for eachother, it honestly just feels like a friendship for the whole book. I thought it was going to have more romance, or at least an exploration of their relationship building and their feelings. The title itself does feel like the opposite of everything that actually ends up happening.
I do feel like this is more of a book about grief, and the importance of dealing with your feelings before moving forward. If there was more of a focus on those aspects it would have been a stronger overall read.
One of the biggest issues for me is the lack of overall world-building and plot holes. There is something to be said for the reader still having questions, but when there is no explanation or reasoning for anything it really breaks the immersion.
I have mixed feelings about this one, but if the premise interests you please check out a few reviews and see what you think! I might not love it, but I know a lot of other people have.