After being in awe of [b:The Likeness|5941114|The Likeness (Dublin Murder Squad, #2)|Tana French|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1538062804l/5941114._SY75_.jpg|6504351], I was disappointed when this book didn't grab me at first. I found Stephen to be a boring narrator, and at first, I couldn't get into the rhythm of the switching timelines. Despite this, however, Tana French has already become one of those authors that feels like home - even though this is only my third book of hers. There is something about her ability to make you feel a setting that is truly special, and her brilliance is one that comes in increments until it hits you all at once.

I'm not sure what the turning point was, but suddenly I needed to be in this book 24/7. I'm a sucker for books about friendship, especially ones with a dark undercurrent running through. French seems to have a particular knack for not only character depth, but depth of relationships. These girls came to life, and not only in the pre- sections of the book. Stephen was boring because he doesn't really matter - he's a conduit and a reflective surface for the girls' stories. He's the adult eye looking in on the particular crucible of childhood friendship that can never really be rediscovered. There's also the faintest wisp of supernatural elements here, and many have criticized that aspect. But this was one of the most expertly incorporated parts of the book: we're not supposed to know if this was real. Knowing French, it probably wasn't. To me, it represents those moments of childhood where anything seems possible. All magic is real, and it's sacred. French knew exactly what she was doing, because she's far too expert of a plotter just to drop something or leave it there just because. I can't wait to keep on with this series, because it is magic.