Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender

3 reviews

amanda_mh's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book … I took my time with it, I’m glad I did, it had me sobbing throughout almost every chapter. This is my first Kacen Callendar book and I will be reading their other books now. Major and multiple trigger warnings so please check before reading. This is going down as one of my favourite books, some really important messages in this story. So much care went into telling Matt and Logan’s story 💜

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Rape, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Biphobia, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, Cancer, and Adult/minor relationship

erickaonpaper's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

this one's left me feeling a little empty. i'm running off of my late night herbal tea but also some disappointment. this book seems to be a therapist's wet dream, in the sense that so much of the language, behavior choices, etc., seem to be picked straight out of my late afternoon monday sessions. it's brought me to question writing craft and why we tell the stories we tell. if you're looking for a lighthearted romp with queer characters, this might not be for you. if you're looking for high doses of trauma embedded into queer characters experience with loving each other, then hey - maybe this is your book! 

a few standouts: kacen callender is so careful to call out the harsher truths in the book. one of the characters experienced and experiences some really debilitating things and while braves through it, it can be heavy to sit with. i also really appreciated kacen's questioning of how much fandom affects celebrity and how much we, as consumers and self-proclaimed critics, interact with celebrity gossip, dating lives, and everything else tied to hollyweird. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Homophobia

Minor: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Blood, Alcohol, Biphobia, Death of parent, Drug use, and Rape

imstephtacular's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Mental illness, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Biphobia, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Homophobia, Bullying, Violence, Abandonment, Classism, Racism, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Grief, Medical content, Pedophilia, Ableism, Cancer, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Religious bigotry