Julie @ Struck by Stories
Written on Dec 15, 2020
• To begin, I absolutely adored Shoshanna, our bookish, highly extroverted, proudly Jewish, passionate, quirky main character. In the beginning, she did come across as a tad immature (particularly in a scene where she used the bookstore PA system to broadcast a “Code Purple” when she found out that Jake wasn’t a reader) but as the book went on, I really warmed up to her. I especially loved all of the infectious passion and excitement she brought to working at Once Upon, as it showed a different kind of bookworm than just the cliche shy, introverted girl we tend to see a lot of in books.
• I also really loved all of the diversity that was woven ever so carefully and gracefully into it. For one, Shoshonna has two moms, which was really nice to finally get in a book. There is also queer and BIPOC representation with Shoshonna’s friends, but the real icing on the cake was the disability representation that came with Shoshonna’s boss, who uses a wheelchair. I especially liked the way in which disability in general was discussed throughout the book, as I feel like there is a lot of value in having those very real conversations.
• JAKE!! Omg, he was such a literal cinnamon role, and by that I mean while he was a tad spicy and sarcastic at first, as the book goes on, he completely transforms into the warmest, sweetest, and most big-hearted character ever. My favorite thing about Jake comes from the true motivation he had for wanting that holiday bookstore bonus. No spoilers, but I will say that it is something that will easily make your heart grow three sizes.
