Jan 31, 2025
And just as promised, I finished this before the end of the month. I won't repeat everything I put in my review, but I will state some highlights. I haven't read all your works, but of the ones I've read, I feel this is easily your magnum opus. The moments that deal with philosophizing, along with the character heart-to-hearts in general, were easily the highlight of this novel.
That being said, there were some shortcomings, notable Chapter 30, but in terms of critiques, story-wise though, that's all I've got. Though in terms of the contest, there might be some more. Full disclaimer, I am NOT a judge for the contest, so what I'm about to say is purely my own opinion, but I feel the story does not feel like one set in a harmonic future. There is a dystopia lurking under the surface of the world, and things most certainly have not been solved. To be honest, the world feels more in-line with something out of the alt-history category, though also not. I feel this story falls in the middle of the two prompts at times, which could be good, could be bad. I don't know, I'm not a judge. The romance was on point, and so was the slice of life zaniness, but there was also some moments I felt really showcased the world was messed up. From a story-perspective, there is nothing wrong, but from a contest perspective, I honestly don't know. This is why I feel it falls in-between the two prompts; it feels like a dystopian world that's slowly trying to transition to a more utopian one, but still has some notable flaws.
Anyway, since I have no idea what the judges are looking for, that could all just be nonsense. Though I will confirm those contest-centric critiques did not factor at all into my overall review of the novel whatsoever. This was a fantastic work, and it's easy to see why many love it. This might not have turned out to be your original idea of Stella's coffee shop solving the problem of the week, but I think it became something better. Overall, this gets a 7/7, now start drafting Robot Catgirls Philosophizing on the Moon! Part 2: Stella opens the coffee shop. This series is your magnum opus, at least in my opinion.
Congratulations on finishing, and good luck with the contest.
