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A review by rattletheshelves
Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe by Lindsay S. Zrull
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
4.5
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***
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
Graphic: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment