wow. this was quite the read. i initially went into this story for the romance—i was really only after that aspect—but what kept me reading were the unique qualities of the story itself. i found myself enjoying every chapter because it explored real-world issues in a digestible way, while also handling them with a lot of care and appropriateness. some scenes even made me emotional, which is rare for me. i tend to be pretty detached when it comes to certain issues, but without giving any spoilers, there were parts of the story that hit way too close to real life—closer than most stories ever get.
one major theme, obviously, dealt with things like racism, prejudice, sexism, and homophobia, and how religion can tie into and influence all of those. for a story that was advertised more as a romance-with-a-college-life-twist featuring animal characteristics, i was genuinely surprised by how deeply it dove into these serious topics. that’s exactly why i ended up putting it in my favorites folder.
this definitely isn’t a read for anyone just looking for romance—while romance does exist, it’s far from the focus. it shows up pretty sparingly, and there’s not even a kiss. but what really made me love this story was the emotional impact and how it mirrored so many real-life struggles through a fictional lens. so if you’re looking for something thought-provoking that reflects our society while exploring the dynamics of another, this is absolutely worth reading.
wow. this was quite the read. i initially went into this story for the romance—i was really only after that aspect—but what kept me reading were the unique qualities of the story itself. i found myself enjoying every chapter because it explored real-world issues in a digestible way, while also handling them with a lot of care and appropriateness. some scenes even made me emotional, which is rare for me. i tend to be pretty detached when it comes to certain issues, but without giving any spoilers, there were parts of the story that hit way too close to real life—closer than most stories ever get.
one major theme, obviously, dealt with things like racism, prejudice, sexism, and homophobia, and how religion can tie into and influence all of those. for a story that was advertised more as a romance-with-a-college-life-twist featuring animal characteristics, i was genuinely surprised by how deeply it dove into these serious topics. that’s exactly why i ended up putting it in my favorites folder.
this definitely isn’t a read for anyone just looking for romance—while romance does exist, it’s far from the focus. it shows up pretty sparingly, and there’s not even a kiss. but what really made me love this story was the emotional impact and how it mirrored so many real-life struggles through a fictional lens. so if you’re looking for something thought-provoking that reflects our society while exploring the dynamics of another, this is absolutely worth reading.