Reviews with content warning for Schizophrenia/Psychosis - Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe

This book was such a surprise. First of, a disclosure: I did not plan on reading it. Or, well, it's a half-truth. I was scrolling down NetGalley before sleep and I thought it was a graphic novel when I requested it as the cover momentarily drew me in. So I was surprised when I received a whole ebook.
It's so rare for me these days to pick up a book that didn't come recommended by reviewers I trust and which I haven't checked up on before committing my time to but apparently fate had plans for me because I loved it from the start.

Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe is about mental health, foster care, and cosplay. It's a beautiful, touching story and the characters are amazingly crafted. The author went through the foster care system as well and the book is dedicated to the kids going through the same, so that they know they aren't alone and it shows on every page. It's a love letter to foster kids, bringing in a light of hope and validation.

Hurt/comfort is one of my fave tropes and this book is written around it, so of course I loved it. I'm a huge sucker for characters who have been hurt so much by the world finding their place in the world or their people and slowly opening up and healing. Characters who finally find people who appreciate and embrace them for who they are, with all their quirks and ugly parts, and who don't try to change them.

The discussions about mental health were a huge highlight of this book. There were so many beautiful fragments, done so respectfully but also not romanticizing or flinching away from the ugly parts of mental illness. I loved how it was stressed that mental health is health and should be treated as such and that therapy and medication are sometimes essential, just like any other doctor visit. However, I feel obloged to say that I am not an own voices reader for schizophrenia, so I suggest looking up own voices reviews before making up your mind about it (I haven't seen any so far but I expect more reviews will show up closer to and after the publication date).

The romance is very slow-burn, which my aro self appreciates as I'm currently avoiding romances. Instead, there's a big focus on friendship and family (blood and found).

I definitely recommend!

***Thank you NetGalley for the eARC***

Content Warnings

librarianlayla's review

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emotional hopeful informative 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? It's complicated

5.0

I received an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars.

A dedication to all goth girls out there and a heartfelt tribute to mental illness, in all its various forms.

This story has wit, sass, nerdy fun but it also has really deep and meaningful conversations throughout. It truly highlights the highs and lows of being a foster child and the desperate need for connection that can sometimes come from those situations.

I truly adored the characters growth throughout and the very raw and real ending.

Content Warnings

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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

Since the age of seven, Jess has moved from foster home to foster home. So, she knows better than to put down roots anywhere. Almost immediately, she’s an outcast at her new Michigan high school. No one notices her except Oscar, the nerdy kid. He wants to recruit her for his cosplay group because of her fashion, makeup, and sewing skills.

When Jess starts getting messages from someone in New York claiming to be her biomom, Oscar and his cosplay might be Jess’s ticket to get there. Things start to get complicated when Jess finds she enjoys cosplay–and the company of her new friends and foster mom.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flux for an advanced copy of this to review! I always enjoy reviewing books set in Michigan, and I love the cover on this book. It’s such a fun cover! Plus, the story of foster kids isn’t told a lot in YA, and I was glad to see that in this book.

The main thing this book has going for it is the voice. Zrull absolutely nails Jess’s voice right from the beginning. You can tell she’s felt pain in her life, and she’s guarded with all the people she meets. But! We get to see her evolve throughout the book. Seeing her make new friends and relationships was such a treasure. And I absolutely adored her foster mom, who was doing everything in her power to make Jess comfortable. It was adorable.

There is really just a great cast of characters overall in this book. Jess’s little cosplay group embraces their nerdiness, and they make some excellent costumes in the book! At least, from what I can picture. It kind of made me want to get into cosplay!

My only complaint is that the ending felt a bit too abrupt. There was a lot of build up to the climax and it all got resolved rather quickly. I just would have liked a little more resolution there at the end.

All in all, this is a great debut, and I can’t wait for other people to get to read it!
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I thoroughly enjoyed the voice in this, and it's an overall strong read! Stay tuned for a full review to come next week.

Content Warnings

nessas_lair's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

💥 Schizophrenia, bipolar, anxiety, LGBTQ+, and foster care rep.💥
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC! I'm speechless with this book. I couldn't put it down. It was such a beautiful story and extremely well written and y'all need to read this. Jess' story was so emotional and raw. I think the way Zrull discusses the topics of mental health, foster care, and cosplaying were also really well done. Now I have so many great quotes about these topics! I thought the cosplay aspect was fun to read about and now I want to check out a con. Overall, this book is spectacular so please read it.

6/5 Stars

Content Warnings

happily_undignified's review

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

Thank you Netgalley and North Star Editions for providing a copy of Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe by Lindsay S. Zrull in exchange for an honest review.

Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe exceeded my expectations in every way possible! I love this book so much! The mental health representation was especially done so well. I liked the contrast of how Jess's mother handles her mental health versus how Barbara manages hers. Also the chats between Oscar and Jess about anxiety and stress were realistic and done with such empathy.

Jess is a likeable character who is trying to find a home for herself despite her past trauma and current foster situation. The friendships that she develops with Oscar, Gerrit, and Emily are all refreshing and wonderful to read about. It was awesome to see her individual creativity encouraged and applauded instead of hidden and, when she was bullied, to see her stand up for who she is as a person.

I adored the multiple levels of found family that the author produces with the cosplay group, the inclusion group at the conventions, and between Barbara and Jess. The "adoption" of Jess into these groups was gentle and realistic with some pushback and drama but eventual realization that they did really want her.

As a reader who has been personally affected by the stigma of familial mental health issues, abandonment, the foster care system, and anxiety, this book is a must read! I would recommend it to anyone school age or higher and Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe gets five stars across the board!

Content Warnings

faeriekit's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.5

Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe is a cute balance between two separate subcultures that I hold dear to my heart. Although I think it portrays both goth fashion and cosplay geek culture rather shallowly, and misses out on exploring the history of each niche, it is a younger book, and they're both treated with respect I don't often get to see. The characters deal with real conversations about mental illness and growing up in the way that I remember talking about it at the same age. A journey for reconciliation with blood family and self growth is embodied in Jessica, maligned ward of the state and instagram fashionista. Her reluctance to join a cosplay group is clear, but the bonds she makes with Oscar, Emily, and Gerrit ground her in a world she's often found so inconstant. This book moves a little fast, but the heart is there, and the ending is satisfactory.

In my nitpicky notes, the introduction to the book reads a little like Ebony Darkness Dementia Way's introduction, if the recognition is there. That may be related to the hope of representing Goth on the whole;s some pretension is natural. Some of the emotions throughout the book move a little quickly, but that may just be the genre. Some of the properties mentioned throughout are a little older than teens might know, but that may be a learning opportunity for them, or it may turn them off of the book. The concepts the book tackles and the story it tells is unique. I appreciate how the Spanish was included verbatim but still included quiet explanations within the text for non-speakers. It's simple Spanish that may help facilitate language lessons in the same age range.

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