Reviews tagging 'Lesbophobia'

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

17 reviews

ka_cam's review

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

Enjoyed the writing, the magical realism, the lesbianism/queerness! Some sections dragged a bit but all and all an interested read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Classism, Racism, Sexism, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Lesbophobia

leweylibrary's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-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

My love for this book isn't all-consuming, but I did really like it! I love the magical realism in it, that added so much to the story and elevated it overall. I feel like it was The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets Last Night at the Telegraph Club plus magic lol. I loved how it explored race and gender themes through the magic and in the glamorous (and not so)world of old Hollywood. Plus I love any book that shows how queer people did exist in history.

Ngl there were some parts of the magical bits that I did not understand lol but I love that in the end she has that epic scene and then tells Wolfe

that he can suck it, she'll do what she wants to do for now, and how she realizes that maybe riding off into the sunset with a guy on screen isn't what she wants, but she is down to be a monster 🔥😈

freaking love that ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Homophobia, Sexism, and Xenophobia

jaimc's review against another edition

mysterious

• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, and Racism

Moderate: Homophobia and Racial slurs

nichole_of_numenor's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious slow-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

3.5

I genuinely enjoyed the story and while I couldn't always agree with what our heroine did, it was definitely understandable in a world that was so harsh and dangerous towards her. I enjoyed the friendships she developed (and should probably have annotated that as a theme). 

I think this story would lend itself really well to the actual silver screen.

There was no line drawn between reality and mysticism, which I'm sure was intentional when telling a story where everything and everyone has the potential to be fake. It was just hard for me to follow at times.

Overall, I liked it. I might recommend to certain people. Probably won't reread.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Racism

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

lilacs_book_bower's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

If I had read this book as a teenager, I would have been obsessed with it.  There are monsters straight out of fairy tales and myths, classic Old Hollywood stories, love stories, different kinds of magic.... Unfortunately, as an adult, it felt a bit lacking for me, even though I did enjoy it.  This is supposedly a few different novella ideas brought together, and that makes sense to me.  There is a lot going on here.  In spite of that, I did want a bit MORE, more explanations, more world building, more stakes to this world.  The magic systems are vague and just mentioned without deeper explanations, and people can become immortal by becoming actual stars in the sky, but they are still alive?  I get the metaphor about immortality and fame, but my literal brain wants to know how that WORKS.  :) The main character basically just gets whatever she wants and doesn't grow much.  There is great LGBTQ rep, although the characters sadly have to keep who they are quiet.  The main character is a child of Chinese immigrants, and has to deal with racism, as well, and she fights back against being the stereotypical roles.  She is called a monster, I guess because of her drive and cold-nature in going after what she wants.  I was kind of hoping she would become a true monster and maybe strike some blows against the patriarchy.  I would not call this a horror by any stretch of the imagination, more like a beautiful but unsettling dream.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Mental illness, Outing, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

Minor: Antisemitism, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Cultural appropriation, Rape, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Outing, and Xenophobia

imds's review

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Racism, Body horror, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Kidnapping, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Abortion, and Pregnancy

lizzym126's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Alcohol, Grief, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Blood, Racism, and Sexual content

caitlinemccann's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Racism, Racial slurs, Blood, Death, and Suicide

Minor: Addiction and Animal cruelty

kathleencoughlin's review

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

Siren Queen, like the Vo's other works, is fantastical, dark, cinematic, and (most importantly) queer. It also brings a nuanced perspective on the intersection of race and gender is a specific historical context. I never felt like I totally understood the magic, but honestly it just adds to the vampy, mysterious  vibe

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Misogyny, Body horror, and Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Murder, Abortion, Confinement, Violence, and Outing

smalika's review

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Body horror, Sexual content, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Violence

Minor: Death and Addiction