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astravars's reviews
124 reviews
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
this book positively surprised me.
you may ask yourself why that is, given its popularity, but i have to admit i am usually a little careful with books as well loved as this one,,, i had no reason to be
what i hear most people talk about when it comes to this book is the achillean romance itself
which makes sense of course, given this is a romance book, HOWEVER it was so much more than i'd initially thought
this might be a me thing but i tend to love the aspects of the relationship that aren't necessarily romantic the most - the deep talk about feelings and trauma, the healing, the caring
our main character, alex, talks about the idea of "home" and what it means to him, there's his parents' divorce, and how he uses work as a way to distract himself from thinking about his feelings
henry struggles with the pressure his family puts on him to "retain the crown's image", the homophobia he's faced with for the same reasons and the death of his father
i won't talk about their relationship a lot since i'm sure you all already know this, just know that i loved it a lot and i would do anything to ensure their happiness
the supporting characters were so well fleshed out as well?? - june, nora, bea, pez; i loved them all so much
i think bea might have been my favourite. her backstory. the way she threatened philip with a guitar when he tried to talk to henry about "the consequences of his actions"?? iconic
speaking of which... henry was probably my favourite character overall and i connected to him so well, he's so relatable (people pleasing mf with death of a loved one as a core trauma? that's me)
then there was, of course, the politics. i love books about politics. usually, however, they're sff, not contemporary
good to know i enjoy a contemporary politics plot as well
i'm so glad henry kept talking shit about his ancestors - as he should
rafael luna was also an icon
so, in conclusion, this book was a rollercoaster, it kept tearing at my heart strings in all the right ways, and in the unlikely scenario that you have not read this yet, i highly recommend you doing so soon
ps. i think it's kind of funny how i finished this the day the movie came out (shout out to sar for forcing me to finally read this)
pps. though there was one trans character i wish there was more genderqueerness, but hey that's okay
you may ask yourself why that is, given its popularity, but i have to admit i am usually a little careful with books as well loved as this one,,, i had no reason to be
what i hear most people talk about when it comes to this book is the achillean romance itself
which makes sense of course, given this is a romance book, HOWEVER it was so much more than i'd initially thought
this might be a me thing but i tend to love the aspects of the relationship that aren't necessarily romantic the most - the deep talk about feelings and trauma, the healing, the caring
our main character, alex, talks about the idea of "home" and what it means to him, there's his parents' divorce, and how he uses work as a way to distract himself from thinking about his feelings
henry struggles with the pressure his family puts on him to "retain the crown's image", the homophobia he's faced with for the same reasons and the death of his father
i won't talk about their relationship a lot since i'm sure you all already know this, just know that i loved it a lot and i would do anything to ensure their happiness
the supporting characters were so well fleshed out as well?? - june, nora, bea, pez; i loved them all so much
i think bea might have been my favourite. her backstory. the way she threatened philip with a guitar when he tried to talk to henry about "the consequences of his actions"?? iconic
speaking of which... henry was probably my favourite character overall and i connected to him so well, he's so relatable (people pleasing mf with death of a loved one as a core trauma? that's me)
then there was, of course, the politics. i love books about politics. usually, however, they're sff, not contemporary
good to know i enjoy a contemporary politics plot as well
i'm so glad henry kept talking shit about his ancestors - as he should
rafael luna was also an icon
so, in conclusion, this book was a rollercoaster, it kept tearing at my heart strings in all the right ways, and in the unlikely scenario that you have not read this yet, i highly recommend you doing so soon
ps. i think it's kind of funny how i finished this the day the movie came out (shout out to sar for forcing me to finally read this)
pps. though there was one trans character i wish there was more genderqueerness, but hey that's okay
Your Gender Book: Helping You to Be You! by Ben Pechey
2.0
this is unfortunately not a very inclusive book :(
i'll write a more detailed review soon
i'll write a more detailed review soon
A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 29%.
i'll finish this too!
i genuinely forgot this existed for a while
but i'm enjoying it so!
i genuinely forgot this existed for a while
but i'm enjoying it so!
The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.
i'll finish it!
but i was sick when i listened to half of my progress so i kinda need motivation to find out what i remember and reread the rest haha
but i was sick when i listened to half of my progress so i kinda need motivation to find out what i remember and reread the rest haha
Castle Swimmer, Season 1 by Wendy Lian Martin
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
this was so cute?? the gays, the drama, the merpeople
siren and kappa are both so handsome too i'm so gay bye
excuse me while i binge the rest of the series
siren and kappa are both so handsome too i'm so gay bye
excuse me while i binge the rest of the series
The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
"The Wicked Bargain" is, at its core, a story about acceptance.
The book follows Mar, a 16-year-old transmasc nonbinary pirate, as they come to terms with their magic as well as the new path their life takes after their father's ship sinks on their 16th birthday, leaving everyone they loved dead and themself at the mercy of another pirate crew.
There are so many things I love about this book.
Firstly, the characters. Mar is such a loveable protagonist and I loved the main supporting characters almost as much (Mar is simply my beloved, no one can quite reach their level). The two that got the most attention were Bas and Dami.
Bas is the son of the captain of the crew that takes Mar in. Through Mar's eyes he comes off as arrogant at first. And perhaps he is a little. But you quickly notice hints in his words and actions that point to him caring deeply.
Dami is a genderfluid demonio who appears to want something from Mar. They're a very complex character that you don't really get to know all that well until father towards the end of the book and I thought it was very interesting to follow along while Mar learned more about them. And they can shift their appearance into what gender they are at the time! Which is awesome and looked upon with envy by Mar (and me) multiple times.
The trans representation in both Mar and Dami was so well done and made me feel incredibly seen! Mar and I have such a similar experience with our gender <33
I loved the setting as well! The book takes place in the 1820 Caribbean and, different to most pirate media we get (comp. potc), the story isn't told from a westernised/ european lens but from a latinx one! Which only makes sense considering it's the Caribbean, no?
Piracy is generally viewed as a sort of resistance against a regime of power and social norms and in this book it's mainly fighting back against the spanish colonisers, which I loved reading about. + the topic is very plot relevant, too!
Mar does talk about their mayan ancestors too and it seems their magic might be connected to mayan mythology in some way. So another topic I loved! There's mention of an island where lots of people with magic like Mar's live, too. I do think all that could be explored a little more and I'm kind of hoping we'll get a sequel one day that does exactly that!
The concept of diablos and demonios was very well done as well, I loved it a lot and I'm beyond excited for "the diablo's curse" to come out next winter!
This book also has this one theme I'm in love with: "what is a monster?"
And in this case it's all about Mar learning that they're NOT and their magic doesn't make them one.
At some point in the book Bas tells Mar something about having met many monsters but Mar not being one of them. <33
Which leads me to my next point: their romance… my HEART.
And the plot!! In conclusion: I loved everything. I could talk about this book for hours. Please go read it and see for yourself!
+ I highly recommend the audiobook too. Vico Ortiz did such a great job!
(i actively had to keep myself from writing more)
The book follows Mar, a 16-year-old transmasc nonbinary pirate, as they come to terms with their magic as well as the new path their life takes after their father's ship sinks on their 16th birthday, leaving everyone they loved dead and themself at the mercy of another pirate crew.
There are so many things I love about this book.
Firstly, the characters. Mar is such a loveable protagonist and I loved the main supporting characters almost as much (Mar is simply my beloved, no one can quite reach their level). The two that got the most attention were Bas and Dami.
Bas is the son of the captain of the crew that takes Mar in. Through Mar's eyes he comes off as arrogant at first. And perhaps he is a little. But you quickly notice hints in his words and actions that point to him caring deeply.
Dami is a genderfluid demonio who appears to want something from Mar. They're a very complex character that you don't really get to know all that well until father towards the end of the book and I thought it was very interesting to follow along while Mar learned more about them. And they can shift their appearance into what gender they are at the time! Which is awesome and looked upon with envy by Mar (and me) multiple times.
The trans representation in both Mar and Dami was so well done and made me feel incredibly seen! Mar and I have such a similar experience with our gender <33
I loved the setting as well! The book takes place in the 1820 Caribbean and, different to most pirate media we get (comp. potc), the story isn't told from a westernised/ european lens but from a latinx one! Which only makes sense considering it's the Caribbean, no?
Piracy is generally viewed as a sort of resistance against a regime of power and social norms and in this book it's mainly fighting back against the spanish colonisers, which I loved reading about. + the topic is very plot relevant, too!
Mar does talk about their mayan ancestors too and it seems their magic might be connected to mayan mythology in some way. So another topic I loved! There's mention of an island where lots of people with magic like Mar's live, too. I do think all that could be explored a little more and I'm kind of hoping we'll get a sequel one day that does exactly that!
The concept of diablos and demonios was very well done as well, I loved it a lot and I'm beyond excited for "the diablo's curse" to come out next winter!
This book also has this one theme I'm in love with: "what is a monster?"
And in this case it's all about Mar learning that they're NOT and their magic doesn't make them one.
At some point in the book Bas tells Mar something about having met many monsters but Mar not being one of them. <33
Which leads me to my next point: their romance… my HEART.
And the plot!! In conclusion: I loved everything. I could talk about this book for hours. Please go read it and see for yourself!
+ I highly recommend the audiobook too. Vico Ortiz did such a great job!
(i actively had to keep myself from writing more)
The Fever King Webtoon by Victoria Lee, SaraDeek
Did not finish book. Stopped at 39%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 39%.
i currently don't have the energy to unlock two episodes a day, i'll finish it eventually though! i mean i loved the feverwake duology and the art is gorgeous
The Sun and the Star by Mark Oshiro, Rick Riordan
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
- 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
5.0
I want to preface this by saying that Solangelo was the very first queer couple i actively read about. They'll forever hold a very special place in my heart.
Needless to say I had very high expectations. This book exceeded them.
I loved the further exploration of their relationship, specifically how they learned to accept and embrace their differences.
"I want the best for him, and he seems to disappear into his darkness, like he’s hiding in a place where he doesn’t want my light."
"Then why not offer him your darkness?"
The book also dives a little deeper into Nico's trauma and how it's affecting him in the present which I thought was handled so well, and though, at times, it wasn't easy to read about I really appreciated this aspect of the story.
And the delivery of the story?? Some of the topics discussed were heavy – the story takes place in tartarus after all – yet, like in the other riordanverse books, the humor sprinkled in here and there, lightening up the mood, was delightful. It made me very nostalgic because it reminded me so much of the original series.
+ the main pov character was Nico, but there was the occasional chapter from Will's pov which I don't think we've had in any book before and I loved that a lot!
I'm keeping this review fairly vague because I could actually talk about this for hours and I'm not sure I'll be able to stop if I start but know that I loved it very much and you should all read it if you haven't already! Very important.
(You don't need to have read the other books to understand it, though I would recommend at least looking up major plot points and world building. There are definitely spoilers for the other books so if you're planning on reading them and don't like spoilers maybe read them first. It does definitely add to the experience too.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing, Homophobia, Death, and Grief
Project Nought by Chelsey Furedi
4.25
*sigh* my arc expired because i took too long and i wasn't able to download it because there was a problem with the file size or something soo i'll get the physical copy and finish that!
i have reviewed what i've read so far on netgalley and will be adding it here once i'm done!
i have reviewed what i've read so far on netgalley and will be adding it here once i'm done!