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ashlightgrayson's reviews
733 reviews
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
It was such a pleasure reading through this book. I am queer, mixed, and black just as the main character, Michael, is. I was able to relate to him in many ways. The poetry in the story had a nice rhythm to it as you read. I personally recommend reading it aloud sometimes so that you can really appreciate it.
Michael has a lot of internal dialogue that feels genuinely teenaged in nature. He was still very likeable throughout the story and I found his internal monologue endearing. It really made me sympathetic towards him whenever Michael got into not so ideal situations or made mistakes. His parents are incredibly supportive of him. It was refreshing to see their attitudes help Michael embrace both sides of his multi-ethnic culture.
Daisy, Michael's long time childhood friend, serves as a foil for Michael. Michael attempts to embrace his blackness and queerness and grows more comfortable with his identity as the book progresses. In contrast, Daisy becomes more openly queerphobic and anti-black. She goes out of her way to avoid parts of her black identity. She is more white passing than Michael and she at times weaponizes this and uses her privilege in ways that are harmful. Additionally, as her character continues to develop, she says more outright racist or homophobic things. Daisy is not the only person that enters Michael's life that reflects forms of queerphobia or ignorance when it comes to race. Each of these encounters and interactions allow Michael to grow and become more secure in his identity.
Everything comes wonderfully full circle by the end of the book and was incredibly satisfying for me. I found the story satisfying, uplifting, and hopeful. I am looking forward to more works written by this author. I definitely do recommend this coming-of-age story for teenagers, but especially queer teenagers. However, even as a queer adult, it made me happy that there are queer stories out there like this.
Michael has a lot of internal dialogue that feels genuinely teenaged in nature. He was still very likeable throughout the story and I found his internal monologue endearing. It really made me sympathetic towards him whenever Michael got into not so ideal situations or made mistakes. His parents are incredibly supportive of him. It was refreshing to see their attitudes help Michael embrace both sides of his multi-ethnic culture.
Daisy, Michael's long time childhood friend, serves as a foil for Michael. Michael attempts to embrace his blackness and queerness and grows more comfortable with his identity as the book progresses. In contrast, Daisy becomes more openly queerphobic and anti-black. She goes out of her way to avoid parts of her black identity. She is more white passing than Michael and she at times weaponizes this and uses her privilege in ways that are harmful. Additionally, as her character continues to develop, she says more outright racist or homophobic things. Daisy is not the only person that enters Michael's life that reflects forms of queerphobia or ignorance when it comes to race. Each of these encounters and interactions allow Michael to grow and become more secure in his identity.
Everything comes wonderfully full circle by the end of the book and was incredibly satisfying for me. I found the story satisfying, uplifting, and hopeful. I am looking forward to more works written by this author. I definitely do recommend this coming-of-age story for teenagers, but especially queer teenagers. However, even as a queer adult, it made me happy that there are queer stories out there like this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Racism
Halo: Lone Wolf by Anne Toole
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I'm not particularly familiar with the lore of Halo, but I think this story gave interesting insight into the world. It was a short story that encompasses enough to garner my interest into the world. The consequences and collateral damage of the war are palpable even with the limited context given. I would be interested in picking up more graphic novels to get to know this world better after reading this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Violence, and Gun violence
Black Clover, Vol. 14 by Yûki Tabata
adventurous
4.0
The Royal Knights Exam continues to be interesting. We're getting to see how everyone uses their powers an strengths differently. Additionally, we get an interesting exploration of the complicated sibling relationship between contestants. Asta as always, stands up for his teammates and for anyone he sees treated unfairly. A lot of the action scenes are cool to read and I appreciate the effort put into making everyone's use of their powers so different. We get a peak into Zora's backstory, and honestly I'm looking forward to see how his relationship with the Black Bulls develops after the exam.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Violence
Black Clover, Vol. 13 by Yûki Tabata
adventurous
lighthearted
4.0
Welcome to the Chunin Exams, but Black Clover edition. There is a reasonably high number of new characters that are introduced in quick succession, so it's a bit difficult to keep up with everyone. It is entertaining to watch the team battles play out, though. I like that people that usually wouldn't be paired together are having to figure out how to work together. Yuno and Noelle was one of the most interesting parirings. It's reminscent of the Tenkaichi Budokai tournaments from Dragonball/Dragonball Z for me. Very nostalgic and fun. I'm looking forward to see how it concludes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Extraordinary X-Men, Volume 2: Apocalypse Wars by Jeff Lemire
There is a lot of jumping around in this volume. It feels like a series of rescue missions, all taking place in different settings (and even time periods), sometimes simultaneously. The subplots and interactions between the characters were the most interesting part for me. The team is able to rescue Nightcrawler. Jean and Storm end up going into his mind to try and understand what he experienced that left him so broken. Sapna and Ilyana find common ground with their connection to Limbo. Ilyana serves as a sort of mentor for her with an interesting surprise at the end of this part of the story. With such a difficult series of circumstances it's no wonder Storm is having difficulty helming the ship. Based on the ending I'm looking forward to the upcoming story arc. We shall see where it goes.
adventurous
dark
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
There is a lot of jumping around in this volume. It feels like a series of rescue missions, all taking place in different settings (and even time periods), sometimes simultaneously. The subplots and interactions between the characters were the most interesting part for me. The team is able to rescue Nightcrawler. Jean and Storm end up going into his mind to try and understand what he experienced that left him so broken. Sapna and Ilyana find common ground with their connection to Limbo. Ilyana serves as a sort of mentor for her with an interesting surprise at the end of this part of the story. With such a difficult series of circumstances it's no wonder Storm is having difficulty helming the ship. Based on the ending I'm looking forward to the upcoming story arc. We shall see where it goes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide and Violence
Blood Moon by Jillian Graves
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
DNF. The romance was more focused on lust than anything else and was too fast pace for me to really get to know or like the characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
Resistencia: Poems of Protest and Revolution by Julia Alvarez
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
3.0
This wasn't exactly what I expected. It is an anthology of Latin American poems pertaining to protest and resistance. It helped add some new poets to my list of poetry TBR, which was nice. The poems are mostly in Spanish, but some of them are also in Portuguese, Quechua, Mayan, etc. All of the poems have the English translation side by side with the original language it was written in. A lot of the messaging is very interwined with Latin American history and social issues. I feel like it would be a great study material for students in a university course who want an introduction to some Latin American history/poetry.. The poets are from various countries of origin which helps enrich the historical context of the poems. A lot of them are still pertinent to social issues to day, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it. However, I do not see myself revisiting it, so I think I'll be donating this one so that someone else has the chance to experience it.
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book had surprising found family vibes that I wasn't expecting. The romance is the main focus, but we get to see the two male lead's friends and family spend a reasonable amount of time being emotionally supportive to both of them respectively. Nora's relationship with Alex is especially refreshing. Nora used to date Alex, but now they are strictly friends. It's not very often that you see depictions in media of men/women being friends platonically. Exes getting along amicably after a breakup are also rare in general. It was just very nice to see them be such good friends and emotionally supportive of each other.
There is also a good amount of representation in this modern alternative universe. Nora is sexually fluid. Alex is a person of color since his father is Latin@. It was just a conglomeration of some very nice happy representation. (The queers deserve nice happy romcoms too). This romance is an exploration of sexuality and the experience of coming out when you are a public figure. It's a rivals to friends to lovers story as well. There are just a lot of tropes in the story that are written very well. The best way I can describe this reading experience is that it's the gay romantic comedy that I didn't know I needed.
Alex and Henry, the main love interests, perceive themselves at the beginning of the story (especially Alex), as being very different from one another. The irony in this is that their experiences being in the public eye mirror each other. The story never takes itself too seriously but does have moments that are critical of major social issues. This includes things like grooming, power dynamics in age gap relationships, being outed, homophobia, etc. The themes are touched upon enough to be satisfying, but not so deeply that it makes the story dark and somber. This was an incredibly cheerful read and I'm looking forward to watching the film on Prime video. It's sure to be a good time just like the book was.
There is also a good amount of representation in this modern alternative universe. Nora is sexually fluid. Alex is a person of color since his father is Latin@. It was just a conglomeration of some very nice happy representation. (The queers deserve nice happy romcoms too). This romance is an exploration of sexuality and the experience of coming out when you are a public figure. It's a rivals to friends to lovers story as well. There are just a lot of tropes in the story that are written very well. The best way I can describe this reading experience is that it's the gay romantic comedy that I didn't know I needed.
Alex and Henry, the main love interests, perceive themselves at the beginning of the story (especially Alex), as being very different from one another. The irony in this is that their experiences being in the public eye mirror each other. The story never takes itself too seriously but does have moments that are critical of major social issues. This includes things like grooming, power dynamics in age gap relationships, being outed, homophobia, etc. The themes are touched upon enough to be satisfying, but not so deeply that it makes the story dark and somber. This was an incredibly cheerful read and I'm looking forward to watching the film on Prime video. It's sure to be a good time just like the book was.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Cursing
Minor: Homophobia
grooming, age gap relationship
The Righteous by Renée Ahdieh
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
There is a lot of conflict between Celine and Sebastian. A lot of it is related to Celine wanting to believe that her mother has the best intentions. Sebastian, on the other hand, has his suspicions that there is more to the fae court than meets the eye. It does not help that Sebastian does not fit in. He is still coming to terms with being a vampire. At home, he at least fit in with the other supernatural creatures because they are the only family he has ever known. At the fae court, he is disliked, first based on his nature, and secondly because he is not seen as a fitting romantic match for Celine.
It feels like a 60/40 split petaining to how much time we spend with Arjun/Pippa vs. Celine/Sebastian, which is a nice change of pace, personally. Celine and Sebastien's relationship is reasonably well established already, so I was looking forward to see Arjun and Pippa's develop. A reasonable chunk of the plot takes place in the fae world. There is an occasional switching of point of view
Arjun's existence as a half fae has a lot of political implications in the fae court. It felt like the discrimination and rejection Arjun experiences for being half fae is analagous to the experience of people of color in the human world. I appreciated the parallels and what we learn about Arjun's past. He's actually quite guarded, intelligent, and caring. He has to play along with the canniving ways of the fae in order to protect Pippa. This makes it so that Pippa has trouble trusting him at first. Overall, I was very satisfied with how they came together at the end and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in the next installment.
This book felt like it was planting seeds for what is to come in the next book. The fae world is fascinating in its complex politics. I can't wait to see how all of the plot points planted here come to fruition in the last book. A very solid third installment.
It feels like a 60/40 split petaining to how much time we spend with Arjun/Pippa vs. Celine/Sebastian, which is a nice change of pace, personally. Celine and Sebastien's relationship is reasonably well established already, so I was looking forward to see Arjun and Pippa's develop. A reasonable chunk of the plot takes place in the fae world. There is an occasional switching of point of view
Arjun's existence as a half fae has a lot of political implications in the fae court. It felt like the discrimination and rejection Arjun experiences for being half fae is analagous to the experience of people of color in the human world. I appreciated the parallels and what we learn about Arjun's past. He's actually quite guarded, intelligent, and caring. He has to play along with the canniving ways of the fae in order to protect Pippa. This makes it so that Pippa has trouble trusting him at first. Overall, I was very satisfied with how they came together at the end and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in the next installment.
This book felt like it was planting seeds for what is to come in the next book. The fae world is fascinating in its complex politics. I can't wait to see how all of the plot points planted here come to fruition in the last book. A very solid third installment.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Classism
Minor: Sexual content
Everything for You by Chloe Liese
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a very heartwarming romance. Gavin and Oliver, the main love interests, are consistently coming to verbal blows at the beginning of the story. Despite this, it is clear that they each have a healthy level of respect for each other as teammates. This only makes for a lot of space for their relationship to develop as they are forced to work together as co-captains. The verbal banter they have eventually turns into very entertaining flirting.
Gavin has a lot of chronic pain that he spends most of his time hiding from his team. He is a very prideful man, but as Oliver gets to know him Gavin starts allowing Oliver to be his emotional support through his physical pain. Oliver suffers from anxiety and Gavin is receptive enough to offer Oliver his support without making him feel embarrassed about it. The emotional development of the relationship was incredibly satisfying and this is one of the best romances I have probably read this year.
I also love that the side characters also play an important part in the story. We get to see a lot of funny sibling interactions between Oliver and his family. His niece is also an adorable addition to the cast of characters. Oliver's niece helps bring out a softer side to the usually grumpy and serious Gavin. The book feels balanced in many ways that I wish more romance novels were. Overall, this is one of my favorite installments in the series so far and I look forward to reading the next one.
Gavin has a lot of chronic pain that he spends most of his time hiding from his team. He is a very prideful man, but as Oliver gets to know him Gavin starts allowing Oliver to be his emotional support through his physical pain. Oliver suffers from anxiety and Gavin is receptive enough to offer Oliver his support without making him feel embarrassed about it. The emotional development of the relationship was incredibly satisfying and this is one of the best romances I have probably read this year.
I also love that the side characters also play an important part in the story. We get to see a lot of funny sibling interactions between Oliver and his family. His niece is also an adorable addition to the cast of characters. Oliver's niece helps bring out a softer side to the usually grumpy and serious Gavin. The book feels balanced in many ways that I wish more romance novels were. Overall, this is one of my favorite installments in the series so far and I look forward to reading the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Homophobia