I’m not a romance reader. And still, I’ve read my share of romances – usually disguised as something else. I’ve read many cosy mysteries which were actually romances with an idea of mystery. I’ve occasionally read historical novels which were really romances with the barest sense of a historical context.
It is usually quite a disappointing experience.

Spellbound is a romance, there’s no question about that. But it is also a very good fantasy (with a dieselpunk inclination, I should add) as well as a very nice historical novel. And these are essential parts of the story, not some convenient disguise.
I had no problem loving this book.

There’s magic in this version of 1925 Manhattan, secret magic unknown to the majority of people. Magic people conceal their abilities to almost everyone, especially when they are young and inexperienced – not to mention secluded and scared – as Rory. Magic can be dangerous and very difficult to wield.
But there are also normal human beings like Arthur who live and act in close contact with the magic world. Besides, as someone says, Arthur’s charm is almost like magic.
Rory and Arthur are remarkable characters, with great personalities and a strong drive. They also have a sense of humour, which is always a bonus. Because of them, I felt immediately at home inside the story and I deeply cared about what happened. Right away, it was clear that the romance was about them. It has all the characteristics of a romance (including the exaggerations I tend to dislike), but their relationship was also very much about personal growth. That’s why, even as a non-romance reader, I could enter the story and stay firmly there.

The fantasy plot is strong and would carry the story even without the romance (by this I mean that it sustains itself beautifully, as a good fantasy story does). It centres around relics – very powerful, very rare magical objects – and the fight – partly grounded in personal issues – to conquer them. In this post WWI world, relics and their power have a sinister light to them. The war is over, but what would happen is someone could put their hands on something as powerful as a relic? I can’t wait to see what they will evolve into in the following novels in the series, because I sense some great secret conspiracy ahead. Seriously, how can I resist that?

There is a very diverse cast of characters here, and I loved how the author handled it. I’ve read a lot of novels in recent years that used diversity as a badge. Not something I appreciate. Here, diversity is a mere matter of life. It simply exists, just like humans being and their personality.

Loved it.

Can’t wait to read more in this series.

the premise itself made me fall in love with this book. i mean! magic! new york! 1920s! literally what more could i ask for.

and to top it off, the writing is really fun and gripping. i didn't even realise when i blew through the whole book. i love when that happens!

as much as a paranormal story, this is also a romance. and i absolutely adored that side of the book, too. i think it can be attributed in a big part to the fact that both guys are very likeable, incredibly fleshed-out characters. it's simply impossible not to root for them!

all in all, this is a really fun book & i will gladly read the next book in the series.

On the one hand, I quite enjoyed this book. But the only reason for that is that I liked the main characters and the romance. The writing... wasn't very good. I had to read "Aw, geez" as a sentence twice. The setting could have been really fun, but the plot felt confusing and just not very fleshed out, which is okay for a romance novel, but not if the author chooses a more complex setting. Seeing as there are historical and paranormal aspects to this book, these should have been fleshed out more, and this made it difficult to really appreciate the book.

It's a great book that sticks with you after you've closed it and moved on - and that's what Spellbound is for me. Magical, gritty, and so full of heart, SPELLBOUND is a pure pleasure to read. I finished reading it and was instantly irritated that book 2 wasn't available. More from Allie Therin, more, more, more.

Fantastic debut.
Brilliant world-building; fun, likeable characters, and the pace and momentum held my interest until the very end.

Loved this! And if I get any more gushy, you're going to get spoilt, lol.
Can't wait for more from this author.

This book was a lot of fun to read! Set in prohibition era New York City, Rory, a guarded and protective loner with a power ability to see the history of any object he touches, works with his aunt in an antiques shop. He is reluctantly swept up into a dangerous supernatural power struggle when he skries a mysterious ring brought into the shop by wealthy and big-hearted Arthur.

Things I liked:

1. Watching the relationship between the MCs develop. Rory is rightfully protective of himself and the people who have proven to love and support him. He has a psychic gift that can be manipulated to his detirment and could possibly kill him. When Arthur seeks to recruit him into his network of others with psychic powers, Rory isn't having it. Arthur wants to protect his friends and the entire city from nefarious forces aiming to destroy everything in their pursuit of revenge. Arthur's heart his large, and it takes some time and effort to convince Rory he's genuine. I was all "awwwwwww" pretty much throughout this entire book.

2. The imagination of the world building. I love urban fantasy, and it was fun to read an urban fantasy set in 1920's NYC. While the plot wasn't super complicated, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment at all.

3. The support characters! Jade and Zhang were so cute and sweet and total badasses. The 8-year-old neighbor girl trash talking Rory with the language he accidentally taught her had me rolling. And Mrs. Bradigan is the aunt we all want who gives tough love and excellent advice and totally comes through in a pinch.

This is the first book in a series, and I'm anxiously waiting for the next one.

*ARC via Netgalley, courtesy of publisher

An excellent magical historical mystery, full of intriguing characters, found family, and a believable romance. Therin's world building is diverse and recognizes many of the issues extant both socially and politically in 1920s New York (Prohibition, race relations, immigration, queer society, etc.).

this book is my new favorite thing. spellbound is a prohibition-era magical adventure that is fraught with mystery and suspense and so much goodness. rory and arthur are...just absolute perfection together. that there will be a sequel to this story is possibly the best thing ever.

i don't want to give too much of the plot away, because really the best thing to do is immerse yourself in this world. it's new york, post-world war i, prohibition is in full swing, and so are the underground parties. rory is magically gifted, and when arthur seeks him out, everything changes for him.

everything changes for arthur too. because by seeking rory out, he's put him in danger. but he's also enchanted. the enchantment is mutual.

i can sit here and gush about this story for-pretty-much-ever, so i won't keep repeating myself. read this book. it's so freaking good.

**spellbound will publish on july 29, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/carina press in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this debut. What an interesting, compelling world the author has created. I don't know anything much about the 20's and don't think i've ever read a book set in this time. so it was intriguing to learn a bit about that time.

I really liked Rory and Ace, and the paranormal aspects of the story. The secondary characters were fun too! Jaaaaade! I would read an entire book about her and her family business.

I loved what the author did here with the magic system. Making all the characters we meet, who had magic very distinct from one another. Their abilities were never the same but there were similar rules governing each use.

There is one thing I had an issue with thought I enjoyed this book. At one point we learn that Rory's father was Irish and his mother Italian. And Rory is described as mixed???? Rory may have Irish/Italian ancestry but he's still a white man. He;s not mixed. the entire framing of that was just odd :/ And coming from an author of colour, really unexpected. That's not what ,mixed means???? And i don't know if this was some conflation of nationality with race but um...the two aren't synonyms. Rory is still white. Calling him mixed is extremely misleading!

I did enjoy reading this but I just found that a really weird choice and framing. I'm looking forward to reading book two but looks like we have to wait til 2020

This was a great find ad a promising start to what I hope will be a fruitful series... Therin has created a world-within-the-world that I found utterly engaging and fascinating. I liked that she chose to set her tale in 1920s New York - it offered opportunities for fantastic scene-setting and historical detail (e.g., Prohibition and speakeasies, the relative novelty of driving, which only one of the characters - and the oldest! - can do) that I felt added to the depth of the story and made the tale that much more robust as a result. The characters are well-crafted and offer a great complement of personalities, quirks, and strengths. Throw in a well-plotted adventure, secrets and lies and misdirection, and magic and Therin had me hooked from the opening salvo!

Those with magical abilities live alongside ordinary folk in 1925 Prohibition New York, hiding their supernatural talents from the world. As a psychometric, Rory’s powers allow him to see the history of an object, a skill useful in appraising antiques. Arthur “Ace” Kenzie, on a mission to prevent supernatural artifacts from falling into the wrong hands, discovers Rory’s abilities and recruits him to identify the influence of two relics. Initially cagey and irascible, Rory eventually agrees to help Ace, falling hard for him in the process. Returning Rory’s affections, Ace offers protection from those who would hurt or exploit him. And as their bond develops into something more, its consequences are those that no one could expect.
VERDICT Despite its fantasy elements, this remains a romance at heart, revolving around Rory’s and Ace’s growing feelings for each other. Rory’s personality shifts drastically toward the end, creating a noticeable character inconsistency, but an exciting plot paired with fascinating magic makes this a solid and enjoyable start to the series.
Reviewed by Eve Stano, Ball State Univ. Muncie, IN , Jul 12, 2019
This review was originally published in Library Journal Romance Reviews, July 12, 2019.

Honestly this is barely three stars for me?

There were a few good things - I always like to see histrom in new locations and 1920s NYC is a fun place to explore. There's a pretty diverse cast, and I'm not 100% on all the magic details, but I liked most of it.

However, I couldn't get into the main characters, at all. Arthur and Rory both have good backstories but none of it actually came through in interesting or realistic characterizations! Arthur is, in a word, boring. He's rich and overprotective that's...basically it. Rory is all over the place? He's been living in Hell's Kitchen for years without, and despite APPARENTLY really wanting to see the ocean, having ever left his neighborhood (HE LIVES. ON AN ISLAND??). He's too poor to make rent most of the time but he doesn't think twice about buying sandwiches for his ludicrously rich friend. It's just all surface level without impacting his actual choices as a character at all. Probably because of this, the romance also fell flat for me. The pining felt somewhat contrived, and what tension came up was resolved so quickly it felt silly.

Finally there are some confusing parts of the narrative - this is more first novel issues, where information is dropped multiple times, but by and to different characters, which made the situation difficult to follow as a reader. I had to flip back and forth a few times to check who knew what when.

The ending, out of all of it, was one of the better parts for me. I couldn't suspend disbelief for parts of the oblivious pining, so having them finally together took that off my plate, and the villains were fairly compelling (the ones directly involved with our heroes anyway - the German baron and the New York racist were pretty cartoonishly evil).

I came pretty close to DNFing out of a lack of interest, but I did finish and ultimately I guess it's fine? I wouldn't warn anyone off, but I'm not exactly recommending it either.

When I first heard about Spellbound, I couldn’t wait to read it. Love. Magic. Queer. Paranormal. Suspense. Prohibition-era Manhattan. First in a series. Friends, the author had me at “Love”. I couldn’t ask our publisher for this book fast enough! Ms. Therin, in her published début, almost delivers on all this promise, and Spellbound is a compelling, entertaining and intriguing set-up for stories to come. Unfortunately, her lead character is an immature, awkward, frequently rude oddball who falls for his exact opposite – a sexy, handsome, sympathetic, rich and suspicious stranger – and their total lack of believable chemistry together is a jarring counterpoint to the story in which they star. It’s a shame. The writing is strong, the world-building is compelling, and the secondary characters (especially the women) nearly steal every scene in which they appear. But the romance is a mess.

Rory Brodigan is a recluse, afraid of life and what he believes is a perilous future. His magical gift (or curse) – psychometry (he can touch an object and scry its history) – nearly destroyed him once, and he fears it’s only a matter of time before he’s subsumed in the past and lost again. To protect himself, he hides away, working with his elderly aunt, Mrs. Brodigan (the only other person who knows of his gift) at her antique shop, helping her recognize counterfeits. Jumpy, paranoid and lonely, he’s resigned himself to this unhappy life… until a powerful object comes into the shop and forces him out of his self-imposed isolation.

Arthur (Ace to his friends) Kenzie, the handsome, wealthy son of a powerful and connected New York political family, was a soldier on the WWI battlefields when his eyes were opened to a secret, magical shadow world. Following the painful and tragic deaths of two close friends – and loss of another – he’s dedicated his life to intercepting powerful magical relics before they can wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world or fall into enemy hands. He’s recently received reports that an amulet with the power to control the tides is on its way to New York – and possibly into the hands of a formidable enemy. Only a powerful psychometric can prevent a catastrophe – and fortunately, Ace thinks he might know where to find one. An antiques store with an uncanny record of spotting counterfeits has snagged his attention, and a fake ‘test’ has only intensified his suspicions. After a tense confrontation with the store owner (who suspects there’s more to Mr. Kenzie than meets the eye), he entrusts her with a ring in a locked box – failing to mention it also has the power to control the wind – but tells her not to open it, yet. Rory, working late and unable to resist opening the box, is instantly sucked into its dangerous, sinister past. Unbeknownst to him, his magic triggers the attention of Ace and his loyal band of supernatural relic hunters – and others who might use his gift to harness the power of the amulet.

After Ace and his friends (Jade, a telekinetic; Zhang, an astral walker) finally realize Rory is the supernatural in the shop, they vow to keep him – and the relics – away from villainous forces who might misuse and abuse his gift. But Rory doesn’t want anything to do with them. Wary and suspicious (and inconveniently attracted to the handsome, friendly and urbane Mr. Kenzie), he behaves like an immature adolescent brat towards the older man. Lucky for him, Ace finds that attractive. Ahem. Rory triggers Arthur’s protective instincts and his lust, and the combination is… ridiculous? Bizarre? Ace and his crew ignore Rory’s overwhelming hostility, and instead, offer to help him however they can. And before long, he needs their help – and craves it too.

Therin does a marvelous job of introducing her secret supernatural world and hooking readers into the story. The diversity of the cast felt appropriate and organic to melting pot Manhattan in 1925, as does the palpable fear Ace and Rory feel knowing they’re attracted to each other at a time when homosexuality was a dangerous (and potentially ruinous) proclivity. The setting, the tension between the lead characters, the intriguing secondary characters – they bring this story to colorful life. I particularly enjoyed the friendship/professional interplay between Ace and Jade and Zhang, and Rory and his aunt. The author also cleverly incorporates the prohibition-era time period into her narrative – giving readers a sneak peek into Jade’s life (more please!), and Therin’s magical world is fascinating. I loved learning about the origins of relics and potions and their respective powers (although I wanted more here, too), the application of magic for good and evil, and the struggles and challenges facing supernaturals in this world. The first half of this book is tremendously entertaining and illuminating despite the information dump.

Unfortunately, after a scared Rory softens towards Ace and his goodness and patience and kindness (and good looks, wealth and sexiness), the magical elements are shoved to the background (except when we need a clever plot device). Therin rapidly pivots and focuses instead on the developing rhw opposites-attract romance which, frankly, doesn’t work. Arthur, damaged by his wartime experiences, is dedicated to saving the world. He’s blessed with friends who know and love him, but he’s lonely. His work (and the secrecy inherent in it), along with his sexuality, compel him to keep people at a distance. He falls hard for an unstable, paranoid, an immature oddball who’s often rude, hurtful, and selfish. Rory, who can count on one hand the people he likes and/or trusts, instantly falls in lust with Ace. Rory could be lovable too (his backstory is compelling), except the author insists on writing him as a spoiled, tantrum-prone, petulant grown up child; even after we discover his secrets, he remains an unlikeable, polarizing figure. Really folks, I hesitate to call him a hero because he’s so reluctant (and fearful) to use his powers, and only reluctantly does so. I felt sorry for him, but I didn’t like him. Nothing about these two as a couple or crime-fighting duo works. And I absolutely hated the tease and then fade to black love scenes. Therin wastes an opportunity to show their connection, and leaves readers removed from their intimacy.

There is a clever and complicated suspense plot that unfurls as the story progresses. Individual plot threads eventually coalesce, but the bizarre romance between Rory and Ace (unfortunately) steals our attention just when the story reaches its climax. Plotlines are left underdeveloped just when good and evil, friends and enemies, past and present, finally converge. The author tries to pivot from action to romance, and good vs. bad, but what should have felt urgent and thrilling, is instead confusing. The villains aren’t villainous enough, and I wish I knew them better. I wasn’t invested in Rory’s last minute heroics or powers, and I wanted more magic, more villainy, more supernatural powers… just more, more, more. And less (unbelievable) romantic yearning.

Spellbound didn’t keep me spellbound, but nevertheless, it is a strong and compelling début. Unique, and sometimes dazzling, it kept me entertained and eager for more of its magical, supernatural world – and hopeful for better yet to come.

This vastly exceeded my expectations; I was expecting (and would have been satisfied with) something much fluffier, something lighter on plot, detailed fantasy elements, and characterization—instead it excelled at all three. The central romance hit most of the usual tropes and story beats; there weren't any surprises there—but isn't that what we all signed up for? I'm happily anticipating reading more in the series.

This book seemed to have everything I wanted: fantasy, history and romance. It even had history from a peroid I haven’t read much about, so I was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately, I then ended up disappointed.

The most jarring thing was actually the language. Admittedly that’s not an easy thing in historical novels. Having characters use period-authentic speech can sound ridiculous at best and incomprehensible at worst. Which is why I’m usually content with characters that use mostly neutral and possibly to our ears a bit more formal language and avoid saying “That’s so cool” when the novel is set in the middle ages. Really, that’s all that I need to be happy. But in the book, the characters sound modern almost all the time and there’s just the occasional prohibition-era slang-word thrown in, like “doll” for woman. That didn’t work for me at all and every time I came across it, it threw me out of the scene because it didn’t fit together at all. Well, and since characters tend to talk a lot in books, it became really grating.

The romance itself is also not exactly overwhelming. Neither character acts much like their age (early and late twenties respectively) but more like teenagers. There is lot of telling how much they feel for each other but we only really see how Arthur almost gets a hard-on every time Rory uses one of the three Italian words he the author knows. Please. If I never have to read another story in which the mere uttering of a few words in a foreign language leads to near orgasms it’ll still be too soon. I have been on Fanfiktion.de. I have seen things.

I might be a bit more generous if the fantasy part had been better and admittedly it did hook me at first. But then the great climactic battle included some so stupid decisions by our oh-so-clever heroes that it retroactively marred the pretty cool concept and the good ideas that went into the worldbuilding.

These story is set in 1925 New York but from a different perspective than we normally get. Every single character is a minority character or seen as undesirable in someway. Beyond being unwanted in society, many of the characters have unique paranormal powers. From what I could tell, no two people have the same abilities but sometimes they have similar subtypes. I think this would be a gun read for fans of historical LGBTQ reads, such as those by KJ Charles.

Unfortunately, I had some problems with immersing myself in the story. Plot wise it felt like we were dropped in the middle and like Rory, kinda had no idea what was going on. There's underlying intrigue associated with paranormal relics and the war but there's a lot of background that we don't get to see and is only mentioned in passing. Perhaps this will be fleshed out more in later books.

Unfortunately, I also has issues with the romance. Overall I think the courting between Rory and Ace was sweet but somewhat fell flat. There's a significant period of slow burn will they or won't they but the readers don't get to see the pay off because several of their scenes together jarringly cut away and fade to black. I struggled to relate to the emotions that they characters may or may not be feeling, because very significant emotional moments are left out or brushed over.

I still think that this was an enjoyable read and would recommend it to those that appreciate diverse casts and historical settings.

Have mercy. It’s official, y’all. I have found my new favorite book. Hands down best read of the year. I can’t say enough how much I absolutely loved and adored Spellbound by Allie Therin. In fact, if I sat here and spewed all the fan-girling nonsense my fingers keep trying to type, y’all wouldn’t keep reading. Which would be a disservice to you, me, and this phenomenal book.

So, what was it exactly that had me swooning from page one? I can’t honestly nail it down to one single thing. It was kind of everything. I’m not sure about you, but as a reader who is also a writer, there’s always a thing or two that rubs me the wrong way—after all, not everything is for everyone, and that’s perfectly okay! But with Therin, I couldn’t find anything to fault. Everything from her writing style to her characterization to her plot had me all heart-eyed and happy, heavy sighing.

If you know me at all, you’re aware I’m generally not a fan of historical or paranormal. Both genres truly have to be written at the top of their game for me to enjoy them. So what does that say when I’m proclaiming this historical paranormal as my new fav??

The setting of this book was absolutely superb. Therin captured all the literal and figurative magic in her fictional depiction of 1920s Manhattan. She included just enough nods to history that it felt accurate and genuine, yet didn’t overburden her scenes with excessive details that overshadowed the story. And her characters—every dang one of them, from the MCs to the supporting cast—were woven with intricate and heartfelt brilliance. I fell hard and fast and didn’t want to let go. Then there was the plot and the awe-inspiring twist on the paranormal that had my eyes wide and my readerly heart beating staccato the entire read. Both times. (Because, yes, I’ve already read this bad boy twice and have no doubts it’ll be a frequently repeated go-to feel-good part of my life.)

The love scenes are all fade-to-black yet so insanely emotional and steamy, they will undoubtedly satisfy all levels of romance readers—including those on both ends of the sweet romance/erotica spectrum. It’s magic, I tell ya. I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that shows so little yet provides such a solid sexy punch.

I would recommend this book to ANY romance reader. Period. I don’t care if you aren’t a proclaimed historical fan, or if paranormal isn’t your gig. Heck, even if you haven’t ventured into the MM romance world, this would be a sensational introductory read in any of those genres. This book is so full of heart and passion and jaw-dropping intrigue, it’ll have at least something for everyone.

SPELLBOUND is the first book in the Magic in Manhattan series, and I seriously can't wait for book two!

Set in the 1920's, you get a front seat to all that involves--Speakeasy's, prohibition, mobsters, Germans. It's all here, and gives you an insight into what life might have been like.

Rory and Arthur make for a perfect couple! I loved Rory's sass and his spitting alley cat fight. Arthur is the big softie with an even bigger heart, who just wants to help.

With a great cast of characters, this story was gripping from the very start. The pacing is smooth, there were no plot holes I fell through, and the world building is outstanding.

With humour, sass, peril, and betrayal, this book had it all for me. Highly recommended, and when is book two coming out? Absolutely brilliant.

Excellent story by a new to me author.
Set in NY in 1925, the historical aspect felt spot on, capturing the atmosphere of time and place without seamlessly within the story. The paranormal aspect was woven into this backdrop with ease and I had no problem believing that such people walked among the rest of us mundane non magical people.
The whole cast of characters were brilliant--I even had sympathy for a couple of the bad guys--and very diverse. But I loved the MCs the most. Arthur was just so lovely, solid and stoic, determined to act in the greater good and resigned to being forever alone. And Rory, oh Rory, sharp and snappy, reluctant to trust and almost certain he wouldn't see his 21st birthday. The development of their relationship is a delightful dance to and fro. The relationship is most definitely at the heart of this book but the more intimate scenes are fade to black.

Highly recommended. I can't wait for the sequel.

You know that feeling, when you start reading a book and it immediately clicks? With Spellbound, I knew I was in love only few pages in. Allie Therin’s writing is just the perfect amount of lush prose combined with straightforwardness that I love. It’s so refreshing and beautiful. I don’t understand how she managed to write a book that plays into all the very specific things I adore.

The cutest, most charming romance ever? ✓

Tiny grumpy bisexual protag? ✓✓

Giant protective grumpy mother hen ex-soldier? ✓✓✓

Wonderful diverse cast? ✓✓✓✓

A sympathetic villain with understandable motives? ✓✓✓✓✓✓

A wonderful nuanced take on being biracial and white passing? ✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓✓

The characters are absolutely delightful. There’s Rory, the young, grumpy, biracial orphan, hiding his powerful scrying magic in the back of an antique shop, afraid of getting stuck in the past. His story broke my heart, because at his young age, he’s already been through so much. Thankfully, he hasn’t had to make the journey all alone.

There’s Arthur, the overprotective, charming and rich ex-soldier, so worried about the well-being of his friends that he routinely calls them to make sure they’re okay. If it were up to him, he’d wrap all his friends in blankets like little burritos and made sure they’re safe and cherished. I love big men with even bigger hearts.

There’s Jade, Arthur’s best friend and ex-spy, a beautiful and badass black woman with kinetic abilities, who’s family runs a speakeasy during prohibition. And she wears tailored suits with trousers and yes, I am extremely super gay for her, thank you for asking.

There’s Miss Brodigan, the elderly owner of the shop Rory works in, posing as his aunt to protect him from authorities and showering him with love. There’s Zhang, a kind man with the powers of astral projection, who’s constant coming and going combined with Rory’s consternation made me giggle.

And then there’s Gwen, Arthur and Jade’s old friend, who disappeared on them after getting hurt by a horrible man and swearing her revenge. Gwen is such a complicated, sympathetic villain and I loved her presence. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Despite being set in New York 1925, the book feels very topical. One of the villains is a politician raving about immigrants and deportation, while getting rich off of the backs of immigrant labor. And I love that the history of such a diverse city isn’t whitewashed.

Honestly, I had only one quibble and that’s that Rory felt very indiscreet, for someone in his specific situation. There’s at least one conversation where I was mentally yelling at them to stop having it in public. But that didn’t take anything from my immense enjoyment. We’re looking at a top 10 books of this year for me, maybe even top 10 ever. That’s how much I loved this book.

There’s one thing I want to talk about, and that’s how this book handles Rory’s biracial status. There’s such a nuance in this book that mirrored my own experiences that I haven’t seen anywhere else. The way this book portray’s Rory’s yearning for his mother’s home country, the way he can flow between being read as a white american or italian depending on his hairstyle, the loneliness in hearing his mother’s first language or when he says “all my soft words are in italian”, because that’s what he used to hear in his childhood? It brought tears to my eyes, because I’ve been there, and I’m still there. Rory showed a mirror to my existence, and it’s a wonderful feeling of representation that I don’t get to enjoy much.