MelissaJackson

Li Qilang's simple wish to "wake up smiling in my dreams" if he could eat several flatbreads a day is so genuine. It makes me root for both kids to eventually escape poverty. The author makes you care about their basic well-being.

The visual of two young ladies in expensive dresses running laps around the academy in tears while Isabella shouts at them about arm swing is something I would pay real money to see animated. The tonal clash between high-society elegance and military boot camp is the kind of comedy that writes itself. Clementina and Daphne have no idea what they signed up for.