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ekgranstro's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
4.5
I was giggling and kicking my feet, then gasping while my heart dropped. I thoroughly reccomend!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
courtneyfalling's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really appreciate how "first year of college" this book feels. It's a relatively simple writing style but not a simple story. I do think this was mismarketed as a romance instead of a coming-of-age, which matters insofar as it's also a narrative of understanding and moving beyond trauma and sexual assault . I also know it holds a special place in my heart for what it is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
souptheg's review
3.0
*as a disclaimer, I will be omitting from my mind every instance a phrase like "small loaf/loaf boy/long boy etc" was used to describe the dog and therefore will not be deducting points from my overall rating*
i think this is one of the better sapphic romances, they use the word lesbian, we have a dramatic toxic ex plotline and a girl that hates her dad I mean what more could u want
some of the language/phrasing in this instantly dates the book (see disclaimer) but one could claim that that makes it a period piece which I wouldn't argue with
i think the romance was done quite well in this book, each half of our couple felt real and believable and I especially connected with the mom subplot (yes maybe when she called her mom for help I cried !!! perhaps I did!!!!)
Beatrice felt a slightly Little Miss Plot Device to me but I wasn't too mad about it, I also enjoyed learning about fish and weather, yay for girls liking things!!
i mean I feel like this accomplished what a sapphic book should! we had MC growth we had relationship growth we had vulnerability like I'm excited for both of those little baby gays. i would rec this to my homies, esp my gay Jewish ones
i think this is one of the better sapphic romances, they use the word lesbian, we have a dramatic toxic ex plotline and a girl that hates her dad I mean what more could u want
some of the language/phrasing in this instantly dates the book (see disclaimer) but one could claim that that makes it a period piece which I wouldn't argue with
i think the romance was done quite well in this book, each half of our couple felt real and believable and I especially connected with the mom subplot (yes maybe when she called her mom for help I cried !!! perhaps I did!!!!)
Beatrice felt a slightly Little Miss Plot Device to me but I wasn't too mad about it, I also enjoyed learning about fish and weather, yay for girls liking things!!
i mean I feel like this accomplished what a sapphic book should! we had MC growth we had relationship growth we had vulnerability like I'm excited for both of those little baby gays. i would rec this to my homies, esp my gay Jewish ones
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
finchthearcher's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Sexual assault
Minor: Medical content
self_fulfilling_prophecy's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Toxic relationship
anniemouse91's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
canread_willread's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault
mak7's review
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault
bookish_hollyx's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault
frankiedoesntsmile's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
"Well, this isn't goodbye. It's 'I'll run you over with my car again later.'"
-------------------------------
Every year, I try to read one Winter holiday themed book.
I definitely had some misconceptions about How To Excavate a Heart (HTEaH), which ended up working against the book. To be fair, the synopsis does tell you that what you think will play a big part doesn't.
So. The synopsis mentions that Shani (the MC) is doing a "month-long paleoichthyology internship," which I thought was going to be really cool to read about it. But it honestly barely impacts the story. It mostly seemed like the author needed a way to give Shani a gay mentor (a.k.a. Mandira).
A typical day at her internship Shani: cleans fossils, gets coffee with Mandira, talks to Mandira about her [Shani’s] gay problems, goes home. Rinse and repeat. The doctor that Shani is interning for is written off as being anti-social and spends all his time in his office. Shani has maybe two encounters with him? And this is someone that she supposedly admires. Idk. And for someone supposedly super passionate about dead fish, it's only ever really mentioned on the first day of her internship.
Speaking of the internship... I guess in my head the fact that Shani was doing an internship during her winter break from college, I thought the characters would be older. But Shani is 18, and her love interest is 17 (May). It is very much a teen romance. Which is fine, but I thought it was going to be closer to the New Adult side of the spectrum.
I've seen others say this is an enemies-to-lovers romance, but to that, I say, "Where????" I'll say it's hate-to-love, but the hate doesn't last very long.
After reading the author's acknowledgments, HTEaH seems very much like a self-insert of Jake Arlow. A lot of it seems to draw from Arlow's life at the time that they wrote this. The book itself is well-written, and Arloe definitely hits a lot of those quintessential winter romance moments.
Things that worked for me:
❄️ the snow
❄️ Raphael the Corgi 🐕
❄️ Shani and May's bickering
❄️ dates in the museum
❄️ the meet-cute
Things that didn't work for me:
🐟 so so very saccharine
🐟 not enough paleoichthyology :(
🐟 insta-love
🐟 the use of sexual assault to further the plot
Throughout HTEaH, Shani hints at the fact that she has some hang-ups when it comes to sex. And very close to the end, we learn that Shani was sexually assaulted by her own girlfriend. Since one of the themes of the book is self-discovery, this would have been a great time for Arlow to explore what it means to be ready to have sex - and that it's okay to wait until you feel ready to have sex rather than cave in to societal/internal pressures.
The end of the book felt like Arlow realized that Shani should show some personal growth, but rather than have Shani actually show growth, we're told it. It felt forced and landed a little flat.
The amount of times I wrote "Poor Luke :(" in my notes 🥲 Ironic that Shani would take advantage of Luke's crush on her just so she could get free coffee (that she apparently didn't even like that much ugh!)
-------------------------------
Every year, I try to read one Winter holiday themed book.
I definitely had some misconceptions about How To Excavate a Heart (HTEaH), which ended up working against the book. To be fair, the synopsis does tell you that what you think will play a big part doesn't.
So. The synopsis mentions that Shani (the MC) is doing a "month-long paleoichthyology internship," which I thought was going to be really cool to read about it. But it honestly barely impacts the story. It mostly seemed like the author needed a way to give Shani a gay mentor (a.k.a. Mandira).
A typical day at her internship Shani: cleans fossils, gets coffee with Mandira, talks to Mandira about her [Shani’s] gay problems, goes home. Rinse and repeat. The doctor that Shani is interning for is written off as being anti-social and spends all his time in his office. Shani has maybe two encounters with him? And this is someone that she supposedly admires. Idk. And for someone supposedly super passionate about dead fish, it's only ever really mentioned on the first day of her internship.
Speaking of the internship... I guess in my head the fact that Shani was doing an internship during her winter break from college, I thought the characters would be older. But Shani is 18, and her love interest is 17 (May). It is very much a teen romance. Which is fine, but I thought it was going to be closer to the New Adult side of the spectrum.
I've seen others say this is an enemies-to-lovers romance, but to that, I say, "Where????" I'll say it's hate-to-love, but the hate doesn't last very long.
After reading the author's acknowledgments, HTEaH seems very much like a self-insert of Jake Arlow. A lot of it seems to draw from Arlow's life at the time that they wrote this. The book itself is well-written, and Arloe definitely hits a lot of those quintessential winter romance moments.
Things that worked for me:
❄️ the snow
❄️ Raphael the Corgi 🐕
❄️ Shani and May's bickering
❄️ dates in the museum
❄️ the meet-cute
Things that didn't work for me:
🐟 so so very saccharine
🐟 not enough paleoichthyology :(
🐟 insta-love
🐟 the use of sexual assault to further the plot
Throughout HTEaH, Shani hints at the fact that she has some hang-ups when it comes to sex. And very close to the end, we learn that Shani was sexually assaulted by her own girlfriend. Since one of the themes of the book is self-discovery, this would have been a great time for Arlow to explore what it means to be ready to have sex - and that it's okay to wait until you feel ready to have sex rather than cave in to societal/internal pressures.
The end of the book felt like Arlow realized that Shani should show some personal growth, but rather than have Shani actually show growth, we're told it. It felt forced and landed a little flat.
The amount of times I wrote "Poor Luke :(" in my notes 🥲 Ironic that Shani would take advantage of Luke's crush on her just so she could get free coffee (that she apparently didn't even like that much ugh!)
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault