MAJOR SPOILER WARNING. I thought I could use the spoiler marks (>! !<), but apparently I can’t?

I loved the book. I loved the characters. I loved the plot. I loved the ending, sappy as it was. This was just the kind of book I needed right now.

But I have a rather…burning question.

I was so sure that Arthur was going to turn out to be a demon, or maybe even Satan himself. When it was revealed that he was a phoenix, I actually laughed out loud.

And I can’t help wondering…was this intentional? Did the author lead the reader to suspect that Arthur was something more hellish? Was he teasing the reader, playing off our own preconceived notions? I mean, there were little hints sprinkled throughout the book. The fact that Arthur held a special fondness for Lucy. The hints of burning and fire. Arthur warning Norman about what he was capable of, and Zoe begging him not to “in front of the children.”

So yeah, those of you who read it–were you expecting something similar? And when you found out the truth, did you suspect that TJ Klune intentionally led you to that expectation?

  • itsbeenaharddaysday@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    I had similar expectations and was similarly surprised when the reveal happened. I don’t know if it was intentional on his part, though it certainly could have been. It’s just that when you have the literal antichrist, you really can’t top that.

    This book was a nice reprieve for me. I had been reading a lot of heavier stuff, and it was nice to read a chill and wholesome story for a while.