By JacobApples
Status: Complete, Word Count: 107,400, Pairing: Harry Potter/Luna Lovegood
Read the Fic Here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13721840/1/Easier-Than-Falling-Asleep
Author’s Summary: Harry is struck with the killing curse and wakes up the day of the Last Task. This story will be the Order of The Phoenix if Harry had been a bit wiser and Luna a more present character. No time Paradox and no godmoding. Slow build up. Also, the tanslation in French is available by Eohwel. This is a repost to save it from being deleted, sorry about the formatting, it won’t be fixed.
My Thoughts:
Characterization: The characters in this fic are absolutely fantastic. Absolutely nobody will be surprised to hear that Luna’s my favorite, but I think that Harry and Sirius are absolutely fantastic as well! Let’s start with Luna, because I think Apples’ interpretation of her is incredibly strong! One thing I think is very impressive is that they made Luna have some sort of special extra sight and make it not suck, and while they do say in the fic that she’s not a seer, it’s rare I see a version of Luna with special gifts that I don’t instantly hate. Either way, what really makes me love this version of Luna is all of the fantastic, emotional scenes she has with Harry. Their dynamic is one of the best I’ve seen in any fic I’ve read, and I mean that. I’d even go as far as saying that there are scenes between Harry and Luna in this fic that can compete with Lunar Calendar, and that’s fucking saying something. Speaking of Harry, his characterization is incredibly strong in this too! I’ve always gotten the impression that Apples’ stories are more about the emotions the story conveys, and the stories are more there as vessels to explore those emotions, and I really feel that here. That isn’t to say that the plot doesn’t make sense or anything, but this is yet another Apples fic that feels like it’s emotionally driven, and I absolutely love it. This really starts to show within the last five chapters or so, when the emotional complexity and resonance of this fic gets dialed up to fucking eleven. I’m not going to get into spoilers, but….it’s just so fucking good. Sirius is also great! This fic does a great job exploring his flaws and struggles as well as Harry’s, and it even has a couple chapters from his perspective. While I don’t think Sirius’ character is quite on the level of Harry or Luna, but he’s still very good. Finally, I think Snape is really great here! I’m a big fan of his character arc, and the grudging partnership he and Harry form, and he also gets some really great, emotionally resonant scenes. Snape also gets a lot of very funny jokes. I was especially a fan of the 18+ only potion shop. That was an inspired idea. Besides those four, I mean there are other characters, but they aren’t quite present enough for me to mention in any detail here. I’ll just say that I like that Dumbledore wasn’t bashed but was also a fairly clear antagonist. All his actions are understandable, but all of the main characters hate him for them, and it’s a really interesting bit of storytelling. Also, I should mention that I really like what was done with Ron and Hermione, even if they didn’t have as much time spent on them as certain other characters. Finally, I’m a really big fan of Voldemort. He was portrayed in a really interesting and unique way, and the final battle against him was completely different from anything I’ve ever seen before, and I fucking loved it.
Romance: The romance is another thing in this fic that’s absolutely fantastic. This ties back to the characterization a lot here, but I just have to emphasize how organically Harry and Luna’s romance is written and developed. Where Apples really shines here are the scenes that help bridge the gap between Harry and Luna’s friendship and their romance. What I really like is that there isn’t really a distinct turning point from one to the other. Instead, it focuses on them gradually becoming closer and closer, until it’s clear that the connection they share is no longer purely platonic, and I think this is just masterfully done. It’s also just very heartwarming to read. It’s got a lot very fluffy scenes featuring Harry and Luna just being cute together, and I live and breathe for that stuff. Well, it appears that we’re off to a pretty good start, because this section is also fucking fantastic.
Plot: Overall, I think this fic’s plot is good, with sprinkles of excellence here and there. There’s nothing that I really disliked, but I also felt like a lot of the plot was a bit forgettable and bland. Now, whenever Luna and Harry are doing things together, the quality instantly spikes, and the overall consistency got much better within the last ten chapters or so. I also commend Apples for being able to write good, compelling internal conflict and have it mesh well with the plot without coming off as pointless angst, because they do that very well here. I just can’t get over just how meandering it gets at times. This isn’t to say that I don’t still overall like the plot, because I definitely do, it’s just that I think it’s a bit weaker than the other aspects I’ve discussed so far.
Dialogue: Overall, I like the dialogue. It gives off a really raw, unfiltered vibe that I think complements Apples’ writing style really well. When reading, I’m able to really buy that these are actual people talking to each other, and I think the dialogue is the primary reason for that. There’s just something about how raw and unpredictable is. Reading it is a constant emotional rollercoaster, because it’s impossible to predict what any person will say or do next, and while I personally enjoy this style, I also understand that it’s probably not for everyone. Either way, this is my review, and I like the dialogue a lot! So….I don’t know, fuck off? Maybe? Yeah let’s go with that. I like the dialogue, I think it’s great, fuck off.
Writing Mechanics: This is where things get tricky, because I think that the mechanics are mostly fine, however errors are a bit more frequent in this fic than in a lot of others that I review. There are semi-frequent grammatical errors and there are occasional spelling errors here and there (which I’m a bit more willing to forgive, because Apples is fairly open about having dyslexia). When you look at it from that perspective, the mechanics in this fic are fucking fantastic, and worthy of comendation.
Overall: Easier than Falling Asleep is a fucking amazing fic! It has fantastic characterization, a really believable and organic romance, and some insanely impactful moments sprinkled throughout! It’s also a Harry/Luna story, and those always gain a couple extra points in my book. So…yeah, this fic definitely earns its spot in the top tier!
Final Thoughts: If you like Harry/Luna, give this fic a shot. If you like believable, well written romance, give this fic a shot. Finally, if you like time travel stories, give this fic a shot. Easier than Falling Asleep is excellent, and I like it quite a bit.
Tier: Top Tier
Written on 05/20/2021
The Master Archive 