This book was really a pleasant surprise! I really liked the complexity of the story, the interwoven points of view, the moral greyness of all characters, and the depiction of mundane things - such as snowball fights, coffees, or s*x – amid the weirdness of it all. It was a bit on the long side (on my Kindle it clocked at a bit more than 12 hours reading, for 640 pages back to back) and, truth be told, I am not 100% sure that I understood the whole plot and its resolution, but I truly enjoyed the experience. I am really grateful to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the Review Copy of this book, and can’t wait for 8 February to be here so that I can start gifting this book around.

This ode to love starts with teenagers Laura, Daniel and Mo, who were dead. They aren’t anymore, though, because their odd music teacher has brought them back, given them magic for good measure, and is proposing a series of challenges at the end of which, hopefully, they will be able to reclaim their life. As they carry out the challenges and try to keep Susannah, Laura’s sister, in the dark, more supernatural beings appear in Lovesend, and a battle between death and love begun centuries ago sweeps the village.

The story is beautifully written, with lyric and evocative language. I really really liked how magic, love, and music are interconnected and depicted throughout the book. Truth be told, it started slow and I had a hard time getting through the first third of the book, but I am really happy I stuck with it and embraced the confusion, because I really just flew through the rest of it!

I would recommend this to anyone who likes young adult stories with a healthy dose of magic, a small sprinkling of horror, beautiful description and love as a fil rouge connecting everything and everyone. I would especially recommend this book to those readers who don’t mind if they don’t understand everything that is happening in the book and are just happy to be along for the ride. It is worth it.

I wasn't sure how the story would unfold from the blurb. It took me a few chapters to start to understand what was happening. There were some elements that were very interesting and I enjoyed the character descriptions. However, as others have written, it was quite slow and I was silently urging the book to pick up a little pace. An interesting story, definitely in the fantasy genre. Probably would be enjoyed by the young adult readers who love Holly Black and Cassandra Clare.

I read this book pretty much by mistake, having confused Kelly Link in my head with Nell Zink, and it's not the sort of thing I would usually pick up.

I liked a lot of of the more prosaic elements - gays, sisters, gays, even more gays - and I enjoyed a lot of the supernatural stuff too, which is not usually up my street. The writing slips down a treat, and though I think the book is too long and I can understand some of the criticisms of it being slow, I found it pleasurable to read throughout. If anything I thought the ending was a little hurried, compared with the rest of the story, and maybe slightly unsatisfying ... ? But that could be due to my unfamiliarity with the genre.

At any rate, I'm keen to read some of Link's short stories now.

My thanks to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was so good! It was intriguing and really drawed me in. I'll be reading more of this authors work.

I went into, The Book of Love, with high hopes as I really loved the premise and through this sounded really interesting but sadly it didn't work for me. I think it might work better for a younger audience than me but I just could get get engrossed into the book as it felt way to slow. However I do believe a lot of people will love this I am just not the right audience for this sadly.

The Book of Love is an ambitious work, that in parts I found absolutely gripping. The combination of the slipping of time, and a large cast of characters whose POV we see from can at times be confusing - but it makes for a rich text. The prose is lush and lyrical - which fits nicely with the recurring musical themes. However, the pacing fluctuates throughout, and at times this elongates the feeling of what is already quite a long book (it's just under 650 pages long, which for a more literary take on fantasy is quite lengthy). I wasn't consistently engaged at the same level throughout - but for the parts that I enjoyed, I was completely enveloped in the book. I could picture clearly the town of Lovesend, and the people within it. This is a truly interesting book, though not without its small flaws, and I am sure it will stay with me for some time.

This was a novel that I didn’t manage to complete. I like the premise and found the initial few chapters interesting. However, for me it was too drawn out and I found it hard to connect with the characters.

2023 52 Book Challenge - 11) A Book About Secrets

DNF at 15%.

This book sounded so good and I was so excited to read it. Unfortunately, nothing actually happens. Even at 15%, the plot was not progressing and no amount of flowery prose about the scenery was enough to stop the boredom. Most of what I've read of this book could have been condensed down immensely and most of the information feels irrelevant anyway.

Three teenagers are missing, presumed dead. A year later, Mr Anabin, their former music teacher, resurrects them so they can investigate how they died and then return to life. All now have magical powers. An interesting premise and, as the gorgeous cover suggests, perfect for fans of full-on, psychedelic fantasy.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

I really enjoyed the mystery element of this book which kept me hooked. Definitely recommended as I couldn't put it down.