May 10 2022: Coco is still a goddess

Wow. I’m in absolute awe. That was such a horrifically intriguing roller coaster of emotions. I’ve stunned into silence...

The Nichan Smile was perfect. Absolutely perfect, and I’ll tell you why. It’s tailored for someone like me that enjoys heavily character-driven novels. This was very focused on both the internal and external growths and the journeys of Domino and Gus. Even though they are basically joined at the hip, I loved that their respective development felt very separate.

Domino was such a sweetheart. He’s literally the equivalent of a big teddy bear. He was just trying to survive and care for the human the he and his brothers had stumbled upon at the start. Throughout the book, I loved how he grew strong and more rebellious against the tribe who continuously suppressed him and Gus. And eventually, he grows into a man who—makes some questionable decisions—but ultimately learns develops a sense of independence and confidence.

Gus is such a tragic but loving protagonist. All he has done is suffer and all he continues to do IS suffer. Oh boy. What I realized, honestly, is that he comes full circle. I love that he goes from feeling alone and helpless, to learning to have a friend who he can rely on, to learning what it feels like to love, to being right back where he started; alone and scared but he finally realized that he deserved so much more than his life had to offer him so far. I ship him with his own happiness and I just want him to find it