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amandasbrews's reviews
447 reviews
Gorgeous Gruesome Faces by Linda Cheng
5.0
Surprisingly captivating even in a time where I'm really struggling to read fiction
Palestine: A Socialist Introduction by Sumaya Awad, Brian Bean
5.0
Incredible content but a little dry overall. Not enough to deter me, but just a note. Still highly recommend. from the river to the sea palestine will be free
Erdbeere by Sabina Bailey
5.0
A delightfully dark and angry coming of age story perfect for all the kids who grew up mad at the world. Bailey is brutally honest about the cruelty amongst classmates while brilliantly underscoring that the violence in classrooms doesn't simply appear out of thin air. It's too often that YA fiction highlights only the nice kids, so much so that even the flawed kids are hardly flawed. But Erdbeere allows Adriana to be angry, to be mean, to be hateful. It allows us to see where this kind of anger comes from. But most of all it reminds us that no matter where our anger comes from, if we let hatred bury itself too deeply in our hearts, we hurt ourselves more than anyone else.
Viper's Dream by Jake Lamar
Riveting. Honestly couldn't put it down, it was well written and captivating throughout. It isn't a book I normally read but I was pulled right in
The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon
epic in scope and somewhere between slow burn and not at all slow burn this romantasy is was so fun! I can see this story having such a wide appeal. I feel like I've read stories similar to this so many times but in almost all instances the woman is being forced to marry and she doesn't want to but slowly falls in love with the man, but I LOVED that the MCs have made the choice to marry together. They choose to do what's best for their countries together rather than being forced in a terrible way. This story retains the same dynamic that I've seen countless times before but blows it out of the water with that subtle agency that makes a huge difference.
Bingsu for Two by Sujin Witherspoon
I've been following Sujin writing this book for what feels like years! I can't tell you how excited I am to see this go up on Goodreads. I'm SO excited for a cute cafe romcom with mixed!! rep!! thank you Sujin for writing, I'm so so proud of you and I can not wait to read!!!
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
4.0
perfect for anyone who likes horror films, the magic in this book is so fun and so interesting. I love the way this book depicts the heartache and reality of trying to solve a mystery so wrapped up in white supremacist theory because what conspiracy / cult isn't? especially when we're unraveling mysteries of the past.
A Fire Born of Exile by Aliette de Bodard
4.0
Another wonderful read by Aliette de Bodard! This story is delightfully full of fighting back against those in power, strong and beautiful romance, and coming to terms with difficult truths. I loved the balance between politics and power and love, I felt like every time I was getting really into the politics, we got switched to a softer focus. It gave me such a strong craving to keep reading more and more.
The Art of Scandal by Regina Black
5.0
Delightfully scandalous and wonderfully comforting. I love to see people finding their way again after they've lost so much of themselves to the powers that be, whether that be an institution or a relationship. This story had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, rooting for love and art and care. An absolute delight of a story.