This book has a beautiful cover! The Golub tree in the middle, Yas on one side and Raf on the other side, the colors on each side different. It all means so much once you read the book. And the book? It had such an interesting premise, such a good setup. But it suffered from being YA, I guess? And being categorized as 'magical realism?' I feel like labeling books magical realism really hampers the story. It's fantasy, just let it be fantasy and give it another 200 pages! Forty Words for Love needed a lot more substance, it needed a lot more background, it needed a lot more world-building. It felt very incomplete and that was really disappointing. The story had so much potential but wasn't given enough pages/time. It really could have been better than a short, mediocre YA love story. I was far more interested in the Golub tree, the leaves branding the Golub people, the abilities of the tree and the brands, etc.