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pagelikebooks's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Homophobia
ashylibrarian's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
3.0
I wanted to love this book. The description sounded so promising and it was an anticipated read for me for 2022.
I love the trans rep. I love the neurodiversity rep. I love the relationships, platonic and romantic. I love the way in which Lore calls out the education system's flaws in teaching reading. Everything else just fell flat. I didn't feel like a lot happened and I was a bit confused by the world under the water.
This won't likely be a go-to recommendation for me, but I'll keep it on my list.
I love the trans rep. I love the neurodiversity rep. I love the relationships, platonic and romantic. I love the way in which Lore calls out the education system's flaws in teaching reading. Everything else just fell flat. I didn't feel like a lot happened and I was a bit confused by the world under the water.
This won't likely be a go-to recommendation for me, but I'll keep it on my list.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, and Transphobia
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Violence
hobbithopeful's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
Lakelore is an emotional magical story of accepting yourself, and being brave enough to trust others with your truths. POVs alternate between main characters Bastián and Lore, two nonbinary trans Mexican teenagers that struggle with being themselves and navigating the world around them. Lore struggles with Dyslexia, while Bastián works through their ADHD by creating and painting alebrije sculptures. Bastián has discovered that when they release the colorful alebrije into a nearby lake, they transform into the fantastical creature and swim away. Lore is the only other person that is able to see the magic of the lake, and peer into the other world like Bastián is able to. As the lake and its magic begins to encroach on the daily lives of Lore and Bastián, they must learn to confront their pasts, and their futures.
I loved the way gender and its fluidity was discussed in this book, how some days they felt more boy and more girl, and how they interpreted it in terms of "70% boy today".
I have always enjoyed all of Anna-Marie McLemore books, and even though this one followed heavier topics and had a more serious tone, I still had a great time reading it, and it left me with a lot to think about.
The Cover
I adore this cover! The colors on the bottom look so dreamy and trippy and creates an out of body feeling for the illustration. The symbolism of them both being in the water with barnacles growing on them, with maybe an allusion to the fact they are both partially emotionally drowning was extremely well done. It is also a pleasant surprise to see brown characters *actually* be brown and not be white washed.
Cover by
Carolina Rodriguez Fuenmayor
I loved the way gender and its fluidity was discussed in this book, how some days they felt more boy and more girl, and how they interpreted it in terms of "70% boy today".
I have always enjoyed all of Anna-Marie McLemore books, and even though this one followed heavier topics and had a more serious tone, I still had a great time reading it, and it left me with a lot to think about.
The Cover
I adore this cover! The colors on the bottom look so dreamy and trippy and creates an out of body feeling for the illustration. The symbolism of them both being in the water with barnacles growing on them, with maybe an allusion to the fact they are both partially emotionally drowning was extremely well done. It is also a pleasant surprise to see brown characters *actually* be brown and not be white washed.
Cover by
Carolina Rodriguez Fuenmayor
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Racism, Transphobia, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
thebookpaiges's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Dysphoria, and Transphobia
Minor: Deadnaming, Homophobia, Violence, and Racism
mkachiri's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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: Homophobia, Bullying, Cursing, and Hate crime
melodyseestrees's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Transphobia, and Bullying
Moderate: Racism, Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Violence
asexualandriod's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
Graphic: Bullying, Transphobia, and Ableism
Moderate: Racism, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, and Medical content
Medical content includes therapy sessions and the use of needles for testosterone.thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
very sad to say that lakelore is unfortunately a disappointment for me. while the story has mclemore's signature imaginative magical realism, along w/ amazing diversity and representation, i personally find it dragging + monotonous, and confoundingly feel no connection to its characters.
the magical elements are very creative here, and i find the lake and alebrijes a wonder, filling the novel w/ cultural elements that also crucially serve as an important metaphor for its themes. and while there's much diversity here, as usual mclemore's a step above many others in imbuing them all w/ complexity and nuance; i learn more abt enby folks, and a lottt abt ADHD and dyslexia reading this (this is the first book ive read that prominently features and explores the latter two, and what an exploration they are). how the theme of coming to terms w/ one's self both past and present is portrayed and explored is also powerful and very relatable, esp lore's story.
despite the aforementioned positives, however, they're outweighed by the negatives. unlike mclemore's other book that ive read, the writing in lakelore isnt particularly special, much less delicate or tinged w/ magic. the breaks in chapters and scenes can also feel disjointed and confusing at times; sometimes i was unclear what timeline i was reading. moreover, lore's and bastian's narrative voices are too similar, and i oft forgot whose POV i was reading, which is a lil concerning esp considering this is a dual POV book. storywise, i understand the concept and scope of it, but somehow feel no connection to or emotional impact from it whatsoever. things always, to use the book's titular setting, skim merely above surface for me, neither delving deep nor soaring high enough to make any kind of impression, in addition to seeming like a halfway between a character study and magic-driven story.
this novel def isnt a bad one - nothing from mclemore can be objectively considered bad tbh - it has great diversity, rep, magical elements, and powerful themes, though i personally find the story a bit lacking and bereft of emotional impact or connection.
the magical elements are very creative here, and i find the lake and alebrijes a wonder, filling the novel w/ cultural elements that also crucially serve as an important metaphor for its themes. and while there's much diversity here, as usual mclemore's a step above many others in imbuing them all w/ complexity and nuance; i learn more abt enby folks, and a lottt abt ADHD and dyslexia reading this (this is the first book ive read that prominently features and explores the latter two, and what an exploration they are). how the theme of coming to terms w/ one's self both past and present is portrayed and explored is also powerful and very relatable, esp lore's story.
despite the aforementioned positives, however, they're outweighed by the negatives. unlike mclemore's other book that ive read, the writing in lakelore isnt particularly special, much less delicate or tinged w/ magic. the breaks in chapters and scenes can also feel disjointed and confusing at times; sometimes i was unclear what timeline i was reading. moreover, lore's and bastian's narrative voices are too similar, and i oft forgot whose POV i was reading, which is a lil concerning esp considering this is a dual POV book. storywise, i understand the concept and scope of it, but somehow feel no connection to or emotional impact from it whatsoever. things always, to use the book's titular setting, skim merely above surface for me, neither delving deep nor soaring high enough to make any kind of impression, in addition to seeming like a halfway between a character study and magic-driven story.
this novel def isnt a bad one - nothing from mclemore can be objectively considered bad tbh - it has great diversity, rep, magical elements, and powerful themes, though i personally find the story a bit lacking and bereft of emotional impact or connection.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Ableism, and Bullying
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Homophobia, and Medical content
Minor: Violence
hngisreading's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Bullying, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content
caidyn's review
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.5
So good! McLemore does it again! Their books hit home. Nonbinary love interests, both who are brown and neurodivergent. A gorgeous read and it made me so happy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Ableism, and Bullying
Moderate: Homophobia and Racism