honestly, i wanted to like this book more than i did, which is part of why i read it in one day. the other part is from it being truly dreamy and engaging! but even if i couldn't put it down, i still felt it lacking in some respects. notably, the characters, who all blurred together for me. even though i was invested in the revelations, the reflections on how we are accountable for the sins of generations before us, i was not particularly moved by the grief, love, or other emotions that the characters felt. especially because none of them, aside from Fel, got an introductory interaction- just a jumble of names to be cemented by one or two scenes where their personality mattered, and many where it didn't. 

i also know little of the language of flowers or flower identification, so i felt a disconnect from that theme too. same for the themes of Christianity and the Latine connections/background. the immigration one i felt, but even that is because i come from an immigrant family, not because the writing made me feel much heart-wrenching emotion. i know it's a book of magical realism, but i wish it had been a little less abstract in exploring the themes and instead offered concrete foundations to make them more accessible. i understand that such a story as this comes from a writer writing for themself, and i admire that, but it wouldn't take much to bring in the context that would make this book touch the heart of even the least empathetic reader.