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buttercat42's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
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? No
2.5
I wanted to like this book sooo much more than I did! I finished it because the story was really compelling and I wanted to know what happened, but the writing was very much not my thing. It felt like watching a movie with my eyes closed, it seemed like there was so much information missing. Instead of being immersed in the story, I felt like the author was giving a long, drawn out description of a TV show she had watched. The first half went really fast, which was fine, but the second half really dragged and I think the author was trying to do too much, to the detriment of every part of the story. Ultimately I think this would have made a much better animated TV show than novel. The story was wonderful, truly, but I just can’t recommend the book in good faith because of the writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Outing, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Bullying, Physical abuse, Deadnaming, Self harm, and Transphobia
winter_is_reading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Excellent audiobook too. I’ll be recommending this to friends, family, and those that love music, violins, video games, Southern California, sci-fi twists, and Asian American, transgender, and Sapphic stories.
To trans pain and trans triumph, to violence and violins, to classical Bartok and 8 bit Undertale. This book has me stopping, reflecting, smiling, and crying. It’s not a sad book, but the beautiful introspection had me tearing up when I least expected it.
There are heavy themes in this book. There’s a lot of transphobia and violence against trans women. There’s anti-Asian racism, sexism, flashbacks to child abuse, and mentions of sex work and rape. But again, I wouldn’t say this is a sad book. There’s a lot of triumph and beauty despite the evils of men.
I can’t recommend this book enough.
Angst: 4/5
Spice: no spice, but there’s a darling romance
To trans pain and trans triumph, to violence and violins, to classical Bartok and 8 bit Undertale. This book has me stopping, reflecting, smiling, and crying. It’s not a sad book, but the beautiful introspection had me tearing up when I least expected it.
There are heavy themes in this book. There’s a lot of transphobia and violence against trans women. There’s anti-Asian racism, sexism, flashbacks to child abuse, and mentions of sex work and rape. But again, I wouldn’t say this is a sad book. There’s a lot of triumph and beauty despite the evils of men.
I can’t recommend this book enough.
Angst: 4/5
Spice: no spice, but there’s a darling romance
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual violence, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Child abuse, Dysphoria, and Hate crime
whimsical_dragon's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape and Deadnaming
monstrouscosmos's review
challenging
emotional
inspiring
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
Characters: 9/10
Relationships: 8/10
Atmosphere/Setting: 10/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Plot/Intrigue: 9/10
Internal Logic: 8/10
Entertainment: 9/10
Overall: 62/70, 4.5*
sometimes a family is 2 parents, 2 kids, and a household pet. sometimes a family is a transgender runaway, The Queen of Hell and her living companion Oki, and a group of intergalactic refugees-turned-donut shop proprieters.
I think my biggest issue with the book boils down to the pacing. with 3 primary interconnecting storylines and 1-2 secondary storylines it definitely felt like none actually got the thematic exploration they deserved. specifically I would have loved to see more about the violin shop! this was also the most triggering read I've ever finished. while not necessarily a detriment never feeling like I knew when things would get very heavy very quickly definitely made it difficult to enjoy some of the more sweet and lighthearted moments.
the pros are many though. I actually appreciated the quick POV changes, they were challenging but gave a depth of understanding I appreciated. the LARGE number of neurodivergent-coded characters was also great, love to see a group of people with highly specialized interests who just want to info dump to one another. some of the character beats felt unrealistic at first, but I was quickly able to suspend disbelief when considering some of the sociocultural experiences of the characters (and, again, just coding all the characters as being neurodivergent in some way). given how explicit the writing is in other ways I would have preferred seeing more explanation of how and why characters other than Kristina react the ways they do in-the-moment, but the context clues and overarching pattern of experience was definitely there for me.
Relationships: 8/10
Atmosphere/Setting: 10/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Plot/Intrigue: 9/10
Internal Logic: 8/10
Entertainment: 9/10
Overall: 62/70, 4.5*
sometimes a family is 2 parents, 2 kids, and a household pet. sometimes a family is a transgender runaway, The Queen of Hell and her living companion Oki, and a group of intergalactic refugees-turned-donut shop proprieters.
I think my biggest issue with the book boils down to the pacing. with 3 primary interconnecting storylines and 1-2 secondary storylines it definitely felt like none actually got the thematic exploration they deserved. specifically I would have loved to see more about the violin shop! this was also the most triggering read I've ever finished. while not necessarily a detriment never feeling like I knew when things would get very heavy very quickly definitely made it difficult to enjoy some of the more sweet and lighthearted moments.
the pros are many though. I actually appreciated the quick POV changes, they were challenging but gave a depth of understanding I appreciated. the LARGE number of neurodivergent-coded characters was also great, love to see a group of people with highly specialized interests who just want to info dump to one another. some of the character beats felt unrealistic at first, but I was quickly able to suspend disbelief when considering some of the sociocultural experiences of the characters (and, again, just coding all the characters as being neurodivergent in some way). given how explicit the writing is in other ways I would have preferred seeing more explanation of how and why characters other than Kristina react the ways they do in-the-moment, but the context clues and overarching pattern of experience was definitely there for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Classism, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Racism, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Outing, War, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Rape
rape was on page and fade to black, harassment/violence was on page and explicit, assault covers all 3 so I consider it explicitk_fry's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
Graphic: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Murder, Outing, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Transphobia, Violence, Self harm, Blood, Bullying, Deadnaming, Body shaming, Racial slurs, and Rape
pan_dulce08's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
2.5
I felt the book started out really strong with the main protagonist, Kristina, really intriguing me as I found her relatable but also somewhat mysterious with how she acted, and I wanted to see her develop and come into better circumstances. I also liked the setting of Southern California and how it is picked apart and commented on by the character of Shizuka. However, I feel with everything that was added as the story progressed and how long the cast-list came to be the book fails a bit with balancing the diverse set of themes present in it. It also fails in some ways to really think critically about what is portrayed in it, which makes the characters feel less... human. (Yes, I know some of the characters are literally in-human, but even so, actions like murder of multiple innocent people should still be treated with the gravity that action deserves by the alien characters as well, as that act is still wrong where they come from!)
For example,Shizuka offhandedly mentions how she had done sexual favors for people in exchange for nice things like the car she drives, and later on Katrina begins the same practice... as a seventeen year old minor. Katrina was involved with sex work before, however it was clear the abuse she suffered while on the job was simply endured by her because she needed the money from it to stay alive, and the harsh nature of the clients she had to see and what they would make her do was given the narrative weight it required, but that theming and narrative standard does not carry through with what Katrina does later on in the story. I feel like this carelessness about the acts of sexual exploitation of young women in a male-dominated industry is very confusing with what a lot of the book's focus seems to be, which is that on two women, one younger and one older, who both have scratched and clawed their ways to succeed in what they are passionate about. If anything, those acts should be treated with far more heaviness than they are by the book so as to not confuse the reader so much!
Sorry this is so long... I enjoyed a lot of aspects and characters from the book when I read it, but a lot of things about it bothered me as well and I wanted to talk about those things...
For example,
Sorry this is so long... I enjoyed a lot of aspects and characters from the book when I read it, but a lot of things about it bothered me as well and I wanted to talk about those things...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Misogyny, Death, Violence, Physical abuse, Dysphoria, Racism, and Transphobia
Moderate: Alcoholism
perlastars's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
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
Fun twist of sci-fi and fantasy in a modern American setting, full of real-world hurts and ethical questions. It felt like I was watching an anime as I read it, which maybe made it a bit more fun for me. Definitely some major trigger warnings before going into this, but I think it’s worth the read if you like these genres and are open to a blend of them.
I would have given a higher rating if it was a little smoother in the POV and character development, but I think some of the beauty in the book outshines that. Ending on a 3 star.
I would have given a higher rating if it was a little smoother in the POV and character development, but I think some of the beauty in the book outshines that. Ending on a 3 star.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Sexual violence
Moderate: Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Transphobia, Domestic abuse, Self harm, and Deadnaming
watervixxen's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
Absolutely beautiful story that centers Queer love and hope. It also shows some of the darker, unfortunately very real reactions society has towards Trans folxs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Hate crime
Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, and Deadnaming
ngrant88's review against another edition
Poorly developed characters and relationships, way too much plot without anything actually happening, POV changes mid paragraph and EVERY TRIGGER WARNING there is. This could have been a good book if someone else wrote it (and removed several plot lines).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Child abuse, Outing, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Transphobia, War, Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, Deadnaming, and Sexual violence
saracat's review
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.0
In some sci-fi or fantasy books, there is there sense of human exceptionalism that I personally don’t know how to feel about. And I’m not sure I would say I got that from this book. But I’m not sure I can say there wasn’t a feeling if it towards the end either. However, in reality, there are definitely instances when individuals from different cultures meet and that new culture teaches them something that results in them changing some views on things. And I don’t think any of this is by default good or bad. It just makes me think.
And this book did give a lot to think about. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that combines demons and aliens. So it was very interesting to see how those elements got combined.
Listening to the audiobook, it sometimes felt like there were very sudden jumps from one character to another, so it took me a few seconds or sentences to realize what was being said was not about the previous character. And I did sometimes struggle to keep some of the characters straight in my head.
My heart went out constantly to Katrina and Shirley because of their kindness and the flawed adults in their lives. I found Lan and Shizuka to be complicated and flawed, but still likable characters who had a lot of growth.
And this book did give a lot to think about. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that combines demons and aliens. So it was very interesting to see how those elements got combined.
Listening to the audiobook, it sometimes felt like there were very sudden jumps from one character to another, so it took me a few seconds or sentences to realize what was being said was not about the previous character. And I did sometimes struggle to keep some of the characters straight in my head.
My heart went out constantly to Katrina and Shirley because of their kindness and the flawed adults in their lives. I found Lan and Shizuka to be complicated and flawed, but still likable characters who had a lot of growth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Violence, Rape, and Homophobia
Minor: Sexual harassment
Not just people being transphobic but internalized transphobia