Author: Jo Walton
Finished Date: December 28, 2025
Rating: 5/7

One Sentence Summary: Follows Mor a disabled Welsh teenager who, after losing her twin sister in a magical confrontation with their abusive mother, finds solace in science fiction novels while navigating grief, isolation, and the complexities of magic at an English boarding school.

It's slow—Emily called it boring. I found it meditative and calming. Didn't love it, but I did enjoy it. A thoughtful meditation on grief and growing up.

Honestly, I think it reminded me of my own childhood. I too had a mentally ill mother. I too believed magic was real and just needed to access it. I too felt ostracized from most of my peers. But by the end of the book, she accepts life, perhaps begins to let go of her belief in magic in order to move forward and grow up.

There's a version of the book that's maybe more dynamic and exciting. But I appreciated the journal style and the way it talked about mundane details of life. And of course the constant Tolkien references are a plus.