This is a historical low fantasy about a young Chinese American girl in the Hollywood studio system of the early 20th century. 

I really enjoyed the world that Vo created in this book. The setting of magic and fantastic creatures in early Hollywood film production made an interesting backdrop against which to tell the FMC’s story. (I was going back through the book to see if we ever know her actual name and even in the first few pages there are little snippets that would make a second read through enjoyable).

There are a couple of spicy scenes that are really character-driven. 🌶️

In terms of diverse representation, the main character and her family are Chinese. There are occasional other women of color but mostly tertiary characters. There is a Jewish secondary character. And there are multiple queer characters, including the main character. 

There are a few loose ends or plot lines that don’t seem to go anywhere, that could have been tightened up with a developmental editor. But overall it was a richly enjoyable read that uses allegory as a fresh way to convey the exploitation of the early film industry. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ / 🌶️