A review by plumpaperbacks
Washed Up (With A Kraken) by L.E. Eldridge

lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Not gonna lie, I picked this up because the cover had me thinking it was sapphic, and I’m a little disappointed it isn’t. That’s not anything against the book, of course. That’s a me thing.

One thing I will hold against the book, though, is the way the nonbinary protagonist was written. In their very first conversation, Jorah tells Quinn their pronouns are they/them. Why, then, are there instances later on in the book where Quinn thinks of them using he/him pronouns? I’ve never read a book where the author misgenders their own character. It’s clumsy, it’s gross, and it makes the whole thing feel like an afterthought.

Also, I don’t love the fact that Quinn was so horny for tentacles, she just gave up on her lifelong dream. We hear over and over about how hard she worked to get where she is, and then. Tentacles. That’s it. That’s the tweet.

The smut was good, though. Even better than Snowed Inn (With a Demon). And, if I suspend my disbelief, Quinn and Jorah are quite cute. So there’s that.

Representation:
  • fat protagonist
  • nonbinary protagonist (they/them) (supposedly) (The Demon’s Bargain by Katee Robert did it exponentially better)
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