Name: justawillowtree (Signed) · Date: 16 Jul 2019 03:17 PM · For: Chapter 1

JULIA. You’ve been absolutely wonderful in the HC finale, and so I wanted to give you a review to show my appreciation. Also, all your stories are just absolutely amazing, phenomenal, beautiful, poignantly written…all good things haha. I’m really excited to review another one! (One day, I hope to go through your entire AP.)

 

Haha, the opening line reminded me of Alexander and the [Something, Something] No Good, Very Bad Day, that children’s book. I’m not sure if that was the inspiration! But it reminded me of it, which made me really excited. But anyway, you wrote this story about war and pregnancy so beautifully—I’ve always imagined how Lily must have felt when she found out she was pregnant at age nineteen. Most people don’t intend on getting pregnant that young (I’m nineteen right now, and if I found out I was pregnant I think I would keel over in shock, to be honest, because I could never raise a baby at this age), and I’ve always disagreed with interpretations that had Lily and James actually planning on having a baby, which is why I love your one-shot so much!

 

Of course the war would be on Lily’s mind at every given moment; it was really tragic seeing her list of events where she was still thinking and grieving about the war, and it makes sense that she would feel numb upon finding out she’s pregnant. I loved this line so much: “…instead, she’s sitting on the bathroom floor, arms wrapped around her legs, eyes trained on miniature beaks and once-comical shower hats.” It’s beautifully written, and describes exactly what her life once was, and how it is now. And I love it so much omg, you’re just so incredibly talented.

 

But what I thought was particularly beautiful was James’s optimism and brightness and overflowing happiness when she told him. Like, it’s always made sense to me that James would be the one to raise Lily’s spirits in this instance specifically, and you wrote about it so beautifully. You did such a phenomenal job with this story!!! It’s one of my favorite (and saddest haha) things to think about in Harry Potter.

 

One last thing—have you ever seen the drawing by blvnk-art (on tumblr) or potterbyblvnk (on Instagram) of Lily after she took a pregnancy test? I feel like it would be the perfect companion to this piece omg. <3

 

Beautiful job!

 

Love,

Eva

Author's Response:

Eeeva, thank you so much for your review! <333

(also how has it been so long since LAST YEAR'S finale?? what even is time anymore??)

That first line is indeed in reference to the children's book! I did some research to see when it was published (1972, apparently) so while Lily would have been a little old to have read it herself as a child, I thought it was a fun little nudge, given the subject matter :D And like, yeah, the older I get, the more it strikes me how horrifically young Lily and James were! Plus, there was a war going on, so I just personally find it hard to believe that Harry's was planned, per se - but I also think that James, as the only child of pretty old parents, would be super excited to be a father, and I think his enthusiasm would just be super infectious and uplifting to Lily!

Ooh, I've never seen that specific piece of artwork, but blvnk is one of my absolute favourite HP artists, so that this story reminded you of their art is such a massive compliment! Thank you again, for all of your lovely comments! <3

x Julia

~HC opener 2020: battleships

Name: Renacera (Signed) · Date: 14 Mar 2019 10:33 PM · For: Chapter 1

Hello Julia, dear!

I'm so excited to have you for review swaps this month. I tend to need things to force me to review in a timely manner, so the encouragement of swaps is great. :)  I'm also leaving this review as part of March's YvB Battle, team yellow!

So, I absolutely have to give you my thoughts on this story. Rereading it just made me love it even more. You've done terrifically, dear. I don't read much in the Marauders Era, but this story made me wish I did. You do a great job capturing the characterization of James and Lily throughout this. I especially loved Lily, of course! She feels so real here. I think people tend to forget how young she and James were when they became parents (and when they died), but this story emphasized their ages and I loved that. I can't imagine being 19 and pregnant, let alone those circumstances during a war.

The emotions that you captured throughout this story felt completely on point. I love that Lily juggles her fear and nervousness along with her happiness. She wants her baby, but she also wishes the world was different when he was being born. I completely get that. I don't have kids—and don't know if I will!—but I do sometimes wonder what it's like raising children in the current world climate. Things in so many places are so bad. I don't know how I would balance that without feeling guilty that my child didn't have the best possible life, even knowing that I didn't "cause" any of the "problems."

Finally, a huge shout-out to the way you've set the scene in the bathroom. I could see every movement Lily and James made and their surroundings perfectly. The ducky curtain made the gravity of their situation and their ages so poignant. I loved that.

Great job, Julia! This was amazing!

Best,
Emily

Author's Response:

Hi Emily, thank you so much for your review!

God, Lily and James were so horrifically young when they died, and younger still when they had Harry, so I really wanted to emphasise that, because I feel like with the war going on, that's just such an extreme situation to find yourself in?
I also really loved the parallels you drew to the real world, and how having children is such a difficult decision to make in the current climate (not  that it hasn't always been a serious decision, but I feel like  the current global situation just adds this extra layer of gravity?) - in any case, it's super lovely to hear that Lily's thought process resonated with you!

 

x Julia
~HC opener 2020: battleships

Name: Felpata_Lupin (Signed) · Date: 24 Feb 2019 08:23 AM · For: Chapter 1

Hey, Julia!

I thought I'd check this out since it was nominated for Hufflepuff SotM, and also you can consider this another review for our February swap. ;)

Poor Lily... it must have been such a scary moment for her to learn she was pregnant, when she was so young, when the time she was living in was so uncertain and dangerous... I can't blame her for having that kind of reaction... your decriptions were incredible, btw... I loved the details of the shower's tendril, it emphasizes so well the sense of void she's feeling... and also all the repetitions in her thoughts, the images of war... so well done!

Of course James, with his entusiasm and optimism, would give her the push she needs. You capture their bond so well, and you know how much of a Jily shipper I am... they bring the best out of each other and you show that so wonderfully. Seeing Lily smile, imagining that little child in her life and feeling genuine happiness for it, despite all the doubts and dangers... it's so heartwarming (even if there is still sadness about it, especially knowing what will happen in a couple of years...) Anyway, I loved how James' presence gave her that strength.

This was another incredible piece! You are such a great writer!

Lots of love,

Chiara

Author's Response:

Chiara, thank you so much for your review!

(And I'm only a year and a half late in replying, oops)
I absolutely love that you liked the shower drain imagery, that was one of my favourite details in writing this, so it's lovely to have someone point that back out to me, ahah!
I'm so glad you liked James' and Lily's relationship! They're honestly one of my favourite HP pairings, too! I've always seen James as a very resilient and optimistic character, so I do think that he'd be the one to cheer Lily up in this situation, especially since I think that, as an only child, he would have been super excited to start a family!

x Julia
~HC opener 2020: battleships

Name: Oregonian (Signed) · Date: 29 Jan 2019 01:02 PM · For: Chapter 1

Hi, Julia,

 

I am writing this review, not only for the Magical Menagerie, but also because this is a good little story.

 

There is suspense in the beginning -- why is Lily sitting on the bathroom floor?  Why is this day so much more anguishing than all the other days when she and James have been fighting in the war?  What has happened to bring her to the end of her rope?  The severed heads of the duck motifs on the bottom edge of her shower curtain are an inspired metaphor for the deaths occurring all around her.

 

Then you reveal the shocking reason for her sudden mood -- an apparently unplanned pregnancy that turns her personal world upside down and worries her no end -- "How can anyone bring a child into the world in times of war?" -- especially since she has no idea of how long the war will go on, and no guarantee that things will ever get better again.

 

In your story I saw a vivid parallel to our present day world, with the negative effects of climate change, no longer merely theoretical, but visible all around us.  I had assumed that climate change would eventually lead to migrations, refugees, and wars over territory; recently it was reported in the newspapers that that effect is already happening.  It makes me wonder what kind of world my little grandchildren will grow up in, and I worry for their future, as Lily did for her own baby.

 

A nice job.  Thank you for writing.

Vicki

Author's Response:

Hi Vicki, thank you so much for your lovely reiew!

 

I absolutely love the parallels you draw between Lily's situation and the current climate! It's really wonderful that you related this back to real life, and there are definitely similar questions we can ask ourselves about the world we're leaving behind for our (grand-)children! And what we can do to make that a better one, I guess!

x Julia
HC opener: battleships

Name: Crimson Quill (Signed) · Date: 26 Jan 2019 02:02 PM · For: Chapter 1

 

Hey!

 

I thought this piece was really good. I love the subject that you've chosen, I haven't seen too much fic that actively focusing Lily trying that she was pregnant. I think you've done a brilliant job at showing the kaleidoscope of different emotions that she goes through during that time. It is totally understandable about how she thinks about the war affecting her. 

 

I love the bit when she is just focus on the shower curtains in such detail like your brain does funny things to you sometimes. I thought the repeating of 'There's a war going on' was very powerful and effective in this piece. I liked it because it felt like Lily was trying to get her head around the concept like she is trying to get her head around her new pregnancy.  Lily's inner monologue was really well written in my mind, I think you've given her a very clear voice, the thought process is perfect for the situation.

 

I love that James comes into this piece. I love how you show how relieved he is when he sees Lily that she's ok because it directly shows how the war makes you think the worst of every situation. I love that he is really happy because it's totally how I imagine him to be. I suppose because all he has ever wanted for so long is Lily. I love how she is thinking about gurgling and gibberish is so cute! This was a really well thought out piece and the execution was exceptional.

 

- Abbi xo

 

For: Magical Menagerie/RvG

 

Author's Response:

Hi Abbi, thank you for your lovely review!

I'm so happy you liked Lily's inner monologue! The brain does funny things sometimes, doesn't it, especially when trying to wrap your head around difficult decisions or realisations - so I'm really pleased that the repetitions of those phrases and images worked for you!

Yeah, James is in full panic mode at the beginning - I feel like they all would revert to following very strict protocols (curtesy of Moody, probably) when something unexpected and dangerous happens! But once he's made sure Lily's safe, and he's realised what's going on, he's in pure bliss! I feel like James, being the only child of fairly old parents, would be super eager to start a family!

 

x Julia
HC opener: battleships