Icarus was a gripping almost-thriller; not quite terrifying but not quite easy, it was perfectly emotional and tense all at the same time. a story that navigated trauma, self discovery, love, and most importantly: rebellion. the son of an art thief, who just wants to be his own person, grappling with issues that no one seems to understand (not even himself).
the plot was super interesting, I love some good thievery in a story, which this was full of, in the best way possible, and it was packed full with secrets of familial mysteries and betrayal that we got to unweave alongside the characters.

this book felt very "loose", for lack of a better word. character development and portrayal was a bit forced and flat in places. I felt like certain characters existed to fit an archetype and to support Icarus' story, but past that, they didn't have the same substance that real people do. Icarus' relationship with his father, his friends, and Helios was all so fascinatingly strange that it just hooked me. however, this was likely also due in part to the formatting and the short chapters.
Icarus is composed of the most chapters I've ever seen in a book. some chapters are words long, others span a few pages. it was a really new and fresh way to read a story, adding a level of disjointedness and frenzy to an already fast-paced book. Icarus as a character almost felt supported by how short and messy the chapters could be, and I do think it supported the story, despite the fact that the plot felt rushed or choppy at some points.

chapters included, this was a book that I like to label a "vibes read" - the plot wasn't strong enough for me to let it speak for itself. it wasn't grounded enough in reality, which made it fall back on the emotions and the energy it created in the reader. I don't think that the book leaned into it enough. what drew me in about Icarus was how relentlessly strange it seemed, and how I felt while reading it. but I don't think the book embraced that.
I would have liked to see it either dig its claw into something more concrete, or to lean a lot more heavily into the emotional and vibe-like state that it curated. as it stood, it hovered right in the middle, which make some choices (on the author's part) or some scenes hard to get behind. 

and I can't do a review here without mentioning how stunning the writing was. there were so many moments that had me setting the book down, taking a moment, reading the section again, and again, before I could finally move on. it took my breath away how beautifully it was written and how flawlessly the prose molded into the story.

I had a great time reading this book, and do encourage others to give it a go!