K.A. Reynolds

This story could be an instant classic for the right kind of reader. Anyone who has fought their way back from the edge of grief will recognize the themes immediately. The universe is so different from ours and yet so eerily familiar. The writing will suck you into this weird, beautiful, and mysterious world.

I'm sort of struggling to say something different than what in all the other reviews. It's a bit like Coraline, Howl's Moving Castle, and I found so much Alice of Wonderland that it took my breath away.

Cecilia is smart, intuitive, loyal and heartbroken. I loved that she drew from the legend of St Joan of Arc to channel her bravery. She's tragically lost her brother Celdaon and trying to make sense of her new, splintered reality. Her Mom is lost, and her Dad soon will be, and then Cecilia plunges into the Land of Yesterday, desperately trying to put her broken family back together until even her house is involved. The best part is that it works both as a literal adventure as well as a metaphor for the grieving process. Reading the note from the author explaining the inspiration for the story pushed my tears out and over the edge.… (mere)