I read the first six chapters, put it down for three weeks, including taking the library book on a road trip and not opening it, and just now finished it in the bath. I did *not* guess [identity I see from the other comments you guessed ably] and between that and the last two chapters it was a delightful rollercoaster ride to the end.
I think the characters had too many names per each for how fast and messily I read. Similarly the prose/syntax/pacing choices felt like they created an unstable surface underfoot–I woefully described the book as "prosey"* while in my phase of not picking it back up–but I came out thinking it well served the vibe and POV.
I was also really charmed by the inspirational works section in the acknowledgements. The one I'm calling most novel to see shouted out in print: D20's A Crown of Candy.
*prosey appears to have a dictionary definition and then a fool's definition, held by me and some redditors, approximately "Wow, That is a Lot of Words." I should perhaps have just called it poemy.
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I think the characters had too many names per each for how fast and messily I read. Similarly the prose/syntax/pacing choices felt like they created an unstable surface underfoot–I woefully described the book as "prosey"* while in my phase of not picking it back up–but I came out thinking it well served the vibe and POV.
I was also really charmed by the inspirational works section in the acknowledgements. The one I'm calling most novel to see shouted out in print: D20's A Crown of Candy.
*prosey appears to have a dictionary definition and then a fool's definition, held by me and some redditors, approximately "Wow, That is a Lot of Words." I should perhaps have just called it poemy.