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hsinjulit's review against another edition
I beta read this gem of a book, sequel to one of my favorite series. In Vol 4, we have more mutants, more chaos, and are one giant leap closer to the truth. If you have enjoyed the series so far, this will not disappoint.
// Refraining from rating until I reread it in its final form.
// Refraining from rating until I reread it in its final form.
shannonxo's review against another edition
5.0
Welp, they've done it again! The Cute Mutants are back for a fourth time with more chaotic vibes, an even bigger villain to squash, and more than a few threats to their survival.
***There will be spoilers for CM3 in this review, so please read at your own risk***
Okay, now that we got that out of the way, here we go!
This book picks up immediately after the events of the third instalment. Dylan has just executed a Quietus head operative on live television, solidifying global recognition of who the Cute Mutants are, and Dani was just resurrected from the dead. The gang is tired and hurt and just overall fed-up, so the discovery of a mutant haven in a cave system is something of a miracle. But we don't stay there long. This time, the Cute Mutants are going international with multiple stints to the US for assassinations, robberies and humanitarian aid. In other words, they're keeping themselves busy.
The last book set the reader up with the most questions we've ever had about mutants and those who hunt them, and we are finally getting closer to the truth. Is the mutant Teen Spirit really Emma's mom, and what does that mean for Emma? Who is this god character who brought Dani back, and why is he using her mouth to speak? And is Quietus really the worst villain the Cute Mutants can face? So many mysteries are starting to be unraveled in this book, so if you've been invested from the beginning this will be a great read for you.
As you would expect, one top of our familiar favourites, we meet a ton of new mutants in this secret mutant haven. There's one who has a perfect martini flowing through their veins instead of blood, and another who is just a sword but packs one hell of a punch. My new favourite mutant is one called Feral. She is part cat and yes, she is absolutely chaotic feralness and I love her, your honour. An excellent addition to the team. I have to give serious props to the author for having such an incredibly vast cast, and yet still managing to make everyone unique in their own way.
The last 80 pages are an absolute rollercoaster of emotion. Truly. I think my eyes bugged out of my head once a page because of the events that take place. It's intense and heartbreaking and just all-around INSANE! But I'm so intrigued about where the end result will take this series because not only does it lead us into the final book in the Cute Mutants series, but it paves the way for the first spin-off!
Full disclosure, my rating is rounded up from 4.5 because I do feel like it could have been tightened up. While each scene does serve a purpose, it does get a bit repetitive with the team coming home, then turning around and heading back out to attack a new location/group of people. It would have worked better if some have been combined. I also felt Dylan was a bit stagnant and lacking the incredible character development present in the previous three books.
Already eagerly awaiting CM 5!
***There will be spoilers for CM3 in this review, so please read at your own risk***
Okay, now that we got that out of the way, here we go!
This book picks up immediately after the events of the third instalment. Dylan has just executed a Quietus head operative on live television, solidifying global recognition of who the Cute Mutants are, and Dani was just resurrected from the dead. The gang is tired and hurt and just overall fed-up, so the discovery of a mutant haven in a cave system is something of a miracle. But we don't stay there long. This time, the Cute Mutants are going international with multiple stints to the US for assassinations, robberies and humanitarian aid. In other words, they're keeping themselves busy.
The last book set the reader up with the most questions we've ever had about mutants and those who hunt them, and we are finally getting closer to the truth. Is the mutant Teen Spirit really Emma's mom, and what does that mean for Emma? Who is this god character who brought Dani back, and why is he using her mouth to speak? And is Quietus really the worst villain the Cute Mutants can face? So many mysteries are starting to be unraveled in this book, so if you've been invested from the beginning this will be a great read for you.
As you would expect, one top of our familiar favourites, we meet a ton of new mutants in this secret mutant haven. There's one who has a perfect martini flowing through their veins instead of blood, and another who is just a sword but packs one hell of a punch. My new favourite mutant is one called Feral. She is part cat and yes, she is absolutely chaotic feralness and I love her, your honour. An excellent addition to the team. I have to give serious props to the author for having such an incredibly vast cast, and yet still managing to make everyone unique in their own way.
The last 80 pages are an absolute rollercoaster of emotion. Truly. I think my eyes bugged out of my head once a page because of the events that take place. It's intense and heartbreaking and just all-around INSANE! But I'm so intrigued about where the end result will take this series because not only does it lead us into the final book in the Cute Mutants series, but it paves the way for the first spin-off!
Full disclosure, my rating is rounded up from 4.5 because I do feel like it could have been tightened up. While each scene does serve a purpose, it does get a bit repetitive with the team coming home, then turning around and heading back out to attack a new location/group of people. It would have worked better if some have been combined. I also felt Dylan was a bit stagnant and lacking the incredible character development present in the previous three books.
Already eagerly awaiting CM 5!
althea's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5 Stars
Volume 4 of the Cute Mutants series opens right where we left our favourite superqueeroes at the end of volume 3 - Dylan, alongside the rest of the Cute Mutants and a newly resurrected Dani find themselves being portalled to a secret hideaway mutant commune that is a safe space for them to stay for the time being. However, Eli Crane, mutant hater and overall bigot is still at large, but Dylan is determined to put an end to that. But a mysterious mutant who calls themselves God keeps sticking their nose in, and with new information finally coming to light, can the Cute Mutants survive the battles they've got ahead of them?
Despite being emotionally in pain after the previous books in the series, I think that this is the first Cute Mutants book to make me shed real tears that just would not stop coming! I absolutely love SJ's witty writing style and the emotional punches that hit you from every direction in their books. You reach the first blow and you're like, surely this is it, I can't stand anymore pain, and then you get two thirds of the way through the book and you're like, nope this is it, I cannot function any more, I have become one with the pool of tears that surrounds me, and right at the end SJ creates one last sucker punch to take you out when you think everything's safe! It's safe to say that this book is just as action packed as the previous instalments, and yet I still trust SJ not to break my heart each time I open a new book...and yet! Aside from all the action in this instalment, there is a lot more philosophical thinking - there's discussion of whether the Cute Mutants are actually the bad guys or not, 'curing' mutants and the topic of eugenics, as well as the age old mutants v. humans, Magneto was right debate (or in this case, Chatterbox was right)! But if you're sitting there reading this and thinking to yourself, oh no, this sounds like a lot, don't worry, there's still all those soft, hilarious Cute Mutants vibes that we know and love (including Dylan spamming an Olivia Hye fancam during a battle with the hashtag #CuteMutantsAreOverParty!).
Something I have always loved about the Cute Mutants books is, of course, the characters! Dylan and Dani are just as cute as ever (and I love seeing Dylan really growing into their nonbinary identity), and Alyse and Emma are so soft for each other and I adore them! I wish we had seen more of Lou and his girlfriend, but I've got my fingers crossed for Weapon uWu! Speaking of Lou, wow, his character development! I was so, so excited to see him truly come into his own in this book and he's really grown from me kinda being ambivalent about him to being one of my favourite members of the Cute Mutants! We also meet some new mutants that I also adore - my favourites being Excalibur and her sword, and Feral (my sweet gal!) - as well as a pretty awesome tank, Abby! Without spoiling anything, I was also so excited to see one of our old friends again!
This book was definitely an emotional ride and already I'm dying to just abandon my TBR for the month and just re-read the whole series over and over again until the next book is out! Only about half an hour ago did I find out that this is the penultimate book in this arc of the Cute Mutant's story and I'm heartbroken, but I'm so excited to see where SJ takes the series next!
I was gifted a copy of this book by the author but all opinions are my own!
Volume 4 of the Cute Mutants series opens right where we left our favourite superqueeroes at the end of volume 3 - Dylan, alongside the rest of the Cute Mutants and a newly resurrected Dani find themselves being portalled to a secret hideaway mutant commune that is a safe space for them to stay for the time being. However, Eli Crane, mutant hater and overall bigot is still at large, but Dylan is determined to put an end to that. But a mysterious mutant who calls themselves God keeps sticking their nose in, and with new information finally coming to light, can the Cute Mutants survive the battles they've got ahead of them?
Despite being emotionally in pain after the previous books in the series, I think that this is the first Cute Mutants book to make me shed real tears that just would not stop coming! I absolutely love SJ's witty writing style and the emotional punches that hit you from every direction in their books. You reach the first blow and you're like, surely this is it, I can't stand anymore pain, and then you get two thirds of the way through the book and you're like, nope this is it, I cannot function any more, I have become one with the pool of tears that surrounds me, and right at the end SJ creates one last sucker punch to take you out when you think everything's safe! It's safe to say that this book is just as action packed as the previous instalments, and yet I still trust SJ not to break my heart each time I open a new book...and yet! Aside from all the action in this instalment, there is a lot more philosophical thinking - there's discussion of whether the Cute Mutants are actually the bad guys or not, 'curing' mutants and the topic of eugenics, as well as the age old mutants v. humans, Magneto was right debate (or in this case, Chatterbox was right)! But if you're sitting there reading this and thinking to yourself, oh no, this sounds like a lot, don't worry, there's still all those soft, hilarious Cute Mutants vibes that we know and love (including Dylan spamming an Olivia Hye fancam during a battle with the hashtag #CuteMutantsAreOverParty!).
Something I have always loved about the Cute Mutants books is, of course, the characters! Dylan and Dani are just as cute as ever (and I love seeing Dylan really growing into their nonbinary identity), and Alyse and Emma are so soft for each other and I adore them! I wish we had seen more of Lou and his girlfriend, but I've got my fingers crossed for Weapon uWu! Speaking of Lou, wow, his character development! I was so, so excited to see him truly come into his own in this book and he's really grown from me kinda being ambivalent about him to being one of my favourite members of the Cute Mutants! We also meet some new mutants that I also adore - my favourites being Excalibur and her sword, and Feral (my sweet gal!) - as well as a pretty awesome tank, Abby! Without spoiling anything, I was also so excited to see one of our old friends again!
This book was definitely an emotional ride and already I'm dying to just abandon my TBR for the month and just re-read the whole series over and over again until the next book is out! Only about half an hour ago did I find out that this is the penultimate book in this arc of the Cute Mutant's story and I'm heartbroken, but I'm so excited to see where SJ takes the series next!
I was gifted a copy of this book by the author but all opinions are my own!
beansandfungi's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
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
3.75
There were a few things I didn't love in this one particularly around the villain reveal, which was predictable and felt rushed. That said, it's still Cute Mutants so it was a blast to read!
kellshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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
4.0
robinlikesreading's review
5.0
Another adventure of the Cute Mutants full with madness, love, friendship and a lot of blood.
After killing Abigail Tanner, they followed some mutants through a portal to a save space for mutants. They have rules but Dylan and the Cute Mutants obviously still do their own thing. They go after Quietus, they make a (positive and negative) name for themselves and that all while a mysterious 'God' starts talking to Dylan through Dani.
So, first of all. I kinda like how the team got divided into two teams. We still see the others occasionally but this did give us the time to connect more with a new member of the team named Feral (who I absolutely love btw, she fits the team so well).
Honestly everything was so good. The plot is probably my favorite of the books so far. I was so scared for all the characters all the time. The stakes were so high.
I really like how we see Dylan actually struggling with what's good and not. They kill, they steal and sometimes they look more like a supervillain. They always have good intentions but they don't mind shedding blood to achieve those intentions. Anywho, Dylan is very relatable and I absolutely love them.
The ending really scared me.
This series really gets better and better every book. I'm excited to read the spin-off Weapons UWU but I don't think I'm ready to read the last book.
LGBTQ+rep:
Dylan/Chattbox: Pansexual, genderfluid.
Pear: Non binary, Biromantic Asexual
Lou/Glowstick: Trans boy
Dani/Marvellous: Korean Lesbian
Alyse/Moodring: Pacific Islander Bisexual/Pansexual
Emma/Godess: Kiw-Chinese, Demiromantic Asexual
Maddy/Sourpatch: Sapphic
Gladiola/Fetch: Sapphic
Skye/Clone Club: Bisexual
Violet/Penance: Lesbian
Excalibur: Sapphic
After killing Abigail Tanner, they followed some mutants through a portal to a save space for mutants. They have rules but Dylan and the Cute Mutants obviously still do their own thing. They go after Quietus, they make a (positive and negative) name for themselves and that all while a mysterious 'God' starts talking to Dylan through Dani.
So, first of all. I kinda like how the team got divided into two teams. We still see the others occasionally but this did give us the time to connect more with a new member of the team named Feral (who I absolutely love btw, she fits the team so well).
Honestly everything was so good. The plot is probably my favorite of the books so far. I was so scared for all the characters all the time. The stakes were so high.
I really like how we see Dylan actually struggling with what's good and not. They kill, they steal and sometimes they look more like a supervillain. They always have good intentions but they don't mind shedding blood to achieve those intentions.
Spoiler
Especially where they were actually doubting 'God''s plan, thinking it might be the best way after all.The ending really scared me.
Spoiler
Seeing so many characters I love die made me sob so much. I'm happy they were brought back by Emma though.This series really gets better and better every book. I'm excited to read the spin-off Weapons UWU but I don't think I'm ready to read the last book.
LGBTQ+rep:
Dylan/Chattbox: Pansexual, genderfluid.
Pear: Non binary, Biromantic Asexual
Lou/Glowstick: Trans boy
Dani/Marvellous: Korean Lesbian
Alyse/Moodring: Pacific Islander Bisexual/Pansexual
Emma/Godess: Kiw-Chinese, Demiromantic Asexual
Maddy/Sourpatch: Sapphic
Gladiola/Fetch: Sapphic
Skye/Clone Club: Bisexual
Violet/Penance: Lesbian
Excalibur: Sapphic
rileyswan's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia and War
Minor: Sexual content and Racism
bee_bean's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
essjay's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Four books in and I genuinely love this series, but this might be my least favourite so far. Not bc it's darker than the others (although it is, and it wasn't a surprise), but bc the whole thing felt rushed and chaotic, and not in a fun way. The last 50 or so pages felt cheap, and I understand that it's setting up the spinoffs and the final CM book, but...yeah.