Some things that are great about Pale, if you're unsure about reading it:
A murder mystery in which none of the suspects can lie, and yet half-truths and sneakiness make this absolutely riveting to investigate
A social justice story about working your damndest to make a better world and a serious examination of what it really takes to change the system
Three teenage protagonists who are all incredible people in rich and diverse ways - seriously, I want to be each of them when I grow up
Teens do extremely cool magic stunts
Characters who you come to appreciate on a deeper level than arguably any other work
Number one source for opossum appreciation and memes
A magic system so good it doesn't even feel fair to call it a magic system; this is just what magic is to me now
Arguably the best introduction to that system and universe because it makes it playful and fun (and doesn't spoil anything from other stories in that universe)
So many different kinds of magic!
Robust enough to accommodate any fantasy/horror/urban fantasy plotline
So many well-classified types of guy. Like, you've been through a million groundhog day style loops? That's a type of guy
Feels like a courtroom drama half the time
Maybe the best take on the "is it bad for kids to be protagonists?" question ever
The coolest trans guy in the world
Gay shipping wars (takes a while to get there, but so worth it)
Will probably make you cry
There are podcasts! Pale Reflections, which comments on Pale, and Pale In Comparison, which compares Pale to Pact, the other big work set in this universe. Both are very good and will 100% enhance your understanding of the story's themes
Judicial extrajudicial judicial murder (Is it good? Bad? Discuss)
In a sense that is totally unfair to both parties but nonetheless feels inescapably true, the antagonist is Taylor from Worm