Reread July 2020:
I can’t believe I never wrote a review for this but um...this reread DID confirm that this is one of my favorite books of all time. A lot of people say a lot of things about Sarah’s books. And she gets a ton of completely valid criticism. But there are so few other books that make me feel the way her books, and this book specifically make me feel. She writes about hope, and loss, and grief, and joy, and triumph and pain and it all comes together in this magical way that feels, for me, really really special.

One of the reasons why I love this book specifically is because I think despite its length—almost a thousand pages—and the work you’ve had to put in to get through the seven previous books, it is ALL WORTH IT. She incorporates plots, people, and threads from every other book in this series, all culminating in this epic finale and it feels SO. GOOD. It’s actually kind of amazing the level of intricacy and detail that was put into planning these books and these stories. Nothing is accidental.

I just really love this book. Like a lot. Knowing that this story has not only held true for me years after I began it, but also that this series held new things for me visiting it a second or third time is what keeps me coming back to Sarah’s writing. This is a very long drawn out way of saying that I wholeheartedly LOVE this book. Still to this day. I’m so thankful for it.