It should come as no surprise that I enjoyed this, given its premise. The story features a straight-laced female lead who never faces the typical chastisement for her demeanor…nor does she undergo some clichéd transformation where she “relaxes,” à la all those ’90s teenage films (even you, 10 Things I Hate About You) (even if Kat was just doing shots to express her frustration) (Yes, I did just rewatch this—why do you ask?) The juxtaposition with our neural chaotic male lead, Wendell Bambleby, who is, of course, in love with her (not a spoiler—it’s right there in the blurb) adds just the right amount of romantic frisson in a book that’s surprisingly more about the plot than the romance.
The writing style is also distinct from some others in this genre, engagingly woven through a series of journal entries. Yes–one could argue that this format requires a slight suspension of disbelief. One could argue that all “this book is a series of journal entries” books require a slight suspension of disbelief because otherwise you’d never have narrative tension (can’t actually be writing at the exact moment suspenseful things happen, or if you’re narrating afterwards you wouldn’t create tension in your personal journals??). REGARDLESS, the way Emily documents her adventures creates an intimate and personal connection to her experiences, drawing readers into her world. It works doubly well with her characterization as someone who doesn’t really get people and socializing.
The magic and fantasy elements are nicely grounded, with rules that feel logical without being overwhelming. This is definitely not high fantasy; instead, it strikes a balance that keeps the focus on character development and plot rather than getting bogged down in world-building.
And yes, the secondary characters are a delight without veering into caricature territory. The jolly townspeople do their uplifting bits for the story (although their demeanor becomes less cheerful once Emily starts being Emily).
Overall, it’s a nice balance of wit, whimsy, and a touch of romance. I clearly like it enough that I’ve read the second and have the third on hold as well!
