Here, and Only Here

Author: Christelle Dabos

Genre: Fiction, Middle Grade

Format: Digital ARC via NetGalley

Publish Date: October 2023

Read: July 2023

Story Synopsis: Here is a very special place - one that we all know in some form or fashion. Here has unspoken rules, classifications, and behaviors that you must follow. If you break these unspoken rules, you will be punished. You may become invisible, get beaten up, or cause emotional upheaval. In this case, Here is a strange school that seems to operate outside the rules you and I know to be true. Yet, it’s very familiar. The world will change because of Here.

Why does this book beguile? I have no idea what happened in this book. I found it compelling and enjoyable but was in the dark for most of it. Around 85% through the book, I started putting the pieces together, and by the end, the book made a ton of sense. The best part about Here, and Only Here is that the more you think about it after you finish, the more you understand it. Yet it’s still utterly beguiling! This was a brilliantly done book in just 200 pages.

It’s worth noting that this is classified as a YA/Middle-Grade novel. However, the language can be strong for more conservative readers. The characters are probably in the 13-15-year-old range and dealing with some adult things with adult language.

Rating: 4.5/5

Link*: Here, and Only Here by Christelle Dabos - Amazon | Here, and Only Here by Christelle Dabos - Bookshop.Org

If you like this, read*: The Mirror Visitor Quartet by Christelle Dabos