Jan 24, 2025
I have a lot of thoughts about this story and most of them are positive. But first I have to calm my allergies down from that cat cafe. I would be sneezing like CRAZY.
I’m gonna start with the few negatives. For one, this book ain’t long. Obviously novellas are fine, but with SO MANY characters, you need more time to give them all a real personality. I echo what Lolo said about the side characters feeling like plot devices, but I have one more gripe with the story that Lolo probably would not.
The plot doesn’t follow any sort of real narrative structure. There’s no noticeable inciting event, nor rising action, and especially not a climax. It’s a cozy read for sure, but it didn’t reach the emotional peak I hoped it would, and I know that may be a staple of the SOL genre, but… I don’t know. It was missing something, and the ending left me feeling empty.
My recommendation to fix it is pretty simple: more words. More chapters, more time for each character’s individual story. Lena isn’t the only unique personality in the book, and if you take the time to forward subplots for the development of other characters, I think you’ll have the great, fleshed-out cast this novel deserves. (Also, a more immediately applicable tip: try planning your characters around their growth and relating it back to the story’s central theme. This helped me a lot with my novel.)
Now to sing its praises. It’s easily consumable with good prose to boot. It’s paced very consistently, and you really get a feel for the setting of New Sol. This is certainly one of the happiest books I’ve read this contest, and throughout the whole story it made me chuckle to no end. Though the characters sometimes felt a little thin and underdeveloped, the whole story was really nice and told a compelling, hopeful narrative. I enjoyed it a lot.
Thank you for putting this out here! I’m happy I got the chance to read it. I could definitely learn a thing or two from the way you paced it nice and slow, and the comfy vibe is unmatched. Have a great day! :)
— Kimbrough
