A review by emdashing
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry

funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

A super refreshing read and different than anything I've read before! I found it so engaging and FUN and couldn't stop listening. Though we get some reflective time with each character, something made it harder to feel like I deeply knew all of them (maybe the plural first person?). Overall, a laugh-out-loud, feel-good read that managed to feel nostalgic while including lots of positive diverse rep.

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Content Warnings

Towards the end of the book,

a character is revealed to be trans. Because everyone is naked in the scene, her genitalia is described, and while it is clearly done in the spirit of allyship and with good intent (the narrative even says its no one's business), it felt unnecessary and like it undermined its own point.