First off, I want to say that I went into this book with pretty high expectations. Any comparison to Cemetery Boys, which is possible my favorite book of all-time, is going to give me those. Needless to say, those expectations were met and exceeded after just a few pages! Alex's writing is equal parts sharply wittty and achingly beautiful. I often found myself swapping between laughing at quick-paced banter, smiling at tender moments filled with vivid imagery, and getting teary-eyed during times of profound emotional vulnerability. There were so many gorgeous quotes and lines in this book that it was hard to pick a favorite, and as a queer person who's still on a path towards finding my place in this vast, uncertain world, they really sank into my skin and spoke a type of truth and belonging straight to my soul.

I'm going to be honest here: I'm not always a fan of books with alternating POVs. Not only does it work to STF's advantage by giving us a more complete coverage of the story's events, but I actually couldn't picture the book without it. Jaime, Taylor, and Theo all have such strong, distinct voices, and I found such a joy from getting to experience each of their perspectives. Each character struggled with their own battles, both internal and external, yet they all found common ground when those struggles were laid out side-by-side. I loved watching their relationships with each other develop and shift throughout the course of the book, and I found myself relating so much to all three of them in different ways.

I honestly could not have predicted the plot twists that happened and was completely enthralled by the ending! (I think I was holding my breath at one point!) And the delicacy with which Alex handled finding yourself in your identity was lovely and heartwarming. (Without giving spoilers, the queer romance in the book literally created one of my new favorite couples!) All in all, it was a wonderful, joy-filled ride of a read that was a whole lot of heart, healing, mystery, and spooky rolled into one.

I can say with absolute certainty that I will be reading whatever Alex writes in the future! So glad for the chance to enjoy this terrific book, and I can't wait for its official release!!

Saint Juniper's Folly would be the perfect choice for an overcast autumn day of reading, with pouring rain running down your foggy bedroom windows while lo-fi for witches plays in the background. Expect a cosy mystery rather than frightening horror or fast-paced thriller.

What brought my rating down was that I felt the choices made regarding story structure and focus of events meant that opportunities for raising the tension and heightening the drama were missed. In the horror/thriller/mystery genre, I feel as though this aspect of craft is especially important. I'll avoid spoilers but for example, early on, Jaime wonders about entering the woods, then the next time we see him it's through another character's point of view, after having had an accident. The general approach throughout is to narrate through inner monologue what has been happening to the characters and how they feel about these experiences, rather than showing them in real time on the page and allowing us to engage with their emotions more immediately. It creates a sense of flat affect that I struggled to find engaging. For me personally, I felt that having three point of view characters meant that not enough time could be given to allow us to get to know the characters and their lives and wants and needs before the major events of the story began, or perhaps that the characteristic moments of each character were not as strong as they could have been.

While atmospheric, based on the blurb, I was hoping for something more solidly creepy, but I think if you're looking for something gentler then you should definitely give the book a chance!

I am grateful to have received a ARC of this book from Peachtree via NetGalley, and I am voluntarily leaving this honest review.