"All the Birds in the Sky," Charlie Jane Anders, 2016

The book begins with the two main characters as children. Both are misunderstood by their parents and bullied by their peers -- both to an absurd, essentially surreal degree. For a while I thought I might've picked a YA novel by mistake, but as the story progressed it grew darker and more complex until it encompassed more adult themes. I felt the transitions from childhood to adult problems and actions were handled in an engaging and plausible way.

Ms. Anders paced her story well, and it held my attention all the way through. I really wanted the characters to succeed, and I felt bad for them when they encountered obstacles or were hurt. The themes centered on hubris, and we've encountered many such themes that speak to the hubris of science and technology. In this book, that was contrasted with (and weighed against) the hubris of magic and power. The author's message comes clear at the end in a satisfying and lighthearted way.

Though I suspect I'm not a member of Ms. Anders' target audience (by several decades) I enjoyed the heck out of this one. This review is for the Kindle edition, which I checked out from my local library.