Overall, three stars.
Hook, three stars.
The tension lies in the protagonist’s performance of normalcy—purchasing a book, engaging in small talk—against the looming reality of her aunt’s impending death. This creates a palpable atmosphere of “pre-mourning,” where every mundane action is weighted by what is about to be lost. The reader is pulled forward not by plot mystery, but by the heavy, shared emotional weight of an inevitable goodbye.
Writing Style, three stars.
The prose occasionally reaches for striking imagery, such as the town “wearing a beret” of trees. However, it frequently relies on labels rather than rendering; “comforting scent” and “somber mood” tell the reader how to feel without providing the sensory textures—like the musk of old paper or the specific floral notes of a dress—that would ground the scene. Furthermore, the protagonist remains a voice in a void; because she lacks any physical description, she feels unmoored from her own body as she navigates this high-stakes emotional landscape.
Standout Passage.
The moment Lottie uses the word “con.” It captures the specific cultural layering of her identity and the tender irony of a woman being told to be “strong” while she is visibly, physically failing. It provides a sharp, authentic heartbeat in a room otherwise filled with heavy, hushed tones.