It's a really fun book.
3 stars
Pretty good examination of (family) trauma and the possibility of reconciliation (or not). Lots of cozyness. Good characterization throughout, of the children as well—it is a bit caricature-y, but, it's a short book for the count of characters. I am pretty sure the main character is intentionally autism-coded.
I liked the way magic is portrayed, even if it veers into cheesy at times.
Like @hollie@social.coop noted, the narrator, Samara MacLaren, is outstanding.
Some stuff rubs me the wrong way: the use of alcohol as a social lubricant as a matter of course, without any reflection; a child having magical powers, which their caretakers know about, and them nevertheless letting them believe in Santa Claus; a reverence for the "classics" (Austen etc.).
The sex scene is pretty hot, executed with grace and skill—I wonder if the author writes smut under another name.
